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10.02 Settings – Speech

In most cases, screen reader users will have a speech output for general computer access. For specific applications, screen readers have functionality to monitor certain areas on the screen in order to provide speech output.

The TactileView software can also provide information that is helpful for a screen reader user from the status line of the software or info related to all the many tools and objects.

When the TactileView software is extended with the TactileView digital pen and either the TactileView ClickPad or the TactiPad drawing board, additional options for exploring audio-tactile diagrams or creating digital drawings become available.

The operation of these additional options greatly depends on using a screen reader. The speech settings are applied while using these extensions as well.

See also the sections in the category ‘Digital pen, TactiPad and ClickPad’

Language selection and Text-To-Speech (TTS)

Textlabels and messages are displayed in the language that was selected in the ‘Language’ dialog in the Settings menu.

For announcing these texts, a text to speech (TTS) synthesizer has to be selected. Microsoft supplies a few TTS engines with the Windows operating system. Extra TTS synthesisers can be installed from Eloquence, Nuance, L&H or other vendors.

Volume and rate

The volume and rate of spoken messages can be set to find a match with the volume and rate with the speech output of the screen reader. Use the ‘Speak’ button to test the selected voice, rate and volume.

Speak application messages (select checked)

The software can provide messages in addition to a screen reader. These messages contain status information about the drawing tools and properties of the objects. When you use TactileView with a screen reader, the option ‘Use text to speech for application messages and audio style’ should be checked.

Speak audio style or text label upon object selection (Select checked)

When an object gets the focus (is selected) the type of object and some properties are announced. For screen reader usage, ‘Speak audio style or text label upon object selection’ should be checked.

Text to speech for different languages

Some designs may contain texts in different languages, making the text to speech difficult to understand. If possible, it is best to use the TTS that matches the text label language.

For any languages in the list that show ‘not defined’, the default TTS synthesiser will be used. To apply a specific TTS synthesiser for a certain language, select the language from the list, then select the TTS you wish to use in the list below.

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10.06 View – Show properties (Ctrl+J)

When an object is selected in the design, it can be very useful for screen reader users to get a quick list of all the properties. To can select an object in your design, choose either ‘Menu driven design’ from the Drawing tools menu (Ctrl+L), or ‘List of objects’ from the View menu (Ctrl+M). In either list, select the object and press ‘OK’. The object now has the selection. The properties list of the selected object can be opened by selecting ‘Show properties’ in the View menu, or by pressing Ctrl+J.

The list of properties include aspects such as size, position in the design, etc. Use the button ‘Speak properties’ to hear the properties in a spoken message. If you wish to make any changes to the object, choose ‘Open context menu’.

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10.05 View – Context menu (Ctrl+K or Enter)

Any objects that were placed in the design can be edited later on. Opening the context menu of a selected object or drawing tool gives access to all the properties that can be changed. Read ‘Browsing and selecting objects‘ to find out how to make your object selection.

View – Open context menu (Ctrl+K or Enter)

Once you have selected an object in the design, you can open the context menu by choosing ‘Context menu’ from the View menu. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+K or the Enter key as a shortcut to open the context menu.

Open context menu via Object list (Ctrl+M)

The object list shows all object that are present in the design. Choose ‘Open context menu’ in this object list dialog. The respective context menu will open, in which you will find all options to edit the properties of the selected object.

See also the section Editing object properties.

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10.01 Accessibility with a screen reader (introduction)

The TactileView software is fully accessible with a screen reader. Due to its visual nature, creating a tactile design from scratch is very challenging for VIP users. However, many other aspects of the software can be used without the need for a sighted designer. This section will give an overview of the suitability for screen reader users of different aspects of TactileView.

Accessible menus

All menus and dialogs are accessible. Some of the menus are specially designed for screen reader users. Extra messages besides those of the screen reader itself are read out to provide additional explanations where appropriate.

Make sure the Settings menu Speech has been covered to make full use of these audible messages.

Mouse/freehand drawing vs. Menu driven design

To follow see the mouse on screen in the drawing area of the software is virtually impossible, even if the position of the mouse would be announced frequently. Keeping track of the created design is impossible with only speech and/or braille.

Existing images can be explored by analysing the colour composition, but how they are curved or the way how the lines intersect cannot be explored without printing the design. Therefore, creating or modifying ‘free-hand’ drawing is a step too far.

As an alternative, objects such as squares, circles and straight lines can be added to the design. Their positions are indicated by their properties (Ctrl+J).

Placing such an object can be done with the menu driven design menu (Ctrl+l).

Things that work really well for a screen reader

Below you will find some of the ways to create a tactile diagram while using a screen reader that work really well.

Creating digital designs by hand

Using the TactiPad drawing board would be a great alternative for creating tactile images as a VIP. Using this board, you can create a tactile drawing by hand. When combined with a camera, you can take a picture and digitally save your drawing or send it by mail. As a more advanced way of drawing, you can digitize your manual drawing using the TactileView Digital pen.

Download and Edit Design from Catalog (Portal menu)

You can use the catalog to find and download suitable tactile diagrams by selecting a category or searching for keywords in the title, textlabels or description.

Especially the alternate text that was given by the designer to describe the design can help to determine if this is the required design. The alternate text or description can be extended by any visitor of the catalog to make the description more detailed.

See also the section ‘Using the TactileView online catalog’.

Compose map (Portal menu)

To create a tactile map, choose ‘Compose map’ from the Portal menu. This will open a browser window with the website www.routetactile.com, on which you can create a map of any specified area. You can find a detailed description of all that is involved to create a tactile usable map in the Tactile Maps section.

Create mathematical graphs (Graphs menu)

With a screen reader, you can create a graph of any mathematical formula. You can either enter an equation to create your graph or start from one of the sample graphs in the software. See also the category Graphs and math in the TactileView manual.

Printing designs

You can also print designs on swellpaper or with a braille embosser by choosing ‘Print’ from the File menu. You can read more in the Printing section of the manual.

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4.03 Importing images from the internet

Images from the internet often form a great source for a tactile image. The amount of different subjects that can be portrayed is virtually endless. However, selecting the right material from this vast resource can both improve the tactile quality and minimize the effort needed to convert the image into a tactile diagram.

Understanding which image works best

Virtually any image can be used as a basis for a tactile diagram, but some are more suitable than others. For example, some images are harder to understand when they converted to a tactile image. In general, a higher level of detail will result in a more difficult tactile diagram. Concepts such as shadows or three-dimensional perspective can be very hard to understand for a blind reader.

The second consideration is the amount of effort it takes to convert the image to a tactually usable design. Of course it depends greatly on the type of contents you wish to include in the image, but generally ‘less is more’: a simpler image takes less time to convert than a more detailed one.

An image needs to have enough features that can be understood by touch. This means that images often need to be simplified by isolating individual lines from the In most cases, line images are preferred as a basis for a design.

Two different birthday cards: a complex one on the left, a less detailed one on the right

Figure 1. The image on the right has less fine detail and is less complex, making a tactile version easier to read and taking less effort to edit than the image on the left.


Make clever use Google image search

Using Google, you can search for images that match any keywords that you enter. In most cases this will give thousands of results, so in many cases you will need to refine your search criteria. You could try searching for a synonym or closely related word (e.g. ‘trees’ or ‘woods’ instead of ‘forest’). If you speak multiple languages it can be helpful to search for the same concept in another language.

Google also provides some tools to refine the type of image you are looking for. You can find these by clicking on the ‘Search tools’ button. These allow you to make some useful selections for finding the right material for tactile use. The most important selections for tactile use are:

– Size: larger images are generally better than smaller images, since they provide a better image quality in which more detail is retained when enlarged. You can also select ‘Show sizes’ under ‘More tools’ to get a quick overview of the image sizes.

– Type: refine the type of images that are presented. ‘Line drawing’ or ‘Clip art’ both are highly suitable as a basis for a tactile image, as they are often already simplified into individual lines and will be closer to what is required for a tactile image. We always advise to check first if these types of images are available to minimize the amount of effort it takes to create a tactile image.

The other search tools, such as colour and time can be used to further refine your search results. Appropriate usage rights can be selected if it concerns reproduction.

Photo of a real birthday cake on the left, line drawing of a birthday cake on the right

Figure 2. By making use of the Search Tools, you can select line drawings (right) instead of more complicated images, such as the photo on the left; the line drawing is much easier to read and edit.

Placing the image in your TactileView design

Once you have found a suitable image, right click on it to open the context menu, then select ‘Copy image’. This will copy the image onto your clipboard. In TactileView, press Ctrl+V to paste the image in your design. This will place the image in the design area at the position of you mouse. You can also right click in an empty area of the design, then select ‘Paste’ to place the image on the position of the click. Or you can select ‘Paste’ from the Edit menu or click the ‘Paste’ icon in the top horizontal toolbar, which will place the image in the top left corner of the design.

If you have saved an image on your computer, you can choose ‘Import’ from the drawing tools icon bar, then select ‘Import SVG’ for svg images or ‘Import image from file’ for bitmap image (.jpg, .png, …), or select ‘Import image from file’ from the File menu. Next, click in the design where you wish to insert the image.

You can always resize or move the image to the required position in the design. Use the retouching tools (pen and eraser), a combination of the filters from the drawing tools toolbar or the Filters menu, or any of the other drawing tools to make the required adjustments to make the inserted image suitable for tactile use.

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3.02 After launching the software

In this section you can find a first introduction to some of the first software functions you will come across when you create a tactile design.

First impression

After launching the software, the red border is showing the current paper size and orientation.

The word ‘Title’ can be found in the top left corner. This is to make you aware of the importance of a title in your design, which will help the reader to understand the content of the diagram at hand.

When you open a new design, you will see a tactile marker in the upper right corner. This so-called right-up marker helps a blind reader to easily find out the paper orientation without having to explore its contents first. This the position of the right-up marker is always in the top right corner, independent of landscape or portrait orientation. On screen, the marker is shown as three blue lines at an angle of 45 degrees.

For most designs we advise you to include the right-up marker for ease of use. However, by clicking on the marker it can be turned off, which for example can be used if you want to print multiple designs in a bundle and bind them. A red marker will remain which can be activated to switch the marker on again.

Red paper border, title and right-up marker

Figure 1. The top of the design shows the title text label, right-up marker and red border for paper size and orientation.

Design orientation: landscape or portrait designs

Choosing the right paper orientation for your design allows you to make optimal use of the available space on the paper. This way the image can be presented as large as possible in order to retain smaller details. You can change the paper orientation by clicking on the ‘Change the orientation to landscape/portrait’ icon in the design toolbar (second vertical toolbar when nothing is selected). You can also find this option in the Design menu.

It is important to know that changing the paper orientation will not adjust the size of the image! This ensures that the tactile quality of the image is maintained. However, you might need to adjust the width and/or height manually to fit the new paper orientation by dragging the markers around the design.

‘Change the orientation to landscape’ icon: Change the orientation to landscape

‘Change the orientation to portrait’ icon: Change the orientation to portrait

Portrait to landscape orientation

When you start with a design with a tree in portrait mode and you decide you want to have it in landscape, you can change the paper orientation. The size of the white design area that contains the tree will stay the same.

It is likely that the lower part of your design will now be outside the red border and that you have two sheets of paper instead of one. Even though you could have a design spread over multiple sheets, chances are you would want to reduce the design size to fit a single sheet of paper. You can use the blue marker in the lower right corner to make the height of the tree fit. Please note that your tree has become smaller, so make sure any smaller details are still adequate for tactile use. Next, use the purple marker in the middle of the right side of your design to add paper to span the width of the paper.

Landscape to portrait orientation

The other way around, you might start with a tree that spans the height of a design in landscape orientation, but decide you want it to be in portrait to make better use of the length of the paper. In that case, you could increase the size of the image by using the blue marker in the lower right corner. You can use the purple markers in the middle of the two sides of the white area to trim any empty space left and right of the tree.

For more information, see section ‘Paper size vs. design size‘.

Line view and Dot view

To get you familiar as soon as possible with the effect of creating designs for braille embossers, you can view the design on screen as it will be embossed in dots.

For good visibility you can use the line view mode for the drawing. When you switch to dot view, all lines will be converted to individual dots, just as your braille embosser will do.

You can read more in the section ‘Design mode: dot view/line view‘.

Difference between dot view and line view
Figure 2. A circle shown in line view (left) or dot view (right) shows the graphic capabilities of the selected embosser.

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6.09 Draw graph

The ‘Draw graph’ icon shows the list of options for creating a tactile mathematical graph. You can also find these options in the Graphs menu. From this list, you have a choice to either use an empty grid, create a graph by entering your own formula or using one of the TactileView example graphs.

There are a lot of different aspects when it comes to mathematics in braille and creating or reading tactile graphs. The detailed introduction will explain everything you need to know about the background concepts. In the other entries in the ‘Graphs and math’ section of the manual you can read how to use different styles of graphs and learn how to create them using different input methods.

‘Draw graph’ icon: Draw graph icon

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8.01 Introduction on mathematical notations

Equations for sighted users are usually written in a spatial arrangement, in such a way that the components and their relations can be understood from their relative positioning. For example, a division is depicted by placing the dividend above the divisor, separated by a horizontal division line.

For printing in braille, this spatial arrangement has to be converted into a continuous line of braille characters. Mathematical symbols such as (large) brackets, square roots and many other non-day-to-day symbols have to be converted as well.

Mathematical notations and braille tables

Since computers began to play a role in math and science, it has become even more a necessity to find an unambiguous way of presenting the results (in braille as well). Many of the equation editors use MathML as their universal language to store and manipulate mathematical equations. This language is also used to add equations to your design in TactileView.

In order to get the correct equation printed in braille, a 2-step conversion is required: applying mathematical notation rules and applying a braille table to translate the characters into the corresponding braille dots.

Conversion from equation in MathType

Figure 1. Conversion from an equation in MathType to a mathematical text label in TactileView, by applying the chosen mathematical notation (in this case LaTeX) and braille table (en-us-comp8.ctb).

A math notation applies a set of rules that convert the spatial elements from the graphical lay-out (MathML) into a continuous line of text. Extra characters need to be inserted to indicate the relationship of the parts, to depict special mathematical symbols or to signify the logical order of the elements. Amongst other, the Nemeth, Unified English Braille, LaTeX, Marburg and Dedicon are some of the better known math notations and are available in TactileView.

The result of the first conversion step is that the equation has become readable as text in a linear instead of a spatial arrangement. During the second step, a ‘braille translator’ (in TactileView, the open source project LibLouis is used) applies the desired braille table to convert the linear text of the equation into the corresponding braille characters.

Keyboard entry of mathematical formulas

When entering a mathematical formula in TactileView, it is important to use the correct syntax for text-only mathematical notation on a computer. The spatial arrangement of the elements in a mathematical expression has to be entered using a combination of specific symbols and applying parenthesis where necessary. The list below gives an overview of which mathematical elements are supported for use in formulas in TactileView. The examples show how to apply and combine these elements.

Mathematical element or function Symbol Example
Separation between multiple formulas ; y=
Formula parameter x y=x
Operators
Addition + y=x+1
Subtraction - y=x-3
Multiplication * y=2*x
Division / y=x/3
Exponentiation ^ y=2^x
Parentheses ( ) y= (x+2)/(x-3)
Functions
Absolute value abs( ) y=abs(x+2)
Square root sqrt( ) y=sqrt(2*x)
Natural logarithm with base e ln( ) y=ln(x-1)
Logarithm with base 10 log( ) y=log(x+1)
Exponent with base e exp( ) y=exp(x^2-2*x)
Sine sin( ) sin(2*x)
Cosine cos( ) cos(2*x)
Tangent tan( ) tan(2*x)
Arcsine, arccosine or arctangent asin( ), acos( ), atan( ) y=asin(x-1)
Hyperbolic sine, cosine or tangent sinh( ),cosh( ),tanh( ) y=sinh(x-1)
Hyperbolic arcsine,arccosine or arctangent asinh( ),acosh( ),atanh( ) y=asinh(x-1)
Constants
Decimal sign . y=1.5*x
Natural logarithm base e y=e^(x^2-2*x)
Pi pi y=sin(2*pi*x)
Phi (golden ratio) phi y=2*phi*x
Derivatives
First derivative ' y=(x^2-3*x+4)'
Second derivative and higher multiple ' y=(sin(2*x+1))"

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2.06 Settings menu

Settings menu

The configuration wizard leads you through the initial steps for setting up the software to accommodate your needs. However, additional options/dialogs can be found in the Settings menu. In this main menu, all the different settings of the software can be found, including those that are part of the configuration wizard.

Most option names will probably speak for themselves. Each settings dialog has an explanatory introduction that will help to select the best setup for you. The list below gives an overview of the functionality of each option in the Settings menu and provides a general description of the purpose for the menu items.

Computer registration

The software product code (SPC) has to be entered in the registration window. After selecting ‘Registration via internet’, your registration data will be checked on the TactileView website to verify the validity of the registration. Please note that each SPC is valid for only one computer.

Configuration wizard: step 1

General

The units for the preferred measurement system can be set, as well as the reference position for these measurements. The size of the markers that can be ‘grabbed’ with the mouse to modify objects can be adjusted. A marker size of 5 pixels is the default.

The internet gateway to the TactileView internet catalog can be tested and configured. The name and e-mail address of the author that is uploading designs to the catalog can be entered here. The TactileView Viewmaster will send feedback on the graphic aspects and tactile usability of the designs to this e-mail address.

Configuration wizard: step 3

Languages

The user language in which the software texts are displayed can be set, as well as the language in which the text labels are written in the design. Setting the text label correct language is important for uploading the designs to the catalog, as text labels are translated in all the available languages.

Configuration wizard: step 3

Braille tables

The conventions for texts in braille differ per country or language. Select a braille table as the main braille from the extended list of the Liblouis set of tables (includes contracted braille). When entering a text label in the design with the drawing tool ‘Add text label’, the braille characters will be automatically generated according to the selected braille table.

Configuration wizard: step 2

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Configuration wizard: step 3

Update TactileView components

Technically the software is set up as a modular system. The various modules, such as the software texts that you find in menus and dialogs, are stored and maintained on a non-public section of the TactileView website. TactileView will download any new updates automatically each time the software is launched. This setup offers great flexibility and convenience to provide minor updates without requiring any action, so it is advised to have this setting switched on. Please note that an internet connection is required to receive updates.

Configuration wizard: step 3

Text label presentation: on screen

The appearance of braille is quite different from the standard font and is hard to read for sighted users. Therefore the text that is added as a text label in the design can be displayed in standard font as well as in the equivalent braille characters, based on the selected braille table. The colour of the standard font (default green) can be changed or can be switched off completely.

Configuration wizard: step 3

Text label presentation: on print

Text labels printed on swellpaper can be represented both in braille and standard font, similar to the display on screen. The braille dots are printed in black. The visual font can be switched off or set to any preferred colour. For printing on swellpaper, make sure that the selected colour has no grey or black appearance.

Configuration wizard: step 2

Line view/dot View

Depending on the selected embosser type, the positioning and distance between the braille dots will vary. During the design phase it might be easier to work with continuous lines. For a close check of the tactile layout it can be useful to switch to dot view. While switching from one mode to the other an explanatory message will be displayed.

Mathematical notation (equation editor)

The MathType equation editor can be used to prepare mathematical equations in their spatial layout. The mathML expression is copied/pasted into TactileView. The equation can be expressed in braille using several mathematical notations. The preferred math notation is selected here.

Configuration wizard: step 4

Insert TactileView design in text file

TactileView designs can be embedded in documents that are produced with the Duxbury Braille Translator (DBT) See for more details also the section thirdparty software.

Configuration wizard: step 4

Figures

Arrows, electrical or chemical symbols, smileys, etc. can be added to the design as a figure by selecting the drawing tool ‘Import’, then choosing ‘Add Figure’. A library of figures is included, but new categories or figures can be added. In this settings dialog you can set the folder for your personal library of figures.

Speech

The Text-to-Speech engine (TTS) is selected in this dialog and performs two tasks.

The TTS vocalizes the software messages to support the use of a screen reader and is announcing the text that is supplied in the audio style for an object.

A design, once embossed, is called tactile diagram. In addition to the tactile information, an extra layer of audio information can be added to the design. Specific areas can be provided with an audio style (See also Editing object properties). The TTS is used for when exploring the audible information in a diagram.

TactileView digital pen

The TactileView digital pen acts as a connection between the software and the TactiPad drawing board or the TactileView ClickPad. For both setups, the software is providing additional functionality in combination with the hardware. Attention has to be payed to the position of the receiver and the calibration. The usage for this setup is targeted for visually impaired users of the digital pen and requires a high skill level.

See also the sections TactileView digital pen, TactiPad and ClickPad

Scanner

When a scanner is connected to the computer, it can be configured in this settings dialog. Select the option ‘Quick scan with scanner’ from the Portal menu or click on the scanner icon in the top toolbar to start the scanning process and insert the scan in the existing design or in a new document. For further processing use the drawing tools from the drawings tools icon bar.

Webcam

When the computer is equipped with a built-in webcam or an external one, select ‘Activate webcam’ from the Portal menu or click on the ‘Activate webcam’ icon in the top toolbar to start the webcam. The resulting image can be inserted in the existing design or in a new document. For further processing use the drawing tools from the drawings tools icon bar.

Microphone

The built in microphone or an external one can be configured for adding recordings as an audio style to an object. See: Editing object properties.

Touch tablet

A touch tablet can be connected to explore audio tactile diagrams. The settings are configured in this settings dialog. See also the section ‘Audio tactile diagrams’.

Production requests (remote printer)

Not everyone has access to a production facility (swellpaper or braille embosser) for tactile graphics. In combination with the TactileView website, printers can be made accessible for remote printing by other users. This feature requires a software and printer installation that is made available to others as a so-called production facility.

To upload your production requests to a remote printer, a customer code and teleprint code are required to keep track of which design has to be produced on which embosser for which customer.

For the production facility, a customer code and an printer identification code are required to retrieve the production requests from the TactileView website.