manual-en Archives - Page 6 of 20 - Thinkable products for visually impaired people

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7.04 Mounting MDA to PC/Mac/Tablet

The MDA has the possibility to mount two different MDA directories directly to a PC, Mac or tablet.

The first directory is the MDA-upload directory. Any SVG image that you copy into this directory will appear on the upload page in the MDA interface. The second directory is the MDA-autosketch directory. Any SVG image or GPX formatted file derived from an SVG image will be sketched automatically on the MDA.

In order to mount a directory, both the MDA and the device you want to mount the drive on need to be connected to the same network. You can also connect your device to the MDA’s hotspot. Mounting a drive requires a one-time setup, afterwards the MDA directories are directly and always available on PC, Mac or tablet.

In order to mount the MDA on your device, the following setup actions are required:

On a PC: open “File Explorer”, select “Home”, go to “Easy Access” in the “New” section and select “Map as Drive”. Select a drive letter (like U: for upload, or S: for autosketch). Don’t use the browse option for “Folder” but enter the following in the “Folder” input field: \\mda\MDA-upload (if you changed the name of the MDA from mda to a different name, use the new name instead of mda in this command). Make sure that the box “Reconnect at sign-in” is selected and press “Finish” (if prompted for a login and/or password, type guest for both). Now the MDA-Upload directory is permanently mounted on your PC, accessible under the drive letter that you selected during the setup. When you copy or save a file to this drive, it appears on the upload page of the MDA. Mounting the autosketch directory requires the same procedure as mentioned above, with the exception that you need to enter \\mda\MDA-autosketch in the “Folder” input field. Again, if you changed the default name of the MDA you have to change mda to the new name.
On a Mac, the name of the MDA appears automatically in the “Shared” section of the “Finder”. Click on the name of the MDA (default mda) and click on “Connect as”, continue with “Connect” and enter guest in the name field and password field. Make sure to tick (ü) the box “Remember this password in my keychain” and press “Select”. The MDA-upload directory will from now on be accessible from the Finder. In case you want to connect to the autosketch directory, first you will have to select “disconnect” and then repeat the above procedure, but this time with the loginname autosketch and password autosketch. You will be connected as autosketch instead of guest, although the directory will still called MDA-upload. If you regularly need to switch between upload (guest) and autosketch, do not save your login credentials to “keychain”, but instead enter them every time to access the proper directory.
On an iPad, you can make a connection to the MDA through the “FileBrowser” app, a free app available in the app-store. In FileBrowser, select “Location” in the bottom bar and then “+” in the top bar. Select “Computer/Network Drive” and then “Mac”. The app will start scanning, but you do not need wait for the scan to finish. Instead select “Manual setup”. On the next screen, select “Mac” and enter mda in the “Address” field (or the new name in case you have changed the default name mda). Click “Edit…” in the “User name” field and enter guest, click “Edit…” in the “Password” field and enter guest again. Enter mda in the “Display name” field. By selecting mda from the “locations” tab, you will now have a connection from the iPad to both the MDA-upload directory and the MDA-autosketch directory.
On Android, an connection can be established trough the free “AndSMB” app, which can be downloaded from the Play Store. In AndSMB select the + button in the top bar. On the next screen, enter mda in the “Hostname” field (or the new name in case you have changed the default name mda). In the “Username” and “Password” field enter guest. In the “Remote dir” field enter /MDA-upload. Leave the rest of the fields empty. Click save, and in the pop up window enter mda, or whatever other name you want the drive to have in AndSMB. By selecting AndSMB when selecting “Share” and then selecting the name you gave to the drive in AndSMB files will automatically be uploaded to the upload map.

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06. ClickPad – Activating Text to Speech (TTS)

To be able to listen to the included audio-information, a Text to Speech system has to be installed on the computer. The TactileView software needs to have access to this system. Using the settings menu of the software, the language, speech rate and volume for the audio-information can be set.

For information about the installation and use of the TactileView digital pen, please read the TactileView digital pen manual.

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05. ClickPad – Exploring with speech and sound

With the tactile image placed on the ClickPad, the digital version of the design has to be opened as a file in the TactileView drawing software. The software then has to be switched from design mode to explore mode, using the digital pen (or the option in the View menu or hotkey Ctrl+E). Using the File menu, a design can also be opened in the explore mode straight away.
This mode also has a menu that can be operated with a long click of the digital pen (open context menu). From here a different file can be selected, matching a different printed tactile image.
By clicking on the tactile image, the audio-information is played. In case there is no audio-information on that location in the image, a ‘no-audio’ sound is played.

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04. ClickPad – TactileView digital pen and software

The digital pen is used to click on the tactile image to listen to any included audio-information, and to operate the TactileView software.
The pen has to be equipped with batteries. In the TactileView drawing software the pen can be tested and calibrated for the ClickPad. To prevent ink from being spilled on the image, it is advised to use the plastic tip included with the TactileView digital pen.

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03. ClickPad – Description

The TactileView ClickPad

The ClickPad is a yellow, 5 millimeter thick plate, with anti-slip material on the underside. The ClickPad is available in A4, A3 and US letter format to match the different sizes of tactile images.
The ClickPad is slightly wider at its four edges, and has notches in which rubber bands are placed. The tactile image is held in place by these rubber bands. In one long side are four holes for storing the ClickPad in a two or four ring binder.

Magnets in the sides

Four magnets have been placed in the edges of the ClickPad. Two in one long side, two in one short side. Two magnets are also mounted in the holder for the receiver of the TactileView digital pen. This way, the holder will be attracted to the ClickPad.
Depending on the page orientation the holder is at the long side (landscape) or at the short side (portrait).
The holder can be detached and attached again. The magnets make sure that the holder automatically falls in the right position. The receiver for the TactileView digital pen can then be connected to the computer by a USB-cable.
The right-up marker on the tactile diagram can always be found in the upper right corner. Use this symbol on the diagram to determine the receiver’s position.

Paper clamps of the TactileView ClickPad

At every corner of the ClickPad a rubber band is attached which crosses itself as a result of a rotation.
On 1,5 and 5 centimeter distance from the corners, there are hook-shaped notches in the outer edge for attaching the rubber band.
To attach the rubber bands, put one around the corner in the two notches farthest from the corner. The band now makes a 45 degrees angle from the long to a short side of the TactileView ClickPad. Hook 2 fingers under the rubber band and rotate so that the band is twisted 180 degrees around your fingers. Pull the rubber band outwards and put it around the corner into the notches closest to the corner.
On the upper side of the ClickPad, the rubber band crosses itself. On the underside the rubber band runs parallel; one between the notches closest to the corner, and one between the two notches farthest from the corner.
With the rubber bands in all four corners of the ClickPad, the paper sheet is fastened all around on 16 places. The rubber bands measure around 7 centimeters for the A4 format and 12 centimeters for the A3 format.

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02. ClickPad – Set up

The TactileView ClickPad holds both the tactile image, and the holder with the receiver for the TactileView digital pen.
The rubber bands on the corners of the ClickPad make sure the tactile image is always on the same position. The holder for the receiver is placed at the edges, using magnets in the sides. This results in the images always being in the correct position for pointing on them with the TactileView digital pen.
At a click of the pen, the horizontal and vertical distance to the upper left corner is measured and converted by the receiver. The exact position is then transmitted to the TactileView software on the computer. In the file, which matches the tactile image, these positions are used to play the corresponding audible information. When calibrated correctly, the position on which is clicked on the tactile image, always matches that same position in the digital equivalent.
Exchanging the tactile image is very easy, using the flexible paper clamps. Exploring diagrams in portrait can be alternated with diagrams in landscape by accordingly placing the receiver on either the long or the short side of the ClickPad.

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13. Digital Pen – Exploring audio-tactile images with speech and sound – Explore mode

Tactile diagrams that have been made with the TactileView software can be enriched with audio-information, so that the diagram becomes an audio-tactile diagram. This diagram needs to be placed on the TactileView ClickPad or the TactiPad, so that the physical position you click on matches with the position in the corresponding file. The pen is used to indicate the location, and the software then automatically checks in the matching file if there is audio information available at this position. After a short click, the audio is played.
To be able to hear the audio information, the software needs to operate in the explore mode.
Once more, a long click in the explore mode opens a context menu. In this menu, various options can be chosen that are of importance for exploring the diagram, like opening the digital file matching a different tactile diagram, selecting a text to speech voice or calibrating the TactileView digital pen.

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12. Digital Pen – Creating a tactile diagram – Design mode

Combined with the TactiPad, the digital pen can be used to create a tactile diagram in the TactileView software. To do this, the pen has to be assigned to one of the drawing tool functions, just like the mouse would. When a drawing tool is activated, it can be used to make a digital drawing.
The option ‘Drawing tools’ in the context menu of the design mode gives access to all the tools. Every drawing tool is made to achieve specific results, such as drawing a line or square, placing a text label and more. These are placed as so called objects in the diagram.
Tactile recognizable points or a tactile diagram on the TactiPad can be used as a reference for easy drawing. The results are described by spoken messages.

Every drawing tool has a number of options, by which the drawing tool can be adjusted via a context menu. For example, when drawing a line, one can choose the line thickness and style. It is virtually impossible to draw a steady thick dotted line by hand with the pen; instead, the software can easily create this by defining a starting and ending point and providing the line in between with the desired properties.
When an object is placed with the drawing tools, one can always adjust this object later on via the context menu of the used drawing tool or object.

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11. Digital Pen – Explore mode and design mode

The software starts in the design mode. In this mode, all drawing functions are available. Using the ‘Drawing tools’ menu or the TactileView digital pen, you can start drawing by selecting one of the drawing tools.
To explore a diagram with speech and sound, the program needs to be switched to explore mode. This is done using the context menu in design mode or using the hotkey Ctrl+E. As long as the software is in explore mode, the design cannot be adjusted.

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10 Digital Pen – Opening a context menu and selecting options

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.