Using Kurzweil 3000

Using the Reading Controls

At the top-centre of the Reader interface you will notice the reading controls and the speech to text feature. Both are explained below.

The reading controls by order of appearance:

• Move back one reading unit (rewind symbol): select Go back one reading unit or use the keyboard shortcut V to go back.
  • Remember: reading units are set in the Audio options.
• Play (play symbol): to begin reading press Play use the keyboard shortcut P. Will start reading from wherever the cursor is in your document.
• Move forward one reading unit (fast forward symbol): select Go forward one reading unit or use the keyboard shortcut N to move forward.
• Audible Reading (speaker icon): select Audible Reading to mute the read out loud feature for silent reading.
  • Silent reading keeps the visual highlighting of text but there is just no voice reading the text.
• Speech to text (text bubble icon): select Speech to Text to dictate text when writing documents or when leaving voice notes.

Using the Reference Menu

The Reference Menu is available from the book icon and contains dictionaries, synonym lookup and translation.

Either highlight a passage or place the cursor before a word you want to reference and select the appropriate reference source, such as:

• Dictionary: provides definitions for words as well as the ability to change the dictionary used.
• Picture Dictionary: will provide a picture of a word provided one is available in the dictionary.
• Synonyms: provides access to a thesaurus.
• Translation: will translate words or phrases into several languages, allows for the translation to be read, and you can also set the voice for the translation.

To access the Reader from the Universal Library you navigate to the file you want to open or upload a new file. Before you get started reading, you may want to adjust some of the settings to match your preference. Below you will find a quick overview of the audio and view options available in the Reader.

Using the Audio Options to change the reading settings

You will want to familiarize yourself with the Audio Options as this is where you will be able to adjust key reading settings.

Key features found in the Audio Options:

• Voice: use the dropdown menu to find a voice which you can clearly understand.
• Reading Speed: allows you to speed up and slow down the reading to fit your needs.
  • Multi-Language Voice Preferences: provides access to a sub-menu where you can set the voice and reading speed for a variety of languages.
  • Further options: you can select whether you want to Skip Reading Header and Footer content and allows you to Read Voice Notes in place.
• Speak as Typing: when authoring content in Kurzweil you can have All Characters, Whole Words, or Whole Sentences read out loud.
• Unit: this adjusts what is highlighted while Kurzweil is reading. Options are Word, Line, Sentence, and Paragraph.
• Mode: allows readback to be Continuous, Self-Paced, and Word-by-Word. You can also choose to have Kurzweil Stop Reading at End of Page.

Adjusting the document View options

The View options are available from the top menu by selecting the View icon. These options allow you to further customize how the document appears on screen, allows you to set the download format, and lock or print your document.

Key features found in the View options:

• Thumbnail View: displays each page in your document as a thumbnail making navigating larger documents easier.
• Document Zoom: adjusts your screen to a specific zoom level or select Fit width.
  • Note: you can also zoom in and out without accessing this menu. Use the keyboard shortcut + (plus) to zoom in and - (minus) to zoom out.
• Color Options: allows you to set the background colour of the document as well as the colours Kurzweil will use to highlight text.
• Display Tools: select the checkbox to show the following options in your document: Show Bookmarks and Links, Show Bubble Notes, and/or Show Voice Notes.
• Download File: to set the download format. Options include KES (Kurzweil file), Microsoft Word, Plain Text, Rich Text, PDF, and PDF (Text Only).