Structural report writing by oral dictation to computer 1

[ajk1]

I am about to start writing a structural engineering report on the condition of an existing building, and I am wondering if there is a way of dictating to the computer, similar to the way I can compose a text message on an iphone. This would speed the report preparation process from the traditional typing. Is that doable on Microsoft Office, and if so then how?; if not, then is there any not-too-expensive software that would allow me to do this? This woud also be usful in composing emails.

 

[IRstuff]

Yes, doable; Dragon is one option, Or dictate on your phone and transfer it.

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[dauwerda]

google docs voice typing seem to be one of the more popular ones:

https://support.google.com/docs/answer/4492226?hl=en

 

[IRstuff]

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/voice-to-text

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[ajk1]

Wow! I had not expected such speedy responses. I will give your suggestions a try and get back to you if I have difficulty. Thanks very much.

 

[PropertyGuy67]

I write assessment reports for a living. I used to go by handwritten notes and then typed everything out in a Word template. Then I bought a 6th gen Ipad and loaded it with Notability and FastField Forms. Total game changer. My report is 95% complete before I start the truck to leave the site.

 

[ajk1]

PropertyGuy67 - Thanks for that very useful info. Very much appreciated. I will look into.

 

[JAE]

I've got 10 assistants that I hired to do this for me. Two of them are thumbs.

But the references above are intriguing.

 

[ajk1]

LOL. Very good. But my nearly 80 year old digits might soon wear out.

 

[EngineeringEric]

We use dragon, but we also use a system where we send dictation out and then in a few days we get back a written report. it is usually verbatim. but i had an industry colleague who had two PT employees/w-9 who he'd send all his reports to and bill him per minute and they got good enough they could fill in blanks and form his long dictation into a decent report (or so he stated).

 

[XR250]

I own a Mac and it has dictation built in. I use it alot for reports and emails. Takes awhile to get the hang of it.

 

[phamENG]

I haven't used it for dictating emails or reports myself, but if you are using a PC with Windows 10 you have dictation capabilities built in.

[URL unfurl="true"]https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4042244/windows-10-use-dictation[/url]

 

[Ron]

There are numerous transcription services out there that will take your dictation (you upload the file to their website) and they will transcribe in essentially any format you want, most commonly microsoft Word. You can then do some minor final editing and you have a report. The one I've used in the past is iDictate. They charge by the word but it is very reasonable.

I have also tried Dragon; however, maybe it's my southern accent, lack of proper diction or some other reason, but I found it to be not so accurate for me. Others have done well with it.

I have an app on my phone that I can dictate into or I have a Phillips Voice Recorder that works great.

 

[IDS]

I have never used it, but at the end of the Microsoft Word "Home" tab there is an icon named "dictate", which says it is powered by "Microsoft Speech Services".

It also says it will tell you more, if you ask it.

Doug Jenkins
Interactive Design Services

http://newtonexcelbach.wordpress.com/

 

[ajk1]

ok, thanks IDS and phamENG for that. I will check it out. Thanks Ron for your comment on your exoerience with Dragon. Thanks to the others for your helpful comments as well.