Reading .brf books
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Mallard <mallard@...>
Hello all,
I have a number of .brf files, not from Bookshare, which I normally read on a usb pendrive with my Touchme5 braille display. I'f like to read them on the pc as well, but I have no idea whether there are any programmes that would open those files, without converting the mto txt with Wintrans, for example. Does such software exist? Thanks, ciao, Ollie
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Gene
I would think that if you change the extension to
txt, they will open in Notepad and you should be able to read them
untranslated. Braille files are just text files.
Gene
----- Original Message -----
I have a number of .brf files, not from Bookshare, which I normally read on a usb pendrive with my Touchme5 braille display. I'f like to read them on the pc as well, but I have no idea whether there are any programmes that would open those files, without converting the mto txt with Wintrans, for example. Does such software exist? Thanks, ciao, Ollie
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Mallard <mallard@...>
I tried, but I get a lot of strange symbols along with the actual text. Since they're files for learning Biblical Hebrew, it looks a bit complicated.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
I saw there's a programme, which is paid, but I don't think it's worth my while to buy something for this. I'll continue reading them in my braille display and forget about the pc... Thanks. It would probably work with straightforward text; I'll try that again. Ciao, Ollie
Il 15/11/2016 21:37, Gene ha scritto:
I would think that if you change the extension to txt, they will open in Notepad and you should be able to read them untranslated. Braille files are just text files.
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Roger Stewart
Yes. I use the free brf2txt program
from Empowerment Zone.
Roger On 11/15/2016 2:37 PM, Gene wrote:
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Dan Beaver
They are not just text files if they are in grade 2 or some other contractional format. They do not present well in notepad if this is the case.
Dan Beaver On 11/15/2016 3:37 PM, Gene wrote:
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Gene
I don't know what is different about grade 2
Braille files. I thought they were text files because my recollection from
using the Braille 'n Speak is that when typing with the translator on, they are
just text files. Evidently, there are some sort of differences I don't
know about.
Gene
----- Original Message -----
They are not just text files if they are in grade 2 or some other contractional format. They do not present well in notepad if this is the case. Dan Beaver On 11/15/2016 3:37 PM, Gene wrote:
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Ian Blackburn
I have read these files in variety of programs including notepad WordPad in Microsoft Word The layout is not very good in these programs but the files are red on the braille Display so it doesn't matter much If you have a Mac you can read them in text edit Regards Ian Sent from my iPhone
On 16 Nov. 2016, at 6:13 am, Gene <gsasner@...> wrote:
I don't know what is different about grade 2
Braille files. I thought they were text files because my recollection from
using the Braille 'n Speak is that when typing with the translator on, they are
just text files. Evidently, there are some sort of differences I don't
know about.
Gene
----- Original Message -----
They are not just text files if they are in grade 2 or some other contractional format. They do not present well in notepad if this is the case. Dan Beaver On 11/15/2016 3:37 PM, Gene wrote:
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Dan Beaver
Well, grade 2 braille includes contractions like the dollar sign for the letters "ed" in what we used to call US braille at least. I am not familiar with braille from other countries and am not very familiar with UEB yet. In a BRF file notepad displays the dollar sign as a dollar sign. See what problems this kind of contraction can cause?
Dan Beaver On 11/15/2016 5:13 PM, Gene wrote:
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Travis Siegel
.brf files *are* just plain text files. There's nothing in a .brf file that can't be displayed in a text editor. Of course there will be odd symbols in there, (er is right bracket, ar is less than symbol), and so on. However, if you're using a braille display, these characters should be rendered properly with no issues (they were for me when I had a working braille display more than 10 years ago). Of course, if you translate them back to plain text, then there are no grade two symbols in it, and so it can be read with the screen reader as well. Nothing unusual about .brf files.
On 11/15/2016 5:13 PM, Gene wrote:
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Gene
The person said he wants to use a braille display
and not have the braille translated. He wants things displayed in the
grade written. You would want the dollar sign displayed as a dollar
sign. You would know from context if it is a dollar sign or the letters
ed. The person is using a Braille display.
Gene
----- Original Message -----
Well, grade 2 braille includes contractions like the dollar sign for the letters "ed" in what we used to call US braille at least. I am not familiar with braille from other countries and am not very familiar with UEB yet. In a BRF file notepad displays the dollar sign as a dollar sign. See what problems this kind of contraction can cause? Dan Beaver On 11/15/2016 5:13 PM, Gene wrote:
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Hi,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Use edsharp from empowermentzone to back translate the BRF file. Pranav
-----Original Message-----
From: nvda@nvda.groups.io [mailto:nvda@nvda.groups.io] On Behalf Of Mallard Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2016 2:01 AM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: [nvda] Reading .brf books Hello all, I have a number of .brf files, not from Bookshare, which I normally read on a usb pendrive with my Touchme5 braille display. I'f like to read them on the pc as well, but I have no idea whether there are any programmes that would open those files, without converting the mto txt with Wintrans, for example. Does such software exist? Thanks, ciao, Ollie
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Christo Vorster
Hi Dan
I regularly work with .brf files. One of my tasks here at the college where I work, is to translate .docx documents into braille. It is quite difficult to read .brf files in Duxbury, especially with NVDA. I used to have JAWS as my screen reader and the developers of Freedom Scientific built JAWS to be quite compatible with Duxbury in the sense that it read grade 2 braille as if it was normal print, I mean like in Word. NVDA, currently read “e d” as “dollar” or a word like “immediately” like “I m m l y”.
To be very honest, I don’t think that the move to UEBC braille was such a big thing, meaning that the braille system did not notably change, we actually lost a few contractions but we gained a lot by the new signs (bold, italics, underline, the difference between parenthesis and brackets, etc). I am involved in the training of vision impaired computer users and for us the acceptance of UEBC only has been a positive step.
The bottom line to me is that Braille before and after UEBC still is a fantastic invention and we all must applaud Louis Braille each and every day.
Have a nice day
Christo Vorster (Worcester, South Africa)
From: nvda@nvda.groups.io [mailto:nvda@nvda.groups.io] On Behalf Of Dan Beaver
Sent: Wednesday, 16 November 2016 12:49 AM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: Re: [nvda] Reading .brf books
Well, grade 2 braille includes contractions like the dollar sign for the letters "ed" in what we used to call US braille at least. I am not familiar with braille from other countries and am not very familiar with UEB yet. In a BRF file notepad displays the dollar sign as a dollar sign. See what problems this kind of contraction can cause?
Dan Beaver
On 11/15/2016 5:13 PM, Gene wrote:
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Christo Vorster
Hi Gene
I only got to see the comversation on reading .brf files. I actually doubt whether changing the file extension from .brf to .txt would help much. I haven’t yet tried it, but just for interest sake, below you will find the last message you sent in normal text, .txt or .docx, what ever you prefer and then the .brf equivalent, after I converted it to .brf using Duxbury 11.1
(print text) I don't know what is different about grade 2 Braille files. I thought they were text files because my recollection from using the Braille 'n Speak is that when typing with the translator on, they are just text files. Evidently, there are some sort of differences I don't know about.
(braille text) ,i don't "k :at is di6]5t ab grade #b ,brl files4 ,i ?"\ !y 7 text files 2c my recollec;n f us+ ! ,brl ';n ,sp1k is t :5 typ+ ) ! translator on1 !y >e j text files4 ,evid5tly1 "! >e "s sort ( di6];es ,i don't "k ab4
I know that, when using an Apex Reader, you cannot read .brf files in MS Word, it first must be converted into .txt format
Regards
Christo Vorster (Worcester, South Africa)
From: nvda@nvda.groups.io [mailto:nvda@nvda.groups.io] On Behalf Of Gene
Sent: Wednesday, 16 November 2016 12:14 AM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: Re: [nvda] Reading .brf books
I don't know what is different about grade 2 Braille files. I thought they were text files because my recollection from using the Braille 'n Speak is that when typing with the translator on, they are just text files. Evidently, there are some sort of differences I don't know about.
Gene ----- Original Message -----
They are not just text files if they are in grade 2 or some other contractional format. They do not present well in notepad if this is the case.
Dan Beaver
On 11/15/2016 3:37 PM, Gene wrote:
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Christo Vorster
I must clarify this matter.
My previous reply was focussed on reading .brf files with a screen reader.
If one uses a braille display .brf files should be displayed as normal braille, i.e. grade 1 or grade 2 (gr 1 being uncontracted and gr2 contracted braille).
Regards
Christo Vorster (Worcester, South Africa)
From: nvda@nvda.groups.io [mailto:nvda@nvda.groups.io] On Behalf Of Gene
Sent: Wednesday, 16 November 2016 12:14 AM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: Re: [nvda] Reading .brf books
I don't know what is different about grade 2 Braille files. I thought they were text files because my recollection from using the Braille 'n Speak is that when typing with the translator on, they are just text files. Evidently, there are some sort of differences I don't know about.
Gene ----- Original Message -----
They are not just text files if they are in grade 2 or some other contractional format. They do not present well in notepad if this is the case.
Dan Beaver
On 11/15/2016 3:37 PM, Gene wrote:
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Christo Vorster
Hi
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Yes, but as far as I know, and I might be mistaken, if you can lay your hands on an Apex Reader it might be possible. I'm not sure that the name I mentioned is the 100% correct one, all I know is that it is an upgraded Braille Note. I honestly hope I'm not leading you on a wrong path. Regards Christo Vorster (Worcester, South Africa)
-----Original Message-----
From: nvda@nvda.groups.io [mailto:nvda@nvda.groups.io] On Behalf Of Mallard Sent: Tuesday, 15 November 2016 10:31 PM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: [nvda] Reading .brf books Hello all, I have a number of .brf files, not from Bookshare, which I normally read on a usb pendrive with my Touchme5 braille display. I'f like to read them on the pc as well, but I have no idea whether there are any programmes that would open those files, without converting the mto txt with Wintrans, for example. Does such software exist? Thanks, ciao, Ollie
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Devin Prater
Change output braille grade to your language's eight dot version, and BRF files will display just fine.
On Wed, Nov 16, 2016 at 12:56 AM Christo Vorster <christo.vorster@...> wrote: Hi
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Gene
The original message said that the intention was to
read the file with a Braille display. When I saw an objection, I thought I
was wrong. But as I saw the discussion develop, it appears I was
right. All the objections seem to overlook the fact that the person is
going to use a Braille display, not speech.
And if there are problems with line length, using
word wrap might solve those. If there are some sort of formattng symbols
used to indicate things such as line lengths that Braille displays don't
display, then my idea might not work as well as it might because you might see
them but I haven't heard of such symbols.
Gene
----- Original Message -----
From: Christo Vorster
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2016 12:06 AM
Subject: Re: [nvda] Reading .brf books Hi Gene
I only got to see the comversation on reading .brf files. I actually doubt whether changing the file extension from .brf to .txt would help much. I haven’t yet tried it, but just for interest sake, below you will find the last message you sent in normal text, .txt or .docx, what ever you prefer and then the .brf equivalent, after I converted it to .brf using Duxbury 11.1
(print text) I don't know what is different about grade 2 Braille files. I thought they were text files because my recollection from using the Braille 'n Speak is that when typing with the translator on, they are just text files. Evidently, there are some sort of differences I don't know about.
(braille text) ,i don't "k :at is di6]5t ab grade #b ,brl files4 ,i ?"\ !y 7 text files 2c my recollec;n f us+ ! ,brl ';n ,sp1k is t :5 typ+ ) ! translator on1 !y >e j text files4 ,evid5tly1 "! >e "s sort ( di6];es ,i don't "k ab4
I know that, when using an Apex Reader, you cannot read .brf files in MS Word, it first must be converted into .txt format
Regards
Christo Vorster (Worcester, South Africa)
From: nvda@nvda.groups.io [mailto:nvda@nvda.groups.io] On Behalf Of
Gene
I don't know what is different about grade 2 Braille files. I thought they were text files because my recollection from using the Braille 'n Speak is that when typing with the translator on, they are just text files. Evidently, there are some sort of differences I don't know about.
Gene ----- Original Message -----
They are not just text files if they are in grade 2 or some other contractional format. They do not present well in notepad if this is the case.
Dan Beaver
On 11/15/2016 3:37 PM, Gene wrote:
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Brian's Mail list account
That is not strictly true. If contracted they do have some strange things in them.
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I used to convert text to these in another life for use with a very noisy embosser, and although they are sort of text files, they are not so from the readability viewpoint, hence the need to have them as a file type. Brian bglists@... Sent via blueyonder. Please address personal email to:- briang1@..., putting 'Brian Gaff' in the display name field.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gene" <gsasner@...> To: <nvda@nvda.groups.io> Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2016 8:37 PM Subject: Re: [nvda] Reading .brf books I would think that if you change the extension to txt, they will open in Notepad and you should be able to read them untranslated. Braille files are just text files. Gene ----- Original Message ----- From: Mallard Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2016 2:31 PM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: [nvda] Reading .brf books Hello all, I have a number of .brf files, not from Bookshare, which I normally read on a usb pendrive with my Touchme5 braille display. I'f like to read them on the pc as well, but I have no idea whether there are any programmes that would open those files, without converting the mto txt with Wintrans, for example. Does such software exist? Thanks, ciao, Ollie
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Mallard <mallard@...>
Thanks, this sounds interesting. The files are in English; I changed braille output to English Grade 2, and English UeB Grade 2, but it didn't work as well as it should.
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I'll try eight-dot braille. The issue is that I see space symbols, and certain combinations like "ed", "ence", "ance" are represented in a strange way, not corresponding to the actual contracted braille symbols. This doesn't happen when I read them in Touchme5, from a pendrive, not attached to the computer. Funny thing... Ciao, thanks for everyone's help. This is my first experience with files of this type; that's why I'm lost... Ollie
Il 16/11/2016 08:58, Devin Prater ha scritto:
Change output braille grade to your language's eight dot version, and BRF files will display just fine.
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Mallard <mallard@...>
Quite. That's exactly what I get. A lot of dollars, which might be a good thing in other circumstances, but not when I need to study Hebrew... lol
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Ciao, Ollie
Il 16/11/2016 06:49, Christo Vorster ha scritto:
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