Donald Winiecki
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Yes, the vertical line (dots 456) with preceding and following space is both tactually distinctive for the student (and instructor, who has no existing knowledge of braille) and convenient for me to produce. I will standardize on that symbol for augmented matrices, and include a transcriber's note on the T-note page to indicate this usage.While it may be TMI, the process is for me to produce the materials in BRF and then make them available for the student in a GoogleDrive folder. She can then emboss them at her location on her own embosser. This would have been okay before our current non-face-to-face situation, but it is absolutely essential now.Thanks muchly!_don
Thanks very much Lindy!
I thought that I should be using the enlarged vertical bar, but the example shown in section 126, example 2 is different from what appears in an augmented matrix.
In an augmented matrix the vertical bar appears inside the matrix itself as a dividing line between two matrices combined into one form.
Another NBA-er found the following: https://www.nationalbraille.org/forums/topic/vertical-line-within-a-matrix/
Is the above-noted forum advice still relevant?
Best,
_don
You're correct Peggy, that there is some misalignment between the current versions of GSTG and BF. As you suggest, this arises in part from the fact that the current versions of these documents were published at different times.
Because of the complexity of creating and reading maps that may cover several braille pages, the key MUST be intuitive to assist in remembering the key over multiple pages. Tables are not usually as complex as TGs, and have the option of being condensed, shortened, or abbreviating before opting to use a key. However, tactile graphics do not have the luxury of space that benefits the transcription of a table.
Keys in TGs are limited to only 2 or 3 braille cells, and often use the first letters of a word, as in "bl" for Black Sea. To differentiate, if the transcriber was using the letter “o” for all of the ocean names, they may use "ao" for Atlantic Ocean, and the contraction "aro" for Arctic Ocean. Similarly, some transcribers try to use the letter “r” as the 2nd letter for all of the rivers on a map. Sometimes, but not always, this helps give the reader an additional clue.
Now back to the crux of your question. If a transcriber chooses not to use any short forms (based on Braille Formats) that is acceptable, as long as they are not changing those specified in GSTG Appendix C. We have been advised that the forthcoming updates to Guidelines and Standards will not restrict the use of contraction.
So, until the documents are synchronized, we recommend that your TGs containing maps and map keys must follow the International Organization for standard abbreviations and use of two-letter symbols as specified in GSTG Appendix C. This comes with the realization that in some cases the resulting key symbols will not contain a dot 3 and/or a dot 6 (GSTG section 5.8.1.2).
We are keen on ensuring that you have the information you require, so please let us know if this answers your question!
Hi Janice!
You’re right. The Braille29 font does look light, but it is the appropriate font for use on TGs that will be embossed using the Tiger embosser.
Best wishes!
Kathedral,
With a little help from our friends in the TG world at NBA, we can offer the following.
For Tiger Software Suite
Set your system to create lines according to the following:
-
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
- Axis lines: Drawing Color 6, Line width 2
- Tick marks: Drawing Color 6, Line width 1
- Grid lines: Drawing Color 2, Line width 1
- Braille symbols: Drawing Color Braille
In MS-Word or CorelDraw, use a 1-point dashed line for the background grid, and a 1.5-point solid line for both axis lines and the tick marks.
In all applications, the actual plotted line should be heavier than any other line on the TG.
Finally, I encourage you and others to attend the 'Braille Bytes' webinar this Tuesday, 17 December. Our topic will be the relevant rules and considerations for creating a Cartesian Coordinate TG as you see here. See the following for logging in!
<b>Braille Bytes: Basic Scientific Graphics</b>
<i>Presenter: Donald Winiecki</i>
Tuesday, December 17 at 1:00p ESTDescription: Across all STEM fields, the most basic and even the most common scientific graphics are those that appear on an X-Y coordinate system (i.e., the Cartesian coordinate graph). In this webinar, we will first introduce critical standards that apply to all Cartesian graphs, and then show how those standards apply as the graphs become more complex. We will also explore important design considerations for each tactile graphic based on their end-use and method of production.
<b>TO JOIN</b>
<b>Please join from your computer, tablet or smartphone.</b>
https://global.gotomeeting.<u></u>com/join/389957541
<b>You can also dial in using your phone.</b>
United States: +1 (646) 749-3129
Canada: +1 (647) 497-9391
Access Code: 389-957-541Please let us know if these resources provide you with what you need!
_don winiecki
Hi Kathderal!
Thank you for your question.
If I may, I would like to ask for clarification so that we can best respond.
Are you asking about use of the Tiger Software Suite in MS-Windows?
If yes, are you asking for details that pertain to MS-Windows itself, or to the setup and use of Tiger software?
It may also help us if you could describe in more detail what you are trying to accomplish with MS-Windows, Tiger software, or Tactile View.
I look forward to your response!
_don winiecki
Glad to help Susan!
It looks like the URL to the Guidelines & Standards for Tactile Graphics (GSTG) on BANA's website didn't survive the upload process when I added my previous message. I am including that link again below.
Thanks for the question Susan!
The following responses reference <i>Guidelines & Standard for Tactile Graphics, 2010</i> (i.e., GSTG). If you're curious, you can find GSTG at the following URL: http://www.brailleauthority.
First off, GSTG (2010) specifies that we should omit the number sign on Cartesian graphs (see GSTG, Unit 6, pages 6-1 through 6-2, and section 6.6.2.1). No transcriber's note or other accounting is required for this. However, GSTG indicates that if the labels allow for confusion in cases where braille might be interpreted as either a number or alphabetic character, the numeric indicator (dots 3456) should be used to clarify what is meant. That said, since you indicate that the teacher wants an <u>empty</u> Cartesian graph (i.e., a graph without braille labels for what each axis represents) for students' use, there may be no such confusion and a numeric indicator will likely not be necessary anywhere on your TG.
If you are faced with crowding on the coordinate number lines, GSTG 6.6.2.3 allows us to omit some of the numbers. For example, while including all tick marks from -10 to 10 across the coordinate regions you could choose to omit odd numbers to save space.
For more space saving, it is also allowable to omit the dot 5 from negative number signs. This follows from the way GSTG correlates information on number lines with the way we should represent the axes on a Cartesian graph -- see GSTG 6.5.1.11 (page 6-21) and the example in GSTG on pages 6-23 through 6-25.
In general, all of the advice in GSTG 6.6.2 is useful when converting Cartesian graphs to TGs.
Additionally, it may be important to find out what methods students will be using to plot information into the empty Cartesian graphs you provide. This is because the plotted lines students add should be the most distinctive lines on the graph (GSTG 6.6.2.2). This means that you should choose a method for reproducing your TGs so that whatever method students use to plot data on the Cartesian plane, those lines will be bolder and more distinct than your grid lines and axis lines.
While we are on the topic of the tactile "vocabulary" of lines on a Cartesian graph, GSTG 6.6.2.2 indicates that the grid lines should be the least distinctive of all lines on the graph, and the axis lines should be tactually distinct from the grid lines. However, as above, the actual data plot lines should be the most distinctive on a completed graph.
Finally, our resident expert in the use of CorelDraw on the <i>NBA TG Skills Group</i> provides the attached screenshot for setting up and using CorelDraw's "TM Macro" to accomplish the above. Please note that the "TM Macro" in CorelDraw will automatically insert numeric passage indicators and terminators above and below the Cartesian graph, and insert dot-5 before the minus sign on negative numbers -- you will have to remove those features manually after the "TM Macro" in CorelDraw does it's thing.
Please let us know if this answers your questions!
I don’t have access to the handbook at present, but I wonder if it is allowable to use the DOT LOCATOR FOR USE and numeric passage indicator and terminator on the lines preceding and following this double number line?
This would alleviate need for individual numeric indicators at each digit, and save space on each line.
Doing this would end up saving space overall by avoiding run overs. The result might even be easier to decode.
