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Re: how I use ideal flight as a visually impaired flight sim

PostPosted: Tue Apr 09, 2019 11:39 pm
by jfayre
Hello,
Just wanted to chime in here and say I am also incredibly impressed with the work you are doing on making this software accessible! I've been dabbling in flight simming since around 2004.
I've been totally blind since birth.
I do have one suggestion for future updates. I believe that Ideal Flight pops up alerts periodically. At least I think it does since I hear a bell noise occasionally. Would it be possible to have an option to output these alerts using speech?
Thanks again and can't wait to play with the new changes to Ideal Flight.

Re: how I use ideal flight as a visually impaired flight sim

PostPosted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 6:03 am
by Steve Waite
Yes. It's all possible.

I'll be doing what I can to make it as good as I can with respect to the readers. It's about 90% done for the phase1. Then we'll all have a think and progress it as best we can. I'm putting all other projects on hold for this.

The program has rows of controls and text to the side. That's OK for sighted users but it's had to be recreated for proper reader use. So the delay is more to do with rearranging text than code at the moment.


The 'end of task' sounds I'm going to enhance that section specifically. Your idea is a good one.


I'll get back to it....

Re: how I use ideal flight as a visually impaired flight sim

PostPosted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 7:26 am
by Steve Waite
There's some information about getting around Ideal Flight on the hints and tips page:

http://www.codelegend.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=742&p=6658#p6658

Re: how I use ideal flight as a visually impaired flight sim

PostPosted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 10:11 am
by Steve Waite
When I started out on the conversion I spent possibly a 24 hour period with Joshua testing out different ways of advising the screen reader and the way the user interacts with it. This was a genuine push to understand properly what is really needed. We have much gratitude for the huge effort that Joshua provided to the project.

So rather than expect a screen reader to interpret a program as it is, I have instead devised a new set of components that hold hands with the reader.

We now have perhaps at certain stages the reader speaks out even though we've not tabbed, for example during scenery indexing. Also we can hear the reader speak out disabled controls.

All the text is in and working. An 'Accessible layer' has been added to Ideal Flight (all versions and base FSX versions) that hand-holds screen readers and incorporates more textual help than the visual clues provide alone.

It's been a longer process than expected because of the care required to get the right text in the right places. It will be worth the wait because the saving will be in the using. Sorry for the delays. I'm still working around the clock, but now hoping to complete the first preview before Easter holiday.

Thanks again for all the support!

Re: how I use ideal flight as a visually impaired flight sim

PostPosted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 6:18 pm
by Orinks
Aww. I thought it would've been today since you said it was pretty much done.
Ah well, hope sometime this week then.

Re: how I use ideal flight as a visually impaired flight sim

PostPosted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 10:09 pm
by Steve Waite
Yes. Software I'm afraid. Sometimes I can come in early, others late, never drastically. It's been a situation frustrated in that I've not been able to accelerate the process of organising the text. It just gets into mistakes when rushed, one step forwards two steps back. It takes as long as it takes. An ETA is hard to predict on a 290k line application, but you'll be getting it faster than others can do it, however long it takes. Should have something up and running this week if goes to plan. I can cut short a few things and put them in preview two, but the accessible stuff has got to be accurate first time out as I need the least confusion with feedback on the process. Thanks again.

Re: how I use ideal flight as a visually impaired flight sim

PostPosted: Fri Apr 19, 2019 3:47 pm
by Steve Waite
Please see the New Builds section, Preview discussion for links to download the latest builds.

Re: how I use ideal flight as a visually impaired flight sim

PostPosted: Fri Apr 19, 2019 4:25 pm
by Steve Waite
There's still plenty of work ahead for this update.
For example, the ALT menu within P3D/FSX is not accessible, and so it was requested could I include the IF menu from within the IF page. That's being included with the next preview.