AutoScript Desktop Manual (1.1.285)

AutoScript Desktop Manual (1.1.285)


A VoiceScript.ai Product for the Legal Market
Last updated 06/15/2023

Introduction

AutoScript is the industry’s premier Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) solution designed exclusively for the legal industry. Developed by VoiceScript, a legal technology company, AutoScript delivers unsurpassed text output from audio recordings of legal proceedings.

AutoScript Desktop is a transcript production and ASR editing tool that is purpose-built for the legal transcription industry to streamline the process of turning ASR output into a delivery-ready transcript, reducing transcription time by up to 75% in some cases.

AutoScript Desktop has the look and feel of your favorite word-processing program, allowing you to work directly with the templates you are accustomed to using for typing transcripts. However, it also includes specific editing tools that allow you to quickly change from Q&A to colloquy, add section headings, create bylines, and insert all of the other elements needed in a legal transcript, all with a simple keystroke. AutoScript Desktop also includes an integrated player that syncs the audio to the text in your transcript, making the editing process all-inclusive in one application.

AutoScript Desk has a special feature just for our users working out of CAT software.  A simple "Export to CAT" function packages text and synchronized audio in a format that's easily imported into your favorite CAT software without sacrificing any of your editing features.

The AutoScript Desktop tools are suitable for editing the ASR text alone or the ASR after it's been inserted into your template to create the complete transcript.

Getting Started

To get started, go to www.AutoScript.ai and log into your free account. This account provides access to download and install the AutoScript Desktop (ASD) application.  It's also where you will upload audio files for Speech-to-Text (STT) translation.
Transcription jobs are initiated from the AutoScript website (ASW). Clicking the "New Job" button in AutoScript Desktop (ASD) will remind you of this.
Any jobs that you process through your account will be available to you on ASW for one year from creation unless you manually delete them. You can access these jobs at any time by logging in to your account.

Installation

Installing AutoScript Desktop (ASD)

  1. Go to www.AutoScript.ai. Create an AutoScript account if you have not done so already, and log in to your account.

  2. Click the Download AutoScript button on the left side of the dashboard. This will download the file Setup.exe.

  3. On your computer, double-click on the Setup.exe file to run the installer.

  4. You will need to give the application permission to install.
    1. If your security warning looks like the following, click [Install].
       
    2. If your security warning looks like the following, click "More info".

    3. Next, click [Run anyway].

    4. If your security warning looks like the following, you'll want to use the directions here: https://support.voicescript.ai/portal/en/kb/articles/the-app-you-re-trying
  5. ASD will automatically launch after a successful installation and will prompt you to enter your account credentials.

Running AutoScript Desktop

The AutoScript Desktop installer creates an AutoScript Desktop icon on the desktop and an entry in the Start Menu.
      

 Any of these may be used to open AutoScript Desktop.

Transcribing Audio Files

Create New Job in AutoScript Web (ASW)

The process of using the AutoScript suite of tools begins on the website. This is where you will create a new job by uploading your audio and providing a few details. Log into ASW, and on the dashboard, click [+Create New Job]. 


This will open the "Create Job" form.

  1. Provide a unique title for your job:  Give the job a unique name in the Title box. It can be a case number with the date of recording, case name, attorney name, or interviewer name. This will be the name of the job in all future dialogs. Just make sure the name is descriptive enough to tell it apart from similar jobs.
  2. Audio files:  Drag and drop your audio files to the labeled section. Alternatively, click the "here" link to open a file browser and choose your audio files.
  3. !!! Dictionary - this function is currently disabled and normally hidden. If you do see it, please do not use it.
  4. Notes:  This is where you can add notes or other information that's too long for the title. A later section of this guide will show where you can view the job notes and how they look after the job is created.
  5. Deadline:  This is optional. It is used by some clients who use the tools built into the ASW workspaces and dashboards to manage their operations.
Once you've completed the form, click [Calculate Price]. Note -  This button is disabled until all the audio files have been uploaded and are ready for transcription. This process may take a few minutes if the audio file is long.
Once started, the job status in your dashboard changes to "Processing", and a confirmation email indicating "Transcription in Progress" is sent to you.
Once completed, the job status changes to "Ready for Editing", and an email indicating "Your Transcript is Ready" is sent, informing you of the next step.

Download ASR Output

After the ASR has completed processing the audio, a rough draft will be available for use in your ASW dashboard. There are a few ways to download and use the ASR text which we'll explain here. NOTE - the buttons mentioned in this section are on the right side of your dashboard. If your screen is small, you may need to scroll the web page to that side to see them.

Open in AutoScript Desktop (ASD)

If you plan to edit your file in ASD, or even if you plan to export the job to CAT format, you'll use this method. There are two ways to do this.
  1. You can click the "Open in AutoScript Desktop" button, which looks like this: 
    Note - You may see a security warning the first time requesting permission to allow your web browser to open ASD. Check the box and click OK.
    You will see a screen that informs you the job is opening in ASD. This screen also contains a button to open the job again.
    Note - Some users don't realize the button is only needed to re-open the job. If you clicked the button before ASD launched, two copies of the program will open. Please close one before proceeding.
  2. Click the vertical ellipsis  to display the share button, which looks like this: 
    A link will be copied to your clipboard. Paste the link in the address bar of a web browser and press [Enter]. The job will open in ASD. This is useful if you share a workspace with someone else and want to make it easier for them to launch the job.
Follow the prompts within ASD after it opens to create, save, and start editing your job. These steps are explained in more detail in the "Processing a Job in AutoScript Desktop" section of this manual.

Download the ASR Text

You have the option to download the ASR text in MS Word (docx), Rich Text (rtf), or Plain Text (txt) format.
  1. Click the vertical ellipsis  to display the download button, which looks like this: 
  2. The three download options are presented. Click the one you prefer.
    NOTE - the end of the file name may go off the screen. The choices are in the order docx, rtf, and txt.
The Remove button  will delete the job permanently. Use this sparingly as this action cannot be undone.

Overview of AutoScript Desktop (ASD)

Technically, you are now ready to start the job of editing your transcript. But first, we need to go over the features and workflow in ASD.

ASD was designed to be flexible and conform to the user's needs. Various settings, including Layouts and Hotkeys, can be adjusted to tailor the user experience for each person, client, and job. The audio player also includes customization options to make the editing process easier. After a brief introduction to the basics of ASD, we'll explain the job creation process and the editing workflow.

Audio Player


  1. Rewind and advance intervals can be changed by adjusting the Skip Amount.
  2. Standard buttons may be used to control playback. Additionally, a foot pedal or Hotkeys may be used to control the audio player.
    Rewind [Alt]+[Left Arrow] * Play/Pause [Alt]+[P] * Advance [Alt]+[Right Arrow]
  3. Playback speed can be adjusted using this control or the Hotkeys (Accelerate - [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Up Arrow] * Decelerate [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Down Arrow]).
  4. Volume can be adjusted with this slider, with your computer’s audio controls, or Hotkeys (Increase [Alt]+[Up Arrow] * Decrease [Alt]+[Down Arrow]).
  5. Audio mute/unmute button.
  6. Audio playback position indicator. You can click and drag this control to adjust the current play position.
    Tip: You can also adjust the current play position by double-clicking on a word in the document or inserting your cursor in the document. The playback will automatically begin at that location when you play.
  7. The foot pedal indicator lights up green when a pedal is connected to the computer and red if the pedal is disconnected.

Playback Options

There are several options for playback settings which are accessed by clicking [Options] in the Home tab. You can toggle each option on or off.

  1. Synchronize audio with cursor position when audio is not playing. If you edit and restart the audio, the audio will begin playing from the position of your cursor in the document.
  2. Pause audio on text change. If you modify or edit anything in the document while the audio is playing, the audio will pause. Note - if you are using a pedal to play, the player will attempt to pause but will resume because you are holding down the pedal. The result is a stuttering effect. Just take your foot off the pedal to pause.
  3. On pause move cursor to audio position. This will automatically move the cursor to where the audio was paused for quick editing.
  4. Enable page scrolling. This makes the document scroll along with the audio playback. It is most useful if the next setting is also enabled.
  5. Enable highlighting. Sometimes referred to as follow-play, this feature highlights the words in the document as the audio plays. This is a great feature to have on, but if it is not properly syncing or is causing performance issues on your computer, then turn it off.

Hotkeys

Repetitive tasks are easier with Hotkeys. All of the Hotkeys for AutoScript Desktop are user definable. You can choose which keys to assign for commonly used tools, such as Player Operations, Editing Features, and System Functions. To access the Hotkeys click the [Hotkeys] button on the Home tab.

Double-click on the Hotkey you wish to change. This opens the editing window.

From there you can change the Hotkey combination. You can add a second Hotkey as well if you find you need it. You can also delete the combination if you don't need it and it's getting in your way. Once you have made the modifications you desire, just close the Edit dialog. If you're done viewing and modifying your Hotkeys, you can just close the Hotkeys window.
NOTE - if you use a combination that is already assigned to another function within ASD, the old combination will be updated to an unused combination. If you find that a Hotkey isn't working as you expected, check the settings for that Hotkey. You may have accidentally overwritten it when you set a new combination.
The [Print] button is used to create a list of Hotkeys in PDF format. Click [Print], select which Hotkeys you want to see, then click [Print]. A PDF containing the Hotkeys you selected will open in your default PDF viewer software. You can use this file on-screen or in printed format as a "cheat sheet" while you're learning to use ASD.

Opening and Closing Files

There are different file operations buttons on both the Job and File tabs.

  1. New Job:  This reminds you that you must go to www.AutoScript.ai to begin the job creation process.
  2. Open Job:  This opens a previously started ASD job so that you can continue editing.
  3. Import Job: This opens an ASD job zip file created using the [Export Job] button.
  4. Export Job: This is used if you need to send the edited text, layout, and synced audio to another user. It exports the job into a zipped job file they can use to continue editing the transcript.

  1. Open: You can open a variety of file types in ASD, including DOC and DOCX files.
  2. Save: Each document automatically saves when it is created and periodically while it is open, but you can click this button to save the document at any time.
  3. Save As: You can save your transcript document in several file formats, including DOC, DOCX, and PDF. 

Layouts

Layouts contain the format settings and pre-defined text elements that match the requirements of the transcript recipient. You can create as many different Layouts as you need.

A layout is a combination of settings defined within ASD and settings contained in your own MS Word template file. If you don't have a template already, you can download some sample templates here: ASD Templates If you need help creating templates that match your needs submit a help ticket with your contact information and a brief description of what you need. We'll be glad to schedule some time to train and assist you.

There are two places in ASD where you will edit your layouts. They serve very different purposes and it's important to understand that difference before you begin working on a transcript. Editing a layout from the Layouts Library will only make changes to the master copy of that layout. Some software may refer to this as global templates. This is where you establish the baseline for jobs created using that layout. Once a job has been created in ASD, it makes its own copy of the layout. Any changes you want to make to the layout for a job that's already started must be done by editing the Current Job Layout. Changes made to the Current Job Layout will NOT apply back to the master copy in the Layouts Library. This is why it's important to ensure your master copy in the Layouts Library has all the settings you need for jobs that utilize that layout. Otherwise, you will have to do a lot of layout modification every time you create a job using that layout.
REMEMBER - Layouts Library - master copy; changes don't apply to existing jobs  *  Current Job Layout - a copy of the master; changes ONLY apply to that job.
With that said, let's dive into creating, editing, and using layouts.

Layouts Library

The Layouts Library is where you establish the baseline styles, formatting, and pre-defined text elements for a jurisdiction, client, etc. 
BEFORE you create a layout, you will need a document template file in DOCX format. At a bare minimum, this file must contain a Normal style with basic settings for all text in the final transcript.
Open the Layouts Library by clicking the [Layouts Library] button on the Job tab.

The library displays. Let's look at each of its parts.

  1. Layouts: This is a list of the layouts you have created. If you want to edit a layout, the first step is to select a layout in this list.
  2. Add [+]: This button creates a new layout with default styles and text elements.
  3. Layout name: This is where you can change the name of the layout, whether it was just created or it was pre-existing.
  4. Document Template: This displays the name of the document template you currently have matched to the selected layout. You can click the folder button to browse and select a new template. NOTE - after you select a document template here, ASD makes a copy of that file. Changes you make to the original document template DOCX file will not affect the layout unless you browse and reselect the document template file.
  5. Edit Document Template: Click this button to edit ASD's copy of your document template file. Changes made here DO apply to the layout.
  6. Duplicate: This creates a copy of the selected layout.
  7. Edit: Opens the selected layout for editing. NOTE - this does NOT open the document template. You'll see the difference when we explore layout editing.
  8. Remove: Deletes the selected layout. NOTE - this cannot be undone. Use with caution.
  9. Close: This closes the Layouts Library dialog. You can also close using the normal [x] button.

Editing a Layout

When you select a layout from the list and click the [Edit] button, you will see the following dialog.

This is where the text elements of your layout are defined, as well as their associated style. From here you can add entries, edit the text, change the style by selecting from the drop-down list, or even edit the style manually.
  1. Speakers:  this is the list of speakers that will be presented to you in the editor when you replace or insert a speaker. Remember that if you're editing this list from the Layouts Library, you are editing the master copy. So it's not a good idea to add case-specific names here. We can do that after we start a job by editing the Current Job Layout.
  2. Quick Text:  this is for large pieces of boilerplate text that get used quite often. There are two examples added by default to give you an idea of how they're used.
  3. Quick Parentheticals: this is for all of the parentheticals that you might want to use with this layout.
  4. Quick Heading: this is where you'll set your preferences for the headings.
  5. Q&A: this is mostly used to set the number of spaces after the Q and A, but you can also edit and add to match your unique requirements for Q&A sections.
  6. Byline: this is where you'll set your preference for spacing and format of the "by" in your bylines.
  7. Colloquy: for now all you can do with this section is select the style that will apply to colloquy. Future updates will allow a preview of how that style looks.
 There are several buttons available for each section and entry.
  1.  Add:   Click this button to add an entry to the section. The Title is what will display in the selection list when you use that function.
  2.   Display Hidden Punctuation:   Click this button to show the normally hidden punctuation marks in the text. This is useful for leading and trailing spaces.
  3.   Format: Click this button to open the text in an editor where you can apply style tweaks that need to be a little different than the style you selected for that element.
  4.    Delete: Click this button to remove the entry from the list. NOTE - this cannot be undone. Delete with caution.
Once you have edited the text elements and selected the style you would like assigned to them, you can just close the dialog.

Processing a Job in AutoScript Desktop (ASD)

If you haven't already, follow the instructions in the section "Create New Job in AutoScript Web" above in this manual.

Opening a Job from ASW

After you open a job from the ASW dashboard, the ASD client will open and present you with this dialog.

By default, the job will have the same name you gave it during creation in ASW. If you want to change it at this stage you can. Perhaps you'll add the date you started the job or a version number. It's up to you. Once you're happy with the name click [OK]. Now the Layouts Library will display. Select the layout you want to use with the job and a new button appears, Apply Layout to this Job.

Once you are sure you've selected the right layout for the job, click the [Apply Layout to this Job] button. ASD will remind you of the next step you need to take.

Place your cursor in the document where you need it and click the [Insert ASR text] button on the Job tab.

The ASR text is inserted. Now all you have to do is go to the File tab and click the [Save] button. Your job is created!
Now you can begin editing the document, or close the program and start later. It's up to you.

Editing - Adding Speakers to the List

As you'll remember from creating a layout, the Speakers list contains the participants that need to be defined in the transcript for colloquy and bylines. Before editing each transcript, add the job-specific participants to the Speakers List. You can add them as you go, but it's a little faster if you can get it done up front. Click the [Current Job Layout] button on the Home tab.

You will see the same dialog as when you created the layout initially. But this time you're editing the copy of the layout that is part of the job. Changes here only affect the current job. Add and edit your speaker list as needed.
In ASD you will either replace a speaker or insert a speaker using the built-in functions which we'll cover later. Whichever way you do it, you'll see a list like the following.

Let's say you're hard at work editing the file when suddenly you realize your speaker list is missing someone. You can just click the  button to edit the Speaker list right then and there. You can always edit the list using the [Current Job Layout] button as well.
NOTE - This applies to all of the functions that display a quick list of choices. Just click the  button to edit or add to the list.

Editing - Identifying and Replacing Colloquy Speakers

Begin listening to the synced audio and reading along in the transcript. As you come upon an ASR-identified speaker designation, such as "Speaker A:", you will be able to identify who the speaker is. You will then begin replacing the ASR-identified speaker with the correct name from the Speakers List. It's a few simple steps.
  • Once Speaker A has been identified, use your mouse to highlight "Speaker A: " (including the spaces after the tag) or place your cursor behind the two spaces after the colon and hold down Shift+Home on the keyboard. NOTE: If you set up your speakers in the Speakers List to have the colon and two spaces, then you will need to also highlight the colon and the two spaces.
  • Right-click on the selection and click Colloquy. You can also use the hotkey for Colloquy (the default is [Ctrl]+[4]).
  • The speaker list will display. 

    Select the correct speaker from the list by either typing the corresponding number on the keyboard, using the down arrow on the keyboard and then pressing [Enter], or double-clicking the name. This occurrence of "Speaker A:" and all future occurrences will be replaced with the selected name in colloquy format.
  • Repeat this process for all speakers as they are identified or for any change to a speaker using the colloquy format.

Editing - Inserting Speakers

There will be times when you need to insert a colloquy speaker where there wasn't already a speaker tag. In this situation, you will need to use the insert option rather than the replace option. 
  1. Press the enter key to start a new blank line. Right-click and click Insert Speaker or use the keyboard shortcut for inserting a speaker.

  2. The speaker list displays again. Select the appropriate speaker from the list by either typing the corresponding number on the keyboard, using the down arrow on the keyboard and then pressing [Enter], or double-clicking the name. The selected speaker is inserted in the colloquy format.

Editing - Insert Headings, Quick Text, and Quick Parentheticals

Headings, Quick Text, and Quick Parentheticals are all different sets of categorized text that transcribers use and insert into transcripts. These are used in addition to what was said during a proceeding. These text elements are defined in the job's layout. Refer back to the "Editing a Layout" section as needed.
  • To insert any of the Quick Text options, create a new blank line in the transcript using the [Enter] key.
  • Right-click on the blank line and click the quick entry type you need.

  • You can also use the hotkeys for each type of item. The defaults are: Quick Heading - [Ctrl]+[3], Quick Text - [Ctrl]+[6], and Quick Parenthetical - [Ctrl]+[7].
  • The quick text lists are just like the speakers list you've seen already. You can make your choice by either typing the corresponding number on the keyboard, using the down arrow on the keyboard and then pressing [Enter], or double-clicking the entry you need.

  • The quick text you selected should now be inserted with the style you assigned to that type in the job's layout.

Editing - Insert Bylines

Inserting a byline is a little different than inserting quick text since the byline needs to have a name associated with it. For this reason, inserting a byline has its own function.
  1. Create a new blank line in the transcript where needed using the [Enter] key.
  2. Right-click on the blank line and click "Byline". You can also use the hotkey for byline; the default is [Ctrl]+[8].

  3. Our old friend the speaker list displays.
  4. Select the speaker you want by either typing the corresponding number on the keyboard, using the down arrow on the keyboard and then pressing [Enter], or double-clicking the speaker you need.

Editing - Replacing Speaker Tags with Q&A

Most transcript editing will require you to replace colloquy with Q&A and then back to colloquy many times. Quick tools have been designed to accomplish this, including a quick tool to change from colloquy to Q&A.
  1. Highlight the full speaker tag using your preferred keyboard or mouse method.
  2. Right-click and click Q&A. You can also use the hotkey; the default is [Ctrl]+[5].

  3. The Q&A list displays. Select the choice you want by either typing the corresponding number on the keyboard, using the down arrow on the keyboard and then pressing [Enter], or double-clicking the choice you need.
When Q&A is interrupted by colloquy, simply change the questioning attorney’s Q back to colloquy using the methods shown previously.

Finishing the Transcript

When editing is complete, the transcript can be saved, exported, or printed. Saves and exports were covered previously. Let's talk about the printing options.

The print dialog in ASD is very much like what you might be used to in other office programs. From here you can choose what options you want to use whether printing to actual paper or a file. You can even print a PRN file from here provided you have the proper printer driver installed.

Summary

We have covered the basics of utilizing the AutoScript Web site as well as the AutoScript Desktop software to generate and edit a transcript from your audio files. If you have any trouble you can always get help using the "Request Help" link above. In the meantime, feel free to explore the program and provide feedback on the software here on our support website.

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