Opening TactileView-created files on the Monarch

APH Products Monarch
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Hi, all. I’m new here and posting for the first time. I’m not sure how to categorize this question because it involves a few different layers. With Chat GPT’s help, I’ve created line drawings of each row of the iPhone home screen in a different file. I opened each file in the TactileView software, and then had some help from Aira to create Braille labels for the icons. The only format to save this image in natively was BPX. I thought the Monarch could open BPX files, but I tried this and to no avail. So, where to from here. I thought it would be easier to create line drawings with Braille labels that I could open on the Monarch. But even with visual assistance, I’m still missing something. I want to use these graphics to teach my adult learners what the iPhone icons look like, as they also practice their Braille-reading skills. Any help would be appreciated. It’s tricky to know who to ask when TactileView is from Humanware, but both companies support the Monarch in different ways, to my understanding. Thanks so much for any insight and direction!

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Hi Chris!

You have at least a few reasonable options.

If you want to use Tactile View and you don’t need braille labels:

  1. Open your file in Tactile View and go to the File Menu
  2. Choose “Export Image”
  3. Press Enter on OK in the dialog box that appears
  4. Save either as a JPG or PNG file

This will give you the option of multiple levels of Zoom when you open the file in Tactile Viewer on the Monarch.

Alternatively, if the method you are using with Chat GPT allows you to save as a JPG or PNG or BMP file, you can just do that and then open it directly on the Monarch without going through Tactile View.

If you do want braille labels, first you need a specific braille font:

  1. Go to this web page - H&P Tactile Images
  2. Press Enter on the link for “Get Braille29 font”
  3. A Braille29.ttf file will save to your Downloads folder (or wherever you’ve chosen for your Internet downloads to go)
  4. Open that file
  5. Press Enter on the Install button
  6. Now, Braille29 should appear as an option whenever you open a font dropdown box (you may need to restart your computer for this to take effect)

Then, if you want to use Tactile View:

  1. Create your file with graphic elements only (shapes, lines, etc.)
  2. Open your file in Tactile View
  3. Go to the File Menu
  4. Press Enter on “Print”
  5. Under Printer Name, press Enter on “Microsoft Print to PDF”
  6. Press Enter on OK
  7. Give your file a name and destination, and press Enter on OK
  8. Open your file in a PDF editor like Adobe Illustrator
  9. Add the labels to your graphic using Braille29 font, 29-point size
    a) There will be many Braille29 options that appear in the font dropdown - you want the one that only says “Braille29” (dropped numbers with no number sign if reading on a braille display) and nothing else
  10. Save as a PDF

This will just give you two levels of Zoom in Tactile Viewer on the Monarch - Zoom In and Zoom Out - but PDF is the only braille-enabled file type that the Monarch understands.

You might see a little corruption in the braille. I am not sure what to do about this. Other drawing software programs like Microsoft Word and Corel Draw are very consistent and accurate with their Monarch braille presentation but they are also less accessible. Adobe is okay.

Alternatively, if the method that you’re using with Chat GPT allows you to save a shapes-only file as a PDF, you can just open it in Adobe Illustrator and then add your labels there without going through Tactile View.

I have attached documents that include some best practices for Monarch drawing.

If you are an iOS user, Wing-It is a great option for drawing with the Monarch. You can get it at the Apple app store: ‎Monarch Wing It on the App Store. Then you can connect an iPhone or iPad to the Monarch via Bluetooth and use the app for drawing and labeling, with your graphics appearing instantly on the Monarch’s screen.

I hope all of this is helpful! A lot of drawing for the Monarch right now is trial-and-error to find out what works and what doesn’t. Please let me know if I can assist further.

Jenny
Monarch Best Practices for Educators and Transcribers.docx (169.6 KB)
Monarch Best Practices Reference Sheet.docx (151.7 KB)

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Hello, Jenny. Thank you so, so much for this extraordinarily helpful post. It has been a bit of a mystery for me to figure out what’s possible, in what way, with what tools. I had no idea that PDFs are the only documents that the monarch could view with braille labels. I will keep working with these tools and let the group know what I come up with. Again, thank you so much for the helpful resources and explanations.

Chris

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