AccessBrailleRAP features tour

Main menu options

Text input

Displays a page to manipulate the text to be transcribed in Braille

Print

Displays the options related to embossing the document on a BrailleRAP

Parameters

Displays a page related to the application’s configuration

Text input

Introduction

Clicking on the Text input option displays a page related to the manipulation of the text to be transcribed in Braille.

Button Open

Display a file dialog box to select the desired text file.

Button Save

If document was already saved under a filename it is saved again. Otherwise a file dialog box is displayed to select a filename.

Button Save as…

Displays a dialog box that allows you to select a file name to save as a text file.

Button Import

Displays a dialog box that allows you to select a file to import. The importation of files is managed by the pandoc library. The importation consists of extracting the text from the file by removing all character formatting (font size, character effects, etc…). The importation works with openoffice and libreoffice documents but other formats may be available.

Using special characters in the input area

When entering text, it can be helpful to insert Braille characters that will be directly integrated into the Braille transcription without modification. While the Braille alphabet is defined for text transcription, there are specific standards for certain applications such as music, chemistry, or mathematics. These standards are not currently supported by AccessBrailleRAP, so it can be useful to directly enter a small number of Braille characters. You can use UNICODE input or direct Braille dots number.

UNICODE input:

La saisie de caractère Braille utilise la saisie de caractères unicode, dont les valeurs sont comprisent entre x02800 et 0x02900. Pour entrer ces caractères dans la zone de saisie, vous pouvez utiliser la touche CTRL+. Par exemple pour saisir un caractère Braille avec uniquement le point 1 (l’équivalent du ‘a’) :

• Appuyez sur la touche CTRL

• Entrez la valeur 0x en appuyant sur 0 puis x

• Entrez la valeur UNICODE du caractère Braille, c’est a dire 1.

• Relâcher la touche CTRL

You should see the Braille character ⠁ appear in the input area.

You can find a table of Unicode Braille characters on Wikipedia. Braille character codes are given in hexadecimal, you only need to use the part greater than 0x2800. For example, if you look in the table, the character ⠵ corresponds to the Unicode value 0x2835. To enter this character, you can use:

CTRL+ 0x2835

or

CTRL+ 0x35

You can also use decimal values. 0x2835 is equivalent to 10293. Therefore, you can enter the character ⠵ using:

CTRL+ 10293

or

CTRL+ 53

Note that to use a hexadecimal code, you must prefix the value with 0x

Direct input of Braille dots number

Direct Braille dot entry follows the same principle as Unicode input, but instead of entering the Unicode value corresponding to the desired character, you can enter the Braille dot numbers present on the character. To use direct entry, you must use the prefix ‘0b’.

For example, if you want to type an s, the Braille character is ⠎, which is dots 2-3-4. To obtain this character, you will press the CTRL key, then without releasing it, enter the prefix 0b, then the desired dots 234, and finally release the CTRL key.

so:

CTRL+ 0b + 234 to add ⠎

CTRL+ 0b + 1234 to add ⠏

CTRL+ 0b + 12 to add ⠃

You can also enter 8-point Braille. !!! Note that it must be consistent with the rest of the document; the height of the Braille cells is defined by the Braille standard specified in the settings.

CTRL+ 0b + 12347 to add ⡏

Print

Introduction

L’action de cliquer sur l’option Impression affiche une page relative à l’embossage du document sur une BrailleRAP. Sur cette page vous pouvez naviguer dans les différentes pages avec les boutons Page Précédente et Page Suivante et imprimer la page active avec le bouton Imprimer. En fonction de l’option sélectionnée dans les paramètres, seul le texte en Braille est affiché, ou bien le texte en Braille est associé au texte en noir.

Button Previous page

Displays the previous page of the document to emboss.

Button Next page

Displays the next page of the document to emboss.

Button Print

Emboss (print) the active page on the BrailleRAP connected via USB.

Parameters

Introduction

Clicking on the Parameters option displays a page related to the software setup and configuration (page format, communication port, Braille standard …).

Braille table

This section allows you to define the standard used for the transcription of the text in Braille. Warning there are sometimes several Braille standards for the same language (3 in French for example) and this parameter is independent of the interface language. You can for example use AccesBrailleRAP in French and transcribe the Braille to the Vietnamesestandard if the readers of the document use this Braille standard.

Number of characters per line

This section allows you to define the number of Braille characters per line.

Number of lines per page

This section allows you to define the number of Braille character lines available on a page. Note that this is the number of lines when using asingle line spacing.

Line spacing

This value allows you to choose the line spacing used for the embossing of the document. There are 3 line spacings:

• 1 (simple line spacing)

• 1.5 (one and a half line spacing)

• 2 (double line spacing).

Page numbering

This section allows you to define page numbering style.

• No page number. The pages will not be numbered. An extra line will be saved for the text.

• On page top. The page number will appear in the top right corner of the page.

• On page bottom. The page number will appear in the bottom right corner of the page.

Left margin (mm)

This determines the value of the left margin of the document.

Top margin (mm)

This determines the value of the top margin of the document.

Maximum position on the right (mm)

This value determines the maximum rightward position of the sheet in landscape printing. For an A4 sheet, approximately 200 mm. For an A3 sheet, approximately 280 mm. Please note that the BrailleRAP does not detect the sheet’s orientation, it only considers the information transmitted by AccessBrailleRAP software. The landscape function is therefore intended for embossing text in landscape orientation on a sheet inserted in portrait mode!

Orientation

This value set the print orientation.

• Portrait: Lines will be printed parallel to the top edge of the sheet.

• Landscape: The lines will be printed parallel to the right edge of the sheet. The first line will be printed at the Maximum position on the right (mm)

Braille display

This option allows you to select the Braille display type on the printing page.

• Braille and Text : The Braille text is displayed, with the black text just below it.

• Braille only : Only the Braille text is displayed. This option does not change the printing. The BrailleRAP will only emboss the Braille text. The dual Braille/black text display allows you, if you are sighted, to improve the Braille layout without reinterpreting the Braille.

Braille back translation

This option determines how the displayed black text will be produced in association with the Braille text.

• Back translation : Liblouis back translation will be used for black text.

• From original text : In some languages, the reverse transcription of Liblouis does not work well. This option allows you to use the original text before it is translated into Braille.

Braille / Text alignment

This option allows you to choose the preferred method for aligning the black text with the Braille. Braille transcription sometimes adds characters to indicate specific situations (capital letters, symbols in all capitals, etc.)

• Right : Aligns each word of the black text with the end of the Braille text. This is sufficient for simple prefixes like the capital letter ‘⠨’ in French Braille. However, it can become difficult to read in certain cases, especially when escape sequences are located in the middle of a word. For example, BrailleRAP is transcribed into French as ⠨⠃⠗⠁⠊⠇⠇⠑⠨⠨⠗⠁⠏. Right alignment will correctly align the ‘RAP’ at the end, but the beginning of the word will be shifted because of the double capital letter symbol ‘⠨⠨’.

• Best fit : This option uses the Braille transcription of the lowercase word to best align the Braille and black text words. This option is the best with Braille standards that add suffixes to the ends of words.

Communication port

This value specifies the communication port used for communication with BrailleRAP. If you have connected the BrailleRAP after launching the software, you can refresh the list of available communication ports by using the Refresh button.

Application language

This value allows you to define the language of the application interface.

Theme

This value allows you to define the theme of the application interface, you have the option to choose between a light interface on a dark background or a dark interface on a light background.