Voice Interface for Macro Scheduler

[JPBernoux]

I am a happy user of Macro Scheduler who wants to go one step further in automatization. I am using a number of programs that are all now controlled by macro scheduler shortcuts. I have also programmed Macro Scheduler to provide a user interface for interaction between MS programs and the user. The next step I want to take is use voice control to:

- 1 Replace some shortcuts to start MS by voice commands
- 2 Enter data by voice in MS input boxes
- 3 Issue voice commands from MS programs

While 3 seems pretty easy to do with the help of Visual Basic, I would like to have input from the community about there ideas on how to do 1 and 2. The first question is: Has anybody tried to do it? The next question is: What commercial products exist to do this that could integrate nicely with MS? And last: Are you guys at MJT thinking of doing such extension to MS?
I have no experience with voice recognition and I am not frilled at the perspective of interfacing an off the shelf voice recognition program with Macro Scheduler.
Thanks for your suggestions and ideas.
Jean-Pierre Bernoux

[/list]

[support]

It should be easy enough to interface any third party speech recognition control software. Here's a free one which can be set to run programs etc:
http://www.yesgoal.com/speech/speech.htm

The simplest solution is just to compile the Macro Scheduler macro to a .exe and then set up a speech command to run the .exe.

Perhaps the best known speech recognition software is Dragon Naturally Speaking from ScanSoft: http://www.scansoft.com

[Bob Hansen]

Just took a look at FREE speech parrot program that was suggested.

Price has already gone up to $40.

[Me_again]

Just took a look at FREE speech parrot program that was suggested.

Price has already gone up to $40.

...and it's from a company that sells spamming, I mean email address harvesting and bulk emailing, software http://www.yesgoal.com/finder/finder.htm

[support]

This one I found from a google search and at the time it appeared to be free so I posted the link. Not in any way affiliated with it and cannot vouch for it's effectiveness as I have not used it. Did not intend to start a discussion regarding it's correct price or what else the company promotes.

I have used Dragon many years ago and see no reason why that wouldn't do the job as suggested above. I am sure there are many other tools out there that would do the job and would interface well with Macro Scheduler.

[Bob Hansen]

I agree that Dragon may be a good choice. Have not used it for about 2 years, but was good enough then, can only be better at this point.

[JPBernoux]

Thank you for those who spent some time answering my questions. I will proceed from there based on your suggestions.
Jean-Pierre Bernoux

[Q]

From what I know only the professional version of dragon dictate can run exe's from a voice command (or send keys that an external program could pick up on ) and it costs over £500 !!! for the professional version.
So to do this with Dragon dictate alone you would need to speend a lot on the professional version.

Does any one know of a cheap third party product that can link the cheap versions of dragon dictate with the macro scheduler?

Or does any one know how you could link Vista's voice recognition in with macro scheduler. If not, a personal plea to the developers to please provide this facility in the future.

[Marcus Tettmar]

Everything you need comes complete with Windows Vista:
http://www.mjtnet.com/blog/2007/09/30/s ... utomation/

[Q]

Thank you very much for such a prompt reply

I'll take a look at that

[Q]

I've read it and it's what I know, you say the short cut keys.

Really what I need is an interface from vista's voice recognition that will fire of a macro schedular with saying a word or short group of words, such as "Open my ebay window".

I have Quick buttons, but I may need to set up hundreds of voice activated macros, so that would not really do it for me. And I don't want my desktop overrun with quick buttons.

[Bob Hansen]

From some notes I had at an earlier date. I have not followed up, but maybe they will be helpful ....
======================
Voice commands: http://www.e-speaking.com/ $14
Microsoft has Speech Recognition Engine (SRE) bundled with some versions of Office. Not installed as default ...
From Office: Tools/Speech/Install? = Yes. I did install from Office 2003

Info: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/ ... 41033.aspx

More info: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/usin ... dec13.mspx
========================

[Q]

Thanks,

Tried e-speaking but could not get it working with vista.

I found 'natlink & vocola' on this
"create macros using Python in any version of NaturallySpeaking "
See:-
http://speechwiki.org/NL/RelationshipBe ... ndDNS.html
http://speechwiki.org/NL/HomePage.html

anyone used this?

If it does what i think it does you could buy the cheap version of dragon naturally speaking and use natlink (which is free) to run macro schedular macros, cool...........

[Marcus Tettmar]

With Macro Scheduler visible you can just speak the name of a macro and then say "Run Now".

"Switch to Macro Scheduler"
"Calculator"
"Run Now"

Saying "Switch to Macro Scheduler" is a bit of a pain. You could use QuickButtons to make that part a bit easier. Have a button run a macro which focuses Macro Scheduler.

Another idea:

Create a custom dialog with a list box. The list box has a list of macros. When you select one the macro is fired. Compile this to an EXE. Run this EXE. If it was titled "Macro List" you could then just say:

"Switch to Macro List"
"My Macro"

Or have a QuickButtons button run this EXE. So you say the name of a button and then pick your macro. Say the QuickButtons button was called "Macro List" and you want to select "Do Report":

"Macro List"
"Do Report"

So here's an example controller script:

Code: Select all

Dialog>Dialog1
   Caption=Macro List
   Width=298
   Height=185
   Top=183
   Left=-1062
   Max=1
   Min=1
   Close=1
   Resize=1
   ListBox=msListBox1,8,8,265,129,Calculator%CRLF%Do Reports%CRLF%Notepad
EndDialog>Dialog1

Show>Dialog1
GetDialogAction>Dialog1,r

Let>Dialog1.msListBox1.itemindex=-1
Let>last_index=Dialog1.msListBox1.itemindex
ResetDialogAction>Dialog1

Label>mainloop

GetDialogAction>Dialog1,r
Let>this_index=Dialog1.msListBox1.itemindex
If>this_index<>last_index
  Let>macro=Dialog1.msListBox1
  Macro>%SCRIPT_DIR%\%macro%.scp
  Let>Dialog1.msListBox1.itemindex=-1
  Let>last_index=Dialog1.msListBox1.itemindex
  ResetDialogAction>Dialog1
Endif

Goto>mainloop

Replace the listbox data with a list of macro names (in the same group as this one).

Run it and leave it running. Now, whenever you want to run a macro with a voice command say:

"Switch to Macro List"
"Calculator"

As suggested, you could instead have this linked from a QuickButtons button so you can shorten "Switch to Macro List" to just the button name - e.g. "Macro List".

Just a few ideas.

[Q]

Thanks for that help.

However I have now tried the free natlink with vocola macros and it works a treat with the cheaper standard version of dragon naturally speaking v8 (There is a version for v9 too)

So I can now run my scheduler macros simply by calling them from a vocola macro which is fired off automatically from dragon dictate just by saying the macro from anywhere with no fussing about, which is exactly what I wanted.

Others may find this link handy too:-

http://mefre.blogspot.com/2005/12/vocol ... guide.html