2017-08-20 00:44:46 (edited by magurp244 2017-08-20 00:47:19)

Hm, the lack of braille output is a bit of a concern. I've made some changes to the display output in recent versions, what screen reader are you using and does your braille display work otherwise with other programs? The braille output in brushtone also isn't enabled by default, you can turn it on and cycle through the different display modes by pressing F6 and it will display pixels on the current row to the right of the cursor.

As CAE_Jones mentioned the Sonifier is based on Peter Meijers [The vOICe], and you can use that to help get a better feel for it. It works by converting the whole image into a single sound, or a region if your using the select tool in BrushTone, which is why you only ever hear one sound regardless of where the cursor is. Each pixel in the image is represented by a tone in the sound being played, the pitch of each tone determines the vertical position of each pixel with a higher pitch being higher up on the screen, and a lower pitch being lower on the screen. The time it takes to play determines each pixels horizontal position on the screen from left to right, and the volume represents how bright or dark the pixel is. By default Brushtone converts images to greyscale for sonifying, though it does have filters for the red, green, and blue channels of an image. While it can take some getting used to, its one of the few ways of getting a general overall view of an area through sound. Although perhaps I should also look into implementing some similar tutorials and guides for the Sonifier, or providing additional links and information for The vOICe in BrushTone.

-BrushTone v1.3.3: Accessible Paint Tool
-AudiMesh3D v1.0.0: Accessible 3D Model Viewer

2017-08-20 04:17:30

I am using the newest version of NVDA and Jaws 14, on a win7 32 bit computer. The display outputs normaly to both screen readers, and I can even read BrushTone's messages, like the menues on it. But it's an older display, so that might be the reason why it doesn't work. And yes, I did press f6, nun of the output modes work.

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2017-08-20 12:05:06

Weird, I had encoded a fallback to the titlebar which its supposed to default to if no braille display is detected, but for whatever reason Tolk seems to think there's a braille display even when there isn't one when a reader is in use. It makes me wonder if its encountering an error and just quietly ignoring the input.

Anyway, i've just uploaded v1.2.8 which you can get [here]. I've changed the F6 braille toggle into a full menu, so you press F6 and select an option with the up and down arrows, then press enter to select it. When in this menu, press the left or right arrow keys to manually toggle Titlebar Display Output, which will change the titlebar to output a braille string instead that hopefully works better with the braille display. Not sure what else do in this instance, is there any more information you can give on the model of braille display you have?

-BrushTone v1.3.3: Accessible Paint Tool
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2017-08-20 12:41:36 (edited by Mayana 2017-08-20 12:43:42)

Thank you for the new update, but it still doesn't seem to work. If the titlebar output is disabled, nothing will show up, no matter what mode I choose. If it's enable, I just have "Pane" written on my display, then nothing else. I'm using a braille star 40 from Handy Tech. I don't really mind, I can use the program just fine without it.

Yes, I definitely left the forum. Mhm. Why would you have any doubt?
Code 7 tips: https://forum.audiogames.net/topic/4010 … or-code-7/
Don't forget to be awesome!

2017-09-03 22:45:51

wow, this is just amazing. I never thought this would be possible or done! thank you so much

A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station…

2017-09-04 09:01:12

Certainly! I hope you find it useful, heh. I've come across a few other paint tools since that were developed in the last few years, TactileView, SVGDraw01, and BlindPaint, if you've never heard of them they may also be worth checking out.

I've also come across some more conventional accessible art supplies [here], such as sketchpads, textured papers, and other materials.

@Mayana
Catching up on your Handy Tech Braille Star 40 issue, I'm not sure I can find a solution without more adequate testing, it could be an issue with Tolk, the screen reader, or the device itself. I did dig up its documentation [here] and [here], which might shed some light on a feature or setting. It seems that given the time it was made that it would work best with Jaws, though i'm not sure if more recent versions may have an effect on that. I've also dug into the NVDA end and it seems it has some lingering issues, some members are [actively rebuilding] the Handy Tech drivers right now, i'm sure they could use some help testing the new drivers on various displays, you could also try raising your issue there.

-BrushTone v1.3.3: Accessible Paint Tool
-AudiMesh3D v1.0.0: Accessible 3D Model Viewer

2017-10-24 09:22:57 (edited by magurp244 2017-10-24 09:23:08)

Just uploaded v1.2.9 which you can get [here].

Changes Include:
-Optimized Sonifier
-Sonifier is now loaded by default
-Added options for adjusting Sonifier speed
-Adjusted Sonifier Menu Layout
-Fixed bug when switching from Braille menu to other menus
-Adjusted cursor to snap back into bounds of canvas when keys pressed if out of bounds

I've overhauled the sonifier so it's much more efficient and is now loaded by default instead of having to be initialized. I've also added speed options so you can speed up and slow down playback, and finally fixed the pesky pitch problem when adjusting said speed, among a few other little fixes.

-BrushTone v1.3.3: Accessible Paint Tool
-AudiMesh3D v1.0.0: Accessible 3D Model Viewer

2017-10-24 14:39:46

Thank you!

2017-10-29 12:36:37

I have a question.
What do You use for painting? Mouse, or arrow keys and space?

Ja volim samo kafu sa Rakijom.

2017-10-29 15:01:56 (edited by Orko 2017-10-29 15:03:53)

Your milage may vary but for me, keyboard all the way. My suggestion is to try both, then use what works best for you.

2017-11-02 01:01:17

Both have their advantages, but when using BrushTone I tend to go with keyboard as well. Part of that has to do with the fact that the mouse doesn't work properly with tools other than the Pencil, which is something I plan on addressing at some point in the future.

-BrushTone v1.3.3: Accessible Paint Tool
-AudiMesh3D v1.0.0: Accessible 3D Model Viewer

2017-11-11 09:39:05

Just uploaded v1.3.0 which you can get [here].

Changes Include:
-Fixed mode bugs in sonifier handler
-Added sonifier Color Isolation Mode
-Added braille Color Isolation Mode

The new Color Isolation Modes allow users to isolate and only display the currently selected color, which when used with the Color Grab function can be used to get a good view of a specific color within an image using the Sonifier or with Braille Display output.

-BrushTone v1.3.3: Accessible Paint Tool
-AudiMesh3D v1.0.0: Accessible 3D Model Viewer

2018-02-16 12:06:29

Lol old topic I know but I have a couple of questions / requests.

First of all the file doesn't seem to save properly, only seems to be a blank white image. It works perfectly loading up in brushtone, but not in any viewing program. I think. I'll get back to you on this one, as I might not be catching something with my poor eyesight.

Ok so is there a way to make the brush smaller?
And can we get diagonal movements somehow? Maybe using up and right at the same time to go diagonally up and to the right... or something.

Cheers, looks like it could be a lot of fun if I could use it like I want to.

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2018-02-17 01:46:22

Not as old as one might think, heh. I tend to update it as things change.

Hm, the default canvas color is black, and while it can handle alpha transparency it does not enable or accidentally save this by default, at least not in the latest version, heh. Something that might be throwing you off is the scaling, by default BrushTone loads at a zoom factor of 32, so a single pixel appears as a 32 by 32 block, you can adjust this by pressing the Insert and Delete keys. The brush in this case always draws a single pixel, unless your using one of the other tools, as such there currently is no way to increase or decrease the size of the brush itself, only the scaled view of pixels. The default canvas size is also set to 64 by 64, so if trying to view it in a viewing program it may appear much smaller than it normally would in BrushTone, or put another way the default canvas in BrushTone would appear to be 2048 by 2048, but viewed normally it appears as 64 by 64.

In the current version you should be able to hold the left and right button to move diagonally, although it isn't a very precise way of scrolling in its current incarnation.

-BrushTone v1.3.3: Accessible Paint Tool
-AudiMesh3D v1.0.0: Accessible 3D Model Viewer

2018-04-25 23:44:02

Just uploaded v1.3.1:

Changes Include:
-Fixed bug in sonifier stereo playback where it was playing from right to left

Didn't catch this on the last update, the sonifier stereo playback was playing from right to left instead of left to right, which can be disorienting as the data is being processed from left to right.

-BrushTone v1.3.3: Accessible Paint Tool
-AudiMesh3D v1.0.0: Accessible 3D Model Viewer

2018-07-29 05:11:40

Uploaded v1.3.2 which you can get [here]:

Changes include:
-Updated Tolk Drivers

Some users were encountering issues with Jaws 2018 not reporting coordinates or moving the cursor properly, hopefully this solves the issue.

-BrushTone v1.3.3: Accessible Paint Tool
-AudiMesh3D v1.0.0: Accessible 3D Model Viewer

2018-07-30 07:22:02

hey i like this tool thanks for doing  this grate job for disable peoples but i dont have any idea how  can i use this tool . can i use this tool with my teachers  who  wants to teech me   web  graphic design i have to  understand color codes . plz  helpmi  can i use this  tool with sited people  cause i dont have  much knolage about  images and graphicks

2018-07-30 07:45:20

Yes you could use it to learn color codes quite easily, the word based color selection is based on the web standard color codes I believe, and you can view and change the colors RGB values and create custom colors if necessary. BrushTone itself is designed to create standard visual images like JPG, BMP, PNG, and GIF animations, so you should be able to use it with sighted people. The tricky part though is that drawing and viewing colors is done on a pixel by pixel basis, so getting used to the built in sonifier when trying to view larger images of regions would be a good idea.

-BrushTone v1.3.3: Accessible Paint Tool
-AudiMesh3D v1.0.0: Accessible 3D Model Viewer

2018-08-01 23:06:35

Does this thing work with your mouse? And I'd still like to see smaller pencils added. Thanks though.

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2018-08-02 01:59:00

Yes it works with your mouse, sort of. The mouse doesn't work properly when using the built in tools, only the pencil tool. This became a bit of an issue during development with how the coordinates for keyboard and mouse input were handled, as keyboard was inplemented first. As for Pencil size, the Pencil itself is already as small as possible, one tiny pixel in length. Having it any larger than that in fact could prove problematic because it would make playing the RGB tones of the pixel data difficult. It appears larger than it actually is because of the zoom factor, which is set to 32 by default, so a single tiny pixel is automatically scaled up so it looks like a 32 by 32 tile. Hm, perhaps I should change the default zoom factor, you can adjust it with the Insert and Delete keys, a zoom factor of 1 would be the smallest and most accurate scale.

-BrushTone v1.3.3: Accessible Paint Tool
-AudiMesh3D v1.0.0: Accessible 3D Model Viewer

2018-08-02 02:31:13

In that case, could you please make so that you can increase and then decrease brush size? I'd want an experience like the one I used to get in paint. Yeah zoom is too big.

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2018-08-02 05:03:07

Adjustable brush sizes is something i've been thinking about, but its a bit of a troublesome problem.

Right now, when you move the cursor over a pixel it plays that pixels RGB values as 3 tones, which helps make painting colors and pixels fairly straight forward. But how would you represent the values of, say, 4 pixels? I've thought perhaps I could add an echo or reverb effect to represent multiple pixels under a larger brush, which would be fine, but what if those pixels aren't the same color? Do you play 12 to 16 tones for each pixel? In what order are the colors represented based on their position under the cursor? The result can end up being more complex and time consuming, making it less intuitive.

Another solution i've considered was to try and average the color values under the brush into 3 tones that could give a general idea of the colors, but that results in a kind of "blurring" and is a less accurate representation of the pixels themselves, but if brush size is adjustable it could prove to be a tolerable trade off, less detailed feedback for greater coverage. I've also considered implementing a sonifier cursor mode, which would allow users to sonify a small region around the cursor as opposed to having to select a region. Set to the right size it could also prove to be another way to get a similar brush sized area view.

Its the last two i've been leaning towards, 3 amalgamated tones with a reverb effect to represent a larger brush area, and an optional sonifier cursor.

-BrushTone v1.3.3: Accessible Paint Tool
-AudiMesh3D v1.0.0: Accessible 3D Model Viewer

2018-08-02 16:20:09

@47 yeah I think the average would be the way you wanna do it for increased brush sizes, especially if you're doing larger images where that area may be some kind of background and then you can put in the little details later. Also what if we don't know all the RGB combination values where they mesh to make things like purple, yellow, orange, etc?

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An anomaly in the matrix. An error in existence. A being who cannot get inside the goddamn box! A.K.A. Me.

2018-08-03 00:06:48

You can currently press the "Z" key to identify a color by name under the cursor based on its nearest equivalent value in the color index, so if a you have the color purple it will say purple, and if you have a color thats closest to pure red but is a bit off it will say "Custom Red".

This does however raise a further question about how to identify amalgamated color combinations with larger brushes though, if two pixels are black and two are white, does it name the amalgamated colors under the brush grey, or "amalgamated grey"? It wouldn't represent contrasting color combinations very well, or would it list the colors under the brush in sequence? In what order? I think perhaps a dynamic naming system might work, so if all the pixels under the brush are black it would just say black, but for combinations it could add a "mixed" prefix to indicate that there are separate colors mixing together under the larger brush.

-BrushTone v1.3.3: Accessible Paint Tool
-AudiMesh3D v1.0.0: Accessible 3D Model Viewer

2019-01-21 00:18:18

Hello! So I'm trying to use this to make maps for my sighted D&D players, but I'm having issues making it big enough for them to print off with any kind of clarity. They're saying it's just a little square.

thanks,
Michael