[NFBCS] Converting PDF graph into something accessible - knitting charts

[Tracy Carcione]

This is basically a question about how hard this would be, if it's possible.

Knitting charts are PDF graphs, with a symbol in each cell representing the
kind of stitch that should go there.  Some are monochrome, and some have
different colors for multi-colored patterns.  There is a key included,
saying what each symbol on the graph represents.

I have sometimes seen a chart represented in an NLS book as a series of
numbered lines, with 1 character for each symbol and a key for what the
symbols mean.  That's a fine system, but I'm sure it was manually
transcribed.  I've done manual transcription of charts, and it's painful for
both me and my reader.  It takes ages.

I have found a website that claims it can do the conversion, but I can't
figure out the first step, which is not in the instructions, nor can I get
the company to reply to my emails asking for help.

So, how hard would it be to make some software to do the job?  Could it pull
in the key?  It would be acceptable to me if a sighted person had to assign
each symbol from the key to a single character, because I don't think that
would take more than a few minutes.  Then, in my imagination, the software
would create a series of numbered lines with the symbols, like the NLS
knitting charts.  A person could use it on a braille display, or with speech
on a computer.

Is it possible?  Is it hard?  It would open up whole new territory for blind
knitters.

Tracy