TRIANGLE     

Record 8 of 8.

Triangle is a scientific math program with voice and tactile output designed for use by students and professionals in math, science, and engineering who are blind or have low vision. It is intended to provide a workspace for reading, writing, and manipulating mathematics. It uses GS (Gardner-Salinas) braille notation, a linear notation for scientific expressions with syntax modeled on the page markup language LaTeX, which is widely used by professional scientists and mathematicians. GS symbols that are not on the standard keyboard may be entered using a braille keyboard option or several menu selection options. This scientific math program features a math/science word processor, a graphing calculator, a viewer for y versus x plots, a table viewer, and a program for audio and/or braille-assisted reading of tactile figures on an external digitizing pad (the Touch-and-Tell program). The graphing calculator feature displays graphs and functions in visual, auditory, and tactile formats. It permits evaluation of most standard math expressions. Results are returned to the scratchpad buffer and may be cut and pasted to other documents. The calculator will also evaluate functions y versus x that can be viewed in audio using a tone graph viewer that provides the user with a quick semi-quantitative overview. A moving icon on the screen provides similar information for a deaf blind user. The table viewer feature allows users to read, navigate, and edit complex tables in an easy-to-use manner. Tables can be read cell by cell or line by line. The latter option is useful for small tables being read in braille, but the first is usually preferable when speech synthesis is used or when tables are large. Tables may also be created or edited in this viewer. The word processor has five different document buffers that provide basic editing capabilities, including search and cut and paste operations. In the word processor, the keyboard or any assistive device/software that emulates a keyboard may be used for input. Output may be viewed visually on the DOS text screen; audibly using a screen-reading program and external voice synthesizer for text and the PC speaker or a SB16-compatible sound output for other audio; tactually using a braille screen access program and external refreshable braille display; or using any combination of the above simultaneously. The Touch-and-Tell program provides alternate-mode display for information presented visually in figures. The user selects an object or region on a figure that is mounted on a digitizing tablet. The touch-and-tell program then displays textual information about that object or region. This information can be read visually, audibly, or in braille. This scientific math program supports the Nomad tablet, the Edmark Touch Window, and the MagicTouch touch screen digitizing tablets. The Objectif program was made to facilitate preparation of the files and tactile figures used with this viewer. COMPATIBILITY: For use with IBM and compatible computers. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: For voice output, a DOS screen reading program such as Vocal-Eyes versions 2.2 and 3.0 or JAWS for DOS 2.3; a speech synthesizer such as Apollo, DECtalk Express, DoubleTalk, Keynote Gold, or MultiVoice, or a device with a speech synthesizer built into its functionality such as Freedom Scientific's Type 'n Speak and Braille 'n Speak devices or the American Printing House for the Blind's Nomad touch tablet; and drivers for the synthesizer. For braille output, a braille screen reader that supports a dictionary option for all 256 DOS screen characters and a braille display that permits downloading of braille tables. The GS8 braille table for representing the GS braille code in DOS characters may be loaded into the TSI Gateway screen reader that is included, with the permission of TSI, in the Triangle distribution files, and this screen reader can be used with any 8-dot TSI Navigator or Power Braille refreshable braille display. OPTIONS: A CD version of this software is available from the manufacturer on request, or it may be downloaded from the the manufacturer's web site.

Notes: Primary funding for the Science Access Project comes from the National Science Foundation. ** Triangle may be freely distributed as long as no fee is charged and all of the files are kept together and intact.

Price: FREE.

This product record was updated on April 24, 2003.

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Record 8 of 8.