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- This is demo of release 2.82 of FLIPPER, the blind users access program
- for IBM PC's and compatibles.
-
- The file START.DOC explains how to get started with flipper and
- configure a voice synthesizer.
-
- The documentation files are in a subdirectory of this floppy
- disk, or on a separate disk. Flipper now has a powerful
- electronic documentation facility. The instructions are in the
- file LOOK.DOC with the other documentation files.
-
- New features include braille device output, more commands with
- external configurations, new synthesizers are supported, and
- this version allows you to select the enhancement used for
- cursor tracking.
-
- Our Phone number:
-
- (415) 540-6455
-
- and our address.
-
- Omnichron
- 1438 Oxford St.
- Berkeley, CA 94709
-
- CHANGES:
-
- Flipper's voice is now controlled by first pressing v in the
- review mode, then pressing the function keys, in combination
- with shift, control, or alt. All three voices can be controlled
- separately now. The unshifted function keys change all the
- voices, the automatic output voice is changed using the shifted
- function keys, the keyboard echo voice is on the alt function
- keys, and the command voice is changed using the control
- function keys.
-
- NEW FEATURES:
-
- Flipper can now send selected text to a electronic Brailler, or
- to a Braille display. Set up a serial device by putting a plus
- sign on the command line for Flipper, followed by a 1 for com1
- or a 2 for com2. You then need to set up the communications
- port with the mode command to the correct baud rate, etc. To
- set up a parallel device, put an equal sign on the command line,
- followed by a 1 for LPT1 or PRN, a 2 for LPT2, a 3 for LPT3,
- etc. Once the device is set up, you can Braille the line the
- cursor is on by pressing alt equals. In the review mode, you
- can Braille several lines starting with the line the review
- cursor is on by typing a number followed by the alt equal. If
- the margins set using the W key are on, they will be used.
- Flipper requires full hardware handshaking for serial Braille
- devices, and com3 and com4 may be used if your computer supports
- them.
-
-
- Flipper now supports the stand alone Accent board. The
- performance seems as fast as the internal card. The Accent SA
- is a good choice for PS/2 users, and for those who prefer a
- serial synthesizer. The command line to start Flipper using an
- external accent is "FLIPPER M1" for an accent on the primary
- serial port, or "FLIPPER M2" for an accent on the secondary
- port. Flipper requires a direct 25 wire cable to the Accent SA.
-
- Flipper now supports the Sounding Board with a "S" on the
- command line, the ASP with a at sign (@) on the command line,
- and the PDS audapter with a "P" on the command line.
-
- See the file "FLIPEXT.DOC" for documentation on the use of the
- flipext command and new features using external configurations.
-
- If you want to have a second configuration which is only a
- little different from the one you are using, you can now use the
- shift f command to make the configurations the same, then make
- whatever changes that you need.
-
- You can now flip the configuration from primary to secondary and
- back from outside the review mode with an alt f. --- requested
- by Cynthia Lowe.
-
- You can now search for several different types of symbols.
- Control f matches any form symbol. Control left square bracket
- searches for any upper left corner form symbol. Control right
- square bracket searches for any lower right corner form symbol.
- ---requested by Karen Navey.
-
- You can tell Flipper to watch any portion of the screen and to
- either beep, or read an area of the screen if it changes.
- Activate this feature with a backslash in the review mode.---
- requested by John Cunningham and Nelson Hinman.
-
- The automatic output is temporarily silenced if you press the
- alt key by itself. ---requested by Curtis Chong.
-
- You can set up to nine additional marks on the screen by
- pressing digit x, and you can jump to any of them by pressing
- digit shift x.
-
- Flipper can say blank for blank lines. This is option alt
- control 3. ---requested by Robert Larson.
-
- Flipper can now read a sentence at a time when you are in an
- editor using the alt right and left keys. It looks for a period
- followed by two spaces to mark the end of a sentence. It will
- actually scroll through the text in your word processor.
- Flipper can also read continuously, sentence by sentence.
- Continuous reading is started by alt down arrow. ---requested
- by Dennis Fantin.
-
- You can now have Flipper make a click whenever the screen is
- changed, even if it was written to directly (where there is no
- automatic output). ---requested by Curtis Chong
-
- Whenever you are asked for a row or column, you can respond by
- hitting c, to use the cursor position, x, to use the
- marked position, or digit x to use one of the other marks.
-
- You can use the underscore (dash) line key during the review
- mode or the alt underscore in the regular mode to read only the
- enhanced areas of the screen within a specific block. Press
- control underscore during the review mode for further
- documentation. ---requested by Nelson Hinman.
-
- There is now a new option, called the automatic lightbar mode.
- When it is on, Flipper will automatically read the choices in a
- lightbar menu. It is also used with the Lotus 123 and VP planner
- spreadsheets, switching back and fourth between reading cell
- contents and regular cursor action when you are editing within a
- cell. Lotus 123 should be used with hardware cursor activated.
-
- Flipper now supports Aicom corporation's Accent mini. Use an m
- on the Flipper command line to use the Accent mini. The Accent
- mini has larger memory requirements and somewhat higher
- cost than the Artic card, but the reading rate is much higher,
- and the pronunciation rules are more accurate. It will also
- boot properly in high speed computers.
-
- As many configurations as you want can be loaded into memory
- using the "flipext" program and then loaded into flipper at any
- time by typing a number followed by the f key (for flip
- configuration) during the review mode. Two sets of
- configurations are still kept within flipper and you can still
- flip back and fourth between them with an F in the review mode.
- See the file "FLIPEXT.DOC."
- ---requested by Auggie Chuma.
-
- If you press a shifted alphabetic key and the caps lock is on,
- FLIPPER beeps. This lets you know the caps lock is on when you
- probably did not want it. --- requested by Audrey Klose.
-
- The e key in the review mode will now read the screen
- enhancement. --- requested by Vicky Winslow
-
- AUTO KEY:
-
- For advanced users ...
-
- Auto key allows Flipper to be programmed by keyboard enhancers
- like NEWKEY. With Auto Key, you can both program and use macros
- without even leaving your application program! Flipper with
- Auto Key still works with difficult programs like the IRMA board
- (of course, NEWKEY won't work when IRMA is activated, but
- Flipper's regular features still work).
-
- With Auto Key, you can define single keystrokes to do complex
- tasks. It is designed for programmability, not simply
- compatibility with macro key programs.
-
- New features with autokey:
-
- See the file autoexec for a new, more sophisticated example,
- reading a pop up window.
-
- You can use c or x instead of entering a row or column number,
- to use the cursor position or the mark position. Entering a
- number before a toggle key will cause flipper to choose state 1
- for a 1, or state 2 for any other number besides zero. This
- allows you to set a toggle to an absolute state. The quote key
- allows you to send a string directly to the synthesizer. The
- string is terminated by any non-ascii string (for example, the
- end key). This allows you to write in prompts, or to send
- commands to the synthesizer.
-
- Flipper's auto key mode is documented in the file autokey.doc.
-
-