AlpenCode is a VS Code extension that allows you to dictate code and comments in Swiss German. It uses a specialized AI model (whisper-large-v3-turbo-swiss-german) to transcribe your voice directly into your editor, terminal, or AI chat.
⚠️ IMPORTANT REQUIREMENT:PYTHON 3.8+ IS REQUIRED TO RUN THIS EXTENSION!
The extension will automatically create a virtual environment and download the necessary AI models (~2GB) upon first use. Please ensure Python is installed and added to your PATH.
Features
🇨🇭 Swiss German Support: Optimized for Swiss German dialects.
🎤 Universal Dictation: Works in the editor, terminal, and AI chat inputs.
⚡ Fast & Local: Runs locally on your machine (requires Python & ~2GB disk space).
🎛️ Settings & Calibration: Built-in menu to select microphones and calibrate input levels.
⌨️ Shortcuts: Press Alt+S to toggle recording instantly.
Requirements
Python 3.8+ installed on your system.
NVIDIA GPU recommended (but works on CPU).
Microphone.
Installation
Install the extension.
On first run, AlpenCode will automatically set up a Python virtual environment and download the necessary AI models. This may take a few minutes.
Once the status bar shows "🇨🇭 AlpenCode Ready", you are good to go!
Usage
Start/Stop Dictation: Press Alt+S or click the status bar item.
Settings: Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) and run AlpenCode: Settings & Calibration.
Auto-Enter: Enable alpencode.autoEnter in settings to automatically press Enter after dictation (useful for chat).
Configuration
alpencode.pythonPath: Path to your Python interpreter (default: python3).
alpencode.autoEnter: Automatically press Enter after inserting text.
Troubleshooting
If the extension fails to start, try running AlpenCode: Reset Environment from the Command Palette to reinstall dependencies.
Ensure your microphone is not being used exclusively by another application.
Powered by OpenAI Whisper & Fine-tuned on Swiss German datasets.
