Skip to content

README.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
194 lines (143 loc) · 7.89 KB

README.md

File metadata and controls

194 lines (143 loc) · 7.89 KB
Raw

LCT (LiveCaptions Translator) - Professional Edition

Overview

✨ LCT (LiveCaptions Translator) = Windows Live Captions + Local AI Translation ✨

A professional real-time speech translation solution that combines Windows' built-in Live Captions with local AI models via Ollama for private, secure, and efficient translation. Developed by Ai-All-You-Need-Platform Pte. Ltd.

🚀 Quick Start: Download from releases and launch instantly!

🔒 Privacy First: All translation happens locally on your device - no data leaves your machine.

Key Features

🔄 Seamless Integration

  • Automatically invokes Windows Live Captions without opening a separate window
  • Provides unified experience for real-time audio/speech translation
  • Live Captions are hidden by default after first use (configurable in settings)
  • Enable Include microphone audio in Windows Live Captions settings for real-time speech translation

🤖 Local AI Translation

  • Ollama Engine: Exclusive use of local AI models for translation
  • Privacy Focused: All processing happens on your device
  • Multiple Models: Support for various language models (qwen2.5:3b default)
  • Intel IPEX-LLM: Optimized for Intel hardware acceleration
  • No Internet Required: Works completely offline after initial setup

🎨 Modern Interface

  • Clean Fluent UI that matches modern Windows aesthetics
  • Automatic light/dark theme switching based on system settings
  • Professional branding and user experience
  • Multiple viewing modes: standard and compact overlay

🪟 Overlay Window

  • Borderless, transparent floating window for immersive experience
  • Perfect for gaming, videos, and live streaming
  • Fully customizable appearance: background, text color, font size, transparency
  • Can be embedded seamlessly into screen without interfering with other operations
  • Adjustable sentence count display

⚙️ Flexible Control

  • Window always-on-top functionality
  • Convenient translation pause/resume
  • One-click text copying for quick sharing
  • Comprehensive settings for Ollama configuration

📒 History Management

  • Records both original and translated text
  • Perfect for meetings, lectures, and important discussions
  • Export all records to CSV format
  • Search and filter capabilities

🎞️ Log Cards

  • Recent transcription records displayed as log cards
  • Helps maintain context during conversations
  • Configurable card count in settings

System Requirements

Requirement Details
Windows Windows 11 (22H2+) with Live Captions support
.NET .NET 8.0+ Runtime (included in installer)
Hardware Intel CPU recommended for IPEX-LLM optimization
Memory 8GB+ RAM for optimal AI model performance
Storage 2GB+ free space for application and models

⚠️ Important: This tool is based on Windows Live Captions, available since Windows 11 22H2.

Getting Started

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Complete the following setup before running LCT for the first time.

For more details, see Microsoft's guide: Using live captions to better understand audio

Step 1: Verify Windows Live Captions Availability

Ensure Live Captions is available on your system through any of these methods:

  • Toggle Live captions in the Quick Settings panel
  • Use the keyboard shortcut Win + Ctrl + L
  • Navigate to Quick Settings > Accessibility > Live captions
  • Access from Start > All apps > Accessibility > Live captions
  • Go to Settings > Accessibility > Captions and toggle on Live captions

Step 2: Initial Live Captions Configuration

When you first launch Windows Live Captions, it will:

  1. Request permission to process voice data locally on your device
  2. Prompt you to download the necessary language files for on-device speech recognition

After the initial setup, configure the following settings:

  1. Click the ⚙️ gear icon in Live Captions to open settings
  2. In Change language, select your source language (the language to be recognized)
  3. Under Position, select Overlaid on screen

⚠️ Critical: The position setting is required to prevent display issues when Live Captions runs in the background.

Step 3: Enable Microphone Audio (Optional)

To enable real-time translation of your own speech through the microphone:

  1. In Live Captions, click the ⚙️ gear icon
  2. Go to Preferences
  3. Check Include microphone audio

This allows LCT to capture and translate both system audio and your microphone input simultaneously.

Step 4: Launch LCT

After completing the configuration, close Windows Live Captions and start LiveCaptions Translator! 🎉

The application will automatically:

  • Download and install Ollama if not present
  • Pull the default translation model (qwen2.5:3b)
  • Configure optimal settings for your hardware

Configuration

Customize the following options in the Settings view:

Display Options

  • LiveCaptions: Show/hide original caption text in Home view
  • Log Cards: Number of recent translation cards displayed
  • Overlay Sentences: Number of sentences shown in overlay mode
  • Show Latency: Display translation processing time

Ollama Configuration

  • API Endpoint: Local Ollama server URL (default: http://localhost:11434)
  • Model Name: AI model for translation (default: qwen2.5:3b)
  • System Prompt: Custom instructions for translation behavior
  • Temperature: Control translation creativity/consistency
  • Max Tokens: Maximum response length

Performance Tuning

  • API Interval: Delay between translation requests (balance speed vs. resource usage)
  • Target Language: Destination language for translations
  • Model Loading: Automatic model management and optimization

Architecture

Core Components

  • Translation Engine: Exclusive Ollama integration with Intel IPEX-LLM
  • UI Framework: WPF with Fluent UI components
  • Data Layer: SQLite for history storage
  • System Integration: Windows Live Captions automation
  • Model Management: Automatic download and optimization

Build Information

  • Version: 1.0.1 (Build 279)
  • Target Framework: .NET 8.0-windows
  • Runtime: Self-contained win-x64
  • Installer Size: ~97MB
  • Configuration: Release with ReadyToRun optimization

Privacy & Security

✅ Complete Local Processing: All translation happens on your device
✅ No Internet Required: Works offline after initial setup
✅ No Data Collection: Your conversations never leave your machine
✅ Secure by Design: No external API calls or cloud dependencies
✅ Enterprise Ready: Suitable for confidential business communications

Support and Contact

Company Information

Ai-All-You-Need-Platform Pte. Ltd.
Official Website: https://aiallyouneed.dev

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  • Model Download Fails: Check internet connection during initial setup
  • Performance Issues: Ensure adequate RAM and close unnecessary applications
  • Live Captions Not Working: Verify Windows version and accessibility settings
  • Translation Delays: Adjust API interval in settings for better performance

Support Resources

  • Check logs in application data folder
  • Verify Ollama service status in Task Manager
  • Ensure Windows Live Captions is properly configured
  • Visit our official website for documentation and support

Technical Notes

  • Built with .NET 8.0 and WPF-UI framework
  • Uses Intel IPEX-LLM for hardware acceleration
  • Supports ARM64 architecture for future compatibility
  • Implements SQLite for efficient local data storage
  • Features automatic error recovery and model management

Copyright © 2024 Ai-All-You-Need-Platform Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved.