[Blindmath] Some suggestions for Richard Baldwin's SVG drawingtool

Tue Oct 4 20:27:04 UTC 2011

Thanks, I may take you up on that.

Dick Baldwin

On Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 2:33 PM, Amanda Lacy <lacy925 at gmail.com> wrote:

> I'd be glad to assist you with providing context sensitive help after I get
> a good working version of my current project. Remember, I did a bit of
> research and experimentation with Java and accessibility a while back.
>
> If there's anything I can do to prevent it, blind people won't be paying
> for the program.
>
> Amanda
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Baldwin" <
> baldwin at dickbaldwin.com>
> To: "Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics" <
> blindmath at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 12:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Some suggestions for Richard Baldwin's SVG
> drawingtool
>
>
>  Thanks for the feedback. I will insert my responses in your test below.
>>
>> On Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 11:04 AM, Michael Whapples <mwhapples at aim.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>  Hello,
>>> I have just tried using Richard Baldwin's SVG drawing tool. This is quite
>>> useful. I have a few comments/suggestions to make.
>>>
>>> The first is whether it would be possible to also have an option for
>>> metric
>>> units? I was having to create a diagram from some measurements I had in
>>> metric and it would have been so much easier if I could have just entered
>>> values in metric.
>>>
>>>
>> rgb] This is definitely possible, so I will put it on my todo list.
>>
>>
>>> Also, it seems simple enough to use, however particularly on the save,
>>> the
>>> action based approach was slightly unusual and caught me out. I am very
>>> much
>>> used to most software having save only prompt for file name when you
>>> first
>>> save and should you want to save under a different file name then you use
>>> "save as". I guess this is really a familiarity issue, once I remembered
>>> this tool needed me to confirm the save it worked fine.
>>>
>>>
>> rgb] Good point. I will put this on the list also and consider a more
>> standard approach.
>>
>>
>>> May be also related to the action based approach, sometimes things seemed
>>> to require more action from me than felt needed. I guess one point might
>>> be
>>> when I select set attributes, why cannot the list of elements be created
>>> then, why do I need to press another button?
>>>
>>>
>> rgb] This is also a good point and I will put it on my todo list to
>> consider. The same thing occurs on most of the actions on the Mod menu and
>> the Advanced menu. Do you have any other suggestions as to where the
>> number
>> of steps required is excessive for a blind user?
>>
>>
>>> I quite like the way of marking elements when editing them, however how
>>> might one deselect something if they made a mistake and how can one tell
>>> if
>>> an item is selected or not? May be the answer is in the instructions but
>>> you
>>> know what it can be like when you have to read documentation... I
>>> possibly
>>> say really well designed software shouldn't need people to read
>>> documentation as it should be obvious what to do (either because the
>>> software is so clear or it just follows a convention on how to get the
>>> specific help you need).
>>>
>>>
>> rgb] Maybe someday I will have context-sensitive help, but that day will
>> probably be a long way off, or else I will have to hire programming
>> assistance and charge dollars for the program instead of giving it away
>> for
>> free. If you have other suggestions for a better design, I would like to
>> hear them.
>>
>> rgb] Your first question in the above paragraph regarding
>> selecting/deselecting is a good one. I will put it on my list to consider.
>> As it stands now, when you mark an object, you get a message box asking
>> you
>> to confirm the selection, so you have an opportunity to cancel the
>> selection
>> at that point. The corrective procedure if you select the wrong object and
>> confirm that selection is to simply tab past the action button at the
>> bottom
>> and start that action over again.
>>
>>
>>> I have to say I did feel a little uncertain on editing some of the
>>> diagram,
>>> may be its to do with the options available for editing and may be some
>>> of
>>> its to do with not quite knowing what is there (IE. no way to view the
>>> current diagram). I guess that latter point, users of the voice would say
>>> that is what the voice is for.
>>>
>>>
>> rgb] Right now, the best way to view the current drawing is to save it and
>> open the SVG file in Firefox, Chrome, or IE9 (IE8 and lower won't work).
>> It
>> is reasonably easy to act, save, refresh Firefox, and view.
>>
>> rgb] I will soon publish a version that has a real-time visual output for
>> sighted users, vOICe uses, and users with some but low vision. If you have
>> suggestions as to how to make it possible for blind users to view the
>> drawing other than to use the Review action in the Mod menu, to use
>> something like vOICe, or to emboss the current drawing, I would like to
>> hear
>> about them.
>>
>> Again,
>> Thanks for the feedback. I will put your suggestions on my todo list for
>> incorporation into future versions.
>>
>>
>>> Michael Whapples
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Richard G. Baldwin (Dick Baldwin)
>> Home of Baldwin's on-line Java Tutorials
>> http://www.DickBaldwin.com
>>
>> Professor of Computer Information Technology
>> Austin Community College
>> (512) 223-4758
>> mailto:Baldwin at DickBaldwin.com
>> http://www.austincc.edu/**baldwin/ <http://www.austincc.edu/baldwin/>
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>
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-- 
Richard G. Baldwin (Dick Baldwin)
Home of Baldwin's on-line Java Tutorials
http://www.DickBaldwin.com

Professor of Computer Information Technology
Austin Community College
(512) 223-4758
mailto:Baldwin at DickBaldwin.com
http://www.austincc.edu/baldwin/