[tabi] for WindowEyes users: release of a script for Windows Speech Recognition
- From: "Chip Orange" <Corange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:20:00 -0400
Hi all,
Below is an announcement of a WindowEyes script, which I recently
published on the GW mailing lists:
I have just released a script for the free speech recognition which is
built
into Windows Vista and Windows 7. This capability allows you to both
dictate text into applications, and to control them, select menu
choices,
click buttons, switch windows, and otherwise operate Windows completely
hands free. There is also an optional component, which you usually have
to
download from the MS site, called WSR macros, which allows you to define
your own verbal commands and their actions (this is included in my WSR
script).
If you are interested in this, be aware you will need a good quality
microphone (say one which is part of a wired headset, no bluetooth and
no
built-in microphones), and you will need to spend at least 30 minutes
setting it up and training it.
The help text for the WSR script is below.
Enjoy!
Chip
-------
Speaks the dialogs of Windows Speech Recognition in Windows Vista and
Windows 7.
If the optional WSR macros module (from Microsoft) is installed, then
additional verbal commands for controlling WindowEyes are available,
which
allow you to use WE in a completely hands-free manner.
These additional verbal commands are defined in the file
WE-commands.WSRMac,
which is in the speech macros subdirectory of the documents folder. They
are:
"read line", causes Window Eyes to read the current line.
"read rest", causes Window Eyes to read from the cursor to the end.
"read title", causes Window Eyes to read the current window title.
"read window", causes Window Eyes to read the active window.
"read status line", causes Window Eyes to read the status line.
"read highlight", causes Window Eyes to read the highlighted block.
"system tray", opens up the window eyes dialog which displays the
contents
of the system tray.
"say time", causes Window Eyes to speak the current time.
"hush" causes Window Eyes to silence speech (equivalent to the control
key).
In order for this macro of additional verbal commands to function, after
the
WSRMacros component is installed, it will need to be started, and either
it's security level will need to be set to "low", or, you will need to
create a "signing certificate" and "sign" the WE-commands.WSRMac macro
file.
You can do either of these by clicking the WSR macros icon in the system
tray, and choosing the "security" option, when it is running. It is a
great
deal less trouble to set the security level to low so that unsigned
macros
will run, but this is of course your choice, as it may present a
security
risk.
This script includes a copy of the WSRMacros optional component (file
named
WSRMacros.msi in your WE profile directory), and should offer you the
option
of automatically installing it the first time the script is run. If you
do
not install the WSRMacros at that time, you will not be asked again, but
there is a choice for performing the installation in the WindowEyes
control
panel, in the script menu for the WSR script.
However, it cannot automate the process of changing the security level
or
signing the macro file for you; and you will need to do this before the
verbal commands for WE will function. It is highly recommended that you
install and configure the WSR macros component, as it adds the ability
for
you to define your own verbal commands, which greatly increase the
usefulness of WSR in general.
The Details of What This Script Does:
When WSR does not know for certain which of several words or phrases you
may
have said, it will open a window near the bottom of the screen to ask
you,
along with playing a distinctive sound, but this window will not become
the
active window. Because it's not the active window, WE will not speak
it's
contents. It also will automatically disappear if you try to make it the
active window by moving the mouse, or by trying to alt-tab to it. The
only
way you can read this window is to use the WE cursor; therefore, one of
the
main purposes of this script is to read this window automatically.
This window is called the WSR disambiguation dialog. It's purpose is to
display a list of numbered choices to you when it's trying to determine
what
you meant. You should speak the number which is next to the correct
choice,
and then say the word "ok". If there are more choices than will fit on
one
window (it will display at most 9 choices at a time), then you can say
the
word "next" to go to the next window of choices. If you don't want any
of
the offered choices, you can say "cancel", or you can say "spell it" to
be
put into the spelling panel, where you can spell out the word or phrase
that
you meant. Doing this is important for allowing WSR to learn how you say
various words.
Note: you cannot use any of the additional verbal commands for WE while
one
of these WSR dialogs is active, nor can you use any other WSR commands
except the ones defined for the dialog. You can however, use the ReRead
hotkey defined for this script, if you want to hear the dialog of
choices or
the spelling panel spoken again.
In addition to the hotkey for re-reading a WSR dialog, this script also
has
a convenience hotkey for starting both the WSR macros module and
starting
WSR.
Note: There is an undocumented WSR key command which allows you to
easily
toggle the WSR listening state between on and off. It is the combination
of
the Windows key and the control key pressed together. When WSR stops
listening you will hear a higher tone followed by a lower one. When it
starts listening they will be reversed, and you will hear a lower tone
followed by a higher one.
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