Real-Time-Voice-Chat-Application

Overview:

This project is a real-time voice chat application where users can communicate over a network using their microphones. The application uses UDP for low-latency audio transmission, making it suitable for real-time communication. The GUI is built using Qt, providing an intuitive interface for managing connections, muting/unmuting the microphone, and adjusting volume levels.

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Key Features:

1. Client-Server Architecture:

   • The server acts as a relay, forwarding audio packets from one client to all other connected clients.
   • Clients connect to the server via UDP sockets.

2. Real-Time Audio Streaming:

   • Audio is captured from the user's microphone and transmitted in real-time using low-latency UDP.
   • Received audio packets are played back using Qt's multimedia framework.

3. GUI Components:

   • Connect/Disconnect Buttons: Allow users to join or leave the chat room.
   • Mute/Unmute Button: Toggle the microphone on/off.
   • Volume Control: Adjust the playback volume of incoming audio.
   • Status Display: Show connection status and active participants.

4. Multithreading:

   • Separate threads handle audio capture, audio playback, and network communication to ensure smooth performance.

5. Error Handling:

   • Handle disconnections gracefully.
   • Provide feedback for errors such as failed connections or missing audio devices.

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Technologies Used:

1. STL: std::vector, std::thread, std::mutex.
2. OOP: Encapsulation and modularity in designing AudioCapture, AudioPlayback, Client, and Server classes.
3. Multithreading: Concurrent handling of audio capture, playback, and network communication.
4. Networking: UDP sockets for real-time audio streaming.
5. GUI Framework: Qt for building the graphical user interface.
6. Audio Processing: Qt Multimedia for capturing and playing back audio.

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Folder Structure:

VoiceChatApp/
├── include/
│   ├── AudioCapture.hpp       // Audio capture class
│   ├── AudioPlayback.hpp      // Audio playback class
│   ├── Client.hpp             // Client class definition
│   ├── Server.hpp             // Server class definition
│   └── MainWindow.hpp         // Main GUI window
├── src/
│   ├── AudioCapture.cpp
│   ├── AudioPlayback.cpp
│   ├── Client.cpp
│   ├── Server.cpp
│   └── MainWindow.cpp
├── main.cpp                   // Main entry point
├── CMakeLists.txt             // Build configuration
└── README.md                  // Project documentation

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Workflow:

1. Server:

   • Listens for incoming UDP packets from clients.
   • Broadcasts received audio packets to all connected clients.

2. Client:

   • Captures audio from the microphone using Qt Multimedia.
   • Sends captured audio packets to the server via UDP.
   • Receives audio packets from the server and plays them back using Qt Multimedia.

3. GUI:

   • Provides buttons to connect/disconnect, mute/unmute, and adjust volume.
   • Displays the connection status and active participants.

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Example Use Case:

• A user starts the server application.
• Multiple clients launch the GUI-based client application and connect to the server.
• Users can speak into their microphones, and their voices are transmitted in real-time to all other connected clients.
• Users can mute their microphones, adjust the volume, or disconnect from the chat.