Using voice activation commands for Illustrator

Question

I was searching this forum to see if you can scroll (zoom) with the mouse wheel. I found a couple of short cuts that accomplishes the task (but not as easy as PS CS3 does).
In PS CS3, I created a whole bunch of Dragon Naturally Speaking commands which, in effect, allowed me to speak the various PS commands (as opposed to clicking, dragging etc) with eh mouse and Wacom Pen.
WITHOUT A DOUBT, this is the way to fly in PS. Speaking commands and having the program perform the function allows you to concentrate on the creation as opposed to what tool and when etc.
Just being able (using the scrolling wheel example), to say "zoom" or "zoom out" instead of looking for the zoom icon clicking it and then clicking the work area helps tremendously.
So, while looking for a way to Scroll in Illustrator, I got to thinking I will do the same thing for this application.
Therefore, I was wondering if anyone had done the same thing here in Illustrator.
I also posted this in the Windows forum.
Anyway, just wondering.
Bob

Answer 1

Hi Jean,
first, I had to let you know, and I am by no means connected in any form shape or manner with Dragon Naturally Speaking software.
Second, I am actually dictating this message to you utilizing this voice activation software. I have been utilizing the Dragon for many years and this particular version happens to be one of the best that they have ever marketed.
To give you an idea of the different commands that I utilized when creating very simple voice commands in the Dragon, here are some of the commands I created:
Adjust color, adjust contrast, adjust curves, adjust hue saturation, adjust levels, auto color, (for the brushes if I wanted to increase them, bigger 1 bigger 2, bigger 5, bigger 7 (as you can see, it would increase the size of the brush dependent upon the number that followed the word bigger)), clone, copy, copy layer, crop, curves, cut, delete layer, deselect, duplicate layer, feather, erasure, eyedropper, etc., etc., etc)
Once again, I am dictating this message and not typing it.
Hopefully you can see we have a mouse in your hand, or a pen tablet and you are looking at the screen and reciting commands, and not having to look at the keyboard or the mouse or the walkom pen or what ever, and when you speak a command the application does exactly what you want, this allows you to concentrate on what you are trying to create as opposed to how to create it!
This is the major differentiator between working manually (and trust me the pros on this forum can work very very fast manually), and working allowing your creativity to come to the front as opposed to your technical specific knowledge of the application and how to maneuver it.
Anyway, I come out of many many years of information technology and this is probably one of the best combinations of applications that increases the efficiency of the individual working with said applications.
I probably should go back and correct any recognition errors that the Dragon might have made (which were probably made because of my poor pronunciation were slurring of words), but I would rather not.
It would be better for you to see (and I guess the other members of the form to see) the voice activation software can do for you.
In closing, and once again I have to stress I am in no way affiliated with the Dragon, combining these two applications increases your productivity tenfold.
Good luck, and I hope you shoulder feels better.
Bob
ps., ok so i lied, I corrected 5 small errors the Dragon made.... but you would have understood what I was trying to say anyway....