05. Digital pen

To draw a digital diagram or to explore an audio-tactile diagram it is strictly necessary to have the physical position matching that same position in the related file in the TactileView software. The process of matching the physical and digital positions is called ‘calibration’. Guided by spoken messages, this calibration process can be executed from the menu ‘Settings > TactileView digital pen’.
Every design is made either in landscape or portrait orientation. Upon opening a new file or switching between design mode and explore mode, the orientation is announced, so that the user can choose the easiest position for the receiver. Depending on page orientation and drawing preferences, the receiver can be placed on one of the three positions on the TactiPad or the TactileView ClickPad. This way, left-handed use of the pen has been taken into account.
The base position for the receiver can be chosen in the menu ‘Settings > TactileView digital pen’.

To inform the user about the pen’s status or to indicate the effect of the pen contact, a number of different sounds are used. These sounds can be heard in the dialog box found in the option ‘Settings > TactileView digital pen’ in the software.

The software always responds to pen contact when the receiver is connected and the pen functions correctly. Upon starting the software the pen does not have a drawing function yet, to prevent unintentional drawing. The pen stays stand-by until a drawing function is assigned to the pen. The pen’s function can be set at any time, using the context menus.
The basic moves of the pen are those where the pen is pressed down for a long or short time on the same position on the drawing surface. Pressing down and releasing without moving results in a short or long pen click. When the pen is pressed down and the tip is meanwhile moved on the drawing surface, there is pen contact and simultaneous movement (drawing).
The context menu containing the current options for the pen (which options are available depends on the user’s previous actions) is opened using a long pen click, or when the pen does not move whilst pressing down for approximately one second. Short pen clicks are used to select an option in an opened menu. The option to put the pen back to stand-by can be found in nearly every context menu.

The context menus of the TactileView software can be opened by clicking with the pen on any position on the drawing surface during approximately one second. An ascending piano sound indicates that the menu is being opened. When the pen is released or moved before the fifth note is played, opening the menu is cancelled to prevent interrupting a drawing activity.

For selecting and activating the options in the context menu the software uses the pen’s last clicked (‘current’) position. By using this point as starting position, the next click lands on a certain position related to this point. Every position related to this starting position has a specific result.

By shortly clicking with the pen on the same, ‘current’ position again, the next option in the newly opened context menu is selected. These clicks can be repeated endlessly to cycle through the context menu: after the last option is shown, the first option in the list is shown again.

By clicking about 1 centimetre above the current position, the previous option in the list is shown, and the presentation sequence is inverted. Clicking on this higher position again then shows the previous option, instead of the next. By clicking on the initial position, about 1 centimetre below this current higher position, the next option is shown again and the presentation sequence is changed back to normal.

By clicking 1 centimetre to the right of the last clicked position, the selected option in the menu is activated, just like using the ‘enter’ key. When the chosen option also includes a list of options, you can click on the current position to show all options of this submenu. Once more, clicking 1 centimetre to the right activates an option from the submenu.

By clicking left of the current position, the menu or submenu is cancelled, just like using the ‘escape’ key.