|
Frequently Asked Questions for outSPOKEN Version 2.0Demonstration software of outSPOKEN, inLARGE, drivers patches and updates can be downloaded from the appropriate product information pages of the manufacture site.
Setup
Usage
Windows98Windows95Windows 3.xx
Frequently Asked Questions for outSPOKEN 2.0What Is outSPOKEN?outSPOKEN for Windows 2.0 is an easy-to-use screen reading program that enables a blind or visually impaired user to work with virtually any standard Windows application. outSPOKEN for Windows supports all built-in Windows navigation and shortcut keys and provides a unique substitute for a physical mouse by re-mapping a standard PC numeric keypad to simulate mouse movement, which is convenient for efficient review of the Windows environment. outSPOKEN 2.0 is supported under Windows 98 and Windows 95. outSPOKEN 2.0 is available in two editions--a speech-only package: outSPOKEN Solo 2.0, and a braille and/or speech package: outSPOKEN Ensemble 2.0. This FAQ applies to both editions. What Changes Have Been Made for 2.0?The following changes have been made to outSPOKEN for 2.0:
What Other Applications Will outSPOKEN Work With?outSPOKEN has been extensively tested with a wide range of software and hardware. In the vast majority of situations outSPOKEN is extremely reliable and robust. However, some applications may exhibit some unusual behavior. In general, the outSPOKEN navigation keys and reading commands can be used when the application does not properly support Windows keyboard accelerators or Hotkeys. Follow the links under each application for usage tips, known problems and recommendations for specific work-arounds.
What Drivers and Synthesizers Are Supported by outSPOKEN?outSPOKEN supports the following SSIL and MS-SAPI synthesizers:
How Do I setup outSPOKEN for use with an MS-SAPI speech synthesizer?Before installing outSPOKEN with MS-SAPI speech support, an MS-SAPI speech synthesizer must already be installed on your system. Be sure that MS-SAPI version 3.0 is installed and that the synthesizer is running correctly according to the manufacturer's instructions. Select the MS-SAPI speech driver in the outSPOKEN installer's synthesizer list. When outSPOKEN starts, outSPOKEN automatically recognizes the MS-SAPI synthesizers that are installed on your system. The outSPOKEN preference Voices dialog will contain a combo list box with the installed MS-SAPI synthesizers. You can switch between any of thee synthesizers while outSPOKEN is running. When a new MS-SAPI synthesizer is installed on your system, the synthesizer is automatically added to the list of MS-SAPI synthesizers. How can I change from a SSIL-based speech synthesizer to an MS-SAPI synthesizer or the other way around?It is recommended that the outSPOKEN SETUP program be run in order to change from one synthesizer protocol to another. However, during the setup process, choose the option "Install a new copy of outSPOKEN". Then proceed by specifying the synthesizer and other options according to your requirements. Note that the option "Update the existing copy of outSPOKEN" will not work in this case. Technical: The reason that the "update ..." option will not work is that different GUISTART.* modules are used. The major difference is that MS-SAPI installs need to load "MSAPIOUT.DLL", whereas SSIL uses "SSILOUT.DLL". In order to manually make the change, SSILOUT.DLL or MSAPIOUT.DLL will need to be copied from disk. For version 2.01, they are located on disk 4. In addition, the line Synthesizer=MSSAPI or Synthesizer=SSIL_SYNTHESIZER will need to be adjusted. How do I configure outSPOKEN to use my DEC Access32 software speech synthesizer?DEC Access32 software speech is a MS-SAPI compliant speech synthesizer. To install outSPOKEN to use this synthesizer, you should
Which Braille displays Are supported by outSPOKEN Ensemble?The following Braille displays are supported by outSPOKEN:
How do I Use the Numeric Keypad While Using outSPOKEN?If you wish to use the numeric keypad as a number pad, the outSPOKEN keypad can temporarily be switched off. Use the command CTRL-SHIFT NUMLOCK to enable the numeric keypad. CTRL-SHIFT NUMLOCK is a toggle key so that the keypad can be quickly switched between the outSPOKEN keypad and the numeric keypad. It is always possible to use the numeric keypad for entering ASCII values with an ALT-number code even when the numeric keypad is being used by outSPOKEN. I Am Having Difficulty Reading Help Dialogs. What Do I Do?The following tips should help:
How Does outSPOKEN Work Within a Windows DOS Session?A:
Why does outSPOKEN speak things like symbol 3 and icon 4?outSPOKEN identifies graphics by speaking and/or showing on a braille display a text label associated with a particular bitmap on the screen. outSPOKEN distinguishes between an icon and a symbol by the size of the graphic. Text labels for graphics are maintained by outSPOKEN in a set of graphic dictionaries that can be modified and added to. If a software developer did not associate text with a graphic and if the set of graphic dictionaries does not have an entry for a particular graphic, outSPOKEN assigns an arbitrary number to the graphic as in "symbol 13" or "icon 86". The graphic is spoken in outSPOKEN's Graphic voice to distinguish it from other text in the window. When a graphic is shown on a braille display, special braille bracketing is used to distinguish the graphic text from normal text. To associate a name with an unnamed graphic, position the pointer on the graphic and issue the command CTRL KPD Plus to open the Rename Graphic dialog. Type in a meaningful name in the "Speech name" edit field and in the "Braille name" field if you have a braille display. Select a file to save the entry in the "Move to dictionary" List box or type in a new dictionary name. Press the OK button when finished. From here on, outSPOKEN will speak the name or show on a braille display the text you've given to the graphic instead of the arbitrary number you first observed. Another way to deal with unnamed graphics is to specify that outSPOKEN ignore all unnamed graphics. From within the outSPOKEN Preferences dialog (SHIFT KPD Plus), select the Graphics button and uncheck the "Unnamed graphics" option. Press the OK button to accept the new setting. (This setting can be useful when browsing the Internet since one is often interested in text an generally least interested in the masses of symbols and icons strewn throughout the web.) How Can I Show Blank Lines on a Braille Display?When reviewing the content of a window with the braille display's navigation keys, empty lines are skipped by default. In a wordprocessor or program that provides a caret, outSPOKEN can be set to couple the caret with navigation keys of the braille display. Each time the braille display refreshes to a new line, the caret will simultaneously move onto the corresponding line, including blank lines. outSPOKEN is also able to show special new line indicators in braille. To toggle on the caret coupling option, open the Preferences dialog (SHIFT KPD Plus), select the "Braille Coupling" button, and check the option "caret coupled to braille navigation keys". Select the OK button to save the setting. To turn on the new line indicators in braille, select the "Braille Indicators" button in the outSPOKEN Preferences dialog, and check the option "New line indicator". Press the OK button to save this setting. Note: It is also possible to have outSPOKEN announce the number of blank lines when navigating with the pointer. Turn on the option "Approximate blank lines" in the Notification sub-dialog of outSPOKEN Preferences. How do I access "custom toolbar" and bookmark pop-up menus in Netscape 4.xx?Currently, outSPOKEN does not immediately recognize the bookmark and "custom toolbar" menus. To get outSPOKEN to find such a menu, press KPD / (top window) when the menu pops up. outSPOKEN will now behave exactly as it would within a normal menu. How can I increase my computer's speed when navigating menus and dialogs in Windows 98?If you experience problems or if your computer seems slow, the Active Desktop and animation can be switched off so that the classic desktop is used. These options can be found in Start Menu/ Settings/ Active Desktop. Other components may need to be removed from Add/Remove Programs. How can I best optimize my Windows 95 environment to work with outSPOKEN 2.0?We recommend the following Windows 95 settings for optimal performance when using outSPOKEN:
Note: outSPOKEN is generally not sensitive to graphic resolution although higher settings may have an effect on your computer's performance. Does outSPOKEN 2.0 work in Windows 3.X?outSPOKEN 2.0 has been optimized for Windows 95 and Windows 98 and is not supported under Windows 3.X. For users who need access to Windows 3.X, version 1.21 can be made available upon request. Note that ALVA B.V. has obtained all rights to the outSPOKEN software including previous versions and therefore Berkeley Systems is no longer responsible for support and upgrades. All inquiries about outSPOKEN Macintosh and Windows and inLARGE for the Macintosh should be directed to ALVA's U.S. office, ALVA Access Group, Inc.
|support page| home page| top of page
|