10.0

Boosting Productivity with Custom Commands

In previous lessons, you learned various built-in voice commands to perform actions such as formatting text,

searching the Internet, creating a new e-mail, creating a new appointment… The higher editions of Dragon also

allow the creation of custom commands.

There are several types of custom commands; this workbook presents the “Text-and-Graphics” type, which

allows you to define boilerplate for Dragon to paste wherever you utter the command. As the name indicates,

this boilerplate can contain graphics, such as logos, scanned signatures, maps… Quick and easy to create, Text-

and-Graphics commands provide considerable time-savings and convenience. In Version 10, you can even

include fields in them—a very easy way to create templates that can be both created AND navigated by voice.

Creating Boilerplate Commands (“Text-and-Graphics” Type)

Step 1: Open the MyCommands Editor—you can say add new command or click Tools>Add New Command.

Step 2: Choose a name for your command and enter it in the MyCommand Name field.

IMPORTANT: The command's 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 and 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 symbols—for 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…).

Step 4: In the Group field, highlight the word User-Defined. Entering a new group name (your name, for

instance, or the name of the application or task for which you are creating the custom command) will

later allow you to locate and manage your custom-created commands quickly.

TIP Once you’ve defined a command Group,

you can easily add more commands to that group

(Dragon will now include your group’s name in

“Group” list). Doing so ensures that your

custom-created commands will be filed

together, and will be easy to manage as a group.

If desired, you can always rename the group or

assign the command to another group later.

Step 5: In the Content field, enter what you want Dragon to paste when you say your command. (You may find

it helpful to enlarge or even maximize the Editor’s window so that a larger Content field is visible.)