Contents. 1 Contents Introduction

Transcription

1 Copyright Texthelp Systems Limited All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language, in any form, by any means, without the prior written permission of Texthelp Systems Limited.

2 1 Contents 1 Contents Introduction Overview Who should read this guide Conventions used in this guide Notes References to other information Numbered lists Menu Options Keys Buttons Text boxes Reading text using PDFaloud Understanding the PDFaloud toolbar Selecting words, sentences and paragraphs Contents 3.3 Specifying which text to read Reading text Points to note Working with objects Working with notes Configuring PDFaloud speech settings Voices and highlighting Continuous Reading Texthelp Systems Limited Page 1-1

3 2 Introduction PDFaloud is designed to provide help to Adobe Acrobat users with reading difficulties. It does this by reading text aloud from PDF documents, using the Speech Control facility. You can control how you want to hear the text read aloud by adjusting the speech and the pronunciation settings. This chapter contains: an overview of this guide advice on who should read this guide a description of conventions used in this guide. For the latest updates and Frequently Asked Questions relating to PDFaloud, visit Overview Introduction This user guide is designed to help you learn how to use PDFaloud. It will take you through the tasks you will need in order to use the system on a daily basis. Each chapter in this guide deals with a specific aspect of using PDFaloud. It is designed to be of practical help to the user. 2.2 Who should read this guide This guide is designed to be used: by new users who want to learn PDFaloud from scratch by experienced users who want information on new features as a reference guide for all users. Texthelp Systems Limited Page 2-1

4 Introduction 2.3 Conventions used in this guide The style and conventions in this guide are designed to make reading it as clear and simple as possible. Conventions used for different types of information are discussed in the following sections Notes Important additional pieces of information that you should be aware of are represented as notes as shown below: This is a note. PDFaloud Help References to other information References to information in other chapters or sections are represented as shown below: This is a reference Numbered lists Instructions that must be followed in order are shown in numbered lists. To use a numbered list, you: 1. Follow the instructions in the first step. 2. Follow the instructions in the next step. 3. Follow the list in order until you complete the task. Page 2-2 Texthelp Systems Limited

5 2.3.4 Menu Options Menu options are represented in italics as shown below: Click on Speech Options Keys Keyboard keys that you need to press as part of an operation are represented in bold as shown below: To bring up the Help window, press F Buttons There are two ways that buttons are represented. Buttons with: Introduction text written on them are represented in bold as shown below: Click on the OK button. pictures on them are represented as shown below: Click on the button Text boxes Text boxes and checkboxes are represented in bold italic as shown below: Check or clear the Stop speech when document scrolls checkbox Texthelp Systems Limited Page 2-3

6 3 Reading text using PDFaloud You use PDFaloud to read aloud text within PDF documents. The following sections help you learn how to do this. By the end of this chapter, you will: understand the PDFaloud toolbar be able to specify whether you want a word, sentence or paragraph read aloud be able to specify which text to read use the system to read text. If the PDFaloud toolbar and menu are disabled, refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section under Support on the following website: Reading text using PDFaloud 3.1 Understanding the PDFaloud toolbar If you are using Adobe Reader X to access the PDF Aloud toolbar you will need to click on the Extended menu and then click the PDFaloud3 toolbar button. If you are using Adobe Reader 9 you should see the PDFaloud toolbar displayed horizontally at the top of the window. If you cannot see this toolbar, select the View menu and then select the PDFaloud3 toolbar option from the Toolbars menu. Texthelp Systems Limited Page 3-1 The screenshots and descriptions in this manual describe the PDF Aloud toolbar as it appears in Adobe Reader X.

7 Reading text using PDFaloud PDFaloud Help Speak button Rewind button Pause button Fast-forward button Stop button Click-and-Speak button Read by word button Read by sentence button Read by paragraph button Figure 3-1 PDFaloud toolbar Page 3-2 Texthelp Systems Limited

8 3.2 Selecting words, sentences and paragraphs You can specify whether you want a word, sentence or paragraph read aloud when you click on a particular area of the PDF document. To do this, select any of the following buttons from the PDFaloud toolbar: Read by word button. Click on this button to specify that you want the system to read aloud one word, each time text is read Read by sentence button. Click on this button to specify that you want the system to read aloud one sentence, each time text is read Read by paragraph button. Click on this button to specify that you want the system to read aloud one paragraph, each time text is read. Reading text using PDFaloud Texthelp Systems Limited Page 3-3 Refer to section 3.4, Reading text, on page 3.4, for information on how to make the system read your text aloud. 3.3 Specifying which text to read When you click on the button, PDFaloud reads from the beginning of the PDF document you have currently open. You can use the PDFaloud toolbar to navigate to the other areas of text within the document, which you want to hear read aloud. Refer to section 3.4, Reading text, on page 3-4, for information on how to use the Speech buttons. If you want to read a word, sentence or paragraph anywhere else in the document, you can use the Click-and-Speak facility. To use the Click-and-Speak facility, you: 1. Click on the button.

9 Reading text using PDFaloud 2. Click on the word, sentence or paragraph you want PDFaloud to read. The system reads the selected text aloud. To deactivate this facility, click on the again. button PDFaloud Help Fast-forward. Click on this button to speak the next word, sentence or paragraph Stop. Click on this button to stop the system from reading the text aloud. Remember to check that your speakers are switched on. 3.4 Reading text You use the PDFaloud toolbar to read text aloud. To do this, select any of the following Speech buttons from the PDFaloud toolbar: 3.5 Points to note In order to use PDFaloud more effectively, you should be aware of a few extra issues. These are covered in the following sections. Play. Click on this button to hear the word, sentence or paragraph spoken aloud Rewind. Click on this button to speak the previous word, sentence or paragraph Pause. Click on this button to pause speech, then click on it again to resume Working with objects PDFaloud will automatically continue to the next block of text when reading. It will not necessarily move to the next word, sentence or paragraph in a specified object, for example, a flow chart or map. This will depend on how the object was created. Page 3-4 Texthelp Systems Limited

10 Therefore, it is recommended that you use the Click-and-Speak tool and click on each individual word, sentence or paragraph within the object to hear the text read aloud Working with notes Reading text using PDFaloud To specify that you want PDFaloud to read aloud a PDF note, you: 1. Click on the symbol to add a note to the PDF file. 2. Select the button from the PDFaloud toolbar. 3. Click on the note. Texthelp Systems Limited Page 3-5

11 4 Configuring PDFaloud speech settings 4.1 Voices and highlighting PDFaloud uses the same speech settings as Read&Write for Mac. You can alter the PDFaloud voice and highlighting settings by changing the settings in the Read&Write for Mac Preferences panel. The Speech tab provides options to choose the voice used by Read&Write for Mac. The voice settings chosen here will also be used by PDFaloud. Reading text using PDFaloud You can alter the PDFaloud highlighting colors in the PDFaloud tab in the Read&Write for Mac Preferences panel. The settings will not apply to PDFaloud until the preferences panel in Read&Write for Mac is closed and Adobe Reader is restarted Continuous Reading PDFaloud will automatically read the next word, sentence or paragraph if Continuous Reading is checked on the Read&Write for Mac Speech menu. Texthelp Systems Limited Page 4-1

12 Configuring PDFaloud settings PDFaloud Help Foreground Color button Background Color button Reset to default colors button Page 4-2 Texthelp Systems Limited