Hello,
Robert Jaquiss and Curtis Chong created raised-line drawings
using the Phaser 600 and the tactile image enhancer of research graphs
presented to me
by my colleagues. They modified the graphs in no way at all, and just
raised up what they got.
The tactile image enhancer resolution was just too low for the task at hand.
Although the phaser 600 results were promising, folks had feedback
at the NFB convention for how they could be made more legible.
I tell you, though, that if I have to do a half hour prep per drawing,
force my colleagues to print graphs without grid lines and so-on, or have
an assistant spend 30 minutes
cutting and painting braille fonts per graph, I'm better off asking my
colleague what he drew
or having my assistant free hand a raised-line drawing.
So to the thought experiment.
If an author wanted to include in a text document some bit-mapped images
and accompanying raised-line drawing information, say, in a
tactile graphics standard format, what would the author's content be for
the standard?
The first thing I would like to know if you handed me a 100 page document
with some graphs in it
is the location of the graphs.
How tall and how wide is each graphic? On which page is it?
Within the format of each graphic, I would like the text labels in an overlay
separable from the graphic itself.
I should be able to make a tactile image minus any confusing text labels.
If grid lines are present, I should have the option to suppress them.
The overlay should include characteristics that distinguish different lines:
if they are dotted, made with stars, red, green, or whatever.
Of course, along with the text in the overlay would be its x-y location.
I hsitate to suggest a field that includes the mathematical function of the
thing drawn,
but sometimes when you go from the image of y = x^2 and thru all the
resizing and resolution issues,
just telling the machine the analytical expression will generate the best
results.
Last of all, a notes field, where the author might add
"This is a picture of about a thousand folks playing volleyball on the beach.
Business as usual in San Diego".
I'd like to open it up and ask all of you what you think
a tactile image standard would need so that SW could generate
files ready for braille where the results would make you happy more times
than sad.
Cheers,
John
*******************************************************************
* John Miller *
* CMRR-0401 *
* University of California, San Diego *
* 9500 Gilman Drive *
* La Jolla, CA 92093-0401 *
* *
* phone: (619) 822-2326 *
* fax (619) 534-2720 *
* email: jmiller@ucsd.edu *
*******************************************************************
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