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CONTENTS
Welcome to Dragon Dictate 2.5................................................................................................1 Learning More and Getting Help......................................................................................2 Chapter 1: Creating a Profile....................................................................................................3 Adding and Deleting Profiles ...........................................................................................7 Additional Audio Input Devices ........................................................................................7 SUMMARY: Creating a Profile.........................................................................................8 Chapter 2: Microphone Control................................................................................................9 The Status Window and the Microphone Icon..................................................................9 Turning the Microphone On and Off ..............................................................................10 Microphone Voice Commands and Sleep Mode ............................................................10 Optional Hot Keys including Microphone On/Off............................................................12 Dragon Remote Microphone..........................................................................................12 SUMMARY: Microphone Control ...................................................................................14 Chapter 3: Dictating Text and Punctuation ...........................................................................15 How to Dictate ...............................................................................................................15 Punctuation ...................................................................................................................17 New Line and New Paragraph.......................................................................................17 Capitalization.................................................................................................................18 Auto Formatting Options................................................................................................20 Recognition Modes........................................................................................................21 SUMMARY: Dictating Text and Punctuation .................................................................24 Chapter 4: Customizing the Vocabulary................................................................................25 Why Is Vocabulary Customization Important? ...............................................................25 Using the Vocabulary Editor ..........................................................................................25 Adding Vocabulary Entries: Words, Phrases and Acronyms .....................................27 The Importance of Spoken Forms .................................................................................29 Deleting Words..............................................................................................................31 Vocabulary Training.......................................................................................................32 Customizing the Vocabulary from Existing Documents..................................................33 Importing and Exporting Vocabulary Entries..................................................................35
SUMMARY: Customizing the Vocabulary ......................................................................36 Chapter 5: Correcting Recognition Errors ............................................................................38 Correcting via the Recognition Window .........................................................................38 Using Playback and Text to Speech to Aid Correction...................................................41 SUMMARY: Correcting Recognition Errors ...................................................................43 Chapter 6: Formatting and Editing Text by Voice.................................................................44 How to Issue Commands...............................................................................................45 The Available Commands Window ................................................................................46 Navigation Commands ..................................................................................................47 Selecting Text and Cut/Paste Options ...........................................................................47 Replacing and Inserting Words......................................................................................48 Commands to Edit and Format Text (bold, underline, etc.) ............................................49 SUMMARY: Editing and Formatting Text.......................................................................50 Chapter 7: Controlling Applications by Voice.......................................................................52 Using Voice Commands Within Microsoft Word.............................................................52 Keyword-Searching the Computer.................................................................................52 Opening and Closing Applications .................................................................................53 Resizing Windows and Switching Between Them .........................................................53 Voice-Pressing Keys ...................................................................................................54 SUMMARY: Controlling Applications By Voice ..............................................................55 Chapter 8: Email and the Web................................................................................................56 Creating Email Messages..............................................................................................56 Working on the Web ......................................................................................................57 SUMMARY: Email and the Web ....................................................................................60 Chapter 9: Custom Commands..............................................................................................61 Boost Productivity by Automatically Inserting Text.........................................................61 Duplicating and Editing Commands...............................................................................63 Managing Commands ...................................................................................................64 SUMMARY: Custom Commands...................................................................................64 Chapter 10: Best Practices and Top Tips..............................................................................65
This workbook presents the information an end-user needs to know to get started, but it does not cover every aspect of Dragon. The basic training offered here will show you how to:
Type by voice: Dictate text and punctuation Format, edit, and revise text by voice
Command and control your Mac by voice: Voice commands to use the Internet and email, open programs, close or minimize windows, switch between windows, etc. Voice-press keys or key combinations on your keyboard Create custom commands to control your Mac
Achieve the highest possible accuracy: Personalize the softwares Vocabulary with custom words and phrases, spoken forms (pronunciations) and written forms, to ensure that Dragon is able to transcribe exactly what you want Correct Dragons errors when needed so that the software can learn from them and avoid mistakes in the future
For information about how to install Dragon Dictate, consult the Quickstart Guide or the product User Guide. Once the software is installed, we recommend you read through this workbook. It contains progressive explanations and illustrations, as well as step-by-step instructions and practice exercises. Highlighted notes and tips provide details and alert you to potential pitfalls.
Product information: Product tips, feature demo videos, Frequently Asked Questions, and Customer Service information; printable documentation (User Guides, command print outs) and listings of microphones tested by Nuance for use with Dragon
Tech Support: a comprehensive Tech Support area with a Knowledge Base that contains the latest technical information for Version 2.5 and previous versions, as well as contact information to log personal support requests
Additional training resources: learn more about the available training video CD and one-on-one web-based training; links to Value-Added Resellers who offer training and customization services for Dragon (in person or remotely)
Community: visit the Dragon Dictate Customer Forum and Discussion Board so you can connect with other Dragon customers to share ideas and best practices
When you create a profile, Dragon starts with a general language model and then adapts to how individuals speak and which words they use. This way, the software accommodates users with varying accents and speech patterns. Your profile is key to helping Dragon accurately determine the words spoken and choose between words that might sound alike. Dragon refines your profile regularly, resulting in improved accuracy over time.
TIP For best results, creating a profile should be done in your normal environment, with the
same background noise and equipment you plan to use moving forward.
The first time you launch Dragon Dictate, you will be prompted to create a new profile. This includes Voice Training, where you read aloud for a few minutes, enabling Dragon to adapt its acoustic model to the unique way you sound. Profile creation takes about 5-10 minutes to complete, and then you will be ready to dictate.
Step 1: Make sure your USB microphone is connected and is selected as the sound input device. (To be sure that your microphone is properly connected, select System Preferences / Sound / Input.) Adjust the microphone headset so that it feels comfortable and stable. The microphones listening side must face the corner of your mouth (not the front) about a thumb's width away. You may need to experiment a bit to find what position is best
Adjust the microphone headset so that it feels comfortable and stable.
for you.
Step 2: Launch Dragon. If Dragon has never been used before on this computer, this automatically brings up the first screen of the Profile Creation Wizard. (Otherwise, choose Profiles from the Tools menu and click the button at the bottom of the window).
Step 3: Provide a name for your profile and specify the folder where you want to save the user files on your Mac. Then click Choose.
The data for your profile is stored on your hard disk as a package. When offered the chance to set your profiles location, you may place it anywhere youd like.
Step 4: Select the USB microphone from the list of options that appears in the Microphone field at the top of the next screen.
NOTE
For best results, do NOT use the Internal Microphone option. A USB headset, such as the headset shipped with the boxed package of Dictate, delivers the highest quality audio, enabling Dragon to provide the most accurate results for your dictation.
Step 4: Select your Spelling preference (US or UK) and select your general accent from the options in the Accent field. Then click Continue, and Dragon will proceed to microphone setup.
Selecting one of the accent model options can help to improve initial recognition accuracy for speakers with accents.
Step 5: Dragon will now calibrate the volume setting within the Microphone Setup window. Click the microphone icon (turning the icon from red to green) and read aloud the text that appears in the box in a clear but natural voice. Feel free to say the punctuation. The level indicator to the right of the microphone icon shows your sound input level. Dragon sets your microphone sound input level optimally and will let you know when it has heard enough. You can listen to a playback of your voice for any problems such as too much background noise or distortion. Click Voice Training to advance.
Step 6: The next step is a brief Voice Training, where Dragon asks you to read a story for about five minutes so that it can adapt to the way you speak. During Voice Training, Dragon listens to your speech, matching your voice and pronunciation to the actual words of the story. When youre ready to begin, click the arrow key to advance and then enable the microphone by clicking the icon.
During Voice Training, Dragon presents words on the screen for you to read aloud. Text will turn green as it is recognized. If you need to pause, click the microphone icon to turn it to a red stop sign, and then click the icon again when youre ready to resume reading.
Step 7: Dragon presents the first prompt to read. Proceed through the training text by reading it exactly as it is displayed. The words will turn green once Dragon has heard them, but there is no need to wait for this to happen: just speak at your normal pace, clearly and naturally. Progress from page to page is shown by the horizontal progress indicator above the text.
If you need to pause for any reason, press the microphone icon, and then activate it again when youre ready to continue. Take your time. Try to read naturally but precisely what is on the screen. If the software needs to hear you re-read something, the text will turn red instead of green to indicate that you should re-read that word or phrase. If necessary, click Skip Word to proceed past difficult text.
During Voice Training, Dragon is learning how you sound when you dictate. Using the same tone, pace and volume you are likely to use day-to-day will help Dragon recognize your future dictations most accurately. You may want to keep an eye on the sound input level indicator (the vertical bar to the right of the microphone icon). Speak at a level that keeps this at about the middle of the green section.
Once it has heard enough, Dragon takes a moment to process the acoustic information you just provided and to create your profile. Your profile is now complete, and youre ready to start dictating!
TIP If you choose, you can complete additional Voice Training to improve your accuracy at a
later time. This process allows you to read additional stories to Dragon so that it can further adapt to your unique voice.
Everyone should consider providing some reading for acoustic training after the first few days of practicing dictation. By then, speaking clearly into the microphone should be familiar, and reading aloud text presented by Dragon should better reflect how you actually dictate. If your speech presents a particular challenge for speech recognition (due to a lisp or a strong accent for instance), you should perform an additional reading for acoustic training as soon as possible.
Step 2: When the Select Text window opens, choose a text to read, then click the right arrow to continue. Turn on the microphone as indicated and read the story just as you did within the original Voice Training.
By clicking on the image to the left of your profile name, you can change the image associated with a specific profile. Select and modify an image if you choose, and then click Set.
To add a new profile to your copy of Dragon Dictate, just click the + sign at the bottom of the window. You can delete old or unused profiles with the - button.
The Profiles window allows you to manage your voice profiles. To access the Profiles window, select Profiles from the Tools menu.
NOTE
If you already have a Dragon profile and want to use another type of audio input device (such as your iPhone), dont create a new profile. Add a new source to your existing profile instead.
Since your profile stores all of the information about your customized instance of Dragon things like your personalized vocabulary so that Dragon knows the correct pronunciation and spelling of the unique words you dictate, or perhaps custom voice commands that you create for the tasks that you personally perform on your Mac youll want to leverage your customized profile regardless of which microphone youre using.
To add a new audio source to your existing profile, click the + sign under the Audio Sources field and provide a name for that source.
Now that you have multiple sources, a new field will appear under your profile name, allowing you to easily select which microphone you plan to use for your dictation. If necessary, you can delete an audio source later by using the minus sign in the Audio Sources field.
Make sure your microphone is properly connected and positioned, and the appropriate audio input source (microphone) is selected. Additional audio input sources (such as mobile devices) are reviewed later in this workbook.
You can enroll an additional audio source for an existing profile (for instance, if you want to use your iPhone as a wireless microphone). Your various dictation sources will benefit from the same vocabulary customizations (special words and phrases, pronunciations, spellings, etc.).
When reading the acoustic training text, speak clearly but naturally, using the same volume, pitch and pace you are likely to use day-to-day. Try to read what is prompted as if you were dictating it. You can pause the Voice Training if you need to clear your throat or speak to someone.
The Status window includes the name of the active profile, a microphone icon and sound input level. The window also includes a bring to front button and icons to control the recognition mode and the correction process. As an option, the last recognized utterance can be listed below the Status window.
To show or hide the Status window: say Show Status window or Hide Status window or choose Show/Hide Status Window from the Window menu. You can set the Status windows transparency using the slider found under the Dictate / Preferences menu, Appearance tab.
The top panel of the Status window identifies the active profile by name. Next to the microphone icon, Dragon provides a sound input level, a mode button, a bring to front button, and a button for the Recognition Window, used to correct errors.
Beneath these icons, buttons indicate whether the commands for capitalization, spacing or numbers are currently active.
The bottom area of the Status window indicates the dictation target window (e.g., which application Dragon will place your text into).
Below the Status window, Dragon can list the last recognized utterance if the Show Recognized Text option is enabled under the Dictate / Preferences menu, General tab.
To turn the microphone on: Click the microphone icon in the Status window or the optional status menu item in the menu bar so that it appears with a round green button. Choose Microphone On from the Speech menu. Choose Microphone On from the Dock menu. (To reveal the Dragon Dictate Dock menu, hold the Control key while clicking the Dictate icon in the Dock.)
To turn the microphone off: Click the microphone icon in the Status window or the optional status menu item in the menu bar so that it appears with a red stop sign button. Choose Microphone Off from the Speech menu. Choose Microphone Off from the Dock menu.
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Step 1: Turn the microphone on by clicking on its icon, then say go to sleep. Note that the microphone display now shows a blue balloon with a crescent moon to indicate that Dragon is asleep.
Step 2: To return to the active microphone from the sleep state, say Wake up or Turn [the] microphone on.
Step 3: Say Microphone off to exit Sleep mode and stop Dragon from listening entirely.
NOTE For all voice commands, there should be a brief silence before and after, but none
in the middle of your command. Otherwise the program cannot recognize the command and instead transcribes the words. For example, say the words go to sleep together in a natural flow without pausing or inserting additional words.
Putting the microphone to sleep is useful when you need to put Dragon on hold for a moment. However, leaving it in that state for a long time is not recommended. Turn the microphone off if you will not be dictating for a while (and are physically able to turn on the microphone manually).
If the microphone is on but does not receive input after one minute, the microphone will automatically go into Sleep mode. This Auto Sleep functionality is helpful as it forces you to follow effective microphone control even when you forget to turn the microphone off.
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By default, the hot key combination to control the microphone is Function Command F11.
To set the hot keys for the microphone, along with the other hot keys, select the Preferences option from the Dictate menu. Under the Shortcuts tab, click in the oval shortcut region and type your desired key combination. To delete a shortcut, click the X at the right end of the oval shortcut region.
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We recommend that you first begin using Dragon with the standard headset microphone, and add your mobile device as an alternate audio input option once you are more comfortable using Dragon to dictate text and control your computer.
Step 1: In the Profiles window, click the + symbol under the Audio Sources box. Provide a name for your mobile device and select Dragon Remote Microphone from the drop-down menu options.
Step 2: A dialog prompts you to download and install the Dragon Remote Microphone app from the iTunes store if you have not already done so.
NOTE: Your Mac must be connected to a local area network, and your mobile device must
establish a wireless connection to the same local area network before launching the Dragon Remote Microphone app. The app may not work on certain public networks that restrict device to device networking for security reasons.
Step 3: Within the Settings for the Dragon Remote Microphone app on your mobile device (found under the gears icon), the name of the Mac running your Dragon Remote Microphone profile will be displayed. Select your Mac and proceed with Voice Training.
Step 4: When you complete Voice Training, your profile opens with your mobile device as the audio input source. Note that the Status window now has a different appearance since the ability to determine whether or not Dragon is listening is now controlled by your mobile device and cant be controlled from your desktop.
The microphone icon in the Status window no longer controls whether Dragon listens.
Step 5: To control the microphone, click the Dragon button within the app on your device. (The green icon indicates the microphone is on; the red icon indicates the microphone is off. Voice commands will also work.)
To turn the microphone on or off, press the Dragon button on your device screen.
Copyright 2011 Nuance Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Your profile in the Profiles window will now display the Dragon Remote Microphone as one of the audio input options within a drop-down menu when you open Dragon. Be sure that you select the correct option before you begin your dictation.
To control the microphone, click the microphone icon in the Status window or in the menu bar / Dock menu. (To set preferences to control the microphone in the menu bar / Dock menu, select the Dictate / Preferences menu, Appearance tab.)
Keyboard shortcuts can also be a fast and convenient way to turn the microphone on and off. You can change any of Dragons default hot keys, including the microphones, in the Shortcuts Preferences pane (found under the Dictate / Preferences menu).
You can turn the microphone off by saying microphone off, but then the mouse or keyboard need to be used to turn it back on. You can say go to sleep to put the microphone into a sleeping state, and then say wake up or turn [the] microphone on when youre ready to dictate again.
Microphone off, go to sleep, wake up and turn [the] microphone on are all voice commands. In order for Dragon to recognize and execute the desired action, you must pause slightly before and after but not in the middle of the command.
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HOW TO DICTATE
Speech recognition programs don't understand what words mean, so they can't use common sense the way people do. Instead they keep track of how frequently words occur by themselves and in the context of other words. These contextual clues help the computer choose the most likely word or phrase from among several possibilities. For this reason, accuracy increases if you speak in longer, continuous phrases. Computers can't understand mumbled speech or missing words either. They only understand what was actually spoken.
Try thinking about what you want to say before you start to speak. This can be challenging at first, particularly for those who have been thinking through their fingers for years, but youll develop the habit once you see what a difference it makes. And keep in mind, theres no need to talk robotically or to talk really slow. Dont yell or whisper. Just speak at your normal pace in a normal tone.
Are you ready to get started? For these exercises, open a word processor (like TextEdit or Microsoft Word). Dragon Dictate also offers its own built-in word processor, called Note Pad, which is specifically created for dictation through Dragon Dictate.
TIP
A common technique is to dictate into a Note Pad window and then copy and paste into another application. Note Pad window contents are saved as.rtf files which can be opened for editing later with another word processor (such as TextEdit or Microsoft Word). You can also open an existing .rtf file into a Note Pad window.
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Step 1: Say File New when Dragon Dictate is front-most or choose New Note Pad from the File menu.
Step 2: To set the default font and size for a new empty Note Pad window, select the Format menu and choose Font / Show Fonts. Specify the desired font and size, and close the Font palette.
TIP Before dictating, make sure the desired window is active. The application where Dragon
will place your transcribed text is listed in the bottom panel of the Status window.
As you dictate, Dragon places your transcribed text directly into the active application. Underneath the Status window, you can also choose to have Dragon display the last utterance of your speech as it is recognized. This includes text and punctuation. Check the Show Recognized Text option found under the General tab within the Dictate / Preferences menu.
Review the following text sample then dictate it in a blank document. (Ignore any errors for now.) The more I use it, the software will adapt to the way I sound and the words I use. At the same time, I will also acquire good habits like pausing optimally, keeping silent when hesitating, and turning the microphone off, or putting it into its sleep state, when necessary!
NOTE Dont forget to turn off your microphone when you finish dictating!
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PUNCTUATION
Note that Dragon Dictate does not automatically insert punctuation marks for you. Include your punctuation as you dictate your text. Here are the most common punctuation marks, followed by what you say to voice-type them:
. , ? period comma question mark ! : ; exclamation point or exclamation mark colon semi-colon
( )
A complete list of punctuation is available in the User Guide and product Help. Note that you dont always have to say hyphens: thanks to its built-in Vocabulary, Dragon can automatically include hyphens in items such as 3-year-old, above-mentioned, after-tax, ad-libbed, anklelength, and more. Dragon will also automatically hyphenate famous names like Abdul-Jabbar.
Look at the following sample, and then dictate it including the correct punctuation. (If any word is misrecognized, ignore it for now.) How is this different from dictating to a person? I should try to provide clean input (speaking naturally, but without mumbling or trailing off)! :-) Dictate the last punctuation as smiley face.
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When you start dictating a new paragraph, Dragon will capitalize its first letter automatically, just like it automatically capitalizes after a period, an exclamation point, or a question mark. By default, Dragon does NOT capitalize the first word after you say the command new line.
TIP To delete your last utterance (the last string of words Dictate just transcribed), you can say
scratch that. To undo the last action Dictate performed on your Mac, say undo last action. This is equivalent to Undo in the Edit menu, and is especially helpful if you mistakenly issued a voice command that triggers an unexpected action on your screen.
Dictate the following sample, including the correct punctuation and line spacing. (If any recognition errors occur, ignore them for now.) These lessons remind me that "practice makes perfect." (Who said this, Confucius?) When it comes to speech recognition software, truer words were never spoken
CAPITALIZATION
Since many of the words that require capitalization (such as proper names, places, common products, etc.) will be automatically capitalized when you dictate them, you often don't need to worry about capitalization within your dictation. However, follow these steps to capitalize text that is not automatically generated by Dragon:
To capitalize a single word: If youre dictating words that arent usually capitalized, say Cap followed by the word to be capitalized. In the Status window, the first indicator light will glow yellow and will read "ABC." When you dictate the word, it will be typed with an initial capital letter, and the indicator light will go out automatically.
The first indicator light under the Modes button in the Status window illuminates to display the status of capitalization commands.
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To capitalize a string of words: If youre about to dictate a string of words that need to be capitalized, say Caps On, followed by Caps Off when you complete the capitalized text. In the Status window, the first indicator light will glow green and will read "ABC." The indicator light will go out after you have turned off this command.
To capitalize an entire word: For all uppercase letters in your text, say All Caps followed by the word to be capitalized. In the Status window, the first indicator light will glow yellow and will read "ABC." When you dictate the word, it will be typed in all uppercase letters, and the indicator light will go out automatically.
To capitalize all letters in a phrase: Say All Caps On to dictate a string of words to appear in all capitalized letters, followed by All Caps Off when you have completed the dictated text. In the Status window, the first indicator light will glow green while you say the series of words, which will be typed in all uppercase letters. The indicator light will go out when the command is turned off.
If you do not want capitalization for text that is generally capitalized, say No Caps / No Caps On before dictating the word(s).
If the capital letters youre trying to dictate are an acronym (a series of capital letters without any spaces or periods between them), say Capital before each letter. For example, saying Capital A Capital P Capital C would generate APC. Dictating Cap A Cap P Cap C would generate A P C with spaces. If you want to dictate initials (a capital letter followed by a period), say Capital or Cap followed by the letter, and say dot between each letter For example, you would say, Cap A dot Cap P dot Cap C dot to generate A.P.C.
Dictate the following words, including the correct capitalization: Name and Age G.S. DATE OF BIRTH ASP
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TIP
If you will be dictating initials or acronyms often, it would be faster and easier to enter them in your Vocabulary with an easier to dictate spoken form. See the next chapter for more details on this helpful feature.
Dragon also offers contextual automatic formatting that allows you to naturally dictate prices, times, dates, abbreviations, contractions, units of measure, street addresses, email addresses, URLs, and other special text.
On the Auto Formatting window (available from the Tools menu), you can turn Dragons rules of automatic formatting off and on, as desired. For example, you can choose to have Dragon systematically transcribe numbers as words not digits. (By default, Dragon uses numerals for all
Set your personal formatting preferences -- for items such as numbers, dates, times, abbreviations and more within the Auto Formatting window.
dictated numbers. If you uncheck this option, Dragon will spell out all numbers. You can say numeral before a number to ensure it is transcribed as a digit.)
TIP You can change the default date format to one of the many date formats offered on the
Auto Formatting dialog. To correctly format times (so that Dragon inserts the colon and double-zero for the top of the hour, instead of inserting oclock), be sure to specify AM or PM after the time (e.g., say seven forty-five PM to generate 7:45 PM).
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1) Dictate these phone numbers (with and without area code). Theres no need to say "hyphen."
Please call 607-585-3926 instead of 587-1239. Toll free directory: 1-800-555-1212
2) Dictate the following address. For the line containing the zip code, just say Oakland California 9 1 2 3 5; Dragon automatically uses the postal abbreviation for the state, and precedes it with a comma. 127 Evergreen Terrace Oakland, CA 91235
3) Dictate the following dates and times. Wednesday, July 16, 2012 at 6:00 PM 10/15/09 (say slash) at 8:30 AM
4) Dictate the following price as forty dollars and ninety cents; Dragon will automatically format it with the dollar sign and dot. Suggested retail price: $40.90
5) Dictate the following URL as w w w dot the best business dot com. Dragon will automatically remove the spaces between words. Please visit www.thebestbusiness.com for more information.
6) Dictate the following email addresses. (Remember: for email addresses you frequently dictate, adding them to your vocabulary will ensure that you can dictate them very quickly and with high accuracy.) Laura_Miller@aol.com (say Laura underscore Miller at A O L dot com) customerservice@electricalexperts.com (say customer service at electrical experts dot com)
RECOGNITION MODES
There may be times when you want to do a special kind of dictation. For example, you may be entering many numbers or characters in a row, such as inputting figures or product codes into a
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database. Dragon offers unique recognition modes that can help to improve your accuracy in these instances.
The recognition mode determines whether and how Dictate will respond to your speech. There are several different ways to confirm what mode is currently active: The Status window indicates what mode is currently active. The mode buttons icon represents the current mode. The current mode is checked in the mode menu, which appears when you click the mode button in the Status window. The current mode is also checked in the Speech menu and the Dock menu.
Recognition Modes can be accessed within the Status window. The Mode menu appears when you click the Mode button, found next to the Sound Level indicator.
Most customers work in the default Dictation Mode. If Dragon can interpret your words as a command, it obeys the command. Otherwise Dragon interprets your words as dictation, and types those words at the insertion point in the front-most application. Take a moment to explore Dragons other recognition modes, which include Numbers Mode, Spelling Mode, and Command Mode.
Numbers Mode If you are about to dictate a sequence of numeric data, you may choose to switch to Numbers Mode. When in this mode, the software tries to recognize everything it hears as number-related (or as a command).
Step 1: Say Numbers mode or choose Numbers Mode from the Status window mode menu. You can also choose from the Speech or Dock menus or press the keyboard shortcut for cycling between modes. (Notice the mode icon change in the Status window.)
The Status window displays the current Numbers Mode.
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Now that Dragon is in Numbers mode, you can: Dictate numbers and punctuation (hyphen, dot or point) Say new line, new paragraph and space
Step 2: To resume regular dictation, you can say Dictation mode, or use the Mode menu in the Status window.
Spelling Mode The Spelling Mode is very useful for dictating character sequences which dont form pronounceable words, as is often the case for part numbers, license plate numbers, codes (Its also useful for spelling out terms which you anticipate Dragon wont know, such as words in a foreign language or unusual product names.)
Step 1: Say Spelling Mode or select the Spelling mode from the Status window mode menu. The Status window will indicate that Spell Mode is on.
You can now dictate characters, including letters, digits, and symbols. To capitalize a letter, say cap immediately followed by the letter Say new line or new paragraph, as well as space or spacebar
Step 2: You can return to normal dictating by voice (say Dictation mode) or by clicking the Mode menu in the Status window.
TIP Most of the time Dictate will insert spaces automatically before or after punctuation and
between words. But in Spelling mode, no automatic spaces are inserted you must insert any desired spaces yourself. To insert a space, say Space Bar.
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Speaking in longer, continuous phrases provides contextual clues and thus helps Dragon choose between homophones like right and write or to and two.
Two very frequent dictation commands are new paragraph (which adds a blank line) and new line. By default, new line does NOT trigger capitalization of the following word.
Dragon can format dates, times, prices, street addresses, phone numbers, Web addresses, units of measure, and other special text automatically. The Auto Formatting window (found under the Tools menu) lets you turn these built-in rules off or on as desired.
The restricted recognition modes can make dictating special text more efficient. They are accessible by voice commands (Numbers Mode, Spelling Mode) and through the Status windows Mode icon and menu.
If you will be dictating only numbers and punctuation, consider turning Numbers Mode on. If dictating a long sequence of characters (letters, digits, punctuation, symbols), consider Spelling Mode.
When spelling out, you can insert a capital letter by saying cap just before the letter, and you can say space or spacebar.
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Personalizing the Vocabulary early and often is strongly recommended. Vocabulary customization helps to ensure that Dragon is prepared to recognize the words and terms that you will dictate regularly. Dragon will make fewer recognition mistakes because vocabulary customization helps Dragon get it right the first time -- including spelling, capitalization, and spacing.
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The Vocabulary Editor contains a built-in vocabulary list of more than 150,000 words and a user list that you can customize based on your individual needs. An icon next to each word distinguishes built-in vocabulary from user vocabulary. The default view combines both lists to show all words that Dragon is prepared to recognize. By scrolling through the list, you can see that the built-in Vocabulary already includes many names of people, places, institutions and products, as well as common words, phrases, and abbreviations.
Step 1: Select Vocabulary Editor from the Tools menu to open the Vocabulary Editor window and view the entries currently in Dragons active Vocabulary.
The Vocabulary Editor lists the words, phrases and symbols that Dictate is prepared to transcribe.
Step 2: Click on the i information icon at the bottom of the window for more information about each word. Most entries only have a Written Form, but some also have at least one Spoken form. By browsing these words, you can get ideas about what entries you might add or edit.
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Step 2: To add a description of how the word is spoken, click Advanced to reveal the rest of the dialog.
Teach Dragon the unique words and phrases that you will dictate using the Vocabulary Editor.
Step 3: Click OK, and the word or phrase will now be included in your custom Vocabulary.
Alternately, you can quickly search for a particular Vocabulary entry by entering it in the Search field and pressing Return. The drop-down list in the Search field allows you to filter your search criteria by contains, begins with or ends with options. Press Escape to clear the Search field.
If the word or term appears in the scrollable list, it is already in the active layer of the Vocabulary. If you execute a search and no match is found (and youre in the All view), Dictate will offer to add the term to your user vocabulary. To add it, click Yes (you can edit the new vocabulary item later). To decline, click No.
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Some of the "words" in the Vocabulary Editor aren't single words. Of course is listed. So is as well as. There are also names of people, places, products, and institutions: Mother Teresa, Madison Square Garden, KitchenAid, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Marine Corps, Library of Congress, Babe Ruth, Accounts Payable, George Washington, Johnson & Johnson, Division I, LAN Server
Multi-word vocabulary entries help the software resolve spelling and capitalization ambiguities: if the Vocabulary didnt contain the phrase Mother Teresa, dictating it would probably produce the transcription "mother Theresa"because the word mother is usually not capitalized, and because Theresa is the more common spelling of the name. Having the phrase in its Vocabulary helps Dragon know that the words Mother and Teresa are likely to occur together, and hence helps Dragon choose the desired capitalization and spelling.
We strongly recommend adding personal multi-words to your Vocabulary. This will later save you time since you will not have to adjust their spelling and capitalization after transcription.
When adding names of people, consider nicknames and diminutives as well as formal names, particularly for names that are very short or that can be spelled different ways: for instance, one might add Liz Hansen, Elizabeth McGee Hansen, Jennifer B. Addams, Jennifer Addams, Jenny Addams, etc. This idea applies to more than just names. Whenever you add an item to the Vocabulary, think of its possible variations: singular/plural for nouns, present/past/gerund for verbs
TIP
If something is not in the Vocabulary, the software cannot recognize it. So dont hesitate to add items even if you think you will not dictate them very often! When adding an entry to the Vocabulary, be sure to spell and capitalize it correctly. Otherwise, it will appear misspelled in your documents every time you dictate it.
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1) In the Vocabulary Editor, search for a few familiar names such as your own first and last names, your town, company, colleagues or relatives; if necessary, add them using the + button.
2) Open a word processor (such as Note Pad, which automatically opens when you start Dictate) and start a list of Vocabulary entries relevant to you; some suggestions are below. Jargon and phrases specific to your profession (such as distro, site visit and non-State) Names of places, facilities or organizations (such as Building 52, or County Adoption Center) Names of products (such as MicroPore tape or Latex Exterior SemiGloss) Acronyms, part numbers, codes (such as FICA, 501c(3) or RX-70y) Names of people (coworkers, clients, friends, relatives ) including full combinations for names that could be spelled differently (Kristin, Gene, Steven, McGregor, Wolfe ) or are very short (Kip, Kit, Dee ) since this helps Dragon resolve acoustic ambiguities. If you are using Dragon at work, note that your employer may be able to give you some lists that could save you time: lists of staff or clients, departments, units or divisions, products, trademarks, building names, as well as glossaries of terms and acronyms. Starting from such lists doesnt just save time; it may also help add these items with their official, correct spelling.
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If the information area is not present on the Vocabulary Editor window, click the i information icon to summon it. Take a moment to scroll through and look at existing spoken formsyou will get ideas for what kinds of entries warrant them and how they can be written.
TIP Vocabulary entries may have more than one spoken form. You may add spoken forms to
custom entries as well as to existing entries. This way you can dictate words in the way that comes most naturally to you. For example, to enter the symbol , you might like to say circle see instead of the existing spoken form copyright sign. Spoken forms should not include punctuation (including periods), abbreviations, or symbols. Here are a few examples:
Written Form: The Man from U.N.C.L.E Spoken Form: the man from uncle
Written Form: St. Clement's Hospital Spoken Form: Saint Clements Hospital
Adding Spoken Forms allows you to dictate in the way that is most natural, but also quickest for you. In addition to indicating pronunciation, Spoken Forms can be used for vocal shorthand and automatic substitution. You say something short and easy, and Dragon types something longer or trickier to say or remember. This capability can be used to give consistency and clarity to your writings. For example, your Spoken Form can be New York O C F S and the Written Form appears as New York Office of Children and Family Services.
By adding a Spoken Form to words in the Vocabulary Editor you can specify how an item will be pronounced. Spoken forms can be used for vocal shorthand say something short and easy, and Dragon will type a more complicated word or phrase.
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Step 1: First, decide what you want to say, and what Dragon should transcribe when you say it. For example, suppose your school, Central Lexington United High School, is often called CLUHS or "cluss". When you dictate cluss, do you want Dragon to type CLUHS or Central Lexington United High School?
Step 2: Press + to add a new word or phrase. In the Word field, type what you want Dragon to write. Be careful with its capitalization, spacing, and spelling including symbols or punctuation marks if needed, as in E*TRADE.
Step 3: In the next field, type what you will actually say. (Click the Advanced arrow if the spoken form field is not automatically displayed.) In some cases (as in our cluss example), you will enter one or more made-up words to represent the desired sound.
TIP
Entries containing symbols, digits, or unusual spacing are particularly likely to warrant a Spoken Form. If the written form of a word contains any punctuation, consider providing a spoken form so that there is no doubt as to how the item will be pronounced.
If you add email addresses to the Vocabulary, giving them a Spoken Form can make them quicker to dictate. For example, to type AmyT&JohnB@yahoo.com, you could have a spoken form of Amy and John at yahoo dot com or even just Amy and John at yahoo.
DELETING WORDS
Deleting a word can be helpful if it competes with a word you are trying to dictate (e.g., if Dragon consistently transcribes Schaefer when you are trying to dictate Shafer, you can delete the word that is not important to you from your Vocabulary).
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Step 1: Open the Vocabulary Editor (found under the Tools menu).
Step 2: Highlight the word/phrase you want to delete and choose Delete from the gear icon menu at the bottom of the window.
Step 3: A dialog appears giving you an opportunity to change your mind. Click OK.
VOCABULARY TRAINING
If at some point you find that an item is not transcribed as you intended, remember that it might need a spoken form, or a longer entry in the Vocabulary. You may also want to train the pronunciation of the item. This means that you pronounce the item several times, so that Dragon Dictate can record your voice saying it and better learn how you pronounce that specific vocabulary item.
Step 1: Open the Vocabulary Editor and select the item from the vocabulary list. Choose Train from the tool (gear) menu at the bottom of the Vocabulary Editor window.
To teach Dragon how you pronounce a specific word or phrase, select the Train option from the Tool (gear) menu in the Vocabulary Editor and follow the short Train Words process.
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Step 2: Dragon Dictate opens a new dialog that highlights the word or phrase you are about to train. Click Train again and then say the word or phrase three times. Dragon indicates that it has heard you each time and then confirms that the training process is complete.
Be sure to use your natural dictation voice when training words. When providing acoustic training, there is a natural tendency to over-enunciate or speak loudly. Since you will not overenunciate in your normal dictations, doing so in the Train Words window would provide Dragon with non-representative acoustic data. Relax, and speak clearly, but not louder or slower than you would when dictating normally.
TIP The i icon displays the information area for vocabulary entries. Here you can edit the
capitalization and spacing features for user vocabulary items, and for most built-in vocabulary items. Spaces before and after: normal words will have one space before and one space after. But a punctuation mark might follow a different rule. Next Word: how should the word following this item be capitalized? In most cases, natural capitalization (the default) will be the right choice. Lowercase in titles: a "title" is a phrase dictated while title casing is turned on (Caps On). You might prefer that "small" words such as "of" or "in" not be capitalized in such phrases.
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Adapting to writing style will make Dragon learn frequency information, which increases accuracy since it helps differentiate between homophones like world and whirled.
Dragon can perform its text analysis on the following file types: .txt (plain text), .rtf (Rich Text), .doc(x) (Microsoft Word), and .odt files.
TIP If significant text exists only in an application that doesnt normally produce files of these
types (PowerPoint is an example), see whether this application lets you copy text so you can paste it in the Note Pad and save it from there, or whether it offers a way to extract plain text (it could be called export or save as outline for instance).
Step 1: Locate some electronic documents you have stored on your Mac it doesnt matter if they were written by you or someone else. Think of reports, letters, memos, proposals ... The more closely these documents match the dictation you will usually be doing, the better. Spell-check the documents if necessary. (Dragon would detect misspellings as unknown words.) There is no need to analyze all documents at one time; you can repeat this step later if you choose.
Step 2: Choose the Vocabulary Training option from the Tools menu.
Step 3: Click Add to select the files you want Dragon to analyze. You can also drag files directly into the window if you choose.
Step 4: Click the Right Arrow button to proceed. Dragon will now analyze the text contained in the designated documents. This may take a moment. If there is a lot of text to analyze, you should run this tool when you do NOT need to use Dragon for something else.
The Vocabulary Training window gives you an opportunity to select the files you would like Dragon to analyze to learn your vocabulary and writing style.
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Step 6: Dragon will then present you with a list of the unknown words it found in a series of two columns (Included and Excluded). Each word is followed by the number of times that word was encountered. (The words found most frequently are presented at the top since they are most likely to be relevant, unlike those that only occurred a few times.)
Dragon will include words from the Included column into your vocabulary. You can transfer specific words to/from the Included and Excluded columns by selecting the word and clicking the Exclude/Include buttons at the bottom of the window.
Use the Exclude and Include buttons at the bottom of the Vocabulary Training window to select the new words that will remain on the Included list for your Vocabulary.
Step 7: When only the words you want to add to your Vocabulary are listed in the left column, click the Right Arrow button to proceed. Dragon signals when the words have been added to your Vocabulary. Click Done to exit the window.
TIP You can also analyze text from a document that is already open. Select the text you want
to analyze and say Train Vocabulary from Selection. Or within a Note Pad window, select the text and choose Train Vocabulary from Selection from the Tools menu.
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Step 1: To export your customized Vocabulary, select the User view from within the Vocabulary Editor window. Highlight the items you want to include in your export file and click the Export option from the gear icon. Dragon creates an XML file that you can name and save.
Step 2: When you're ready to import a list, open the Vocabulary Editor and choose Import from the gear menu and select the XML file that you exported. The imported entries will now be viewable in the Vocabulary Editor of each profile.
You can locate an item in the Vocabulary Editor by entering it in the Search field. The drop-down list in the Search field allows you to filter your search criteria by contains, begins with or ends with options.
Spoken Forms are an efficient way to help Dragon transcribe special words. You can view many examples of Spoken Forms in the Vocabulary Editor. In addition to clarifying pronunciation (particularly useful for items that contain digits, symbols, or silent letters), Spoken Forms can be used to allow the speaker to say something quite different, and much shorter and easier, than their associated written form. For example, you can just say just E O B stat, and Dragon types Explanation of Benefit (EOB) statement.
You can view or change the special Properties of Vocabulary entries, including spacing and capitalization.
When providing acoustic training, remember to speak as you typically do when you dictate to Dragon. Its important to avoid the temptation to over-enunciate or speak loudly when training a word or phrase in isolation.
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The Vocabulary Training window is accessible from the Tools menu. This tool can analyze existing documents to learn about the writing style you plan to usemeaning, which words are used with what frequency, and what words appear near each other. You can input documents written by someone else, as long as they are similar to what you will dictate. To be used in this tool, files must be text files (.txt, .rtf, .doc(x), or .odt files).
The Vocabulary Training tool can process many files at a time. You may wish to re-run it whenever you create or find suitable text. The more (relevant) text is processed, the more refined your profile can become. When presented with the unknown words the tool found in the texts, you can choose which ones to add.
Adding words and phrases to the Vocabulary and letting Dragon see how often and next to what you are likely to dictate these items helps pre-empt recognition errors so Dragon can deliver greater accuracy when you dictate.
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Dragon uses contextual clues and statistical information to guess what to transcribe, but sometimes Dragon cant guess correctly. Instead it types what could be a likely alternative according to its statistics. We call this a misrecognition. But if you take time to correct Dragons mistakes, the software will actually learn from your corrections, and will be less likely to make the same mistake again.
TIP Dragon cant recognize and transcribe a word it has never seen. For this reason, Dragons
Vocabulary customization tools, reviewed in the previous chapter, are a critical component to achieving fewer recognition errors.
If you notice a misrecognition as you dictate a phrase or sentence, it's usually best to finish your train of thought before you correct that mistake. But remember that correcting Dragons mistakes is critical! Otherwise the software will continue to make the same mistake every time you dictate that word or phrase, and you will quickly grow frustrated.
What if the mistake was your own and not Dragons? In other words, what if you misspeak, or if you simply change your mind while dictating, and now you want to replace the text that appears on your screen? The instructions below explain how to correct Dragons mistakes, but this workbook will cover how to edit and modify your text in the next chapter.
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Step 1: To summon the Recognition window, say Train or Correct followed by the word or phrase you would like to correct.
TIP The Recognition window (and voice model training in general) operates on dictated
utterances (the strings of dictated text that occur between pauses as you dictate). Dragon will select text for correction based partly on where you paused while dictating. Therefore, the phrase that is selected when you say Train or Correct or the phrase that appears in the Recognition window might be longer or shorter than what you initially specified.
Step 2: When the Recognition window is showing, it floats over all applications. The Recognition window presents alternative interpretations of the phrase containing the current selection or insertion point in the dictation document. The first alternative is the interpretation that Dragon entered in your document.
TIP You can set the number of additional alternatives presented in the Recognition window by
customizing the setting for the Maximum number of alternatives in the Recognition Preferences pane (select the Dictate menu, choose Preferences, then click the Recognition tab).
Step 3: If what you actually said is in the list of choices, you can pick it by voice: say Choose or Pick immediately followed by the number of the desired choice (i.e., choose 2 or pick 3). You can also select your alternative choice by clicking the numbered button at the left of the correct alternative.
If the Recognition window does not list the correct alternative, you can edit one of the alternatives so that it is correct.
The Recognition window lists alternatives when Dragon misrecognizes something you said. You can select the correct option, or edit one of the listed choices until it is correct.
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To edit an alternative: Say Edit followed by the number at the left of the desired alternative. (Or you can click once to select the alternative, pause, and then click once inside the text of the alternative.) The alternative you are editing is now the target for dictation and commands. You can edit the text by voice using Dictation or Spelling mode, or type the correct text manually. When you are finished, say Choose followed by the number of the option you edited. To exit editing mode without entering the corrected phrase into your document, say Cancel Edit or click elsewhere.
Step 4: To close the Recognition window, say Hide Recognition Window or Cancel training. You have now performed phrase training. Internally, Dragon Dictate will modify its speech model, and will save this information into your profile the next time your profile is saved.
After dictating the following, use the Recognition Window to fix any recognition errors. Until further notice, the BHDP meeting will be held in room B31 (not B40). Special invitees this week: Stephen Hess, Anne Petersen, and Gene Wood.
TIP Try different Recognition Preferences pane settings and different ways of summoning and
closing the Recognition window as you train your dictation. Youll soon settle on a favorite way of working.
Additional ways to access the Recognition window include the following: Say Show Recognition window immediately after dictating text that contains an error. Click the Open Recognition window button (the rightmost icon) in the Status Window. Press the Recognition window keyboard shortcut (by default, Function/Command/F9).
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If Show Recognition window when dictating is checked in the Recognition Preferences pane (found under the Preferences option of the Dictate menu), the Recognition window will open automatically when you are dictating in Dictation mode or Spelling mode as soon as the insertion point is within or after a phrase capable of being trained. Usually this will be as soon as you dictate anything.
Additional ways to close the Recognition window include the following: Say Cancel Edit. Say Cancel Recognition. Click the close button at the top left of the Recognition window. Press the Recognition window keyboard shortcut (by default, Function/Command/F9). If Close Recognition window after each choice is checked in the Recognition Preferences pane, the Recognition window will close automatically as soon as you use it to replace a dictated phrase with its correct version.
Dictate uncommon words, such as nicknames or product names, until a few misrecognitions appear. Use the Recognition window and practice editing what you actually said from the list of alternative options.
As youre proofreading your text, you may not remember exactly what you actually said. This can be a challenge especially if you dictate a significant amount of text before correcting. Dragons playback feature is very helpful in these instances.
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Step 1: If you need a reminder of what you actually dictated to generate a passage of text, select the text you want to review and correct.
Step 2: Open the Recognition window (following one of the options outlined above). Once the Recognition window appears, say Press Play (or click the Play button at the top right of the Recognition window) to hear the recording of your voice as you dictated that text.
Step 3: In most cases, Dragon Dictate will have preserved the recording of your speech from when you dictated the phrase. Use the content of the audio playback to accurately correct the transcribed text.
Dictate a detailed paragraph about a recent trip: where, how long Then select portions of the text to play back. If you find any misrecognitions, use the Recognition window and editing commands to correct them.
Dragon Dictate can also read your text back to you using the text-to-speech capabilities that are built into the Mac OS X. A computerized voice reads your text aloud, providing a proofreading tool that can help you identify any mistakes that Dragon may have made. This tool also lets you listen to the flow of your writing so you can decide where to make changes during editing.
Say Read document or Read the selection to have Dragon Dictate read the entire document or the text youve selected by highlighting with your mouse. You can also use the command Read the words [text] through [text] or Proofread the words [text] to [text] to tell Dictate to read a specific passage of text. Say Wake up Stop reading to stop the audio.
TIP You can change the voice you hear during the proofreading by clicking on Speech under
your Mac System Preferences and selecting Text to Speech. You can choose between multiple male and female voices. You can also change your preferred voices speaking rate (i.e., slow, normal, fast).
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In Correction commands, do not pause at all between saying train or correct and the misrecognized word(s).
To proofread using playback hearing your own voice played back to be sure of what exactly was said -- click Play in the Recognition Window or say Press Play.
To have a computerized voice read your text aloud to you, making it easier to proofread the content of your final document, say Read document.
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Mouse and keyboard actions can be combined seamlessly with dictation and voice control if you are working within Note Pad, TextEdit or Microsoft Word 2011. But when youre dictating outside of these applications, it is important to keep in mind that you should not mix your voice with your hands when creating and editing documents.
NOTE Navigating within a document or editing the dictated text requires that Dragon has the
ability to constantly see or know the location of the cursor within your document. Since Dragon is tightly integrated with TextEdit, Note Pad and Microsoft Word 2011, Dragon knows where your cursor is within a document whether you are using your voice or using your mouse and keyboard. Within some applications, Dragon cant track mouse/keyboard movements and may lose track of where the cursor is located. For this reason, do not mix dictation with mouse/keyboard actions.
With some applications on your Mac, such as Mail or Microsoft Excel, Dragon cant actually see whats going on. It doesnt know what the current document window looks like, or what you do there. Dragon knows only what tasks you have completed BY VOICE. As it works with text, Dragon memorizes its own actions: the text it types, the navigation it performs. This memory is called the cache. The cache is how Dragon keeps track of what text is in the window and where the selection or insertion point is located within that text.
When youre using Dragon to work with text outside of Note Pad, TextEdit or Microsoft Word 2011 therefore, you shouldnt do anything with a mouse or keyboard that Dictate cant track. Dont use the mouse and keyboard to navigate, select, cut and paste, or type. If you do, Dictates cache will get out of sync with reality. Dictate wont recognize that youve made a manual change to a document where youve been dictating, so navigating and editing commands will not work reliably.
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This rule is easily broken since many of us are accustomed to using a keyboard and mouse to execute routine tasks. To reduce this risk, you may find it easier to work in a Note Pad window or Word document (where you can combine dictation and mouse/keyboard input in whatever way is most efficient for you) and then copy the text and paste it into some other application. Its better not to get the cache out of sync if you can help it, but you can easily work around mixed text input options by creating a new cache for your document.
Step 1: Say cache document, which instructs Dragon to read the whole documents contents, no matter how that content was created. Dragon disregards what it entered by voice within this document, and deletes its recordings of your voice (so training on existing text is no longer possible). Dragon now has an accurate record of the current document contents, so you can proceed with dictation and reliably format and edit the text by voice.
Step 2: Alternatively, you can say cache selection. This is similar to the cache document command, but it works only on the currently selected text. Commands for navigation and editing text will work reliably only within this region. (To work with Dragon outside this region of your document, you would need to issue another cache command.)
For example, the correct command is scratch that instead of oops! I guess I need to scratch my mistake here that whole paragraph. Effectively pausing as you state specific commands will determine whether Dragon correctly executes the task for you.
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TIP
If the command you want to execute is confused with dictated text, switch to Command mode to ensure that Dragon understands your words as a command to be obeyed, and not dictation to be typed.
To show the Available Commands window, say Show Available Commands or choose Show Available Commands from the Windows menu. When the Available Commands window is showing, it floats over all applications so it is always available for your reference. You can hide the Available Commands window by saying Hide Available Commands or by choosing Hide Available Commands from the Window menu.
To discover commands, scroll through the window, or use the Search field. You can hover the mouse over a
The Available Commands window displays the commands that are available at any given time to help you get more done on your Mac.
commands name in the Available Commands window to see a tooltip displaying its description.
The list of commands displayed in the Available Commands window changes automatically depending on what mode youre in, what application is front-most, and whether the Recognition window is open. The order in which commands are displayed depends on your settings in the Command Preferences pane (e.g., whether you have generated the application launch and email commands which will be discussed later in this workbook).
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TIP
If there is text in the Search field, the list of commands is filtered to display only commands containing that text. To be certain that all commands are displayed, empty the Search field (click in the Search field and press Escape).
NAVIGATION COMMANDS
Some commands move the insertion point regardless of its starting location: Go to beginning - moves to the beginning of the document Go to end - moves to the end of the document
Other commands move the insertion point relative to its present location: Move [left / back] [1-99] word(s) - e.g., move left 7 words Move [right / forward] [1-99] word(s) - e.g., move forward 3 words
The insert commands position the insertion point just before or just after a specific word or phrase: Insert before your office - moves the insertion point to just before the phrase "your office" Insert after park yesterday - moves the cursor to just after the phrase park yesterday
You can also select a range of text by naming its start text through end text. For example, select do let THROUGH convenience would select the entire range of text "do let me know at your earliest convenience." You can include punctuation in your selection, or select the entire content by saying select all.
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Selection commands are especially helpful when combined with cut and paste commands. When you have selected your specified text, you can say Cut selection or Copy selection. To paste, say Paste from Clipboard.
As with all commands, say the select commands as a continuous phrase, with a brief pause before and after. For commands that quote words from your screen, choose your target words before you start to say the command.
TIP If the word or phrase you are trying to select appears more than once in your document,
say Select again (or Select previous / Select next) until the correct instance is highlighted. To unselect text, say Unselect that.
For instance, if your text reads "100 Main Street," but you want to change it to "500 Washington Street," say select 100 Main (pause) 500 Washington.
TIP To select large passages of text, take advantage of the select [start text] through [end
text] command structure.
Practice overwriting by voice. Dictate the following paragraph then issue the commands listed below.
I will be in Boston for a few days next week, and would love to get together for lunch. We could meet at your office at noon. Ill be staying at the Madison downtown; give me a call. Talk to you soon! Select lunch You should see the word lunch highlighted.
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Say an early dinner The sentence should now read get together for an early dinner. Select noon You should now see the word noon highlighted. Say six oclock PM The sentence should now read We could meet at your office at 6:00 PM. Select in through week The words in Boston for a few days next week are highlighted. Say in your area on Tuesday The sentence should now read I will be in your area on Tuesday Observe the insertion points current position. Say insert after dinner then say if you have time Insert before exclamation mark (observe the move), then say comma I hope
TIP Rather than inserting "open" and "close" quotation marks, parentheses, and brackets
during dictation, you can use a single voice command during editing such as: Put brackets around [existing text] Put parentheses around [existing text] Put quotes around [existing text]
Dictate the following text, and then format the text as instructed.
It was nice meeting you Tuesday. I think you have some good ideas about the Johnson project! Lets get the team focused on this project by February.
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When you have time, could you write up your comments and email them to me? I would really appreciate it. Italicize I think through project Put quotes around the team Bold by February Delete when you have time comma Underline really
The same type of Quick Voice Formatting commands outlined above can be applied to words that you would like to capitalize with a Capitalize [text] command. For example, to capitalize the heading of this section, you could say, Capitalize commands through format text. To go beyond initial capitalization to have the entire word capitalized, say Uppercase [text].
If you mistakenly mix manual input with voice commands, use the cache document command. Dictate will now have an accurate record of the current document contents, so you can proceed with dictation and reliably format and edit the text by voice.
Commands to select text can address small or large amounts of text, even several paragraphs or the entire document (select all). When selecting text, include dictated punctuation if appropriate.
If the word or phrase you want to select appears in several places, you can use select [text], followed by the command select again to move to the next instance.
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At first, uttering the whole command can be tricky for commands that quote words from your text, such as bold [start text] through [end text] or insert before [text]. Deciding what you are going to say before starting to speak is recommended.
As with all Dragon commands, you must pause briefly before and after saying these formatting commands. If you mistakenly paused mid-command, just say scratch that, pause, and give the complete command again.
You say scratch that to delete the last thing you said. To undo the last action, you can say undo last action.
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At any time, no matter what application is currently active on your screen, these commands let you launch a search for items containing the keyword(s) you specify. The commands leverage Spotlight, the fast and convenient search technology built into Mac OS X. These commands include:
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Search Mail for <xyz>: searches for the keyword(s) <xyz> in just the emails indexed on your computer Search Mac for <xyz>: searches your Mac for documents and content Search Spotlight for <xyz>: searches files, images, contacts and more stored on your Mac
To close the active window, you can say close window. To exit the application entirely, say quit this application. You can also say quit or kill followed by the application name (e.g., Quit TextEdit).
TIP
When closing an application, you can use your voice to control the dialog that presents options to Save, Dont Save or Cancel, say Press [button name] for the option you choose. For example, to close without saving, say Press Dont Save.
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If several windows are open on your computer, you can change which one is active and in the foreground using a variety of voice commands: Switch to previous application: to go back to the previously active window (or say switch to next application as many times as necessary to cycle through all the open windows)
Next application window: to activate the next window in the open application; previous application window: to activate the previous window in the active application
Hide this application: to hide the fore-most application; say hide other applications to hide all applications except the fore-most application (hide all applications / show all applications are also available)
VOICE-PRESSING KEYS
At times, you may wish to press a key or two on your keyboard. In Note Pad, TextEdit or Microsoft Word 2011, you can continue to incorporate the use of your keyboard in your document creation. But as explained in the previous chapter, the "Golden Rule" of Dragon Dictate suggests that in some applications you limit manual keystrokes when dictating. Fortunately you can use Dragon to voice-press the keys.
Dragon lets you voice-type any key on your keyboard. Tab key and spacebar can be used as stand-alone commands. For other keys, say press the key followed by the name of the key(s): any letter or number, but also Page Up, Home, Enter, Tab, Caps Lock, F2, Control, Alt, Shift, etc. You can also combine modifier keys into a command by saying press the key combo followed by the modifier and key name (e.g., press the key combo command shift four). Examples include: press the key page up press the key F5 press the key combo command shift press the key Escape press the key combo option Enter
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You can switch between windows with commands like switch to next / previous application or switch to next / previous window.
You can voice-press any key(s) by saying press the key or press the key combo followed by the name of the key or combination of keys.
Dragon offers commands to search your computer for items containing the keyword(s) you specify (these commands take advantage of the search capabilities of Spotlight, which must be running on your computer). For instance, to find all indexed files containing the words Canada and budget, you can say search Mac for Canada budget.
You can also use voice commands to control mouse movement and mouse clicks. View the Mouse Commands under the Global section in the Available Commands window.
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To be sure that commands are available to control Mail, check Generate Email Commands in the Command Preferences pane, found under the Commands tab of the Dictate / Preferences menu. This will generate the list of email commands for your reference in the Available Commands window.
Step 1: Consult your Address Book in Mail. Dragon Dictate allows you to say the name of any person or group having an email address in your Address Book.
Step 2: Say Send an email to [Name] where name is the primary addressee of your message. You can specify multiple recipients by appending and [Name] to your command.
Step 3: When you have specified the recipients, Dragon creates a new email window addressed as specified, with the insertion point (cursor) in the subject line ready for you to dictate a subject. After youve entered the subject say Press the key Tab (or just say Tab key) to move to the body of your message.
Step 4: After youve dictated your text, say Send message to send your mail.
TIP
As you create emails, you can move between fields by saying Press the key Tab or Tab key.
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You can also use your voice to perform routine tasks within Mail: new message creates a new mail message forward this message forwards the highlighted or open mail message reply to this message / reply all to this message replies to the highlighted or open mail message
TIP
Dragon will automatically format email addresses as you say them (e.g., sam dot johnson at hotmail dot com). You may want to add complicated email addresses to your Vocabulary if you will use them frequently.
A key advantage of these Web search shortcuts is that, like the desktop search shortcuts and email shortcuts, they can be used anytime, no matter what program is currently active on your screen. What a convenient way to get more done faster!
Dragon Dictate also offers the Web 100 Commands to make it faster and easier to find what you need on the Web. These commands take you in your browser to any of 100 commonly used Web sites. Simply use the Jump to [site address] command. For example, you can say Jump to CNN to open the CNN web page no matter what application is currently active on your screen.
In the Commands Preferences pane (found under the Dictate / Preferences menu, Command tab), be sure that you have enabled Web site commands. If so, you will see a listing for the Web 100 subgroup under the Global group of commands in the Available Commands window.
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To go to a specific web site that is not included within the Web 100 Commands:
Step 1: Within Safari, say Create new browser window or create a new tab if necessary. (You can also say Make new browser window or make a new tab).
Step 2: In the browser window, say Access Open Location Window or Show Open Location Window to move your cursor to the address bar of the current window. (Within a new tab, your cursor will automatically be placed in the address bar).
Step 3: Dictate the web address, just as you would say it to a friend (e.g., w w w dot nuance dot com slash dragon). If youre dictating a complex URL, you may want to switch to Spell mode to ensure the highest level of recognition accuracy. When you have dictated the complete address, say Press the key Enter.
Step 4: Say Close window when you are finished with the page.
You can jump to specific pages by saying Jump Back, Jump Forward or Jump to Bookmark [1-9] (e.g., Jump to bookmark 7).
Go to Amazon and ESPN.com without opening Safari. Then open a new browser window and navigate to www.nuance.com/dragon.
Once youre on a page, you can navigate the content of the page by saying commands such as: Move to [next/previous] link when the link you want to access is highlighted, say Jump to this link Scroll to bottom / scroll to top (additional scrolling commands include: scroll up/scroll down; scroll left/scroll right; scroll one screen up/scroll one screen down)
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Twitter and Facebook Dragon also offers built-in commands that enable you to more easily update Facebook. Just say Post to Facebook and dictate your text or paste the text you want to post. You can edit the text however you would like by voice or keyboard before posting.
If its easier for you, you can dictate your post first, and then say: Post that to Facebook, where that is the last utterance Dragon just heard.
Use voice commands to quickly and easily post to Facebook.
Before using voice commands to post to Facebook and Twitter, you must enable Dictate to access your account. Dictate does not store your password information.
Note that Facebook does not need to be open to use these commands.
The first time you use one of these commands, Dragon will prompt you to provide your Facebook credentials. You can also configure your account by selecting the Dictate / Preferences menu, Sharing tab. Dictate does not store your password. When your post is listed, it includes a tagline revealing that the post was created with Dragon Speech Recognition.
If you have a Facebook account, use Dragon to dictate your current status without opening Facebook. Say Post to Facebook and enter your text in the Share on Facebook box. (If this is your first time using this command, follow the prompts to enable Dragon to access your account.)
Similar shortcuts are available for Twitter. Tweets are quickly captured by voice: just select dictated or typed text (via mouse or voice command), and say Post that to Twitter. Additional Twitter commands include Tweet [text] and Post to Twitter [text].
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You can jump to any of 100 specific web sites by saying Jump to [site address]. If the web site you want to browse is not part of an existing command, you can dictate the web address and navigate links by voice.
Voice commands can make it faster and easier to post your status to Facebook and Twitter. The Facebook/Twitter applications do not need to be open for these commands to work.
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To switch among command lists, select a command set from the left column. At the top of the middle column, choose to view all commands, built-in commands or user-defined commands. (It is the combination of both of these settings that determines which commands are displayed.)
Various built-in voice commands control tasks on your Mac such as formatting text, searching the Internet, creating a new email, and more. You can modify these commands and even create custom commands so that Dragon Dictate works the way that you work.
To create your own custom voice command, click on the + button at the bottom of the Commands window (accessed by selecting Commands from the Tools menu).
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Step 1: Click the + button at the bottom of the Commands window (or select New Command from the File menu).
Step 2: A workspace appears in the right-hand column. Click within the Command Name field to enter a name.
TIP The commands name is the phrase you will say to cause the command to execute.
Choose it well! It should be easy to remember and easy to say, like Paste Signature Block or Enter Home Directions. Choose a descriptive, meaningful name (as opposed to a name like macro 3). Make it neither long nor short (between 2 and 5 words is usually best). Avoid single words, and phrases you may need to dictate. Use words that are easily pronounced and recognized (all words in the command name should be in the Vocabulary), and avoid symbolsfor instance, use number instead of #, otherwise Dragon would expect to hear number sign or pound sign when you say the command.
Step 3: In the Description field, enter some information about your command. This is optional, but it helps remember any important details about the command (its intent, when and where you might use it, etc.).
Step 4: In the Context field, select the application in which you want the command to be available. For all applications, choose Global. Contexts for which Dragon already has application-based commands are listed in the pop-up menu. To create a new context, click Choose and select an application in the Open dialog.
Step 5: Select the Text Macro option from the pop-up menu within the Type field. You may also choose to leave the default (automatic) type in the field.
Step 6: If your text already exists electronically, drag the text that you want Dragon to paste when you say your command into the open box. If necessary, you can create (or edit) the text within this window, either by voice or by keyboard.
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Step 7: Once the command is named and edited as you want it, click Save.
Create your own command. When youre done, open Note Pad, and then say your commands name. (Commands you create yourself follow the usual rule: you must pause before and after, but not in the middle.) You may realize now that you could make your command even more convenient. Perhaps you want to add a blank line before the content so the text placed by your command automatically starts as a new paragraph. The section below explains how to edit a custom command.
TIP The same process outlined above can be used to create other types of commands. Other
command types include: AppleScript: the command executes a script written in AppleScript Application: the command launches a specified application Bookmark: the command jumps to a URL in your default browser File or Folder: the command opens a specified file or folder in the Finder Menu Item: the command chooses a menu item (specified by menu and menu item name) Shell Script: the command executes a shell script (a shell script to be run from within Dragon should generally be created and tested elsewhere) Automator Workflow: the command executes an Automator workflow, specified by the pathname of the workflow file Keystroke: the command executes the simulated pressing of a specific key, or group of keys
To edit an existing command, select the command name from the list and edit the right-hand column. Click Save when youre done editing. Changes that you make in the Commands window might not be registered until you close the Commands window.
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MANAGING COMMANDS
To activate or deactivate a command, click the checkbox to the left of the commands name. A deactivated command still exists, but it is not listed in the Available Commands window, you cant issue the command, and Dragon doesnt have to consider that phrase as a possible command when you say it. So deactivating commands can be useful, but you probably should wait before doing so to see which commands you really dont need.
To delete a command, select the command and press Delete, or choose Delete from the tool (gear) menu. You cant delete an unmodified built-in command. Deleting a built-in command that youve modified restores the original unmodified built-in command.
If the boilerplate text you want to use for your text macro command already exists in an electronic document, you can copy and paste it into the content box of the Commands window. If not, you can enter the text directly within the box either by voice or with your keyboard.
Names for custom commands should be memorable, intuitive, easy-to-pronounce phrases. Avoid names that could be used as dictation, such as single words.
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Here we provide some of the best practices and usage strategies you can put in place to ensure the most successful and enjoyable experience with Dragon Dictate.
BE PATIENT. In general, the best thing you can do to make Dragon recognize your speech more accurately is to use the software regularly. Over time, Dragon adapts to the unique characteristics of your voice. Dont get frustrated if the recognition accuracy is not perfect right out of the box.
When dictating, speak in long, natural utterances at a normal pace and in your normal tone. Try to think about what you want to say before you start dictating.
Practice effective microphone control. Be sure to turn your microphone off when youre not dictating.
If you dont want to be tethered to your computer, consider using the Dragon Remote Microphone application which turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a wireless microphone.
Personalize the Vocabulary to help preempt recognition errors (This includes editing Spoken Forms or Word Properties as needed, designating specific documents for Dragon to analyze, and providing Vocabulary Training for specific words that create recognition challenges.) If Dragon learns the unique words you are likely to use, it will be more likely to correctly transcribe your dictated text.
Correcting misrecognitions enables Dragon to learn from its mistakes so it will be less likely to incorrectly transcribe that word or phrase in the future.
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In some cases (if a certain word is consistently misrecognized, or if overall accuracy is lower than you expected), you will want to provide Dragon some additional acoustic data. Complete additional Voice Training (reading more text to Dragon) by selecting Voice Training from the Tools menu.
Try to complete your dictation in Note Pad (Dragons built-in word processor), TextEdit or Microsoft Word 2011. In these applications, you can freely combine dictation with manual text entry via mouse or keypad. In other applications, it is best not to combine dictation with mouse/keyboard entry. If you break this Golden Rule, say cache document so that navigation and editing commands will continue to work reliably.
When issuing commands, do not pause in the middle of the command. Pause before you begin the command, and at the end of the command.
Consider creating custom commands to get more done faster. You can create your own voice commands to have Dragon automatically execute routine tasks on your computer.
If you misspeak, say scratch that to delete the last transcribed utterance. If you issue a command by mistake, say undo last action.
To format and edit your text, say bold/italicize/underline/cut/delete followed by the word or phrase you want to format or edit. To select a range of text, say select [first word] through [last word]. If you have multiple instances of the requested word or phrase in your document, say select next or select previous until the correct option is selected.
Regardless of what application is currently active, you can send an email to one or more of your contacts by issuing the command send an email to [Name].
Quickly and easily find information on the Web with Dragon Voice Shortcut commands such as search Bing for [text]. Or quickly access a specific web site using a Web 100 command such as Jump to YouTube.
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December 5, 2011 AnyCorporation Gene Hansen-Wolffe P.O. Box 3299 Minneapolis, MN 67811-3299
Dear Gene, I am pleased to report that my team has reviewed the Western Region Report for this quarter. As of November 29, 2011: The total is $875,512.89. Please let me know your projected figures for the rest of Q3. As always, dont hesitate to contact me at the number below. Sincerely, Sara Petersen Regional Sales Manager My Company, Inc. 202-965-5000 mobile: 715-377-1925 fax: 800-968-2231 sara.petersen@mycompany.com
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