Hi All.
I have just discovered the Mac does not support Computer Braille Grade 0. It supports English grade 1 USA, UK and Unicode. But you do not get Computer grade braille USA or British. I prefer USa Computer Grade Braille when reading computer related information. Any ideas on resolving this? Sean On 11/08/2012, at 10:18 AM, Esther wrote: > Hello All, > >> I was experimenting while drafting a reply to Phil's question about double >> clicking and right clicking, and came across an interesting side behavior >> from the application KeyRemap4MacBook that allows me to use the NumPad >> Commander key definitions, including combinations with modifier keys, on a >> laptop. For background information, this software is shareware (free, but >> donations suggested if you find it useful), and can be used to remap >> keyboard keys. While many people who have installed VMWare Fusion to run >> Windows under a virtual machine used Sharp Keys to remap keys under the >> Windows guest system, others have use Fusion's preferences, and still >> others have used KeyRemap4MacBook. The distinction is that >> KeyRemap4MacBook is a Mac-based program (while Fusion's preferences take >> effect only within the virtual machines, which might be Linux, Windows, >> etc.; and Sharp Keys is a Windows registry hack that only works for the >> Windows VM). KeyRemap4Macbook (hereafter, KR4MB) can also be used for >> general Mac keyboard remapping, to support different language >> implementations, etc. For example, I think someone has used this to remap >> the right Command key to be a Control key, so that the bottom row gives >> you VO keys on both sides of the space bar. Just a warning that this is >> going to be a long post, and may be primarily of interest to those >> interested in the technical side of working their Macs. I'm hoping to >> enlist some assistance in checking out what I hope are new capabilities >> for laptop Mac users. >> >> The interesting discovery is that when you download and install KR4MB on >> Mac laptops, by default you gain access to the embedded number pad in the >> right hand side of the keyboard when you press the "Fn" key in combination >> with these keys. So, if I want to enter a series of numbers, holding down >> the "Fn" key and pressing "j k l" generates "1 2 3", while holding down >> the "Fn" key and pressing "u i o" generates "4 5 6". This is exactly the >> way things worked on the PowerPC laptop keyboards and the early Intel >> MacBooks (before year's end 2008). You could access the embedded numeric >> keypad -- both numbers and math operation characters -- either by toggling >> on the "NumLock" function of the F6 key, or by pressing "Fn" with each key >> without having to toggle on "NumLock". >> >> The even more interesting discovery is that you can use the embedded >> numeric keypad with the Fn key to generate the NumPad Commander >> combinations, including the ones with modifier keys like "Command", >> "Option", "Control", or "Shift", if you turn on NumPad Commander by >> checking the box for "Enable NumPad Commander" under the "Commanders" menu >> of VoiceOver Utility (VO-F8). In fact, if you turn on keyboard help mode >> with VO-k and press the keys on the right hand side of the keyboard where >> the embedded number pad would be on the old laptops, together with the >> "Fn" key and modifiers, VoiceOver will identify the corresponding NumPad >> Commander operation that is currently bound to that combination. >> >> For background, over two years ago there was a discussion on this list >> about being able to use the unmodified NumPad Commander keyboard shortcuts >> on a laptop if you press the number key from the top row on the keyboard >> in place of the corresponding NumPad key together with an arrow key. >> Again, NumPad Commander must be enabled in VoiceOver Utility for this to >> work. I think that Sarah, at least, takes advantage of this on her laptop. >> (The trick is to find an arrow key to press that doesn't also move focus >> while you use these combinations.) I'll give the link to the old >> discussion in the list archives, since this predates the use of the Mail >> Archive with its search facilities, and I went back to read up on this. >> There were some truly odd aspects of the way this worked. For one thing, I >> could run the default unmodified NumPad Commander definitions on my 12" G4 >> PowerBook under Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4), which still had a working embedded >> Numeric Keypad, even though NumPad Commander was not introduced until >> Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5). Anne could press the top row keys in combination >> with arrow keys on a French keyboard to get these sequences, even though >> on a French keyboard typing the numbers by themselves in the top row of >> keys requires pressing the "Shift" key. Here's the old discussion archive >> link: >> >> Keyboard Shortcuts from NumPad Commander without a NumPad: >> http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/pipermail/mac-access/2010/000101.html >> >> As far as I can tell so far, using KR4MB does not produce any bad side >> effects for VoiceOver use. Even without using the NumPad Commander >> definitions it appears useful to have an alternate way to enter numbers. >> When KR4MB is installed the combination of pressing a number from the top >> row of keys and an arrow key no longer seems to generate the unmodified >> NumPad Commander operation for that number key. On the other hand, there >> are probably things I can't easily test by myself. I've switched language >> keyboards, and the NumPad definitions seem to work OK. I've been doing my >> test on a 13" MacBook Pro (2010 model) running Snow Leopard. But I don't >> know, for example, whether the remapped keys have any contention issues >> with key definitions for people running VMWare and Windows or Bootcamp. >> Also, I haven't tried the key emulation in Bluetooth applications like >> Type2Phone yet, but I think that app might use the native keystrokes, >> only. My machine also runs TextExpander, which shouldn't affect the key >> remapping, but it could generate odd input combinations. Anyone who wants >> to try experimenting with this should probably not be using other key >> remapping software in contention. >> >> I think this is definitely an interesting set of features to test out, but >> there should probably be additional checking of the NumPad Commander >> function usage. In other respects KR4MB appears to be well-designed >> software. Here's the developer's web page for those of you who are >> interested: >> http://pqrs.org/macosx/keyremap4macbook/ >> >> Note that there are two different versions of the software (version 7.8.0 >> for Mountain Lion, Lion, and Snow Leopard, and version 5.1.0 for Leopard >> and Tiger). This downloads as a .dmg file. I just double clicked after >> opening the .dmg file to install on Snow Leopard, but there are specific >> instructions about using the contextual to open in compliance with >> GateKeeper under Mountain Lion. >> >> Again, I'd hope that a few people would check this out and report back on >> their results. >> >> HTH. Cheers, >> >> Esther > <--- Mac Access At Mac Access Dot Net ---> > > To reply to this post, please address your message to > [email protected] > > You can find an archive of all messages posted to the Mac-Access forum at > either the list's own dedicated web archive: > <http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/pipermail/mac-access/index.html> > or at the public Mail Archive: > <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/>. > Subscribe to the list's RSS feed from: > <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml> > > The Mac-Access mailing list is guaranteed malware, spyware, Trojan, virus and > worm-free! > > Please remember to update your membership options periodically by visiting > the list website at: > <http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/mac-access/options/> <--- Mac Access At Mac Access Dot Net ---> To reply to this post, please address your message to [email protected] You can find an archive of all messages posted to the Mac-Access forum at either the list's own dedicated web archive: <http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/pipermail/mac-access/index.html> or at the public Mail Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/>. Subscribe to the list's RSS feed from: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml> The Mac-Access mailing list is guaranteed malware, spyware, Trojan, virus and worm-free! Please remember to update your membership options periodically by visiting the list website at: <http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/mac-access/options/>
