[LTA MUSIC]
LiveTextAccess: Training for real-time intralingual subtitlers.
This is Unit 3, IT competence.
In this presentation, we will be dealing with Element 1: Input tools.
The topic of this presentation is “macros”.
This video lecture has been created by Sub-Ti Access,
an accessibility service provider from Italy.
My name is Enrico Pigliacampo and I work for Sub-Ti Access.
I have a beard, shor hair and I don’t wear glasses.
I will be displayed in a box at the top right corner of each slide.
The learning outcome for this presentation
is to implement strategies to rapidly produce texts
(macros, house styles, shortcuts) during a real-time job
by means of using respeaking software and velotyping/typing software.
In this presentation, we will see what are macros
and how they can be created in Dragon.
What is a macro?
A macro, which stands for "macroinstruction“,
is a programmable pattern
which translates a certain sequence of input
into a preset sequence of output.
Macros can make tasks less repetitive
by representing a complicated sequence of keystrokes,
mouse movements, commands, or other types of input.
The difference between a macro and a shortcut
is that the former is a command you give to the software
to obtain a preset output,
while shortcuts are combinations of keys,
or words in the case of vocal shortcuts,
that make it possible to perform an action faster.
Macros in Dragon.
Macros can be very useful for respeakers.
As Arumí Ribas and Romero Fresco wrote:
“Respeakers can set the software to display a word or group of words
"every time they utter a given command,
"which they can make up.
"This can be helpful to save much-needed time when respeaking,
"but also to avoid potential misrecognitions,
to improve punctuation and to change the subtitle colour orally.”
In the next slide you will find a video of me explaining macros in Dragon.
In this video, I will show you
how to create macros with Dragon Naturally Speaking.
Dragon is already open on my computer.
I go to the Dragonbar,
click on Tools and then on “Add New Command”.
The MyCommands Editor opens up.
In this case, I want Dragon to write Sub-Ti Access
every time I say macrosubti,
so in “MyCommand Name” I write the name of my macro,
which is macrosubti.
I train the software to recognise my voice
every time I say macrosubti.
I click on “Train”
and then again on “Train”.
Macrosubti.
Then I click on save.
I can add a description if I want to
and choose in which group I want to save the macro.
I will save it in “User-defined”
because it is a macro I created myself.
I can also choose the availability of the macro:
whether I want it to be always available,
only in specific applications or only in specific windows.
I want it always available.
Then I have to choose the “Command type”.
In this case, Auto-text is the right one
because I want a specific text output,
but there are also other types of macros that I could choose.
We will see “macro recorder” later on.
In “content” I will write the text that I want to appear
when I say macrosubti.
So I write Sub-Ti Access.
I can also choose how I want this text to look like.
For example, I can change the font.
I want Arial 36.
Then I click on “save” to save the macro.
I can create other types of macro.
For example, if I want to change the colour of the text
using a macro instead of the mouse,
I go to the Dragonbar and open the MyCommand Editor.
I want Dragon to change the colour of the text to red
every time I say "macrored".
So I write “macrored” in the “MyCommand Name” field
and I train it.
Macrored.
I click on save.
The macro will be saved again in “User-defined”
and will be always available.
Now I have to change the command type to “macro recorder”.
Now I will have to click on record
so that the software records every movement I make with the mouse
and everything I click in order to repeat it when I say “macrored”.
I close the recorder.
You can see that Dragon recorded all the movements I made with the mouse.
I can delete some of them to make it faster.
I select the movements I want to delete and delete them.
Of course this is just an example.
You can create macros for many different purposes.
Now let's see how these macros work in practice.
I will turn on the microphone and dictate a short text.
Macrosubti is an Italian company. Comma.
Macrored.
It is an accessibility service provider. Dot.
This is just an example.
Macros are very useful for real-time intralingual subtitlers.
They will help you to work faster and to improve the quality of your service.
You can also edit a macro.
You go to the Dragonbar,
click on “tools”, then on “command browser”.
The list of all commands and macros appears.
The macros I created are in the “user-defined” group.
Here they are, the macros I have created.
I click with the right button of my mouse on the macro I want to edit
and then click on “edit”.
“MyCommand Editor” opens up
and I can change the properties of the macro that I want to change.
Summary.
To sum up, macros are very important for respeakers.
They can help you to improve your speed and quality while transcribing a text.
You need to excercise in order to understand
how macros can help you at best.
Exercises.
Exercise 1.
Create at least 20 macros in Dragon,
10 macros that produce text and 10 commands .
Exercise 2.
Choose a written text and transcribe it using macros whenever possible.
When you feel comfortable, use videos instead of written texts.
[LTA MUSIC]
LTA, Live Text Access.
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
SDI, Internationale Hochschule.
Scuola Superiore per Mediatori Linguistici.
ZDF Digital.
European Federation of Hard of Hearing People, EFHOH.
Velotype.
Sub-Ti Access.
European Certification and Qualification Association, ECQA.
Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
Erasmus+ Project:
2018-1-DE01-KA203-004218
The information and views set on this presentation
are those of the authors
and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion
of the European Union.
Neither the European Union Institutions and bodies
nor any person acting on their behalf
may be held responsible for the use
which may be made of the information contained here.