Transcriber Help

# Overview of Microsoft Transcriber

Transcriber is a handwriting recognition program that allows you to write in cursive, print, or a combination of both. Transcriber works transparently in the background of programs, recognizing words with its integrated dictionary. When Transcriber is turned on, it interprets stylus movement anywhere on the screen as handwriting input.

#### See also

Start Transcriber

Write with Transcriber

Create a dictionary for Transcriber

# Start Transcriber

Because Transcriber works transparently in the background of programs that accept user input, you must have one of these programs open to use Transcriber.

1. Start a program such as Word Mobile.
2. Tap the Input Panel icon at the bottom center of the screen and tap the Input Selector arrow.
3. Tap Transcriber.

   The Transcriber introductory screen appears.

Tip

To turn Transcriber on and off, tap the Transcriber icon .

#### See also

Write with Transcriber

Use the Transcriber keyboard

Using gestures in Transcriber

# Use the Transcriber keyboard

Transcriber comes with an on-screen keyboard that provides an easy way to add punctuation or a special symbol to existing text.

- From a program, tap on the Transcriber toolbar.

  The keyboard remains visible until you tap the button again.

Tips

To reposition the keyboard, tap and hold the title bar, then drag to the desired location.

When no text is selected, you can also open the keyboard by doing the gesture.

#### See also

Using gestures in Transcriber

Show or hide the Transcriber toolbar

# Use the Transcriber calculator

The built-in Transcriber calculator recognizes and completes simple mathematical equations.

1. From a program, tap on the Transcriber toolbar until 123 is selected.
2. Write the equation.

   For example, if you write 2+2=, Transcriber returns 2+2=4.

#### See also

Show or hide the Transcriber toolbar

# Using gestures in Transcriber

Use quick strokes of the stylus to edit your text. Do the Enter, Space, and Tab gestures while writing text to insert returns, spaces, or tabs.

Do | To
| Insert a paragraph return at the cursor. The horizontal portion of the gesture must be at least two times longer than the vertical portion.
| Insert a space at the cursor. The horizontal portion of the gesture must be at least two times longer than the vertical portion.
| Move the cursor one space back and erase any text. Do the gesture by drawing a line from right to left.
| Open the menu of alternate words if a word is selected or the on-screen Transcriber keyboard if no text is selected. Do the gesture by drawing a line straight down and back up.
| Change the capitalization of a selected letter, word, or block of text. Do the gesture by drawing a line straight up.
| Undo the last action. Do the gesture by drawing a line straight up and back down.
| Copy the selected text. Do the gesture by drawing a line from left to right and back.
| Cut the selected text. Do the gesture by drawing a line from right to left and back.
| Paste copied or cut text. Do the gesture by drawing a line from the lower left of the screen diagonally up toward the right and back down to the right.
| Insert a tab. The horizontal portion of the gesture must be at least two times longer than the vertical portion.

Tip

You can also use the Enter, Space, and Backspace buttons on the Transcriber toolbar.

#### See also

Edit text using Transcriber

Show or hide the Transcriber toolbar

Create shorthand for entering words

# Write with Transcriber

Transcriber allows you to write in cursive, print, or a combination of both.

1. From a program, position the cursor where you want text to appear.
2. Use the stylus to write anywhere on the screen.

   The handwriting will be converted to text shortly after you lift the stylus from the screen.

#### See also

Start Transcriber

Edit text using Transcriber

Create shorthand for entering words

Set Transcriber text entry options

# Add a dictionary to a device

To add a dictionary to your device, the PC and the device must be connected and synchronized.

1. On the PC, open ActiveSync and click Explore.
2. Copy the dictionary file (a file with a .dct extension) to the Dictionaries folder on your device.
3. On the device, open a program and select Transcriber as the input method.

   If the Transcriber introductory screen appears, tap OK to close it.

4. On the Transcriber toolbar, tap .
5. On the Advanced tab, under Dictionaries, tap Settings.
6. In the Transcriber: Dictionaries list, select the check box next to the new dictionary, and tap OK.

   The dictionary is now ready for use by Transcriber.

#### See also

Create a dictionary for Transcriber

Show or hide the Transcriber toolbar

Start Transcriber

Set Transcriber text entry options

Use handwriting recognition alternates

# Create shorthand for entering words

Shorthand allows you to write a short word that Transcriber will automatically expand into a longer word.

1. From a program, tap on the Transcriber toolbar.
2. On the Advanced tab, under Shorthand, tap Settings.
3. In the Transcriber: Shorthand dialog box, tap Add.
4. Tap Text expansion, and tap Next.
5. Write the shorthand you want to use, then enter the replacement text you want Transcriber to display.
6. Tap Finish, then tap OK.

#### See also

Show or hide the Transcriber toolbar

Create shorthand that will open a program

Set up shorthand functions

# Match letter shapes to handwriting

Use the Letter Shapes feature to match your handwriting to a series of letter shapes recognized by Transcriber or to learn methods of writing characters that Transcriber will recognize more easily.

1. From a program, tap on the Transcriber toolbar.
2. On the Inking tab, tap Match Letter Shapes to your writing.
3. At the bottom of the Letter Shapes screen, tap the character you want to explore.
4. At the top of the screen, double-tap the picture of this character.

   The character slowly redraws, showing the handwriting sequence.

5. Tap how often you write the character in that way: Often, Rarely, or Never.
6. Click OK when you are finished.

#### See also

Optimize handwriting recognition for Transcriber

Write with Transcriber

Save a Letter Shapes user profile

Select a Letter Shapes user profile

Show or hide the Transcriber toolbar

# Optimize handwriting recognition for Transcriber

If Transcriber does not recognize your handwriting as accurately or quickly as you'd like, there are some things you can do to optimize handwriting recognition.

- Select the Writing Direction picture that best matches the slant of your handwriting. For information, see Set Transcriber startup options.
- Use Letter Shapes to eliminate letter shapes that you do not use or to learn methods of writing characters that will make them easier for Transcriber to recognize. For information, see Match letter shapes to handwriting.
- Try writing in another format. If you have been printing, try writing cursive, or if you have been writing in both cursive and print, try printing alone.
- Adjust the speed at which Transcriber returns text after you write. For information, see Set Transcriber text entry options.
- Add a user dictionary that contains special terms you may be using, such as medical or legal terms. For information, see Create a dictionary for Transcriber.

Verify that you are using your Letter Shapes user profile. For information, see Save a Letter Shapes user profile.

#### See also

Show or hide the Transcriber toolbar

Add a dictionary to a device

Write with Transcriber

# Create shorthand that will open a program

You can create shorthand text that allows you to write words that open programs such as File Explorer or Internet Explorer.

1. From a program, tap on the Transcriber toolbar.
2. On the Advanced tab, under Shorthand, tap Settings.
3. In the Transcriber: Shorthand dialog box, tap Add.
4. Tap Run program, and tap Next.
5. Write the shorthand text you want to use, then select the program you want Transcriber to run when you write the shorthand.
6. Tap Finish, then tap OK.

Note

The next time you write the shorthand text, the appropriate program will open.

#### See also

Create shorthand for entering words

Set up shorthand functions

Show or hide the Transcriber toolbar

# Save a Letter Shapes user profile

You can save a user-specific Letter Shapes profile that you can open each time you enter text using Transcriber.

1. From a program, tap on the Transcriber toolbar.
2. Match the appropriate letter shapes to your handwriting.
3. When finished, tap File > Save.
4. Enter a name for the user-specific Letter Shapes profile and select the type (.LSS is the default) and location for the file.
5. Tap Save.

Note

To open a Letter Shapes profile, tap File > Open, and double-tap the profile you want to use.

#### See also

Select a Letter Shapes user profile

Set Transcriber text entry options

Show or hide the Transcriber toolbar

# Set up shorthand functions

You can use shorthand to insert information such as the date, time, month, your name, and your phone number in a note or document.

1. From a program, tap on the Transcriber toolbar.
2. On the Advanced tab, under Shorthand, tap Settings.
3. In the Transcriber: Shorthand dialog box, tap Add.
4. Tap Function, and tap Next.
5. Write the shorthand you want to use and then tap the function the shorthand represents.
6. Tap Finish, and tap OK.

#### See also

Create shorthand for entering words

Create shorthand that will open a program

Show or hide the Transcriber toolbar

# Select a Letter Shapes user profile

The Transcriber Letter Shapes feature supports two profiles, Master and Guest. The Master profile is typically used by the device's primary user, while the Guest profile is provided for other users.

1. From a program, tap on the Transcriber toolbar.
2. Tap File and then tap one of the following:
   - Master if you are the primary user.
   - Guest if you are not the primary user.

Note

The Master profile is not affected by any changes made to the Guest profile.

#### See also

Save a Letter Shapes user profile

Set Transcriber text entry options

Show or hide the Transcriber toolbar

# Create a dictionary for Transcriber

Words stored in a Transcriber dictionary are recognized more easily. For example, a lawyer might use a dictionary of legal terms (legal.dct) from the bar association and a dictionary of company-specific terms (company.dct) from the law firm. Client names can be kept in the default dictionary (MyWords.dct). With all three dictionaries enabled, the lawyer can get much better word recognition than with just the default dictionary alone.

You can easily create your own dictionaries.

1. On your PC, use a program such as Notepad, and type each term you want to include in the dictionary on a separate line.
2. When you are finished, on the File menu, click Save As.
3. In the Save as type box, select All Files, and enter a name for the file using a .dct extension (for example, mydictionary.dct).

#### See also

Add a dictionary to a device

Set Transcriber text entry options

Use handwriting recognition alternates

# Use handwriting recognition alternates

You can quickly correct text using Transcriber and you can easily add new words to the Transcriber dictionary.

1. From a program, draw a line across the word you want to correct or add to the dictionary.

   After you lift the stylus, the line will disappear and the word will be highlighted.

2. Do the Quick Correct gesture.
3. On the Alternates menu, do one of the following:
   - To correct the selected word, tap the word you want to replace it with.
   - To add the selected word to the dictionary, tap Add to Dictionary.

#### See also

Add a dictionary to a device

Edit text using Transcriber

Using gestures in Transcriber

# How do I...

Write with Transcriber

Optimize handwriting recognition for Transcriber

Set Transcriber startup options

Using gestures in Transcriber

Show or hide the Transcriber toolbar

Match letter shapes to handwriting

Create shorthand for entering words

Overview of Microsoft Transcriber

# How do I...

Set Transcriber startup options

# How do I...

Optimize handwriting recognition for Transcriber

Match letter shapes to handwriting

# How do I...

Create shorthand for entering words

Create shorthand that will open a program

Set up shorthand functions

Add a dictionary to a device

# How do I...

Match letter shapes to handwriting

Save a Letter Shapes user profile

Select a Letter Shapes user profile

# Set Transcriber text entry options

1. From a program, tap on the Transcriber toolbar.
2. On the Inking tab, set any of the following options:
   - Adjust the Recognition Delay slider. When in the center position, Transcriber waits for about a second for you to complete a word before displaying the result. If the handwritten characters or words disappear too quickly, move the slider to the right to lengthen the delay.
   - Select the Add space after check box to add a space after each word that Transcriber recognizes.
   - Under Pen, choose the line width and color for handwriting.
   - Tap Match Letter Shapes to your writing to open the Letter Shapes feature where you can train Transcriber to recognize your handwriting.

#### See also

Set Transcriber startup options

Match letter shapes to handwriting

Show or hide the Transcriber toolbar

# Edit text using Transcriber

1. From a program, draw a line across the text you want to edit.

   After you lift the stylus from the screen, the line will disappear and the selected text will be highlighted.

2. Do either of the following:
   - Use gestures to capitalize letters, insert a space, and so on. For information about using gestures, see Using gestures in Transcriber.
   - Use handwriting recognition alternates to quickly correct text and add words to the Transcriber dictionary.

#### See also

Set Transcriber text entry options

Write with Transcriber

# Set Transcriber startup options

1. From a program, tap on the Transcriber toolbar.
2. On the Quick Settings tab, set any of the following options:
   - In Recognition, tap the language Transcriber recognizes.
   - In Writing Direction, tap the picture that most closely represents the angle at which you write on your device. For example, if your writing slants to the left, tap the second option.
   - Select the Intro screen check box to display the short introductory screen when Transcriber first opens.
   - Select the Sound check box to turn on Transcriber sounds.

#### See also

Set Transcriber text entry options

Show or hide the Transcriber toolbar

# Show or hide the Transcriber toolbar

The Transcriber toolbar, which appears at the bottom of the screen when Transcriber is open, provides easy access to several tools, Enter, Space, and Backspace buttons, and Left and Right arrow buttons.

- From a program, tap the Transcriber icon at the bottom of the screen.

Tap | To
| Open the Options dialog box, where you can set options such as writing direction, text entry, and shorthand.
| Open Letter Shapes, where you can set your personal writing styles to maximize recognition.
| Use the miniature keyboard to quickly enter numbers, punctuation, and other symbols.

Change the character recognition mode.

- a mode. This is the default for optimum handwriting recognition.
- 123 mode. Numbers and some letters are allowed and the calculator is activated.
- A mode. All letters are automatically capitalized.

If you are in A or 123 mode, recognition returns automatically to the default mode once you lift the stylus.

| Insert a space at the cursor.
| Insert a paragraph return at the cursor.
| Move the cursor one space to the left.
| Move the cursor one space to the right.
| Move the cursor one space back and erase any text.
| Open the Transcriber Help.

#### See also

Write with Transcriber

Use the Transcriber calculator