BANA Formats 2011 with MegaDots
This presentation is a in four parts:
· Why we needed MegaDots 2.5
· Installing MegaDots in Virtual Systems
· Using MegaDots 2.5
· Supporting the BANA 2011 rules with MegaDots 2.5 SR1
A Little History (Why we needed MegaDots 2.5)
MegaDots recently had its twentieth birthday. MegaDots has been adapting to changes in Windows and to changes in computer design ever since the Microsoft release of Windows 95 in 1995. By now MegaDots has spent much more of its life under Duxbury Systems than under RDC or the shortlived Braille Planet. Duxbury Systems took on MegaDots in 1999.
For the braille transcriber, one of the key features of the classic MegaDots is the “big dots/full screen mode”. If we think about the years 2002 through 2006, these were the golden years of MegaDots. In this time period, we had the combination of Windows XP, and the ability to run the “big dots/full screen mode”.
We now have Windows 8. It has certainly gotten harder to get new computers that run MegaDots in the beloved full screen environment that shows braille as Big dots. There are a number of factors combining to make this difficult, computer hardware, video cards, drivers, and operating systems. The big dots/full screen mode needs to use video mode 13h. If you really want to know more about this, check out the Wikipedia article on "Mode 13h.” The key takeaway for us is that this video mode is described entirely in the past tense.
That's why Team Megadots has recently focused more on running MegaDots in a window and making that window as workable as possible. With each new version of MegaDots we add further adaptations.
Year / Version / Comment2002 / 2.2 / First version to install from a CD, but it still needed a license floppy
2006 / 2.3 / Installed totally from a CD with a password. First version where the installer created a XP style desktop shortcut for MegaDots.
2009 / 2.4 / First version that includes a braille font called MegaDots window braille to view braille dots in a window.
2012 / 2.5 / Includes that braille font plus a better one called MegaDots cleaner braille. First version that imports Word 2007/2010 documents.
2013 / 2.5 SR1 / Supports BANA 2011 rules
Installing and Using VMLite XP Mode
MegaDots cannot run on a Windows 64-bit system. But you can create a virtual 32-bit Windows computer on most 64-bit Windows systems.
VMLite XP mode is a wonderful tool for running MegaDots on a 64-bit Windows machine. It has a number of advantages over the Microsoft-provided XP mode.
· One big advantage of VMLite over the Microsoft XP mode is the ease of saving from and writing to drives for the host Windows 7 machine.
· It even lets you use the Windows clipboard to move things between the virtual XP machine and the Windows 7 host machine.
· Some technical issues: it does not require as advanced computer horsepower as the Microsoft XP mode.
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Overview of the Installation ofVMLite XP Mode
VMLite Workstation is available fromhttp://www.vmlite.com. When you first go into the website, there is a link on the top of the page toLogin. You need toLoginat this website in order to get the desired download. If you have never logged in there before, click on Login and then use the Register link. You need to create a user name and password. If you like, you can use your email address as your user name.
Once you have logged in, click onProducts(just to the right ofHome. Once you do that, there is a sub-menu under the main menu. Now click onVMLite XP Mode.
You see a vertical menu open on the right of your screen. chooseDownload.
SelectRun, that will start the installation ofVMLite XP Mode.
This is a big download (about 65 megabytes. This in turn starts a download of an image of the Windows XP disk, which is much bigger than that.
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This installation also works on Windows 8, but the edition of Windows XP you install may not be legal for Windows 8, When it doubt, purchase a Windows XP license to make it legal.
Using MegaDots 2.5
Why did we create MegaDots 2.5?
We could no longer renew the license to include the software called Word-for-Word that MegaDots traditionally used for the importing and exporting of many file types. We needed to replace that with something else. Team DBT filled in the gap. MegaDots 2.5 includes a specialized version of DBT to help with file importing.
We aded an improved braille font for viewing braille in a window; fixed many other problems; laid some foundation for the upcoming BANA 2011 Formats.
We have been working on developing an update beyond MegaDots 2.5, to support BANA Formats 2011. It may be MegaDots 2.5 SR1, or it may be MegaDots 2.6.
Importing and Exporting Files with MegaDots 2.5
MegaDots 2.5 uses some pieces of DBT to import files. Like DBT 11.1, among other things MegaDots 2.5 can open: DBT files (.dxp and .dxb) retaining the format structure, and mathematics if present; Word documents through Word 2010; OpenOffice files; some Excel files; WordPerfect files; HTML files; and textfiles. MegaDots 2.5 also exports documents to Word documents.
· The leader will show some examples.
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Here's how to enhance your MegaDots 2.5 installation to allow MegaDots to open RTF files:
· Google the phrase "conversion filters: 1992-93" and go to the first result.
· Download the file called w4w19f.exe and save it in your MegaDots 2.5 program folder.
Voila! After that you'll be able to open RTF files in MegaDots 2.5. This can be very useful, since numerous programs such as OCR programs save .doc files that are actually RTF files.
MegaDots 2.5 and the BANA 2010 Template
The BANA 2010 template supplied with DBT, created by Susan Christensen, has been a bridge between Word and DBT. It allows transcribers to do high-quality transcribing data entry in Microsoft Word, and bring that into DBT, without much need for touch-ups in DBT. Work has also begun on a BANA 2011 template.
Starting with MegaDots 2.5, now the BANA 2010 template also comes with MegaDots (BANA 2011 template to follow). It can provide that same option for MegaDots, allowing Word documents created for DBT to be used by MegaDots as well.
The BANA 2010 template also builds a bridge between MegaDots and DBT. You can export a Megadots document to a Word document in the BANA 2010 template and then open that Word document in DBT. That largely preserves the document structure and formatting in moving from MegaDots to DBT. I'd love to see some enterprising transcribers using MegaDots 2.5 offer a service to convert old MegaDots files into DBT files for groups that no longer use MegaDots.
· The leader will show some examples.
There are two long web pages in the MegaDots documentation menu about the BANA 2010 Template. One is on how to the the Template, and the other is on how to use MegaDots to take advantage of material that uses the Template.
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Word and DBT/MegaDots Markup
Word Style (BANA Braille 2010) / Toolbar: Menu / DBT 11.1 SR4 Style / MegaDots Markupacronym / omit
Attribution / Styles: Notes Plus / Attribution. / Style: Attribution
Body Text / Styles: Body / B-BodyText. / Style: Body text
BoxBegin (AutoText) / Styles: NotesPlus / BB-BoxBegin. / Line: Begin a box
BoxDouble (AutoText) / Styles: NotesPlus / BD-BoxDouble. / Line: Double box
BoxEnd (AutoText) / Styles: NotesPlus / BE-BoxEnd. / Line: End a box
BH-BoxCenteredHead.
BL-BlockProtectLevel.
bold / Char: bold
BP-BlockProtect
brldisplay.
brlinline
Caption / Styles: Notes Plus / C-Caption. / Style: Caption
Cartoon / Styles: Notes Plus / CT-Cartoon. / Style: Cartoon
CBC-Display / Styles: Notes Plus / CD-CBCDisplay. / Style: Computer
CBC-Inline / Character / CI-CBCInline / Tran: CBC
Centered / Styles: Contents, Glossary, Headings, Index / Centered. / Style: Centered text
Centered&GuideDots / Character / CenteredWithGuideDots. / Style: Centered text
CenteredFullLine / Styles: Contents, Headings / CF-CenteredFullLine. / Style: Centered text
compdisplay. / Style: Computer
compinline / Tran: CBC
CrossReference / Styles: Notes Plus / CR-CrossReference. / Style: Cross reference
Directions / Styles: Exercise / Directions. / Style: Directions
DirectionsNemeth / Nemeth: Nemeth / DirectionsNemeth. / Style: Directions
Exercise (1 of 1 level) / Styles: Exercise / E1-ExerciseSingleIndent. / Style: Exercise
Exercise1-Exercise6 / Styles: Exercise / E2-ExerciseMultiIndent. / Style: Exercise
E1P-ExerciseSingleProtect. / Style: Exercise
E2P-ExerciseMultiProtect. / Style: Exercise
Ex2Nemeth1- Ex2Nemeth2 / Nemeth: Nemeth / E2N-ExerciseMultiIndentNem. / Style: Exercise
E2NP-ExerciseMultiProtectNem. / Style: Exercise
ExactTranslation / Character / ExactTranslation. / Tran: Exact
Footnote / Styles: Notes Plus / Footnote. / Style: Footnote
French / Character / French / Tran: One
German / Character / german / Tran: One
Glossary (1 of 1 level) / Styles: Glossary / G1-GlossarySingleIndent. / Style: Glossary
Glossary1- Glossary2 / Styles: Glossary / G2-GlossaryMultiIndent. / Style: Glossary
GO-GuideWordsOff
Group
GuideDots / Character / GuideDots / Guide Dots
Guide Word / Character / GW-GuideWord / Char: Guide Word
Heading 1 / Styles: Headings / H1-HeadingCentered. / Style: Heading Level 1
Heading 2 / Styles: Headings / H2-HeadingCell5. / Style: Heading Level 4
Hyperlink / (automatic) / Hyperlink / Char: underline
i-italic / Char: italics
Index (1 of 1 level) / Styles: Index / I1-IndexSingleIndent. / Style: Index
Index1-Index6 / Styles: Index / I2-IndexMultiIndent. / Style: Index
Italian / Character / Italian / Tran: One
Latin / Character / latin / Tran: One
LeftFlush / Styles: Body / LeftFlush. / Style: Left Flush
LinearMath / Nemeth: Nemeth / LinearMath / omit
LineNums / Character / LineNums / Char: Hidden text
List / Styles: Body / L-List. / Style: List
LitBold / Nemeth: Emphasis / LitBold / Char: bold
Literary / Nemeth: Nemeth / Literary / omit
LitItalics / Nemeth: Emphasis / LitItalics / Char: italics or underline
Main Body (AutoText) / Character: Page Setups / MainBody. / Page: Main body
NB-NoBold / New Page
NE-NewPageEven. / New Page
NN-NewPageNemeth. / New Page
NN-NewPageNext. / New Page
NO-NewPageOdd. / New Page
NS-NoNumberSign. / New Page
Poem1 / Styles: Poetry / P1-Poem1. / Style: Poem
Poem2 (2a-2b) / Styles: Poetry / P2-Poem2. / Style: Poem
Poem3 (3a-3c) / Styles: Poetry / P3-Poem3. / Style: Poem
Poem4 (4a-4d) / Styles: Poetry / P4-Poem4. / Style: Poem
Poem5 (5a-5e) / Styles: Poetry / P5-Poem5. / Style: Poem
Poem6 (6a-6f) / Styles: Poetry / P6-Poem6. / Style: Poem
PrelimPageNumber (AutoText) / Character: Page Setups / PrelimPageNumber.
ProsePlay / Styles: Plays / PP-ProsePlay. / Style: Prose play
ProseStage / Styles: Plays / PS-ProseStage. / Style: Prose stage
Quote / Styles:Body / Quote. / Style: Quotation
RefPageNemeth / Nemeth / RefPageNemeth. / ppi
RefPageNemethEmbed / Nemeth / RefPageNemethEmbed / ppi
RefPageNumber / Character / RefPageNumber. / ppi
RefPageNumberEmbed / Character / RefPageNumberEmbed / ppi
RightFlush / Styles: Body / RF-RightFlush. / Style: Right Flush
RunningHead / Styles: Headings / RunningHead. / Style: Header
Soft Return (AutoText) / Character: DBT Codes / SoftReturn
Spanish / Character / Spanish / Tran: One
Stairstep1-Stairstep6 / Styles: Stairstepz / StairstepTable. / Style: Stairstep
TechnicalNotation / Nemeth / TechnicalNotation / omit
TN-Nemeth / Nemeth / TN-Nemeth / omit
TOC (1 of 1 level) / Styles: Contents / C1-ContentsSingleIndent. / Style: Contents
TOC 1-TOC 6 / Styles: Contents / C2-ContentsMultiIndent. / Style: Contents
TranscriberNote / Styles: Notes Plus / TranscriberNote. / Char: note
Uncontracted / Character / Uncontracted / Tran: One
VersePlay1-VersePlay2 / Styles: Plays / VP-VersePlay. / Style: Verse play
VerseStage / Styles: Plays / VS-VerseStage. / Style: Verse stage
The above chart is from the MegaDots 2.5 documentation. A long web page was written by Susan Christensen about her Word BANA 2010 Template for use with DBT. We adapted this DBT-related documentation for use in MegaDots documentation. The last column in the chart shows how the style or character format is handled in MegaDots 2.5.
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Right now, Susan Christensen is working on a revised version of her template “BANA 2013 Template”. We will make sure that MegaDots 2.5 SR1 is compatible with the new Template.
Supporting the BANA 2011 Rules
with MegaDots 2.5 SR1
We are currently working on an update to MegaDots 2.5 that supports Formats 2011. For this workshop, let's just call it MegaDots 2.5 SR1.
When preparing new material for Formats 2011 in MegaDots 2.5 SR1, transcribers will use a new Megadots style sheet called Textbk11. Using the Textbk11 style sheet will make the support for Formats 2011 come alive.
The use of the Literary Stylesheet will no longer be the default in the new MegaDots.
Indent and Runover Rules
Some of the changes for Formats 2011 will not require different data entry in Megadots 2.5 SR1. For example, the Formats 2011 rules call for a different way of doing indent and runover in hierarchically nested material, like tables of contents entries, index entries, exercises, lists, and so on. In MegaDots 2.5 SR1 transcribers can use the same styles and data entry as before. But with the Textbk11 style sheet, MegaDots will format this material with the indent and runover given in the Formats 2011 rules. MegaDots 2.5 SR1 will also use the new format for line numbering, including the numeric indicator, when it sees that the Textbk11 style sheet is in use.
Cell 7 Headings
In the Textbk11 style sheet there is a new heading style called More minor head, for headings blocked in cell 7. You can add this heading style to the hierarchy of heading styles you want in the MegaDots Heading Menu using Document menu > Heading setup.
Preliminary Pages: T Pages and P Pages
Other rule changes will require some different data entry by the user. For example, front matter will require different types of pages. In the Textbk11 style sheet all of the t pages are listed in the Control+Insert menu as Braille page - Prelim, while p pages are listed in Braille page - Supplemental.
Font Attribute Changes
In MegaDots 2.5 SR1 there are new choices for how to show the various forms of emphasis. J stands for Joined bold-italics; 1 stands for Single underlining; 2 stands for Double underlining.