David - thank you so much for this explanation, most helpful. The course tutor said no computer could play the course material, clearly excluding things like Windows Media Player, and iTunes; she said a dedicated DTB player would be required. I don't want to have to buy another piece of kit if I can get some software to run on my Mac that she is unaware of. I'll have to get back to her as I'm still unclear what to do -
Andy On 23 May 2014, at 15:05, "David Griffith" <d.griff...@btinternet.com> wrote: > This is not entirely straightforward. > There are several sorts of Daisy Files. > > 1. The vast majority are Daisy Book Audio books. > These are folders of audio files, nearly always mp3 files, which contain > additional files to assist navigation through these mp3 files. All of the > content of these Daisy Books can also be accessed by a simple media player. > In fact since January this year all RNIB Daisy Books are now structured so > that they can be played on a standard mp3 player in order to avoid the need > for people to purchase expensive bespoke daisy players. The RNIB no longer > provide these players for their library users though people can still > purchase them privately if they wish. > 2. Daisy Books with Text and audio. > These are comparatively rarer but some Daisy Books have information > structured , where you can access not only the audio but the text of the > book. This is normally synchronised on a paragraph level. In these books you > can switch from recorded audio to text output or can have the text displayed > on screen at the same time. This can be useful in study purposes if for > example you need to check the spelling of a name or concept. If you are > trying to get this functionality I suspect that you would need to purchase > Read Here on a Mac Platform or use the latest Free FS Reader from Jaws on a > Fusion Window. Physical daisy book readers like the Victor Stream and Pocket > Plextalk will also be able to access both the recorded audio and text > content of these book. > 3. Text only Daisy Books > These are daisy books with no recorded audio which rely on a speech > synthesiser to get access to the contents. Again you are likely to need to > use Read Here or FS Reader under Fusion or a physical daisy book reader. > > To further complicate matters the Books with Text and audio or text only > can also have their content encrypted, but this is rare in my experience. > If content is encrypted will need a reader with support for encrypted > reading to access these books through a submission of a key. If books are > encrypted you need to check with the vendor which application platform can > access the necessary key information. > > Anyway as long as the book is provided in audio only format then yes > normally a straightforward media player can play the contents. > > David Griffith > > .. > > -----Original Message----- > From: mac-access-boun...@mac-access.net > [mailto:mac-access-boun...@mac-access.net] On Behalf Of Andy Collins > Sent: 23 May 2014 14:40 > To: OS X & iOS Accessibility > Subject: Re: Olearia Daisy Book Reader > > David - Firstly, thanks for making your version of Olearia available to me. > > Secondly, from what you also said, I have another question: Do all DAISY > titles as well as having smil files, come with an equivalent mp3 file? My > situation is that I will need to access some course material in DAISY > format, and the college have told me that I will need a machine capable of > playing DAISY files, and that computers will not be capable of this, hence > my search for DAISY playing software; but, if the course material also has > MP3 files with the download, or on the memory stick, depending how they are > made available to me, then like you say, I could just use something like > iTuens to play them. > > Can this be clarified for me, as I don't want to sign up for the course > until I know I have the required software to access the material - > > Andy > On 23 May 2014, at 12:33, David Griffith <d.griff...@btinternet.com> wrote: > >> >> >> Ok here is a copy of my version of the app zipped up into a file and >> uploaded to Sendspace on >> https://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/uq8c43 >> >> As it is open source and freeware I hope that I have not infringed > anything >> doing this. >> I am not sure technically whether the app will retain aspects of my system >> which may make it not suitable for use on other machines. >> >> A few notes about the app. >> Whilst it works perfectly well on my iMac it is undeniably a basic Daisy >> Reader. >> It does not include, for example, the ability to accelerate playback > though >> you can fast forward as normal. >> Basically open your books with control O >> Pressing space on play will play the book. Pressing space again will pause >> playback. Pressing right or left arrow will navigate through the book at > the >> selected level. >> Command left and right arrow provide rewind and fast forward. Apart from >> selecting the level of navigation that is pretty much it. Arguably you > would >> be just as well off using an mp3 player to access the Daisy book mp3 >> contents. >> >> In fact if you really need accelerated playback I think it is probably >> easiest to use the free VLC media player and open the daisy book folder > and >> play the mp3 content through VLC. The advantage of VLC is that it does >> allow you to accelerate the speed of playback. There will be no ability >> to interpret Daisy level navigation within VLC though. >> >> However you can use VLC to save a playlist of the mp3 contents in the >> folder so if the mp3 files are reasonably structured this will provide a >> basic level navigation . >> >> David Griffith >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: mac-access-boun...@mac-access.net >> [mailto:mac-access-boun...@mac-access.net] On Behalf Of David Griffith >> Sent: 22 May 2014 19:47 >> To: 'OS X & iOS Accessibility' >> Subject: RE: Olearia Daisy Book Reader >> >> >> I don't know if this is technically advisable or possible but I could >> dropbox my version of the app to you to see if that works any better. >> >> Presumably as it is open source and freeware this would be valid but I am >> not sure technically if just passing the app along would work properly or >> whether it has to be in a dmg file opened on your system first. I do not >> have the original dmg I am afraid.. >> >> David Griffith >> -----Original Message----- >> From: mac-access-boun...@mac-access.net >> [mailto:mac-access-boun...@mac-access.net] On Behalf Of Andy Collins >> Sent: 22 May 2014 19:20 >> To: OS X & iOS Accessibility >> Subject: Re: Olearia Daisy Book Reader >> >> Hi Esther - >> >> Very helpful, thank you, I was clearly downloading from the wrong place, > but >> it was the only hit Google was finding for me. Anyway, got the beta now, >> and it works, or after a fashion. I am finding that a book will play >> continuously on first opening the app and hitting play, but if I try using >> some of the buttons to forward and rewind, when I then press play, the > book >> only plays for a second, and then pauses again, and I have to close and >> reopen the app to make it play ok again - >> >> Andy >> On 22 May 2014, at 18:10, Esther <mori...@mac-access.net> wrote: >> >>> Hi Andy, >>> >>> I think you can also download Olearia using the public beta link from >> Curtin University: >>> http://www.cucat.org/projects/olearia/ >>> This comes as a zip file. The code,google.com location lets you get the >> source code if you want to compile it from scratch for yourself. >>> >>> HTH. Cheers, >>> Esther >>> >>> >>> On May 22, 2014, at 6:31 AM, Andy Collins wrote: >>> >>>> Hi David and all - >>>> >>>> David, I downloaded Olearia again just now, from code.google.com; even >> though it said it was a zipped download, when I looked for Olearia in my >> downloads folder, it was just there as an application, so I pasted it in > to >> my applications folder, and opened it. I firstly got the message that > Safari >> downloaded the app from code.google.com, and was asked if I wanted to open >> it, so clicked on yes. The first window that comes up asks if I want > Olearia >> to automatically check for updates, and regardless of if I click yes or > no, >> I keep getting the message: >>>> >>>> application alert system dialog Olearia quit unexpectedly. >>>> >>>> I can't get past this issue, so can't even test the app. >>>> >>>> I don't understand why I don't get a dmg download, obviously if I did, >> then I would follow your guidance for installing the app. >>>> >>>> Any more ideas? - >>>> >>>> Andy >>>> >>> <--- Mac Access At Mac Access Dot Net ---> >>> >>> To reply to this post, please address your message to >> mac-access@mac-access.net >>> >>> 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/mac-access@mac-access.net/>. >>> Subscribe to the list's RSS feed from: >>> <http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-access@mac-access.net/maillist.xml> >>> >>> As the Mac Access Dot Net administrators, we do our very best to ensure >> that the Mac-Access E-Mal list remains malware, spyware, Trojan, virus and >> worm-free. 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We assume neither liability nor responsibility should something >> unpredictable happen. >> >> Please remember to update your membership preferences 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 > mac-access@mac-access.net >> >> 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/mac-access@mac-access.net/>. >> Subscribe to the list's RSS feed from: >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-access@mac-access.net/maillist.xml> >> >> As the Mac Access Dot Net administrators, we do our very best to ensure > that the Mac-Access E-Mal list remains malware, spyware, Trojan, virus and > worm-free. 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We assume neither liability nor responsibility should something > unpredictable happen. >> >> Please remember to update your membership preferences 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 > mac-access@mac-access.net > > 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/mac-access@mac-access.net/>. > Subscribe to the list's RSS feed from: > <http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-access@mac-access.net/maillist.xml> > > As the Mac Access Dot Net administrators, we do our very best to ensure that > the Mac-Access E-Mal list remains malware, spyware, Trojan, virus and > worm-free. 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We assume neither liability nor responsibility should something > unpredictable happen. > > Please remember to update your membership preferences 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 > mac-access@mac-access.net > > 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/mac-access@mac-access.net/>. > Subscribe to the list's RSS feed from: > <http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-access@mac-access.net/maillist.xml> > > As the Mac Access Dot Net administrators, we do our very best to ensure that > the Mac-Access E-Mal list remains malware, spyware, Trojan, virus and > worm-free. However, this should in no way replace your own security > strategy. We assume neither liability nor responsibility should something > unpredictable happen. > > Please remember to update your membership preferences 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 mac-access@mac-access.net 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/mac-access@mac-access.net/>. Subscribe to the list's RSS feed from: <http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-access@mac-access.net/maillist.xml> As the Mac Access Dot Net administrators, we do our very best to ensure that the Mac-Access E-Mal list remains malware, spyware, Trojan, virus and worm-free. However, this should in no way replace your own security strategy. We assume neither liability nor responsibility should something unpredictable happen. Please remember to update your membership preferences periodically by visiting the list website at: <http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/mac-access/options/>