Speaking predefined text with a hotkey

Question

Speaking predefined text with a hotkey

I hope this is the correct forum for my question. This should be a relatively simple one: Does anyone know of a way to have a Mac speak some text that's been predefined somewhere (a text file or something) upon hitting a hotkey that is system-wide? (i.e., the hotkey can be activated no matter what application is active)

I've found dozens of articles online for getting Mac to speak text that's been selected by hitting <Option>-<Esc>. But that requires some sort of text be written, then selected, then the two-key command be given before it happens. Not to sound strange, but that takes too long. I'm in need of something that can happen at a moment's notice. Perhaps Automator can help in this case somehow?

Posted on Jun 26, 2014 1:27 PM

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Answer 1

BobHarris

Level 9

52,889 points

Jun 26, 2014 7:04 PM in response to Christopher McGee

I use BetterTouchTool as my hotkey app. Of course hotkeys is just a side feature to BetterTouchTools main task of enhancing your Touchpad, or Magic Mouse.

I do not know how to get native Mac OS X launch an app (such as one created by automator) or run an Applescript via a hotkey, which is why I'm suggesting a a hotkey utility.

<http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/32953/bettertouchtool>

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Answer 2

Camelot

Level 9

54,333 points

Jun 26, 2014 10:58 PM in response to Christopher McGee

There are any number of hotkey applications (QuickSilver, Alfred, more...) that can launch an application or script.

You can also write your speech as a Service (e.g. via Automator) and use the Keyboard -> Shortcuts preferences to assign a key to it.

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Answer 3

Jun 27, 2014 7:11 AM in response to Camelot

Thanks for the reply, Camelot. I would prefer to avoid 3rd-party applications if possible (especially if they are not free) to get this done. Your second suggestion gets me most of the way there; the last hurdle seems to be Adobe. Unfortunately, even setting up an Automator as a Service and assigning a shortcut to it in Preferences doesn't stop Adobe from "taking over" those shortcuts when one of their applications is in the foreground. Any way around this?

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Answer 4

BobHarris

Level 9

52,889 points

Jun 27, 2014 8:18 AM in response to Christopher McGee

There are free hotkey utilities (BetterTouchTool is one, and I use it mainly for the improved touchpad support - lots of custom jesters; but there are others that are free, such as Spark). Although if you try and like BetterTouchTool, I'm sure the author would not object to a donation 🙂

However, if Adobe is very insistent about its Hotkeys, I'm not sure what you can do, besides choose a hotkey sequence that Adobe does not care about, unless you are trying to get users to Stop using some standard Adobe hotkey, and the voice message is to let them know they shouldn't use it.

You can experiment with some of the free hotkey utilities to see if they work, and then decide if you want to keep using them.

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Answer 5

Jun 27, 2014 10:40 AM in response to BobHarris

Thanks, @BobHarris. I'll look into using BetterTouchTool, since it is free (well, donation-ware, anyway,) and also solves other things I would like to do with this Mac. My need for this shortcut has already passed, actually, but I will still gain some useful knowledge from pursuing it further.

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