After
you have installed Dragon 11.0 and followed its recommendations
regarding microphone placement and then, performed, at the very least
minimum training to allow Dragon to recognize your voice, it’s time to
get ready for some serious work.
You are nearly ready to go! But first you need to learn how to turn on Dragon’s microphone. You can o this by clicking the red microphone icon on the Taskbar.
Once the microphone is turned on, you can begin controlling your computer and dictating text into your email application or Word.
The illustration below shows the three different icons representing the microphone.
There are several ways you can control your microphone:
Click the microphone button on the DragonBar.
Click the microphone symbol in the Windows Taskbar.
Note: Once Dragon is in the off position, you cannot turn it on using voice as Dragon cannot hear anything at all.
Now it’s time to look at two important features of Dragon. They are the relocatable DragonBar and the interactive Dragon Sidebar. The latter’s contents change when you switch programs or tasks.
We’ll start with Dragon’s DragonBar. For some users they may find the default location at the top of your screen not to their liking. Fortunately, you can change its location either by activating a command within its menu or using voice commands.
We’ll look at the first option – using the Dragon menu. This involves clicking the Dragon icon on the extreme left hand side of the DragonBar. In the drop-down menu there are five options allowing you to move the DragonBar to another location. The illustration below shows you how to access this menu and lists the five alternative locations.
Here’s what you can say:
Note: it is worth pointing out how intuitive Dragon Sidebar is, in that it automatically provides a set of commands relating to the task in hand. This in my opinion is really clever!
As mentioned before an obvious in the illustration above Dragon Sidebar automatically responds to switching applications by providing appropriate speech commands suited to the new application. While this does not work with every application it certainly works extremely well with word processors such as WordPerfect and Microsoft Word. Similarly it works with Microsoft Excel.
Below are two screen pictures illustrating the point.
The first illustration shows you speech commands pertaining to Word and WordPerfect. Note the different sets of commands –
Note: you can scroll down the Dragon Sidebar to see additional speech commands.
In the second screen picture you will see DragonBar again response to the changing environment and supplies a set of appropriate speech commands relating to Microsoft Excel.
If you wish to put this interactive feature to the test, click on the following applications stored on the Taskbar. While it does not work with all applications it is very useful for Dragon Sidebar to provide these voice commands for the applications listed below.
Say Yes and Dragon commences its shut down proceedure.
Its final act before closing is to ask you if you wish to save your speech profile files. This final stage requires you to click the Yes button. Click the Yes button and Dragon saves the changes to your User Profile and then closes.
Now how easy is that!
Of course, you can shut Dragon down by clicking its icon (top left-hand side) on the DragonBar and clicking the Ok button. Whichever method you use Dragon seeks permission to save your speech profile files before shutting down. This way you update them every time you use Dragon. Well done, Dragon!
Because
Dragon is intuitive it recognizes you are on your Desktop and offers
assistance in the form of Dragon Sidebar. Here you will find lists of
speech commands grouped by various topic headings. Scroll down the
sidebar to see the range of options.
The Dragon Sidebar is a good place to start.
Once Word opens, Dragon’s Sidebar keeps in step with you offering a specific set of Voice Commands tailored for Word (and of course WordPerfect).
Dragon also caters for most common applications on your computer. These include Excel, PowerPoint, WordPad, Dragon Pad (Nuance’s derivative of WordPad), Internet Explorer, and Windows Live Mail.
Note: Previous versions of Dragon did not have this feature.
Each set of speech commands offers you a quick and effective ways of completing tasks. Now this brings up another important matter, the one of Training. If you skipped training at the start you may find the results poor despite Nuance’s claim you can get a 95% results at the outset. There is no substitute for completing the basic training offered at installation and later doing even more.
Click the Audio menu and select “Read Text to improve accuracy”.
This opens the General Training window. Follow the prompts.
The more time you have spent training Dragon the better the result.
Activating Dragon
When you activate Dragon it loads your User Profile.
Note:
If you have more than one user profile, the User Profile window will
open. Then you will need to choose the profile you intend using. Having
made the choice, click the Open button.
Note:
If you have more than one user profile, the User Profile window will
open. Then you will need to choose the profile you intend using. Having
made the choice, click the Open button.
Selecting a User Profile
Dragon’s Opening Screen
After Dragon 11.0 initializes and accesses your User Profile, you will see the Dragon Bar appear across the Desktop and on the right-hand side of your screen, the Dragon Sidebar. If you don’t want it there click the X button in the right-hand corner.
Dragon's Opening Screen
You are nearly ready to go! But first you need to learn how to turn on Dragon’s microphone. You can o this by clicking the red microphone icon on the Taskbar.
Turning on the Microphone
Once the microphone is turned on, you can begin controlling your computer and dictating text into your email application or Word.
Controlling Dragon’s Microphone
However, before you can commence controlling your computer and dictating, you need to know more about Dragon’s microphone controls.The illustration below shows the three different icons representing the microphone.
Microphone Options
There are several ways you can control your microphone:
Method 1 Using the Mouse
There are two ways you can turn Dragon’s microphone on.Click the microphone button on the DragonBar.
Turning On Microphone
Click the microphone symbol in the Windows Taskbar.
Microphone Off
Method 2 Using Windows Taskbar
When Dragon is running its microphone icon appears on the Taskbar. You can turn it on or off by clicking its icon.
Switching the Microphone On or Off
Method 3 Using the Keyboard
Press the plus key (+) and the numeric keypad. This is much quicker than moving and clicking the mouse. It is one example of Dragon’ s hotkeys.
Controlling Microphone with + Key on Keypad
Method 4 Using Voice
To temporarily stop the microphone from working, say “Go to Sleep” or an “Stop Listening“. When you issue the command Dragon ignores everything except the wake-up calls which are “Wake-Up” or “Listen to Me“.Note: Once Dragon is in the off position, you cannot turn it on using voice as Dragon cannot hear anything at all.
Now it’s time to look at two important features of Dragon. They are the relocatable DragonBar and the interactive Dragon Sidebar. The latter’s contents change when you switch programs or tasks.
We’ll start with Dragon’s DragonBar. For some users they may find the default location at the top of your screen not to their liking. Fortunately, you can change its location either by activating a command within its menu or using voice commands.
We’ll look at the first option – using the Dragon menu. This involves clicking the Dragon icon on the extreme left hand side of the DragonBar. In the drop-down menu there are five options allowing you to move the DragonBar to another location. The illustration below shows you how to access this menu and lists the five alternative locations.
Dragon Bar Options accessed through Menu
Using Voice Command
There are three voice commands you can use to relocate the DragonBar. Note: For this to be effective you need to hold down the CTRL key before issuing the command, otherwise Dragon will assume you may be dictating text.Here’s what you can say:
- “Switch to Floating Mode”
- “Switch to Docked to Top Mode”
- “Switch to Tray Icon Only Mode”
DragonBar and Sidebar
Note: it is worth pointing out how intuitive Dragon Sidebar is, in that it automatically provides a set of commands relating to the task in hand. This in my opinion is really clever!
Dragon Sidebar
Let’s look closer at Dragon Sidebar.As mentioned before an obvious in the illustration above Dragon Sidebar automatically responds to switching applications by providing appropriate speech commands suited to the new application. While this does not work with every application it certainly works extremely well with word processors such as WordPerfect and Microsoft Word. Similarly it works with Microsoft Excel.
Below are two screen pictures illustrating the point.
The first illustration shows you speech commands pertaining to Word and WordPerfect. Note the different sets of commands –
- Working with Documents
- Cutting, Pasting, Inserting, Undoing
- Moving and Selecting
- Formatting
Note: you can scroll down the Dragon Sidebar to see additional speech commands.
Dragon's Speech Commands for Word
In the second screen picture you will see DragonBar again response to the changing environment and supplies a set of appropriate speech commands relating to Microsoft Excel.
Dragon's Speech Commands for Excel
If you wish to put this interactive feature to the test, click on the following applications stored on the Taskbar. While it does not work with all applications it is very useful for Dragon Sidebar to provide these voice commands for the applications listed below.
- Internet Explorer
- Windows Live Mail
- Libraries (Desktop Explorer)
- Windows Media Player
Closing Dragon
You can use a voice command to shut down Dragon. All you need to say is “Close Dragon” and the Exit Dragon dialogue box opens.
Closing Dragon
Say Yes and Dragon commences its shut down proceedure.
Its final act before closing is to ask you if you wish to save your speech profile files. This final stage requires you to click the Yes button. Click the Yes button and Dragon saves the changes to your User Profile and then closes.
Dragon saves speech profile files
Now how easy is that!
Of course, you can shut Dragon down by clicking its icon (top left-hand side) on the DragonBar and clicking the Ok button. Whichever method you use Dragon seeks permission to save your speech profile files before shutting down. This way you update them every time you use Dragon. Well done, Dragon!
Seeking Help from Dragon
In this article you will learn where you can find effective help to maximise your use of Dragon. The first and most obvious place is Dragon Sidebar. There are other locations too and these are found in Dragon’s Help Menu. Here you get useful advice and tips from Tutorial and Dragon on the Web. These will be dealt with in a later article.Taking Advantage of Dragon Sidebar
So you’ve just purchased Dragon and are a bit stumped as what to do! Well, you turn on Dragon and let’s see where you can go from there! When you start Dragon it places its DragonBar across the top of your screen (this is the default location for it) and adds its Dragon Sidebar to the extreme left of your screen.
Desktop showing Dragon 11
Desktop SideBar
Dragon’s Commands for Word Processors
Not being sure about how to open Word using a voice command, you open Word using conventional means either through All Programs or by clicking it’s icon on the Taskbar or on your Desktop.Once Word opens, Dragon’s Sidebar keeps in step with you offering a specific set of Voice Commands tailored for Word (and of course WordPerfect).
Word Processor SideBar
Note: Previous versions of Dragon did not have this feature.
Each set of speech commands offers you a quick and effective ways of completing tasks. Now this brings up another important matter, the one of Training. If you skipped training at the start you may find the results poor despite Nuance’s claim you can get a 95% results at the outset. There is no substitute for completing the basic training offered at installation and later doing even more.
Performing Additional Training
Here’s how you go about it!Click the Audio menu and select “Read Text to improve accuracy”.
Audio Menu - Additional Training option
General Training
The more time you have spent training Dragon the better the result.
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