How to use Dragon NaturallySpeaking to control the mouse buttons
This article is meant for users of Dragon NaturallySpeaking (Pro Individual 15 or more advanced). If you have repetitive strain injury (RSI), the method introduced here can make your life less painful.
Now let me show you how to use Dragon to utilize your mouse to the maximum. That being said, I still encourage you to use your hand to move the mouse, as long as that doesn't give you too much pain. Forget “MouseGrid” unless you are unable to use your hand at all. You don’t even need Dragon to use MouseGrid. Windows has it already.
Years ago I was looking for customized Dragon commands that allowed me to do such things as left-click, right-click, double-click, drag&release. I was able to dig out some commands in the forum of KnowBrainer.com, but they didn’t solve the elephant in the room, namely drag&release. Later, when I was looking for a download link for Dragon (I had purchased the digital version from Nuance directly), their admin recommended purchasing a permanent download link for $20.
I did. Along with it, I got a free toolbox called "KnowBrainer public toolbox". It’s basically a PDF file with a bunch of links. Among those resources, I noticed something called "command collections". Because I don’t use KnowBrainer software, I only downloaded "Dragon sample commands" and "ergonomic command set". The next step, I imported two .dat files into my Dragon ( just say "open command browser" then click "import", choose .dat files).
WOW! It turned out they have prepared a bunch of useful commands. Although you can change the command names to fit your personal needs, it didn’t seem necessary for me.
Typical examples are as follows:
Click—left click
Context — right click
Double — double click on the left button ( I have a standalone double-click button on my Unimouse, so it's technically not double left click anymore)
Grab — left click and hold... (then you maneuver your mouse by hand)
Release — release the left button
Grab right — right click and hold...(then you maneuver your mouse by hand)
Release right — release the right button
…
Please try these if you haven’t figured out how to control the mouse with Dragon. Dragon was built for dictation only. The rest relies on third-party applications or community wisdom. For those of you who have forearm tendon or muscle issues, there is no need for me to explain why you should avoid using your fingers to double-click and drag.
I myself got RSI because of repetitive dragging when editing an excessive amount of videos with some cheap software. My former employer Mr. Hummus, a modern-age Mr. Scrooge, secretly replaced Adobe Premiere with some so-called Amazon bestseller, just to save money. After I got injured, he tried the crappy software himself, and then bought Adobe Premiere again. I, his only employee back then, was his lab rat to sacrifice.
Anyway, you should practice until you get used to them. For example, if you want to select some text, say "grab", move your mouse to the destination, then say "release". It may sound slow, but it’s better than a relapse of your symptoms. If you want to create a shortcut for a file, say "grab right", move your mouse to the destination, then say "release right". This method works in most scenarios, to my satisfaction.
Demonstration
This collection also provides some other useful commands, but they are out of the realm of this article. Please try them yourself.
Let's thank KnowBrainer.com for their generosity. I hope the information can solve the frustration of many RSI patients. Now that you have these commands, you don't need to install Talon or something technical just for the mouse functions. In fact, you shouldn't need coding software like Talon unless you do coding.
This article is written with the assistance of Dragon, but I also type on the keyboard and click the buttons of my mice occasionally because Dragon isn't omnipotent. And of course, I still have pain sometimes, but it’s under control.
The download page for this free toolbox is here:
I do hope you check out their website, and if interested, explore their forum. There are many experienced Dragon users there who can help with technical questions. Remember that if you purchase their products and run into technical questions, you can directly ask their customer support.
If you need individual assistance for installing these files, please contact me.