[Blindmath] Version 0.0.2 of ShapeExtractor02 is now available for download

[Richard Baldwin]

Version 0.0.2 of the program named ShapeExtractor02 is now posted at
http://www.austincc.edu/baldwin/SWT-SVG/SVGDraw01.zip and is available for
free and immediate downloading. (To save space on the server, the new
program is encapsulated in a zip file along with some earlier programs.)

This version of the program contains several upgrades to improve
accessibility and make it more suitable for use by blind students.

This program accepts a bitmap image as input and writes the enhanced output
in a jpg bitmap file that can be embossed using any process that accepts a
jpg file as input. For example, if you and your students are fortunate to
have access to an IVEO system, you could import the enhanced image into
IVEO and add audio descriptions of the key features of the image. Then
emboss the updated image on a Tiger and allow the student to explore the
upgraded image on an IVEO touchpad.

The program makes it easy for sighted teachers and others who assist blind
students to enhance bitmap images for possible improved embosser
performance. An onscreen display shows the enhanced version of the image so
it isn't necessary to emboss it to evaluate the success or lack thereof of
the enhancement process. An onscreen slider makes it possible to easily
adjust the enhancement parameters for best performance.

To use this free program, simply download the zip file using the link that
is provided above, extract the contents of the zip file into an empty
Windows folder, read the file named __ReadMeFirst.txt, and start processing
bitmap files. A complete set of usage instructions is provided in a file
named ShapeExtractor02-Instructions that is included in the download
package.

Three image files are attached to this message to illustrate the behavior
of the image processing algorithm that is used by this program.

The file named temple.jpg shows a full-color bitmap image of the ruins of a
Greek temple.

The file named temple-gray.jpg shows a five-level gray scale version of the
original image. This is probably close to what you would see if you were to
simply copy the original image file to a multi-level embosser.

The file named temple-enhanced.jpg shows an enhanced five-level version of
the original image. This is probably close to what you would see if you
were to copy the enhanced image to a multi-level embosser. Note in
particular that most of the salient features of the image are outlined in
black, which would cause them to stand out in the embossed image.

If you don't have access to a multi-level embosser, but you do have access
to a sig-compatible embosser, you can emboss these images using the program
named JpgToSig-A-01, which is also included in the download package. Unless
your embosser is one of the new 25 dpi Phoenix models, you should probably
emboss the image onto two or possibly three panels to avoid loss of detail
due to sparse spatial sampling.

A very interesting aspect of this example image is that the enhanced
version clearly shows structural details from inside the temple and from
the shaded areas of the temple that are only barely visible in the original
image and are not visible at all in the gray scale image.

Please let me know if this program works for you and provide suggestions
for improvement.

Dick Baldwin
-- 
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/
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