Technical Tips for DragonDictate for Windows Version 2.5 Users

Commands

In Command Mode, you can say entire commands continuously in natural language phrases instead of one word at a time. This is because, for each supported application, Dragon Systems defined a command grammar of continuous sentences. For instance, in the supported word processors, you can say "print_page_one" or "print_page_twenty_five," because "[Print Page ]" is defined in the application grammar. When speaking this continuous command, you can replace with any number from 1 ("one") to 99 ("ninety_nine".)

The commands [Select 1] through [Select 99] are also global.

Continuous Bring Up: You can use continuous command-and-control to launch an application in one command. That is, you can now say "bring_up_xxxxx" where xxxxx is the name of any application in the DragonDictate for Windows group in the Program Manager. For instance, you can say "bring_up_calendar" instead of saying "bring_up" then "calendar."

DragonDictate must be in Command Mode when you use a "bring_up_xxxxx" command. The discrete [Bring Up] command is still present and can be used in Dictate Mode.

Continuous digit entry: After saying the global command [Enter Number], you can speak a continuous sequence ofany number of digits. You can say either "zero" or "oh" for 0.

Entering zip codes and phone numbers: The word processors and spreadsheet editors that Dragon Systems supports also allow you to say any zip code or phone number continuously, without pausing between digits. First, however, you have to say "zip_code" or "phone_number." For example, to enter the zip code 03062 say:

"zip_code," "oh_three_oh_six_two" or
"zip_code," "zero_three_zero_six_two"

To enter the phone number 617-965-5200, say:

"phone_number," "six_one_seven," "nine_six_five_five_two_hundred" or
"phone_number," "six_one_seven_nine_six_five_five_two_hundred"

Correcting a continuous misrecognition: If a continuous command is misrecognized, correct the same way you would correct a discrete command. For example, if the system misrecognizes [Move Up 25], say oops and begin entering [Move Up 25] into the Choice List. At the bottom of the Choice List is a list hints for the next element (word or group) in the continous command.

The commands [Next Space] and [Previous Space] are now available for moving by word within a command or a phrase in the Choice List. These commands are useful when correcting long commands, whether discrete or continuous.

Viewing continuous commands: You can see the grammars of continuous commands for each application in the Vocabulary Manager. If a portion of a command is in angle brackets (<>), the command is continuous. The Vocabulary Manager also gives you examples of these commands. Select a command and click the Examples button to see examples of what you can say.

Dictation and Error Correction

QuickTalk™: QuickTalk is a connected-speech recognizer automatically enabled during dictation. QuickTalk lets DragonDictate handle a shorter pause between words. You still have to dictate discretely-that is, you have to pause after each word-but you can now dictate faster. You can now dictate 5 or 6 words ahead. There is no other visible effect of QuickTalk while dictating.

Correcting split words: Because of the QuickTalk feature, DragonDictate may mistakenly recognize a single word as multiple words. If this happens, say "oops" to display the Word History, correct the first of those words to the word you said, and reject the second one. For example, if DragonDictate recognizes "consciously" as "conscious lead", correct "conscious" to "consciously" and reject "lead."

Correcting joined words: DragonDictate may mistakenly recognize two or three words as a single word. If this happens, enter all of the words into the Choice List, separated by spaces. For example, if it misrecognizes "this is" as "thesis," enter "this is" into the Choice List. After you have entered several letters, "this is" may appear as an option on the Choice List and you can choose it. If not, enter the words in their entirety.

Adding a phrase: In DragonDictate version 1.x, you could add a phrase to the vocabulary by saying it and then entering the entire phrase into the choice list. In version 2.5, you must take the additional step of saying "add_phrase" or selecting the "Add Phrase" command from the control menu of the Choice List. If you do not say "add_phrase," DragonDictate does not add the phrase; instead it adapts the individual words within the phrase.

For example, to add the phrase "we are much obliged" to your vocabulary:

1. Say "we_are_much_obliged" without pausing.
2. When DragonDictate misrecognizes it, enter (by typing or by voice) we are much obliged into the Choice List.
3. While the Choice List is still visible, say "add_phrase."

Scratching multiple words: The Dictation vocabulary now contains the commands [Scratch 1] through [Scratch 5] and [Scratch 10], which reject that number of words. You can also use these commands while the Word History is active.

Moving the Word History: If you move the Word History (such as by dragging it with the mouse), it continues to appear in the location you move it to. You can disable this feature by choosing Voice Menu, Options..., Correction, and clearing the check box next to Save Position.

Global [Begin Document] : If you say "begin_document" when the system is in Command mode, DragonDictate switches to Dictate Mode and then sets the No Space and Cap Next flags.

[Caps Lock] : The [Caps Lock] command acts like [Begin Uppercase] if uppercase is off, and like [End Uppercase] if uppercase is on but it does not toggle the Caps Lock key on the keyboard.

Recognition and dictation statistics: The Status dialog box reports the global recognition performance. It also reports the estimated dictation rate in words per minute. Choose Status from the Voice Menu to see this dialog box. This box also allows you to reset the counters so that you can collect dictation statistics for just a particular sample of text. To collect statistics for a text sample:

1. Choose Voice Menu, Status, Reset, Done.
2. Dictate the text sample.
3. Choose Voice Menu, Status to see the performance statistics for that sample.

DragonDictate collects statistics whenever the microphone is turned on and the system is not asleep.

Microphone Calibration

Microphone Test dialog box: When you create a new user, before DragonDictate prompts for a speech sample it displays the Microphone Test dialog box. This dialog checks that the microphone volume settings are adequate for speech recognition. If the volume settings aren't adequate, DragonDictate guides you through a procedure to adjust the input level. The procedure repeats itself and changes the volume settings until DragonDictate detects an adequate signal.

Getting Information

Electronic documentation: The CDROM distribution of DragonDictate for Windows 2.5 includes electronic documentation. See the Installation Guide for instructions on installing and using this documentation.

Online help: The online help has been reorganized.

Using help by speech: There are new voice commands for using help. They can be used with the DragonDictate help or any other Windows help.

Enhanced Tutorial: The Tutorial has been reorganized to emphasize dictation and to increase the amount of user interaction. The Tutorial now plays sound-and-video demonstrations of how to use DragonDictate. You must have a multimedia card and speakers or headphones to take advantage of this feature.

Improved Voicebar

Dictation indicator: While in Dictate Mode, the active group field (next to the Voice Menu button in the Voicebar) is highlighted. This should remind you that you aren't in Command Mode, and that only dictation words and macros are recognized.

Resizing the Voicebar: You can horizontally resize the Voicebar by dragging its borders (or by using the Voice Menu). You can also individually resize both text fields in the Voicebar window, which lets DragonDictate display longer vocabulary names and words.

Colors: The Voicebar now supports the Windows System Colors. You can customize the System Colors (from the Control Panel) to a color scheme that you prefer over the default Windows settings. This way, the Voicebar (and Vocabulary Manager and tutorial) use your favorite colors.

Moving the Mouse

MouseGrid™: The MouseGrid is a new way of positioning the mouse pointer on the screen. It lets you use a coordinate grid in addition to the Version 1.x capability of moving the mouse by saying "left," "faster," and so on. In many cases, the Mouse Grid is faster and more accurate than the old mouse movement commands.

To use the Mouse Grid, say "mouse_grid" or "mouse_grid_on_window." DragonDictate displays a grid of nine boxes over the screen or the active window. Each box is numbered, starting with 1 in the upper-left corner and ending with 9 in the lower-right corner (like a touch-tone telephone layout). The mouse pointer defaults to the center of grid box 5. By saying digits 1 to 9, one after another, you can quickly aim for a target (a button or a window, for example) on the desktop.

Other new commands: When the system is in Mouse Movement mode, you can use these commands:

[Much Faster]
[Much Slower]
[Very Fast]
[Very Slow]

These commands are global: [Mouse Bottom Screen] etc. These commands move the mouse pointer to the specified location.

[Right Click] clicks the right mouse button.

Drag operations can now be done as follows:

1. Position the mouse pointer (by mouse movement or mouse grid) over the item you want to drag.
2. Say mark_here.
3. Move the mouse pointer (by mouse movement or mouse grid) to the location you want to drag the item to.
4. Say drag_to_here. DragonDictate performs the drag operation.

Miscellaneous New Commands

Global commands: [Cut], [Copy], [Paste], and [Undo] are global. They also have synonyms [Command Cut], [Command Copy], [Command Paste], and [Command Undo] which work better in Dictate Mode.

[Document Menu] is synonymous with [Window Menu]. Other commands for working with multiple documents in an application are [[Maximize Document], [Minimize Document], [Restore Document], [Next Document], and [Previous Document].

Program Manager commands: [Close Window] now closes the group window that is active, rather than attempting to exit Windows. New commands are [Close Group], [Next Group], [Cascade], [Tile], and [Run.]

Word processors and spreadsheets: See the Quick Reference Card for information on new continuous commands for these applications.

Environmental Sounds and Noise: The Environmental sounds are not trained by default, as the same sound varies from one place or one person to another. You can however train the environmental sounds that cause DragonDictate to recognize a word or a command each time the sound (or noise) occurs:

1. Select Quick Access from the Voice Menu, and then select Vocabulary Manager.
2. Click the System vocabulary (left pane) then the Environmental Sounds group (right pane).
3. Select the sound name in the right pane, for example, [(Sneeze)].
4. Select Train Word and reproduce the sound as many times as necessary (usually five) to teach DragonDictate this sound.
5. Close the Vocabulary Manager.

Vocabulary Manager

User interface improvements:
The Vocabulary Manager has an improved button bar. You can select multiple words for train, copy, delete, and move operations.
The Export and Import dialogs now allow you to specify a device, directory, and file type.
Exporting as text: You can export a vocabulary as text (as opposed to as an export file). This way, the output file contains a readable form of the exported vocabulary, which you can then print as a list of words, macros, or even edit to create your own quick reference card. You can set options to export more or less information.
To export a vocabulary as text, choose Export... from the Vocabulary menu. When the Export dialog box appears, choose Text File (.TXT) in the Save As Type field. After you choose OK, another dialog appears to prompt you which information to export (user-added words only, resulting action for macros, examples for sentences).
New word property: Among the advanced properties (accessible from the Add Word and Modify Word dialog boxes) is the flag "Allow word to be modified by tracking." This flag is used only for words in the System/BringUp vocabulary group, where it indicates that the word was created by automatic tracking and may be deleted or modified the next time tracking occurs. It was added to support the continuous Bring Up command. You should not need to modify it for any user-created commands.
Viewing application vocabularies: By default, the vocabularies for the applications within a suite (Lotus SmartSuite, Novell PerfectOffice, or Microsoft Office) are not loaded and therefore not visible in Vocabulary Manager. If you want to view one of these vocabularies in Vocabulary Manager without running the application, select the name of the suite to force DragonDictate to load the vocabularies for the applications in that suite. For example, if the WordPerfect and Quattro Pro vocabularies are not visible, you can make them visible by clicking on the Novell PerfectOffice vocabulary.
Tracking in Microsoft applications: DragonDictate 1.x contained extensive sets of macros in the Word and Excel vocabularies to make up for its inability to detect controls in dialog boxes. DragonDictate 2.5 uses a new mechanism for tracking controls in Microsoft applications, so the number of supplementary macros for those applications is greatly reduced.

DragonDictate Options

User interface changes: The Options dialog (which you display by choosing Voice Menu, Options...) has been restructured. See the DragonDictate Help or User's Guide for more information.

Disabling QuickTalk: To turn off QuickTalk, select Voice Menu, Options..., Dictation, and clear the check box next to Enable Quick Talk. You should not need to disable QuickTalk unless you have difficulty enunciating long words or commands and find that DragonDictate is splitting them even after your voice files are adapted.

Disabling continuous recognition: To disable continuous recognition in command mode, choose Voice Menu, Options..., Command, and clear the check box next to Enable Continuous Recognition. You may want to do this to increase response time in Command Mode if you do not need to use any of the continuous commands.

Scripting Language

See the DragonDictate Help for more information on these commands.

SetHomeGroup command: This command specifies the vocabulary group to be made active whenever a particular application is active.

SetMousePosition command: This command sets the mouse to a specified coordinate location with respect to the screen or the active window.

DDEExecute command: In DragonDictate 1.3, an argument was added to allow the DDE command to execute asynchronously.

MouseGrid, RememberPoint, and DragToPoint commands: These commands were added to support the new mouse grid and mouse movement voice commands.

Sentence support: The syntax for macro names has been extended to allow you to specify a continuous sentence.

Variables and return values: The language now supports variables and assignment statements. A macro that is used in a sentence can return a value.

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