Release Notes¶

BrailleBlaster 2.1.4-beta, February 7th, 2024¶

Welcome to BrailleBlaster 2.1.4-beta. This release has improvements with file opening, Status Bar Print Page Information, and Print Page Continuation numbers.

Improvements and fixes that were made in this release.¶

• Print Page Continuation numbers fixed when exceeding the letter z in the alphabet.
• Shift+Ctrl+Tab is functioning properly.
• Fixed issues with holding down the Delete Button in a document.
• Fixed issue when pressing Enter at the beginning of a document, typing at the beginning and returning to the top of the document.
• Able to right click on a .brf file in a Windows folder and Open with +Brailleblaster.
• Holding the Backspace Key down for a long duration in long novels without error has been fixed
• Long table cells in word document do not cause an error.
• Typing at the beginning of a document and pressing Enter, the result is the typed characters remain part of the first of beginning block.
• Status Bar Print Page Information uses the numeric value as the cursor is maneuvered.
• Able to copy and paste from the Braille View.
• A number of other improvements and bug fixes.

BrailleBlaster 2.1.2-beta, November 20th, 2023¶

Welcome to BrailleBlaster 2.1.2-beta. This release has significant improvements with the Find and Replace tool, tables and file handling.

Improvements and fixes that were made in this release.¶

• The Find and Replace tool has been improved and is functioning normally. (For Replace, Containers is not available currently.)
• Spatial Math Editor is using proper Nemeth symbols for Nemeth when correct translation is set.
• Backspace Key is functioning normally when used in a document.
• Continued improvements with File Handling.
• Improved the importing of tables.
• Fixed issues where a listed table could mutate even when not directly edited.
• Able to Right-Click in a Table to access Edit Table instead of searching Menu at the top.
• Passage emphasis is working with quotations. (Passage emphasis with brackets and braces is not available yet.)
• Able to apply emphasis to the first letter of a whole word contraction and it is viewed correctly in the Print View and Braille View.
• Able to type near page breaks without issue.
• Imported Math is functioning normally in Print View and Braille View
• A number of other improvements and bug fixes.

BrailleBlaster 2.1.1-beta, August 18th, 2023¶

Welcome to BrailleBlaster Version 2.1.1-beta. This release does not have as many changes as the last release, however we felt these changes and fixes were important to highlight.

Improvements and fixes that were made in this release.¶

• Fixed an error when pressing Enter at the start of a document.
• Fixed an error when selecting Color Box or Full Color Box in Styles
• Removed EBAE in the Translation Settings Dialog
• Fixed issue when importing a file containing Math, the math content would not be shown in the Print View.
• Created a clear alert message when a user attempts to open a BrailleBlaster V2 file that is not supported by BrailleBlaster V2.1.

BrailleBlaster 2.1.0-beta, July 18th, 2023¶

Welcome to Brailleblaster Version 2.1-beta. We have overhauled internal BrailleBlaster file type to improve stability and usability. Additional improvements were made in file handling and performance. Please note that V2 files are not compatible with 2.1-beta. Please complete work in V2 before primarily using Brailleblaster 2.1-beta.

We will have a Mac version soon. It is currently in progress.

Details of improvement that were made in this release.¶

• Improved NIMAS XML file support
• Able to utilize 6-key input in the text view.
• Corrected numbering and indenting when creating lists
• Improved Table Editor
• Gives user friendly message when attempting to open unsupported files
• The Find and Replace tool has been overhauled (In Replace, Styles and Containers will be added soon.)
• Fixed the Ctrl+Z key and Undo to operate more like traditional text editors
• General bug fixes

BrailleBlaster 2.0.41-beta, November 15th, 2022¶

Welcome to BrailleBlaster 2.0.41-beta. This time there are a number of bug fixes in find and replace, some fixes for scrolling and print and Braille view synchronisation, as well as a number of other bug fixes. Refer below for full details of what has changed in this release.

Improvements and bug fixes¶

• Fixed an issue where correct translation tool would stop responding and then BrailleBlaster would fail to start.
• Fixed an issue where sometimes destination directory is not updated on save.
• Fixed an error when scrolling through a document.
• Removed the option to cancel quit on the Mac as it did not work correctly and could lead to a user loosing work.
• Fixed an issue where recent docs may not be updated and may become empty.
• Find and replace will now find the next instance after replacing.
• Fixed an issue where replace all with emphasis would only emphasise the same number of letters as the original search term.
• Find and replace now correctly places the cursor in both print and Braille views.
• Documentation has been updated to match current user interface.
• A number of other improvements and bug fixes.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.39-beta, August 3rd, 2022¶

Welcome to BrailleBlaster 2.0.39-beta. This release includes a number of significant improvements for math and tables, along with many bug fixes which improve functionality and reliability.

Math translation¶

BrailleBlaster now uses the MathCAT library for translating math content. In our tests we feel that MathCAT gives much better translation results of math and this update should be a big step forward for BrailleBlaster.

Importing tables¶

A lot of work has been done on improving our document importer, particularly for tables. As well as handling tables better you should find that there are fewer errors preventing opening some documents containing tables.

Document view improvements¶

• Fixed issue where Braille preview does not show last page of BRF files
• Fixed an issue where style panel does not match print and Braille
• Fixed issue going to end of document may lead to braille view being blank.
• Better synchronising of print and Braille views.
• Fixed an issue where the last page of the document is not visible in the Braille panel.

Spatial math improvements¶

• Fixed issue where spatial math template type would change when adding rows or columns.
• Opening spatial math editor with cursor on a blank line should open a blank dialog.
• Fixed spatial math editor does not let go of inserted material.
• Fixed an issue where text after spatial math gets deleted when changing translation.
• Fixed spatial math showing wrong symbol for minus.

Other improvements and fixes¶

• ASCIIMath advanced radical numbers are no longer reversed.
• Sometimes if an error occurred when saving a document it could lead to an empty document being saved. BrailleBlaster should be more reliable on saving the document content.
• Six key mode and show/hide page type indicators now have check marks to show when they are active.
• Fixed an issue where copy/paste only selects text from two pages back.
• Fixed an error when inserting a unicode character.
• Fixed cursor moves when performing undo after all actions are undone.
• Fixed an issue adding a page indicator and hiding page numbers could lead to cursor jumping.
• Separation lines in a table should now match column length.
• Fixed issue where pressing enter after a table could lead to the table moving down.
• A number of other minor improvements and bug fixes.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.37-beta, May 3rd, 2022¶

Welcome to BrailleBlaster 2.0.37-beta. When you first run this version you will immediately notice something different, a first run wizard will appear and lead you through configuring some important new settings. Whilst it was introduced to give you better control over what BrailleBlaster does, it will also give us a way to alert you to features in new versions. There also have been a number of smaller improvements and some significant bug fixes.

Privacy settings and usage data¶

To make BrailleBlaster work better for users, we need to understand more about how users are using the software. So we have added a feature to gather some anonymous usage data about the tools you use in BrailleBlaster and then send this back to APH. We also now ask on the first run a couple of questions to understand what type of user you are.

We appreciate that some may not want this usage data to be gathered, so we ask you on the first run of BrailleBlaster whether you are willing to share this data. Also should you change your mind about sharing usage data then you can change the setting in the privacy settings found in the help menu.

Other improvements and bug fixes¶

• Added a tool for inserting unicode characters.
• Added an option to allow pasting content as math, this should streamline the work flow for those including equations from other sources.
• Added ability to set preference for automatic check for updates.
• Fixed a bug where closing a document and saving would lead to an error.
• BrailleBlaster now gives a more user friendly message when it tries to open an unsupported file type.
• Fixed an issue with ASCIIMath hub where two fractions may show in the preview overlapping.
• Fixed an issue where if a file failed to load then further files would fail to load.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.35-beta, March 21st, 2022¶

Welcome to BrailleBlaster 2.0.35-beta. This release we have added the ability to import math content from formats like word documents and LaTeX. We have also enabled some more of the emphasis tools for removing emphasis from selection, headings and list prefixes. This comes alongside a number of bug fixes and improvements. For full details of what has changed refer to the below notes.

Improvements and bug fixes¶

• Import math from word documents and other file formats.
• Enabled some emphasis tools, the remove emphasis from selection, headings and list prefixes.
• Fix an issue where removing emphasis may lead to emphasis being removed from more text than the selection.
• Support for importing lists where first number is not 1.
• Some styles have been given clearer names.
• Fix some issues where the Braille view would not scroll with the print view.
• Fix some keyboard navigation in the table editor.
• Fix an issue where extracting a row from a table could cause an error.
• Fixed a number of other bugs.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.33-beta, February 11th, 2022¶

Welcome to BrailleBlaster 2.0.33-beta. This release mostly consists of bug fixes, check below for full details of what has changed in this release.

Bug Fixes¶

• Fixed an issue where user's page settings would not be loaded, effectively meaning they could not set a preferred page to be used by default.
• It is now possible to paste into an empty document.
• Fixed an exception when attempting to paste text containing form feed characters.
• Fixed an issue where an exception may occur when cursoring passed a blank line.
• It is now possible to scroll through the license and privacy policy texts.
• Replaced the page style in default shortcuts for transcriber note.
• Fixed allowing adding/removing of identifiers for spatial math using Math template type.
• Fixed an issue which prevented keyboard navigation reaching the transcriber's note in table editor.
• A number of other minor improvements and bug fixes.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.31-beta, January 7th, 2022¶

Welcome to BrailleBlaster 2.0.31-beta, the first release of BrailleBlaster for 2022. There are a good number of improvements in this release, improvements to the table editor, fixes to page numbering and various other user interface improvements.

Table Editor Improvements¶

• Prevent entering values which are not numbers into the rows and columns boxes in the table editor.
• Fixed an issue where swapping columns and rows in the table editor may not use the correct values.
• Easier navigation through cells in the table editor. Use CTRL+ALT+<cursor keys> to move left/right/up/down in the table grid.
• Fixed an issue where tabbing through the table editor may lead to keyboard navigation stopping.

Page Numbering¶

• Fixed an issue where a document containing t-pages and p-pages may incorrectly show first normal page as y1.
• Fix continuation letters beyond letter y. Now BrailleBlaster goes through letters a-z, then it moves to aa, bb, cc and so on.
• Fix allowing words in print page numbers.
• Fix an issue when opening some files with page type indicators.

Maths¶

• Fix an issue where spatial math editor has the incorrect number of operands.
• Fix an issue where curly brackets not showing in maths.

User Interface Improvements¶

• Made it easier to select style, container or attribute in find dialog.
• When opening the Braille preview the focus is now placed on the first page of Braille.
• Fix an issue where the cursor may jump to the top of the document when right clicking with the mouse.
• Improved error reporting dialog. BrailleBlaster now has a common dialog for both normal and fatal exceptions, this makes the fatal exception dialog accessible with Narrator on Windows and Orca on Linux.
• Fix wording of a menu item.

Other Bug Fixes and Improvements¶

• A number of other minor bug fixes improving stability.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.29-beta, December 7th, 2021¶

Welcome to BrailleBlaster 2.0.29-beta. This release has not as many changes as in the last release, however these changes are quite significant bug fixes.

Bug fixes¶

• fixed opening BrailleBlaster by selecting a file from the computer's file explorer.
• Fixed an issue where modifying text with style options applied (eg. line spacing) would cause an error.
• Fixed an issue where pressing cancel in either of the color box line dialogs would lead to a normal box line being inserted.
• A number of other minor bug fixes.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.27-beta, November 23rd, 2021¶

Welcome to BrailleBlaster 2.0.27-beta. This release has many bug fixes and improvements, a number of them being identified from exception reports submitted by users. There also have been some updates to the manual, including some corrections to some sections which had become outdated, updated screen shots and the addition of some trouble shooting information.

Page Numbering¶

• Fixed an issue where print pages with 26 or more continuation pages may lead to an error.
• Fixed an issue where skipping a continuation page in a document with more than 26 continuation pages would lead to an exception.
• Fixed a bug so that pressing escape in change page number or set page number counter dialogs do not cause an exception.
• Fixed an issue where changing a page number could cause issues when performing other tasks such as removing all page numbers.
• Fixed an issue where changing page number type could lead to the new page numbers starting at 2.
• Fixed an issue where the cursor would jump in certain situations when changing the page type.

File Handling¶

• BrailleBlaster will now allow opening a file with an uppercase file extension.
• Fixed an issue where HTML importer could raise an error.
• Enhanced ePub importer so that it opens more files.
• Added table importing for file formats such as word documents.

Tables¶

• Guide dots in tables are now correctly placed.
• Fixed guide dots for empty columns in tables.
• Fixed an issue where it may not be possible to delete listed tables.

Math Editing¶

• Fixed spatial math editor so that the print view is updated when adding additional rows.
• Fixed a case where spatial math may give an exception.
• Fixed a case where ASCIIMath editor would give an exception.

Other Fixes and Improvements¶

• Fixed an issue where the Braille view would jump when applying styles.
• Fixed an issue where the cursor would jump when deleting a paragraph.
• Fixed an issue where print view may not be shown after altering page settings.
• Changed the hotkey for script emphasis as the old one conflicted with another hotkey. The new hotkey for script is CTRL+ALT+s.
• Fixed find and replace so it is possible to search for spaces.
• Fixed mouse wheel scrolling so you can get at all text.
• Fixed an issue where it may not be possible to get to text on the last page.
• Fixed a number of other bugs.
• Updated some sections and screen shots in the manual.
• Added an embosser troubleshooting sections to the manual.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.25-beta, October 15th, 2021¶

Welcome to BrailleBlaster 2.0.25-beta. This release is a smaller update, however there were a couple of important bug fixes which we felt should be made available as soon as possible.

Fixes and improvements¶

• Fix a crash when using style options like double line spacing.
• Fix an issue where ASCIIMath stops translating when encountering punctuation marks.
• Prevent setting cells per line and lines per page to 0 which could lead to BrailleBlaster not starting.
• When typing after spatial math content no longer gets the spatial math style, instead it will get the body text style.
• Fix undo when undoing deletion of last block.
• Fix an exception when deleting a spatial table.
• Fix an issue where guide dots would appear in the wrong location in a table.
• Fix table editor to allow deleting rows or columns.
• Disabled image placeholders as they currently do not work correctly.
• Fix an issue with correct translation and unicode characters.
• Fix an issue with correct translation where deleted text reappears.
• Fix a number of other bugs.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.23-beta Release Notes¶

Welcome to the BrailleBlaster 2.0.23-beta release. This release contains many bug fixes and improvements to file importing, math and many other aspects of the application. Below is a full list of what has changed in this release.

Fixes and improvements to file importing¶

• Underline emphasis is now imported from Word DOCX.
• Fix an issue where very large EPUB or HTML documents imported styles incorrectly.
• Fix an issue where BB would incorrectly apply styles in HTML documents.
• Added importing of list bullet types from DOCX.
• Better handling of nested lists when importing a document.
• Fix an issue where emphasis would be applied to too many words when importing a document.
• Fix other issues with importing emphasis.
• Support opening more DOCX files.

Fixes and improvements to math¶

• Correct the spatial math division separator.
• Correct the multiplication symbols in ASCIIMath.
• Fix an issue where typing a fraction in ASCIIMath may lead to an exception.

Other fixes and improvements¶

• Fixed whole word contractions and quotation marks.
• Fixed views jumping when opening context menu with the mouse.
• Fixed a number of issues where the cursor would jump when taking certain actions.
• Fix style optioned text appearing with a random string in the style view.
• Fix an issue where regular text appears as unknown characters when next to direct translated text.
• Fix deleting listed tables so that colons are also deleted.
• Fix issue where context menu does not open first time when text is selected.
• Fix underline emphasis being shown in the text view.
• Fix applying styles disrupts the syncing of the views.
• Fix an error which may occur when applying new styles.
• Fix an issue where it may not be possible to delete a correct translation entry.
• Newly created and saved files now appear in the recent files list.
• Provide better accessibility labelling in the predominant quote settings.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.21-beta Release Notes¶

Welcome to the latest version of BrailleBlaster which contains significantly improved word document support, a number of usability improvements and a bunch of bug fixes. Please see the below lists for full details on all the improvements in this release.

Improved file import¶

The file import component of BrailleBlaster has recieved a significant revamp, including an updated version of pandoc. This means that support for file types such as word documents and HTML in BrailleBlaster is significantly improved over previous versions.

• Larger word documents will now open in BrailleBlaster.
• Better document structure will be maintained, including things like lists and tables.
• Emphasis in the original document will now be shown in BrailleBlaster.

Fixes¶

• The user now has greater control over creating pages without page numbers. To insert a page break where the following page is not to have page numbers the user presses Ctrl+Shift+Enter. For a page break where the following page has page numbers the user presses Ctrl+Enter. By using combinations of these page breaks the user is able to create either completely blank pages or blank pages with page numbers.
• Added the shortcut F4 for insert print page number.
• A number of cases where the cursor would jump to an unexpected location in the document has been fixed.
• Fixed an issue where it may not be possible to delete a page break.
• Fixed an issue where the views may jump and get out of sync when applying styles.
• Fixed an issue where a document is larger than the views but no scrollbar is shown.
• Fixed a number of other minor bugs.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.19-beta Release Notes¶

This release of BrailleBlaster is all about fixing bugs. We discovered and fixed a number of accessibility bugs for those who rely upon a screen, fixed embossing from the Braille preview and a number of other bugs.

Fixes¶

• Fixed an issue where the table editor dialog may be too big for the screen and so the OK button would not be visible.
• Added scrollbars when an embosser has more advanced options than can fit in the configuration dialog at one time.
• Fixed an issue where toggling emphasis just before pressing enter would not maintain the emphasis.
• Fixed embossing from the Braille preview.
• Fixed an issue where the print view would show the page length as 25 lines regardless of the settings when using page breaks and keep with next styles.
• Fixed an issue when using remove all page numbers when a page number is at the start of the document.
• Added the F6 hotkey to toggle between math hub and the main BrailleBlaster window.
• Fixed some other potential errors.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.17-beta Release Notes¶

Additional Options for Configuring Embossers¶

BrailleBlaster had tried to keep the embosser configuration as simple as possible. However this meant in some cases it was not flexible enough to allow users to configure their embosser exactly as needed. We have made significant improvements in the embosser support, adding a number of advanced configuration options. These include options for defining line ending conventions, form feed sequences, whether to pad pages with blank lines and more. We expect this update will give sufficient flexibility to resolve most embossing issues in BrailleBlaster.

Currently advanced embosser options are only available for the generic text embosser model in BrailleBlaster. In the future advanced configuration options may be added to other embosser models.

You can find these advanced options by going to Settings > Embosser settings and then creating or editing an existing profile. Set your manufacturer to Generic and your model to either Text only or Text with margins and then navigate to the Advanced tab. From there you can set the following options:

• Add margins (true, false)
• Pad page (true, false)
• Form feed on full page (true, false)
• End of line (open)
• End of page (open)
• Header (open)
• Footer (open)

The advanced section will not be useful to most users but we feel it is better to make them available to those that wish to try them rather than keeping them hidden.

Fixes¶

• Fix an issue where typing may lead to the style being changed.
• Fix a number of UEB math translation issues.
• Fix an issue where Math Hub would not open on Mac.
• Fix an issue with repeat last style and blank lines.
• Fix an issue with tables in some files.
• Fix an issue with check for updates.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.15-beta Release Notes¶

Features¶

Mac Support Now supports Intel Macs running version 11 or later.

Open BRFs To open a BRF, go to File > Open and then select a BRF to open. Just like in V1, it will open in the Braille Preview and will not be editable but you can review it and emboss it.

Find and Replace Find and Replace is now implemented in V2. We've also made some UI improvements from its V1 implementation.

Updated BBZ document type We've improved the BBZ document type to make new BBZs more resilient and easier to support. This includes an improved PEF implementation. These changes will also address issues with saving that some users reported.

BBZ files can now be opened directly Previously you had to open BrailleBlaster and then open your BBZ file. Now you can open your BBZ file directly from Windows and then the program will open from there.

Embossing from Braille Preview It is now possible to emboss from the Braille Preview in V2. Just open the Braille Preview by going File > Braille Preview or by opening a BRF and then go to File > Emboss from within the Braille Preview.

Fixes¶

• Math Hub Improved general stability of Math Hub and also fixed an issue which could cause inconsistent application of the math aspect.
• Transcriber note style added to the Emphasis menu.
• Fixed a display issue that caused the Emboss dialog page range to be too small to read visually.
• Fixed an issue with the menu that caused some hotkeys to cause an exception when used.
• Fixed error reporting.
• Fixed an issue that caused page up and down to not move to the next chunk within the print view.
• Fixed an issue that caused style options to not work as expected.
• Cleaned up the UI by removing unnecessary elements.
• Improved installer to reduce install times.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.12-beta Release Notes¶

Features¶

Find and Replace is enabled! This is a must-have feature and we have enabled it in this latest version of BrailleBlaster V2. Please try it out and give us your feedback. It's much simpler than what we had previously and we plan to add new features and improvements over time.

Improved Mac Support We now have a signed Mac installer which should make it easier to use BrailleBlaster on Mac. Try it out today!

Fixes¶

• Adds information to PEF documents in the BBZ so that embosser support is improved.
• Fixes a problem that caused missing text in some EPUB files, specifically those from Project Guttenberg
• Improves HTML import. Not all elements were being imported or were not imported correctly.
• Fixes a problem that caused BrailleBlaster to fail on Mac OS 11 (Big Sur).
• Significant performance improvements.
• Fixes and improvements to opening BrailleBlaster version 1.X files.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.6.34-beta Release Notes¶

Introducing the new, focused edition of BrailleBlaster!¶

This edition of BrailleBlaster features our biggest set of changes. We've revamped all of the tools and styles to focus on what you, the user, need most. We've removed and trimmed so that the experience can be much more focused and easier to use. This will also help our development team work on a smaller set of features so that everything can meet the different needs of BrailleBlaster's users. Please try it out and let us know what you think! If we removed your "must have" feature, please write in and let us know so we can look at adding back features with a high demand.

Fixes¶

We still have a lot of work to do! Our chief focus right now is performance and file handling. Right now this version will work great for small files but it does slow down a fair amount with large files. We're working on it. We're also focused on increasing support for EPUB and HTML files. There's a lot more to do but know that these are our main focuses right now. Please keep writing in with any issues or suggestions that you may have.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.3.30-beta Release Notes¶

Features¶

Style shortcuts added Go to Styles > Shortcuts to start utilizing and changing style shortcuts. By default you will find a "loadout" already created of ten shortcuts that includes common styles such as Body Text, the three different braille headings, and others mapped to ctrl plus numbers 0 through 9. You can find this default loadout by going to Styles > Shortcuts. You can edit this set of shortcuts and also create up to nine more by going to Styles > Shortcuts > Manage Shortcuts. Here you will be able to adjust which style is assigned to which combination of ctrl plus a number. To summarize, style shortcuts use ctrl plus a number and then to switch between sets of shortcuts, called loadouts, use alt plus a number.

Fixes¶

• Status bar now also works in the braille view.
• Document specific settings, such as braille code, are now properly saved with the document.
• Can now navigate the entire document using arrow keys and page up or down.
• Braille view now syncs with the print view.
• Math translation changes now work the same as other emphasis and translation changes in that you can activate them and have them applied as you type.
• Fixed an issue where an item containing only an emphasized space translated incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where tables did not insert at the proper cursor location.
• Fixed an issue where pasting text inside a table caused an exception.
• Fixed an issue where several NIMAS files were not making valid BRFs.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.2.27-beta Release Notes¶

Features¶

Table Editor enabled The Table Editor has been enabled. Some features, like the ability to make Stairstep and Linear tables automatically, have been disabled. Right now though you can make new tables by going to Insert > Table and edit existing tables by going to Tools > Table Editor.

Print page number editing We have a new scheme that we are testing for print page number editing. This is an entirely new approach to print page number editing and we're still testing it. Please try it out. Within the context menu you will find options for Change Page Number, Delete Page Number, Edit Page Numbers, Hide Continuation Pages, Insert Page Number, Renumber Page Numbers, Reset Page Counter, and Set Page Counter. We do not think the context menu is necessarily the final home for all of these functions but they are there now. Insert Page Number will add a page number at the cursor location, no need to type anything. Change Page Number currently requires you to highlight the page number you would like to change. Delete also requires highlighting. Renumber will reorder all inserted page numbers, so you highlight the number you want to reorder from and then use the tool and all subsequent page numbers will update to sequentially follow that number. Again, we're trying out something new and would appreciate your feedback. There's more that we're working on here.

New Emphasis Behavior Now when you need emphasis, you can set your emphasis type before creating text. Need bold? Press ctrl + b or use the menu item, you're now set for bold, and whatever you type will have that emphasis. When you're done, use the hotkey or menu item again and it will toggle off that emphasis type. We think users will find this setup to be closer to what they are familiar with when using other text editors.

New Style Behavior Now styles remain when you press enter to create a new item. For example, if your cursor is currently inside a list, press enter, and the new item that's created once you start typing will have the same style. This is true of all styles.

Donate Button We've added a donate button to the installer to make it easier to make donations that help with future BrailleBlaster development. Thank you for your support!

UI Updates We've updated the UI to match changes from V1, so now except for the disabled items and any new items, the UI for V2 should exactly match V1.

Status Bar Improvements The status bar has been enabled. It now includes print page number, braille page number, line number, cell number, style, and emphasis at the cursor location. This includes whether something is treated as math or not.

APH Embossers The APH Embossers, PixBlaster and PageBlaster, have been added to the list of supported embossers.

Fixes¶

• Table Issues Fixed several table issues ahead of enabling the Table Editor. This included:
  • An issue that prevented entering text after a table.
  • An issue with having a table as the first item in a file.
  • An issue with reformatting tables.
  • Issues with guide dots not filling empty cells that appeared in the last column.
  • An issue with automatically generated transcriber's notes for tables not being properly formatted.
  • An issue with table emphasis being changed to bold-italics regardless of emphasis type.
  • Issue with emphasis in tables not being saved.
  • Editor not accounting for the first cell being empty.
  • Listed table format not being properly followed.
  • Blank table cells should be filled with guide dots.
  • Issue with row 1 not getting guide dots when row headings are disabled
  • Changing UI text referencing column headings when it means row headings
  • Last column should get guide dots
  • Tables with adjusted column widths cannot be reopened after saved and closed.
• Fixed an issue with pressing enter while having text highlighted.
• Fixed an issue with the ASCII Math Hub not properly handling the ratio symbol.
• Fixed an issue where screen reader users could get an exception when using the menu.
• Fixed an issue where style options did not work with undo and redo.
• Fixed an issue where you could not emboss after making an embosser profile the first time.
• Fixed the formatting of end of volume statements.
• Fixed an issue where BB was asking the user if they wanted to save upon close even if they had just saved.
• Fixed an issue where the user could delete blank lines added by using the line spacing style option and could get an exception.
• Fixed an issue where volumes could not be inserted in later sections of a large document.
• Fixed an issue where an item with only a space in it caused a formatting issue.
• Fixed an issue where an item with only a space in it that was also emphasized could cause a translation and formatting issue.
• Fixed an issue where the cursor didn't move properly if a piece of text began with a space.
• Fixed an issue where opening a file and then immediately closing it caused an exception.
• Fixed an issue where BB V2 was not removed from the Start menu on Windows when uninstalling.
• Fixed an issue where you could not add a new line if your cursor immediately followed emphasized text.

BrailleBlaster 2.0.1.22-alpha Release Notes¶

Fixes¶

• V2 User Guide is now included with each install and can be accessed by going to Help > BrailleBlaster User Guide or by using the hotkey F1.
• Fixed an issue where an exception could be thrown when typing while text was highlighted.
• Fixed issues where cursor was moving inappropriately when deleting text.
• Fixed an issue where undo was throwing an exception when using it after deleting an entire document.
• Color boxes now correctly include closing transcriber's note.
• Style options no longer cause style name to change into a random string of text in the Style View.

Introducing BrailleBlaster 2.0!¶

What is BrailleBlaster 2.0?¶

BrailleBlaster 2.0 is a near-complete rewrite of how the software functions. It is a step that we had to take to include new features that could not be included otherwise- like true six-key entry and indicators for braille page number editing. It will also help us control regression and ensure stability. We are excited to share this initial beta release with you and look forward to receiving your feedback. It is important to note though that the software is not finished. This beta release should not be your only tool to create braille. It is a very early build of version 2.0, so that you can know what we're working on and provide feedback. As such it is possible to have the latest stable release of BrailleBlaster, version 1.24, installed alongside version 2.0. They install to different locations, have different documentation, and have unique user settings.

There will continue to be small releases to the more stable and complete version 1.xx track and those will continue to use the usual stable and beta channels. BrailleBlaster 2.0 will remain in beta and on a completely separate track until it is feature complete with the version 1.xx track and stable. It will then be introduced as a beta on the usual beta track before eventually moving to stable and being the only version of BrailleBlaster that is updated.

It's important to note that because of changes to Java support that BrailleBlaster 2.0 does not support 32-bit computers. If you are using a 32-bit computer, you'll need to stick with the 1.0 track.

These release notes will go over what's new and what to expect in this current release of BrailleBlaster 2.0. Please share any feedback or questions about this release with us by sending an email to [email protected].

New Features¶

True 6-Key Entry¶

6-key entry now utilizes a 6-key mode rather than a dialog. You activate 6-Key Mode by going to Tools > 6-Key Mode or by using the hotkey Alt + X. Once you enter 6-Key Mode, the keys S, D, F, J, K, and L will create the different dots of the braille cell and can be pressed in combination to create multiple dots within a single cell. As with all other editing, 6-Key Mode only works within the Print View. The text that is created in this mode is Unicode braille and is not translated before being sent to the Braille view. Pressing the hotkey or activating the menu item again will take you out of 6-Key Mode and allow the full use of your keyboard to create text.

Note Not all keyboards support pressing multiple keys simultaneously. Be sure to test keyboard functionality before purchasing a laptop or keyboard.

• S creates dot 1
• D creates dot 2
• F creates dot 3
• J creates dot 4
• K creates dot 5
• L creates dot 6
• Any combination can be pressed to create multiple dots within a single cell.

Page Type Indicators¶

One of the biggest drawbacks of the previous iteration of BrailleBlaster was making braille page number edits. This is because BrailleBlaster was initially designed to work with NIMAS files which both needed less page number editing in general and also included print page numbers from the very beginning. As such in that iteration of BrailleBlaster you must add print page numbers before being able to reliably change your braille page number type. This is because the braille page number change needs something permanent to anchor to and print page numbers served this function.

Now in BrailleBlaster 2.0, you can insert Page Type Indicators. There are three types: T-Page, P-Page, and Normal. Each type represents the braille page number type changing. So T-Page represents t-pages, P-Page represents p-pages, and Normal represents regular braille page numbers.

By default they are invisible but you can set them to appear in the Print View by going to Insert > Page Type Indicator > Show/Hide Page Type Indicators. They will appear as a pilcrow, or paragraph mark, and the first letter of their type- so ¶t, ¶p, ¶n. While they will appear at the end of the item where they take effect, they will not affect the formatting of that item in the braille other than to set the braille page number to the corresponding type.

Braille View Updating¶

The Braille View now updates independently of the Print View. Where previously you had to move your cursor out of the item that you edited to see the change in the Braille View, now changes to the braille will happen periodically and independently of actions in the Print View. This should make editing smoother and more responsive but we are still working on making this behavior compatible with large documents.

Limitations¶

The focus of BrailleBlaster 2.0 right now is new and small documents. While larger documents can be opened, we do not recommend it at this time. Please keep your testing to documents of 9000 words or less until we can get performance issues worked out.

Some tools are grayed-out in the menu and will be activated once they are ready to be tested. Some tools are available but have limited functionality. Our plan is that BrailleBlaster 2.0 will have all of the tools and features of BrailleBlaster 1.xx, so we will add features over time.

Disabled Tools¶

The following tools are disabled and their menu items are grayed-out. They will be activated later.

• Split
• Merge
• Hide
• Edit Page Number
• Find and Replace
• Repeat Last Search
• Line Break
• Book Tree
• Spell Check
• Production Note Manager
• T-Page Generator
• Line Number Tools
• Table Editor
• Convert Text to Table
• Convert to Print Page Number
• Image Describer
• Remove Emphasis from Selection
• Remove Emphasis from Headings
• Remove Emphasis from List Prefixes
• Remove Emphasis from Alphabetic Reference Entry Words
• Insert > Table
• Insert > Blank Print Page Indicator

Known Issues¶

• File opening is severely limited at this time.
  • Opening BRF files is not currently enabled.
  • Does not open files from version 1 of BB.
• While the Table Editor is disabled, tables will still be converted when they are present in a supported document type like NIMAS XML and they are currently not formatted correctly.
• Documentation is currently not installed with the program and so trying to access the User Guide via the Help menu gives an error.

Version 1.1.28-beta, February 17, 2021

This is a maintenance release of BrailleBlaster Version 1. It fixes two main issues.

• Fixes a problem that was causing a failure when files were saved. In particular .bbz files.
• Fixes a problem that was preventing BrailleBlaster from running on Mac OS 11 (Big Ser).

Version 1.1.25-beta, June 9, 2020¶

Introducing APH PixBlaster and PageBlaster APH is releasing two embossers. Embosser profiles for them are now available for use via the Embosser setup dialog. Set your manufacturer to APH and then set the model as either PageBlaster or PixBlaster. Please visit aph.org for more information about these embossers.

Default file type is now BBZ. Open any supported file type and it will save as a BBZ. Additionally, open a BBX file, save it, and it will be converted to a BBZ. The main difference between the BBZ and BBX is that the BBZ contains more information, which can improve embossing and sharing files with colleagues. We plan to continue to improve what information is stored in the BBZ file in the future to help with embossing graphics and sharing translation changes.

Margin settings are now simplified. Only the top and left margins are now editable. The right and bottom margins will be automatically adjusted to accommodate cells per line and lines per page changes and will be adjusted before changes are made to the top or left margins.

Paper size is now simplified. Each paper size will now default to a specific cells per line and lines per page setting making it easier to switch between different paper sizes while maximizing braille space and keeping within standards. New standards are as follows:

• 11.5 by 11: 40 cells per line, 25 lines per page
• Letter: 32 cells per line, 25 lines per page
• Legal: 30 cells per line, 30 lines per page
• A3: 40 cells per line, 35 lines per page
• A4: 29 cells per line, 25 lines per page
• A5: 19 cells per line, 19 lines per page

Latest LibLouis changes Including close to four thousand new UEB translation updates.

Embosser fixes Fixed a rounding error that could cause the last cell of each line to not emboss.

Important note about Mac Version The Mac release will only run if placed in the Applications folder. It will not run from the Downloads folder. Please ensure that you move the unzipped BrailleBlaster to the Applications folder before running. We are investigating this issue.

Version 1.1.24-beta, December 19, 2019¶

Testing Request¶

Embossing work has been completed on the models listed below. If you have any of these embossers, we ask that you please run a few test pages and contact us with the results. We have done internal testing on many of these models, but feedback is always appreciated.

Before testing, please make sure that you configure your embosser to use the correct Model and Manufacturer. To configure your embosser, go to Settings > Embosser Settings, and select “editing your embosser configuration.”

• Juliet Classic
• Juliet 120
• Juliet 60
• Trident
• Phoenix Silver
• Romeo Pro 50
• Index Basic-D
• Everest 3

Additional Feedback
If your embosser is not listed above and you are still having issues, please contact us by emailing [email protected] so we can get your issue corrected in a future update. Please tell us what embosser you have and what issue you are experiencing.

Fixes¶

• Applied interpoint settings to generic embossers to allow for multiple copies to be embossed without document page overlap.
• Fixed an uncontracted translation changes issue.
• Fixed an accessibility issue where the Image Describer did not regain focus after selecting an image.
• Fixed a critical issue that prevented changing translation tables when using spatial math.
• Fixed a configuration issue with spatial math.
• Fixed an issue with Pandoc import files that could cause the first item to be un-editable.
• Fixed an issue that caused certain kinds of tables to make a file impossible to open.

Version 1.1.23-beta, August 22, 2019¶

Features¶

Experimental Graphics Support
Image Placeholders: Blank lines can be associated with an image now. Go to Insert > Image Placeholder and insert the number of blank lines in the dialog box to account for the graphic. Use the Insert Image Location button to choose a file from your computer to associate with that set of blank lines. When the association is made, the braille and graphics can be embossed together to a supported embosser. Currently, only ViewPlus graphics embossers are supported; however, more are planned for the future.

LaTeX Support
Document types that are supported by Pandoc and include LaTeX can convert that LaTeX into MathML and ASCII Math when opened in BrailleBlaster. This change affects all file types except NIMAS XML, TXT, BRL, and ZIP.

Additional Embossers
Added support for ViewPlus Tiger Pro and EmFuse embossers, found under Embosser Settings.

UI Changes

• Split Element, Page Up, Page Down, and Refresh Translation removed from menu. All, but Refresh Translation, are still available as a key press; the menu items were redundant.
• Error Handling moved into Help section of menu; previously under Settings.
• Window menu items moved to under View.
• Show Breadcrumbs moved into Toggle Views, as it is the fourth view.
• Description style now adds Transcriber's Notes before and after the text selected and applies the correct margins.
• "Miscellaneous symbols" style category now called "Miscellaneous" under Styles menu.
• Double Line moved from Miscellaneous styles into Style Options, as it only adds blank lines, not margins.
• File types now appear in alphabetic order in open dialog.

Fixes¶

• Fixed several instances where print and braille page numbers could not be reliably edited.
• Fixed instance of line breaks adding an extra blank line.
• Fixed instances where MathML was not properly converted when a NIMAS XML was opened.

Version 1.1.20-beta, May 21, 2019¶

Features¶

PEF support

Braille documents can now be saved in the Portable Embosser Format (PEF) by going to File > Save BRF/PEF and changing your Save As choice from BRF to PEF. More information about the PEF file type can be found at PEF-Format.org.

32-bit Pandoc Support

The Pandoc file types now work with 32-bit operating systems. These file types include DOCX, EPUB, and HTML.

Fixes¶

Translation

Many translation fixes included in this release!

• Fixed capitalization issues that occurred around punctuation (e.g., a hyphen preceding a capitalized passage causing the passage to translate as three separate words).
• Fixed interactions between emphasis and punctuation and numbers.
• Corrected superscripts and subscripts in UEB math.
• Fixed the closing mixed fraction indicator and decimal point in Nemeth.
• Fixed capitalization interrupted by numbers.
• Several minor symbols and special words such as Doubleday and preadmit now translating correctly.

Additional

• Can no longer set a line/cell length of 0.
• Fixed error when changing translation table from UEB to UEB plus Nemeth.
• Fixed interaction between running heads, page breaks, and print page indicators.

Version 1.1.19-beta, April 19, 2019¶

Features¶

Embosser Support

Work continues on support for additional embossers. BrailleBlaster currently supports ViewPlus Technologies, IRIE, Index Braille, and Enabling Technologies embosser manufacturers. If your embosser's manufacturer is not listed, please select the Generic manufacturer and either the Text Only or Text with Margins model. Text with Margins is for embossers with a tractor feed. Please email [email protected] for any BrailleBlaster embossing issues.

Fixes¶

Local Documentation

Restored Local documentation in this version. Recent versions did not include a local copy of the documentation.

Edit Page Number

Resolved an editing page numbers issue when volume divisions are present.

Running Heads and Volume Divisions

Fixed a formatting issue with headings at the beginning of a new volume when a running head is present.

Combining Styles

Fixed a combining issue when one item uses a nested style and the other does not.

Version 1.1.18-beta, January 25, 2019¶

Features¶

Embosser Support

Changes have been made to how BrailleBlaster communicates with embossers. If you are still having embossing issues, please contact us via [email protected]. We have a limited amount of embossers available to test with, so we rely on feedback from the community. Thanks to everyone that has contacted us so far.

T-Pages

T-pages are now applied only to the text that is highlighted, when manually set. It is recommended that you create your t-pages using the T-Page Generator. However, to create them manually, highlight everything to be included on a t-page and change the page number type to t-page. This is different from p-pages and "normal" pages, which do not require highlighting, and change every page after the cursor.

Fixes¶

• Fixed a closing issue for the "Unsupported XML" warning box.
• Fixed a direct translation issue in the T-Page Generator.
• Updated the end of volume statement for Formats 2016.
• Fixed an embossing issue that prevented BRFs from using default embosser settings.

Version 1.1.17-beta, October 22, 2018¶

Fixes¶

New file type fixes

Headings are now getting KeepWithNext. No unnecessary blank lines are appearing between list level changes. ePUB3 elements that appeared spatially are now appearing on a single line and editing them does not cause any issues. Minor bug fixes for specific files.

Spatial Math Editor

Nonspecific alerts have been made clearer.

Accessibility

Installer works with high-contrast settings. TOC Builder Headings drop down accessible by keyboard.

Uncontracted tables

Uncontracted UEB and UEB with Nemeth tables are using the same math translation tables as the contracted versions of those tables.

Release Notes¶

Version 1.1.16-beta, September 12, 2018¶

Features¶

EPUB 3, HTML, and DOCX now supported

Using universal document converter Pandoc, BrailleBlaster can now open EPUB 3, HTML, and DOCX files. These document types contain is a huge variety of formatting, so we recommend that the majority of your formatting be done inside BrailleBlaster. As with previous file types, these appear as valid upon opening a document. They are then converted to BBX and all following processes are the same.

Number Line Editor

Omissions, user text, and labels can now be added to number lines using the Spatial Math Editor.

• To add user text, go to Number Line View in the menu and switch from math entry to user text.
• To omit parts of the number line, use the button Blank/Omission Override.
• To add labels, use the Add Labels button. Labels and user text can use ASCII Math, direct translation, or uncontracted translation types.

Additionally, number lines no longer require an interval type. Fractions, mixed fractions, and decimals can all be used with the same interface; the editor makes the appropriate number line. However, you cannot make a number line using both fractions and decimals unless you manually make the changes using user text.

• To make mixed fractions, put a space between the whole number and the fraction; one and one-half would be 1 1/2.

Page Number Hotkey

This feature can be found under the Tools menu as Convert to Print Page Number. The hotkey is Alt + 5. It is also available under the Miscellaneous category of styles as Page.

• To make a print page number, highlight the number or word and activate this feature.

Interpoint setting moved to Embosser settings

To make the Interpoint Embossing setting more discoverable, it has been moved from Page Number settings to Page Properties.

Fixes¶

Number Line Editor

• Grade one indicators off by default.
• Intervals less than or equal to zero are not allowed.
• The terms "segment" and "interval" are interchanged.
• Number signs are omitted when numeric passage symbols are used.

Math Hub

• Search box maintains minimum size.
• Dialog size is constant and fits on the screen.
• All math types have an associated image.
• Negative search results are accessible by screen readers.
• Search text box maintains position.

Math Template

• Identifiers translated as math have a number sign.
• Properly translates negative numbers.
• Uses multiplication cross instead of the dot.
• Solution toggle has been changed to "true or false" instead of "1 or 0."
• No longer dropping solution on reopen.
• Division template no longer has straight vertical as default.

General Math

• More signs of comparison added to Math Hub.
• Error toggling numeric series with math has been resolved.
• Radicals translated as UEB no longer get Nemeth symbols.
• Replace Current Math in the ASCII Math Editor properly replaces current math.
• Spatial math properly inserts after a table.

General

• Fixed issue with adding text to the top of a braille page.
• Fixed 6-key inline insertion.
• 6-key dialog appears at appropriate size.
• Blank lines inappropriately carrying over to a new braille page has been fixed.
• T-Page Generator can generate a Special Symbols page.
• Page breaks ignore line breaks.
• Style option Lines Before easier to understand (e.g., inputting the number 3 makes three blank lines).
• Image Describer retains input braille.
• New page pilcrow no longer saved in BRF.
• Braille Preview focus starts on right-hand page.
• Fixed translation involving capitalized passage and direct translation.
• Fixed translation issues with punctuation and individual letters.
• Fixed cursor issue with running head appearing on p1.
• Removing direct translation no longer removes Set Cell Position.
• Fixed formatting issue when combining two items.
• Fixed rare issue where every page could become braille page 1.

Version 1.1.15-beta, August 17, 2018¶

Features¶

ASCII Math Hub Redesign

The ASCII Math Hub has been redesigned. The main change is the interface is more graphical, so it should be easier to find needed symbols. Screen reader users also benefit from the redesign as there is much less interface clutter. Many configurations can be found in the Examples tab. Please let us know your thoughts on the reworked user interface through the BrailleBlaster Beta Feedback Form.

Fixes¶

ASCII Math Hub

• Added examples for preceding subscripts and superscripts.
• Pressing enter in search field of ASCII Math Editor activates the OK button.
• Updated the button to delete all text in text box.
• Adjusted multiple consecutive insertions to properly follow the cursor.
• Adjusted Next Math and Previous Math buttons to properly move the cursor.

Spatial Math Editor

• Fixed translation of spatial division.
• Updated solution to toggle properly with Math Templates.
• Identifiers can now be translated as math instead of literary.
• Updated line text boxes to appear before segment text boxes in Number Line Editor.
• Fixed braille layout of division problems without a solution.
• Updated Math Templates to properly share the line with empty templates.
• Fixed a translation issue with identifiers in Nemeth Math Templates.
• Matrix and Number Line Editors are no longer separate dialogs and are only found inside the Spatial Math Editor.
• Updates with editing to rejudge whether items are too long for a braille line.
• Updated the UEB Spatial Math dialog to include grade one indicators; currently on by default.
• Updated negative numbers to use the symbol for negative instead of a hyphen.
• Nemeth fractions translate correctly.

General Math

• UEB Math: Updated grade one indicators to appear more consistently with individual letters.
• Items that end with math can now be wrapped in containers.
• Math can now be double spaced.
• Fixed translation of several relation symbols.
• Updated the Image Describer to allow input using Spatial Math.
• Multiple items of ASCII Math can now be deleted altogether, at one time.
• Multiple items can now be set to translate as math.
• Updated items that cross multiple lines to be properly spaced when the math aspect is added.
• Updated UEB Code Switch and Numeric Passage Mode inline indicators to use non-breaking spaces.

General

• Fixed the Check for updates to check if an update is available.
• Fixed Find and Replace to only replace the indicated text.
• Updated automatic formatting for more consistent running heads and no extra or irremovable blank lines.
• Updated Transcriber's Notes heading in t-pages to appear if text is added to that tab of the T-Page Generator.
• Note separation line can be inserted in freshly pasted text.
• Updated multi-volume BRF saving to alert you if saving over a previously created BRF or set of BRFs.
• Adjusted embosser page settings to capitalized ASCII for BRFs for properly embossing.
• Update message is now clearer and easier to understand.
• No longer crashes when the operating system uses non-Latin characters, such as simplified Chinese.
• More abbreviations properly use grade one indicators in UEB.
• Updated embosser page settings to be easier to use.
• Adjusted line breaks to be added at the beginning of a line.
• Adjusted formatting to handle unrealistic page settings, such as a textbook with 5 cells per line.

Version 1.1.13-beta, July 5, 2018¶

Features¶

Added Spatial Math Editor

Found under the Math menu, the Spatial Math Editor creates and edits number lines, matrices, and spatial equations. It also arranges multiple spatial items in rows and columns so that arrangements of plain text, matrices, and other spatial arrangements are created. It utilizes UEB numeric mode, Nemeth switch indicators, and many permutations of different types of spatial math. Spatial math can be inserted in UEB or Nemeth and automatically updates if the code is changed. Once inserted, it can be edited in two ways: by reopening the dialog with your cursor inside the math to be edited, or by right-clicking or using the context menu to select "Spatial Math Editor." We are very excited to announce this new feature and are hoping you will give us your feedback!

Added Matrix Editor

Included in the Spatial Math Editor, as well as an independent dialog, the Matrix Editor creates and edits matrices. Options include different overflow styles, easy to set rows and columns, and various grouping devices such as brackets, braces, vertical bars, and parentheses. It also includes options for direct translation, plain text, and ASCII math text entry.

Added Nemeth Switch Indicators

Two types of Nemeth switch indicators—block and inline—were added as an option for UEB math. Block are added on a separate line before and after the items selected. Inline are added on the same lines at the beginning and end of the items selected.

Running Heads Now Editable

Running heads can now be added or removed on a page-by-page basis. As such, when inserting a running head via the Insert Running Head menu item, it automatically appears at the top of all braille pages (except t1 and 1).

Fixes¶

Number Line Editor

• Fixed a placement issue with negative numbers.
• Fixed a number line issues where fractions were used in place of whole numbers.
• Fixed an exception occurrence issue to allow decimal use with intervals.
• Fixed a Number Line Editor issue allowing zero to be used as a starting or ending segment.
• Fixed a sequence issue with improper fractions and whole numbers.
• Fixed a spacing issue with improper fractions.
• Fixed a Reduce Fractions option issue regarding reduction of fractions to whole numbers.
• Added negative fractions as an option.
• Removed zero from mixed numbers, when not needed.
• Various minor fixes.

ASCII Math Hub

• Now starts in full screen.
• Fixed an exception occurrence issue to allow insertion on a blank line before or after plain text.
• Adjusted ASCII Math to utilize the same number of lines as the related braille.
• Fixed a cursor issue when adding ASCII Math to a document containing plain text.
• Added more symbols to the Hub.

Additional

• Fixed a scrolling issue where scrolling failed after a certain limit in the Braille View.
• Fixed a deletion issue for line breaks.
• Fixed a line break issue that caused other changes to be lost if not yet translated.
• Fixed a line break issue allowing them to be added to the beginning of an element.
• Fixed a consistency issue for multiple line breaks.
• Fixed a deletion issue allowing removal of a blank line could between a top box line and a running head.
• Fixed a crash issue that occurred when BrailleBlaster was closed before it could open.
• Fixed a pasting issue for list items that pasted as a group and did not incorporate with a separate list.
• Fixed a cursor issue for Insert Note Separation Line to consistently follow cursor position.
• Fixed an exception occurrence issue to allow pasting at the beginning of an item.
• Fixed an volume issue to allow for the addition of a volume to the end of the document.
• Fixed an open document issue where specific files were unable to open.
• Fixed a cursor issue in the Braille view that caused items to be skipped.
• Fixed an embosser profile issue eliminating inactive embosser profiles from the list of available embossers.
• Fixed a selection issue that prevented emphasis from being removed when a print page indicator was included in the initial selection.
• Fixed an editing issue for TOC page numbers allowing for multiple edits.
• Fixed a page number issue where a braille page p0 was produced.
• Fixed a formatting issue to keep a top box line with the related contents.
• Fixed a page break issue allowing it to be added to a specific table with a box and a transcriber's note.
• Fixed an exception occurrence issue to allow placement of the cursor inside a table with a transcriber's note.
• Fixed a formatting issue for poetry with line numbers preventing the skipping of first and last lines when no page number is present.
• Fixed a cursor issue preventing the cursor to move to a different location after saving.
• Made it easier to manually override automatic formatting.
• Fixed a deletion issue for print page indicators when the blank line before it is deleted.
• Fixed a page number editing issue that prevented braille page numbers from appearing in the braille file.
• Fixed an editing issue for boxes to be movable after a series of edits.
• Fixed an issue with pressing delete at the end of a document.
• Repaired delete behavior to be consistent.
• Fixed a translation issue with the Nemeth ellipsis.
• Fixed a document layout issue that occurred when adding a print page number to a file with a running head.
• Fixed an issue preventing certain elements from being combined.
• Fixed an issue for print page indicators that disappeared when the TOC page style was applied.
• Fixed an issue allowing the addition of a note separation line to the end of a document.
• Fixed an issue with opening files that have been deleted.

Version 1.1.11-beta, May 30, 2018¶

Features¶

Double-spaced braille

This feature is still in development but is available under the Miscellaneous styles category. Currently, you can highlight a selection of text and then use the "Double Line" style. In the future, you will be able to add double-spacing to an entire document. This feature adds double-spacing without regard for the rules of braille. The added lines can then be manually removed as needed.

UI improvements

• The buttons on the Special Symbols tab in the T-Page Generator have been reorganized relating placement to function.
• Terms used in Page Number Settings tab now more closely mirror Formats 2016 wording.
• Tool tips have been added to the Page Number Settings tab.
• A drop-down menu that contains all of the transcriber-defined typeforms has been added to the Transcriber-Defined Typeform toolbar button.
• The Edit Line Number dialog has been modified for clarification. Now, when you select a page type from the Edit Page Number dialog, "no page type" option appears as the default.

Fixes¶

• Fixed a line count issue in the status area.
• Fixed a nonrecognition of hyphenated pages issue in the TOC Builder. They are not detected automatically but are manually identified using the Page button in the TOC Builder.
• Fixed a Book Tree navigation issue allowing for retrieval and display of the file name.
• Fixed an exception issue allowing emphasis to be applied to an empty element.
• Fixed an issue with Add/Remove Uncontracted Glossary Items so that it will no longer add an uncontracted version to a word without contractions.
• Fixed an inserting volumes issue when the Continue Pages option is turned on.
• Fixed a nondeletion of automatic blank lines issue when the line interacted with a running head.
• Fixed a LibLouis issue allowing for differentiation between periods and decimals.
• Fixed a lost changes issue in the Number Line Editor when switching the number line type.
• Fixed an appdata issue with the Emboss dialog forgetting units used.
• Fixed an insert volume issue when inserted on an automatic blank line.
• Fixed a spacing issue for glossary terms and definitions.
• Fixed several Number Line Editor issues; most involving division by zero.
• Fixed an implied print page number issue making the braille and the print views analogous.
• Fixed a saving issue allowing multi-volume BRFs to be saved as multiple BRFs.

Version 1.1.10-beta, April 24, 2018¶

Features¶

Auto-generated transcriber's notes now editable in Table Editor

Previously, the auto-generated transcriber's notes in the Table Editor were static; now, they are editable. The additional benefit of this change is that now you can continue to change the table type after adding a transcriber's note. When a transcriber's note is added to relevant table types, text boxes are added to the top of the Table Editor containing the transcriber note text, which can be edited.

Braille Preview status line

The Braille Preview now has a status line that is accessible to screen readers. The status line contains information about page and line numbers, as well as cell position.

New colors for font attributes

Direct translation, uncontracted, and script attributes now use different colors in the Print view to signify their application. The colors are pastel for high-contrast. As before, font attribute information is available in the breadcrumbs.

Fixes¶

Number Line Editor

• Fixed a line mode issue allowing for beginning symbol to be used.
• Fixed a number line generation issue allowing for number lines to go past cell 31.
• Fixed a translation issue with the generated line.
• Fixed an Editor issue which required text to be inserted to the left of the decimal point.
• Fixed a labeling issue for fraction and decimal text boxes.
• Fixed a number line issue that caused improper runover to the next line.
• Fixed an exception issue for 0 as an interval; a warning is generated instead.
• Fixed a text box issue allowing for the input of 0 as a character.
• Fixed a number line previewing issue which prevented updating.
• Fixed a number line editing issue allowing for text after the number line to be edited.

Page Numbers

• Fixed a Go To Page issue making the start of a section the landing point.
• Fixed a print page indicator issue allowing for specific ones to be deleted.
• In the Print view, print page numbers now appear as normal text instead of ASCII versions of the braille.
• Fixed some specific cases where page number behavior could go awry.
• Fixed a Page Number Dialog issue replacing underscores with hyphens.
• Fixed a print page numbers issue where page numbers could appear out of place.
• Fixed a copy and paste issue where pasted text appeared in the wrong location with respect to the print page number.
• Fixed a print page numbers issue where deleted page numbers were hidden and affecting the type of braille page number.
• Fixed a Table of Contents (TOC) dispersion issue where the braille page number was not generating correctly.
• Fixed an interpoint issue where volumes started on even pages.
• Fixed a Page Number Dialog issue where it did not respect the cursor's position when editing.
• Fixed a print page number issue where it was not being updated for deleted text when interpoint settings were being used.
• Fixed a print page indicator issue where deleting blank page indicators overrode all other delete actions.

Additional

• Fixed an image placeholder issue allowing for it be added to the middle of a line-numbered poem.
• Fixed a glossary issue where uncontracted items could not be added without guide words.
• Fixed a crashing issue that occurred with page number editing of TOCs.
• Fixed a TOC issue where the page number was being applied to the wrong entry.
• Fixed a Unicode issue where the parallel symbol was not translating correctly.
• Fixed a table issue where adding a box with transcriber's note caused it to move erroneously to a new page.
• Fixed an issue allowing for boxes within boxes.
• Fixed a file loading issue allowing for sections to load when using Page Down.
• Fixed a copy and paste exception issue allowing for a list inside a list.
• Fixed a rare occurrence where tables were stuck in a transitional state, preventing editing and causing the program to crash.
• Fixed a margins issue allowing only the Generic Text with Margins driver to add margins.
• Fixed a Save As exception issue where the creation of new files is prevented when the user does not have write access to the location; a warning is generated instead.
• Fixed a startup issue where the program sometimes silently failed without relaying log information.
• Fixed a Go To Volume issue allowing for it to work with the first volume.
• Fixed an Emboss dialog issue where the numbers were transposed for the 11.5 X 11 page type.
• Temporarily removed "remove emphasis" from the ASCII Math editor until those features have functionality.

Version 1.1.8-beta, March 15, 2018¶

Fixes¶

• Number Line Editor Now allows beveled fractions. Fixed an issue where a fraction interval would treat whole numbers as fractions. Fixed translation issues with fractions. Fixed a user interface issue where the text boxes of fractional number lines did not line up. Various minor fixes.
• Fixed an embossing issue where margins would be used whether the selected driver was Generic With Margins or just Generic.
• Made 11 x 11.5-inch paper the first choice in the paper choices list, when setting up an embosser.
• Changed the Table Editor behavior to delete the last column or row if left blank, once the table is inserted.
• Added a pop-up warning before deleting a table in the Table Editor.
• Fixed a note separation line issue when inserted inside a table.
• Fixed a selection issue that occasionally caused the first item to appear to be selected when it wasn't.
• Fixed a keyboard navigation issue in the Braille view.
• Fixed a line number duplication issue when moved to a new braille page.
• Fixed a pasting issue where it could create a list inside a list.
• Changed the shortcut key for Emphasis from Alt + M to Alt + A.
• ASCII Math Hub's Next and Previous buttons now correctly take you to the next or previous math item in your document.
• Fixed a keyboard navigation issue that occurred when moving to a new section that began with a table.

Version 1.1.7-beta, February 26, 2018¶

Features¶

Decimals and fractions in number lines

The Number Line Editor is still in beta but we have now added decimals and fractions. We're working on some translation issues and minor bugs, but the feature is available for the curious. You can find these options under Math in the UEB Number Line Editor. There are three radio buttons: standard number lines, fractions, and decimals. We're also working on Nemeth support.

Centered title pages

Title pages can now be centered in the T-Page Generator. You can find this option by opening Settings in the T-Page Generator's menu. It automatically centers all t1 title pages.

Delete tables

Tables can now be deleted directly in the Table Editor. Previously, you would have to reformat the table and then delete the plain text. Now, you can delete the entire table by selecting Actions and then Delete Table. Currently, there is no warning before the table is deleted, but a warning will be added in the next build.

Open BRL files

BrailleBlaster can now open BRL files. BRL files are typically "dirty" braille that is created by a braille note taker or a program such as Send-to-Braille. These files are basically TXT (text) files, but they contain ASCII braille instead of normal text. When opened in BrailleBlaster, the entire BRL file is direct translated in order to retain the ASCII braille translation. They can then be edited like any other BBX file.

Fixes¶

• The List tag is no longer available in the list category of styles. This style is automatically applied whenever a list style is used, so there is no reason for it to remain in the user interface.
• Page breaks were previously causing top box lines to not remain with the text that followed them. This error has been fixed.
• Work has been done to help make multiple page number edits to the same braille page number easier and more reliable. You should now be able to change the text for the same braille page number without issue.
• Fixed a couple bugs where the Six-Key dialog would insert page breaks where they weren't needed.
• Fixed a bug that could occur if a volume was added to the beginning of a document instead of at the end of the volume as is intended. A warning is now also generated.
• Fixed a bug where number lines that had been pasted lost the ability to be edited by the Number Line Editor.
• Added page types to the Embosser Setup dialog to make adding an embosser easier.
• Fixed a bug with the Line Number Editor where the text boxes would shrink when the dialog was opened on an already inserted number line.
• Fixed a bug where deleting a number line and then inserting a new number line would cause the second number line to insert at the wrong location.
• Fixed an issue where NVDA would not read the "Number of copies" field correctly in the Add Embosser dialog.
• Fixed an issue where the Embosser dialog was validating in the background when small changes were made so that screen reader users heard unnecessary warning messages.
• Fixed a user-reported exception that could occur when adding an embosser profile.

Version 1.1.6-beta, February 6, 2018¶

Features¶

Different intervals in number lines

The Number Line Editor now allows intervals other than 1 between the numbers on the line. We're working on allowing decimals and fractions, but those changes have not yet been completed. To find the feature, open the UEB Number Line Editor under Math; the text box is labeled Interval. There are two options: whole number and decimal. Note: Decimal intervals are still being tested.

Fixes¶

• Fixed an issue with t-pages where it was possible for the last line to run over to a second page when there was still room for it on the first page.
• Fixed an issue involving note separation lines where a blank line could appear in the wrong location.
• Fixed an issue with Ctrl+Arrow movement where it would move to the wrong location when used with Go To Page.
• Fixed an issue with Ctrl+Arrow movement where it would move to the wrong location when the cursor was inside emphasis at the beginning or end of an element.
• Fixed an issue with 6-key entry where it would insert in the wrong location when inserted at the end of an element.
• Fixed an issue with 6-key entry where it would insert in the wrong location when inserted inside emphasized text.
• Fixed an issue with 6-key entry where it would insert the text at the beginning of a new line unnecessarily.
• Fixed an issue where the braille preview could fail after editing braille page numbers.
• Fixed an issue where the Page Number Editor would not acknowledge page changes until it was closed and reopened.
• Fixed an issue where the cursor would skip elements when a new section was loaded.

Version 1.1.5-beta, January 9, 2018¶

Features¶

• New Embosser Profiles

BrailleBlaster now uses embosser profiles to better support the various models of embossers available. At least one embosser profile is required. Users may select "Embosser Settings" from the "Settings" menu to add, edit, or remove an embosser profile. The first time one selects "File/Emboss," an embosser profile dialog appears. Once done that becomes the default embosser until additional profiles are added. Users also may select a different profile as the default profile. We have not tested this on every embosser make and model so anyone who can provide us with feedback regarding what embosser they use and how BrailleBlaster works with it, or doesn't, would be greatly appreciated.

• UEB Number Line Editor*

In our continued quest to make translating math easier, we have added a UEB Number Line Editor to BrailleBlaster. It's a very specialized tool. It makes number lines and segments in UEB. These can be difficult to make manually in braille though so we hope that the tool will prove useful. You can find it by going to Math > Number Line. The number lines that it makes are read-only and must be edited from within the dialog. To edit a number line that has been added, simply ensure that your cursor is on or in the number line and then open the UEB Number Line Editor. You can also delete an added number line from within the Editor. Additionally, number lines have a unique style that ensures they appear in the correct cell and with the right automatic blank lines. Please try it out and let us know what you think! We have more changes planned like allowing decimals and fractions and allowing the increments between numbers to be set by the user.

Fixes¶

• Fixed an issue where Ctrl+Up and Down Arrow would not move on to the next section if there was a table across the section boundary.
• Fixed an issue with the Page Number Dialog where some changes were not possible.
• Fixed a user-reported exception with Line Numbered Prose.
• Fixed a translation issue with math where the character ` could not be translated as math.
• Fixed an issue with the Page Number Dialog where Go To page did not work with certain braille page changes.

Version 1.1.4-beta, December 21, 2017¶

Features¶

32-bit Error Resolved

The JAVA 32-bit error is fixed in this release. This is not really a feature but it is an important enough fix that we needed to share it at the top. We're very sorry about the difficulty that those with 32-bit Windows have been having using BrailleBlaster. The error was caused by a recent LibLouis merge. We have had to take that merge out of this release which cost us a couple of minor translation fixes but we hope to have LibLouis back up to date by the next release.

Math Toolbar

Math now has a toolbar! It is not enabled by default. To enable it, go to Window > Toolbar > Math. It contains a button for Math Translation Toggle (which also now has the hotkey ctrl+M), Numeric Series, the ASCII Math Hub, and Math Help. This should make it easier to do tasks requiring math in the future.

Math Table Tools

Math can be added to tables and to make that process easier, we have added a tool that adds the math aspect to all text in all cells. To access this feature, in the Table Editor, go to Tools > Add Math Translation to All or use the hotkey ctrl+alt+M. Note that this will add the math translation aspect to ALL text in ALL cells and remember that it might be faster to use this feature and then manually remove any instances that don't require this translation aspect. You can also use the Math Translation Toggle (ctrl+M) inside the Table Editor to toggle math translation on and off.

Beveled Fractions Examples

As promised, examples for beveled fractions have been added to the ASCII Math Editor.

Fixes¶

• Six-key Fixed several issues with six-key entry. The Six-Key Dialog now uses the current document's Cells Per Line and the text will appear as the user intended it within their document. Should make things much easier for those that prefer six-key entry. Also fixed a crash that could occur when a blank line was added to the first line of the Six-Key Dialog.
• Image Describer Very similar changes to what was done with six-key entry. The Image Describer's font size was increased and the text will now appear as the user intended with their document.
• Fixed an issue where Direct Translation of accented letters would cause them to appear as unknown Unicode characters. This was reported by a user. Now the accented letters will ignore the Direct Translation aspect.
• Fixed an issue that caused page numbers and other read-only elements to not appear correctly when the size of the font was increased.
• Print page numbers made inside of an element will now split the element. Previously, the print page numbers would remain a part of the element (though they would appear separate from the element), which led to strange behavior if the element they were a part of was edited or removed.
• Fixed an issue where line breaks inside of certain elements could not be deleted.
• Fixed an issue that we discovered because of user-reported exceptions (thanks so much for sharing those with us!). The issue was BB allowing illegal XML characters to be pasted inside BB, leading to exceptions and crashes. Those illegal XML characters will now be ignored when pasted inside BB.
• Added the new contraction for "unresaid".
• Fixed some issues with Go To Page inside the Braille Preview.
• Fixed an issue where Cell-5 and Cell-7 Headings added by the TOC Builder could be split between pages.
• Fixed an issue where Recent Save files could get corrupted.
• Fixed an issue where BB would attempt to open any ZIP file, regardless of whether the contents of the ZIP were supported. BB will now inform the user that the file type is not supported. It will still open supported ZIP files appropriately.
• Fixed an issue where the Page Change List inside the Page Number Dialog would not update until the user closed the dialog.
• Fixed an issue where closing the last document tab could cause an exception.
• Fixed an issue where Print Page Indicators without page numbers could disappear when a volume was inserted nearby.

Version 1.1.3-beta, December 5, 2017¶

Features¶

Ctrl+Up Arrow and Ctrl+Down Arrow move from element to element

This was a request from a user and should improve the overall accessibility of BrailleBlaster. Without this kind of movement, it can be difficulty for a user that is blind to know when they have left one element and entered another. This kind of movement will give users another tool to help them realize the layout of their document. Ctrl+Up Arrow moves to the previous element and Ctrl+Down Arrow moves to the next element.

Six-Key Input and Image Describer

Work is continuing on these dialogs but preliminary work has been completed. Currently the space character that is used is the same size as a braille character, that way when spaces are used braille characters will line up properly within the dialog. Additionally, what is inserted is now much closer to how the braille appeared within the dialog. There is still a bug with blank spaces at the beginning of the line but that will be fixed in the next update.

Math Tables

This feature is still in beta, especially since math as a whole is still largely in beta. However, math can now be added to tables. Currently, you would need to know what ASCII math to add to the table as the ASCII Math Editor does not work with the Table Editor or you could use the ASCII Math Editor and then use the option to Convert Text to Table.

Beveled fractions now available in ASCII Math

Since Nemeth makes a distinction between beveled (diagonal) fractions and horizontal fractions, ASCII Math needed to as well. That is why we have added the option to ASCII Math. To make a beveled fraction, you type bfrac and then the numbers with a space where the slash would go. Examples are going to be added to the ASCII Math Editor as well in the next release. Please let us know about any ASCII Math or general math additions you would like to see in future updates. We are continuing to work on the user interface for math and on translation issues.

Ctrl+M now translates math instead of opening ASCII Math Editor

Ctrl+M will now translate the selected text as math instead of opening the ASCII Math Editor. It will also remove the math translation.

Fixes¶

• Fixed an issue where the page numbers on the first page could not be edited.
• Fixed an issue where letters in page number did not properly appear in print view.
• Fixed issues that arose when manually creating line numbered poetry.
• Fixed a translation issue where one mixed fraction causes all fractions in equation to translate as mixed regardless of content.
• Fixed an issue where ctrl+home and ctrl+end did not work in style or braille views.
• Fixed an issue where letters in page numbers could cause BRF to not save and for Braille Preview to be unavailable.
• Fixed an issue where the parallel symbol was not properly translating.
• Fixed an issue where Page Up and Page Down would not load the next section.
• Fixed an issue with embossing when document contained tab characters.
• Fixed an issue that occurred when inserting a table immediately after another table.
• Fixed the translation of several abbreviations that require the grade 1 indicator.
• Fixed an issue where wrong information was being added when dispersing a TOC.
• Fixed an issue where the program would fail to start if reset while the user was accessing files in user directory for program.
• Fixed issue with cut and copy of math nodes.
• Fixed issue where line-lettered or line-numbered poetry would automatically skip the first line of document whether it needed to or not.
• Fixed an issue where the poetry style name was being removed from the style panel when line letters or numbers were added.
• Fixed an issue where the Find and Replace button was not working.
• Fixed an issue with Identify Guide Words where it would put a space after the term and before the comma that followed the term.
• Fixed the order of the buttons on Braille Preview.
• Fixed an issue where errors wouldn't be dismissed with the OK button if the user had opted not to send error reports to APH.
• Fixed an issue where blank lines would be removed when cut and paste.
• Fixed an issue where BrailleBlaster could make autosaves that were in a failure state so that the program crashed upon opening them.
• Fixed Go To Page not working in the Page Change List of the Page Number Dialog.
• Fixed an issue where the program could become unresponsive if the user chose the option to Print to PDF or Print to File.

Version 1.1.2-beta, November 11, 2017¶

Features¶

Line Lettered Poetry

Began work on Line Lettered Poetry. There is still more to do with this feature but what we have works well. There can be issues adding letters out of order, like if you add a letter to line 1 and line 3 and then add a letter to line 2 but we are working on fixing that issue.

Copy and Paste Math

Math can now be copied and pasted. This refers to the math that has been translated as math, a menu option that can be accessed by going to Math > Translate as Math. This option can also be found in the context menu. If you have translated something as math, that text can now be copied and pasted. Normal text, of course, could always be copied and pasted but with math we had to temporarily disable it. Now it is working again.

Documentation included with BrailleBlaster will be updated more regularly

When a new version of BB is uploaded, the documentation will also be updated. We have streamlined the process for updating the documentation to ensure that the latest version of BrailleBlaster always has the latest version of the documentation available at the time that version of BB is created. Documentation is always available offline to help accommodate transcribers in prison braille programs and rural areas that may not have internet access.

Fixes¶

• Fixed an embossing issue where the braille margins for the first line of the page were not being used.
• Fixed an issue where tables could get unnecessary blank line when placed inside a box and then the box had a page break before it.
• Fixed a translation issue with the word "Bethesda". It was not using the "be" contraction and it should be.
• Fixed an issue where if t-pages were added to the document first and then text was added, that text could be treated as part of the t-pages. To the point that if the user reopened the T-Page Generator, it would delete all of the text that they had added. Very scary. Now not a problem.
• Fixed an issue with the website where the Report Issues form was throwing an error when submitted. The irony was not lost on us.
• Fixed an issue where putting a box on any table other than a simple table would throw an exception.
• Fixed an issue where using the Enter key on the numpad would not give the same result as using the Enter key on the main part of the keyboard when filling out the text boxes in the T-Page Generator.
• Fixed an issue using cut, copy, and paste with nested styles.
• More updates to Spanish braille's translation tables.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when clicking on the style pane in a new document.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when applying the Poetic Stanza tag to specific kinds of poetry leveling.
• Fixed an issue with numbers translated as Nemeth not always getting the correct number sign.
• Fixed an issue with the print page indicator adding an extra blank line in specific situations.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when pasting info at the top of the braille page after adding a page break.
• Fixed an issue where clicking OK in the Page Number Editor would not work most of the time.
• Fixed an issue where a second uncontracted term could be added if the emphasis was changed on the glossary term.
• Fixed issues that could occur when adding uncontracted glossary terms to a new file.
• Fixed an issue with the Image Describer not respecting newline characters in the braille view. Also, the Image Describer will no longer default to the caption style.

Version 1.0.22-beta, September 12, 2017¶

Features¶

Breadcrumb Accessibility

The Breadcrumbs are present in the toolbar to give you an idea of the structure of the document. They've always been accessible to screen readers but getting to them could be kind of a pain as you had to leave the Print View in order to access them. Definitely interrupted the flow of work. Now if Breadcrumbs are visible, they will automatically be read by the screen reader whenever they change. If you do not want them to be read, simply turn them off via View > Show Breadcrumbs. This behavior is currently only supported by JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver.

Spanish Braille

Made a number of additions to the Spanish LibLouis tables that include punctuation, capitalization, emphasis, and numbering. There's still more work to be done to make the Spanish braille tables fully functional but what we have now covers the basic functionality.

Direct Translate Print Page Numbers

This feature is one of several that have been added to the Page Number Dialog. The easiest way to access this dialog is to find it in the context menu while your cursor is in the Print View. Once there the "Change Print Page Number" text box will allow you to apply Direct translation or Uncontracted to the page number via the buttons to the right of the text box. Either highlight the portion you would like affected or simply put your cursor inside the text box to affect the entire page number. This allows for a lot more options and user control when adding or editing page numbers. Another new addition to this dialog is the Page Change List. This shows you all of the changes that you have made and also allows you to go to those changes to review them.

Prose tag is now a toggle

The Prose tag is a container that allows line numbers to be added to the braille. It is now a toggle. Add it by highlighting the portion that should be inside the container and using the Wrap Prose button or the shortcut Ctrl+F2 which are available after activating Line Number Tools via Tools > Line Number Tools. The Prose tag can then be toggled off by repeating the action with text that has already been placed inside a Prose container.

User Interface for Numeric Passages

This is the first step in adding support for Numeric Passages. Right now this math tool will only add the necessary Numeric Passage indicators and terminator but we're working to add LibLouis support that will automatically suppress other Numeric Indicators within your selection as well as adding Grade 1 Indicators to any letters within the selection.

Non-breaking Spaces

Non-breaking spaces now appear as a white rectangle with a black outline. This should make them easier to visually discern than if they appear just like normal spaces and cause less readability issues than their old appearance which was a fully black rectangle.

Formats 2016: Print page numbers without numbers

Print page numbers without numbers have been added to the Insert menu. Simply go to Insert > Blank Print Page Indicator to add one. It follows the rules of Formats 2016.

Fixes¶

• BBZ files A number of fixes are included for BBZ files. Fixed bugs involving opening BBZ files, closing BBZ files, and saving a BBZ with the same name as another BBZ file. Also fixed an issue involving making autosaves of zip files.
• Translation fixes Fixed inverted exclamation mark and the word dish.
• Page Number Dialog Fixed issues with Page Number Dialog where combined and implied were no longer available as options, where clicking Add and then OK after making a chance could cause the change to revert, where print page numbers made by the user did not automatically inherit the previous page number's type, and a specific exception involving making a page number in a certain location.
• Fixed an issue where the cursor wouldn't move properly when pressing enter.
• Fixed an issue where math could get jumbled together if separated by non-math materials.
• Fixed an issue where the poetry styles were causes exceptions.
• Fixed tables so that column headings that are blank do not get a separation line.
• Made TOC page numbers into a reliable toggle. You can now add and remove the TOC page style easily and predictably.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when adding uncontracted terms to an index with guide words.
• Fixed a bug when selecting a glossary with guide words that has a page break.
• Fixed a formatting issue involving print page numbers before and after box lines.
• Fixed a formatting issue where a box would be truncated as though it were on the same line as a page number even if there wasn't a page number.
• Fixed a formatting issue where a box would start in cell 3 instead of cell 1.
• Fixed an issue where editing the braille page numbers could cause them to repeat.
• Fixed an issue where using Set Cell Position would remove a style's name from the Style Pane.
• Fixed an issue where the TOC Page Number could not be defined if there was a number in the TOC's entry's name.
• Set Nemeth block indicators so they would appear in cell 1 instead of cell 3.
• Fixed an issue where adding a line break to the end of the first line of a document caused an exception.
• Fixed an issue with having two image placeholders in a row caused a crash.
• Fixed an issue with Find and Replace where using it to remove an entire element caused a crash.
• Fixed an issue where the Braille Preview failed if the BRF had no braille page separator.
• Margins can now be turned off reliably via Page Settings using a check box for margins.
• Fixed a bug where =? could not be searched for in Find and Replace.
• Fixed a selection issue where deleting emphasis crossing multiple elements could cause an entire element to be incorrectly deleted.

Version 1.0.21-beta, August 28, 2017¶

Features¶

New pages

This is not so much a feature as a major fix but it was a much-needed change. Basically, we were having issues creating new pages when needed and so there were situations where the user could be on the last line of a braille page and not be able to get the new page that they required to keep working. Now, BrailleBlaster will make a new element with a pilcrow (aka paragraph mark) inside it and once that element has text in it, the pilcrow will be deleted. We're definitely going to look at better ways of accomplishing this in the future but what we have now works well.

Cherokee

We have added a language profile for Cherokee. This is presented as is. Changes to the LibLouis table will need to be made by users as we don't have the resources (or knowledge) to make them. We are looking into making it easier for users to add their own language profiles.

Fixes¶

• Fixed an issue where highlighted text wouldn't be replaced by pasted text.
• Fixed an issue where adding blank lines would override Keep With Next.
• Fixed several issues that occurred with print page numbers longer than a braille line.
• Fixed an issue when deleting special characters like underscores.
• Fixed an issue where blank spaces at the beginning of an element could cause text at the end of the element to be deleted.
• Fixed an issue with the T-Page Generator where an extra Special Symbols heading could be added if the Generator was accessed after adding t-pages.
• Fixed an issue where user-created print page numbers would be attached to the nearest element so that deleting either would delete both.
• Fixed several issues involving box lines on the first line of a braille page would not be properly formatted.
• Continuing to work on issues where list items cannot be reliably pasted. This issue is ongoing.
• Added necessary spaces to Nemeth Indicators
• Fixed an issue where inline Nemeth Indicators affected how the element was deleted.
• Fixed an issue where Transcriber's Notes indicators could be overridden if the user made changes to their translation table.
• Fixed an issue where print page numbers added via the dialog did not get the appropriate continuation indicator.
• Fixed an issue where top and left margins were not being followed by certain embossers.
• Fixed an issue where print page indicators without numbers did not appear in the print view.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when closing a document with ctrl+w.
• Fixed a blank line that could be left behind when deleting a user-made print page indicator.

Version 1.0.20-beta, August 15, 2017¶

Features¶

Convert Text to Table

This feature will convert any set of elements into a table. Basically, you have the elements that need to be a table, you highlight them and then go to Tools > Convert Text to Table and a dialog appears asking you how many columns your table will have. You then set how many columns and then the table editor opens with your text in it ready to be manipulated just like you would a normal table. This feature will be especially useful for new documents as most XML files will already have their tables properly marked. The feature set at the moment is very basic and so blank lines are ignored and very large tables (many braille pages worth of text) and tables with very long cell entries do not always format properly. We are working on resolving those less common issues in time.

BB can emboss a BRF

Recently we added the feature that BB could open a BRF. Now BB can emboss that BRF! Simply open the BRF the same way you would any other file, it will open in the Braille Preview, and then, from within the Braille Preview, go to File > Emboss or use the shortcut Ctrl+E. This will open the emboss dialog that you should already be familiar with. One caveat is that a range of pages cannot be embossed from a BRF. For the moment, if you'd like to emboss a BRF, you will have to emboss the entire BRF. We are working on setting it so that a range of pages can be embossed from a BRF.

Fixes¶

• Math Fixed an issue when applying a numeric series to a group of elements. Fix numeric series being incorrectly applied with partial selection of multiple elements. Fixed multiple exceptions when applying Nemeth indicators to multiple elements. Fixed an issue that you could not apply Nemeth indicators to a block of entirely ASCII Math. Fixed a regression where some math XML files would not open. Fixed a specific issue where ASCII Math was not sufficient and so MathML was appearing in the print view. More work is required here as there are other places where ASCII Math is not entirely adequate.
• Translation Fixed a translation issue where direct translation was being applied to the characters that followed a set of direct translated text. Added many new accented characters and ligatures to LibLouis. Fixed an issue where lines were wrapping as though a print page number was present, even when it wasn't.
• Fixed an issue where zip files were being saved as BBX instead of BBZ.
• Fixed an issue where copy and paste were not respecting cursor movements made with the mouse.
• Made the text boxes in the Page Properties dialog more user friendly. Before they would try to preemptively prevent the user from adding invalid margins. Now you can put in whatever margins you'd like and then they will be validated after you leave the text box.
• Fixed an issue with simple tables not appearing correctly when following page change indicators.
• Fixed an issue where page breaks being applied to tables were not being properly logged by undo.
• Fixed an issue where tables were not properly preventing users from applying the Transcriber's Notes symbols to them.
• Fixed an issue where direct translation was causing a line break when applied under specific circumstances.
• Fixed an issue with boxes where it could push the heading to the right of the braille page number.
• Fixed an issue where boxes weren't properly responding to page breaks.
• Fixed an issue where using the delete key at the end of a line within an element wasn't making any changes.

Version 1.0.19-beta, August 4, 2017¶

Features¶

Math is back

A lot of work has gone into math for this release! The biggest change is that direct math editing in the print view has been re-enabled. You can also now translate multiple elements as math in one go instead of having to translate each separately.

We've added MathJax to the Math Editor since the image we had before was not accessible. MathJax is fully accessible and so is a much better method.

We've also add a function to define a series of numbers as a unit so they get the numeric space- this can be done by using the context menu option for Math or by going to Tool > Math > Toggle Numeric Series. You can also now add the Nemeth Indicators automatically to a selection by highlighting the text that needs them and going to Tools > Math > Block Nemeth Indicators or Inline Nemeth Indicators. Block Indicators will be applied to the entire element while Inline Indicators will be applied only to the text selected. This isn't a perfect system since there are a myriad number of ways that these indicators can be shown but it does make the process easier.

We've also removed the grave accents that delineated math and replaced them with pink highlighting. We have a fix for the accessibility issue that arises from using highlighting but unfortunately it was not ready for this release- in the next release there will be a breadcrumb hotkey that will allow the screen reader to read the breadcrumbs without leaving the print view.

Finally, math editing has been disabled when using Find and Replace. We hope to re-enable it eventually but for now math editing will have to be done on the spot.

Better unknown character handling

BrailleBlaster will now display unknown Unicode characters in the braille view by the name of the character inside transcriber's notes. Before we put the Unicode hex number and this was not an ideal solution because if you missed the character while making your translation, you'd have what would look like nonsense braille in your translation. Now you will have the name of the character inside transcriber's notes. This should make them easier to find and lessen the severity of them should you miss them. A side effect of this change is that we are also now highlighting transcriber's notes in the braille view. This means that automatic transcriber's notes like those created for unknown Unicode characters and TNs made by users will be easier to find when viewing the braille.

Beginning to add Spanish braille

We've had a lot of requests for braille tables other than UEB and EBAE variations and so we have begun adding Spanish braille to BrailleBlaster to get an idea of how much work is involved. The Spanish tables in LibLouis were almost entirely empty and so we're adding them piece by piece. It will be some time before we have great tables but we should have suitable tables soon. Right now we have the most basic beginnings. Once we get an idea of what's involved, we should be able to add other languages as needed- with the caveat that formatting will be limited for the time being to the styles and tools that we currently have.

Autosave

Autosave was implemented in the last release but now if your instance of BrailleBlaster should close unexpectedly, a dialog will appear the next time you start BB that will allow you to easily open the last autosave of that file so you can continue working.

Table Editor

You can now use non-breaking spaces in the Table Editor. These should help you to arrange the braille the way you need to regardless of table format. Non-breaking spaces are added by using ctrl+space in both the print view and the Table Editor.

Fixes¶

• TOC Builder Fixed an issue where applying the Page Number style to a non-TOC element would cause that text to be removed from the document. This has now been disabled and we're working on adding a guide dots style to replace this function. Fixed a crash with TOC items that could occur when the cursor was inside a Page Number element. Fixed a translation issue with TOC guide dots where they were added whether they were needed or not. Fixed a formatting issue where dispersed TOCs would add extra blank pages in subsequent volumes. TOC entries now respond to page breaks. Fixed an issue where emphasis couldn't be removed from Page Number elements.
• Tables Fixed an issue where you couldn't apply boxes to tables with transcriber's notes. Fixed an issue where tables didn't respond to page breaks. Fixed a translation issue where a copy of the table could get applied to the bottom box line under specific circumstances. Fixed an issue where very small tables were uneditable because the Table Editor didn't recognize them as tables but BrailleBlaster did- they're now editable from the Table Editor. Fixed an exception when adding a table to a new document. Fixed an exception caused by the Image Describer finding an image inside a table. Fixed an exception involving editing tables and then using emphasis in the print view. Fixed a formatting issue with blank entries in tables not being properly formatted.
• Full boxes and boxes will now respond properly to page breaks.
• Can now easily delete blank braille pages created by using page breaks.
• Fixed an exception caused by adding a line break, deleting it, and then adding a line break at the same location.
• Fixed a crash caused by deleting an empty box.
• Fixed an issue where saving multiple volumes of BRFs all at once caused them to be numbered according to the order they appear in the file instead of according to the number used in the braille translation, so now if you have 2 preliminary volumes and a regular volume they will be numbered Preliminary Volume 1, Preliminary Volume 2, and Volume 1 instead of Volume 3.
• Fixed a bug using the delete key to combine two short elements.
• Fixed a formatting issue that was causing the end of volume statement to appear in the wrong location under certain circumstances.
• Fixed an issue where poetry was not formatting correctly- it had both the wrong margins and too many blank lines.
• Fixed an issue with math where Alt+M would combine two elements with certain cursor positions even though it shouldn't.
• Fixed an issue where you couldn't emboss a range of pages.
• Fixed an issue where combining elements and then cutting them or deleting them caused an exception.
• Fixed an issue with saving multi-volume BRFs.
• Fixed an issue where spaces entered into a direct translated node would get thrown out after the file was closed and reopened.
• Fixed an exception caused by BB trying to translate an empty element.
• Fixed an issue preventing users from inserting a volume between the preliminary pages and regular pages of a document.
• Fixed an issue where an error could be thrown when switching math tables with a document open.
• Fixed an issue where if the user saved after making changes but before the changes had been translated, those changes would be lost.
• Fixed an accessibility issue where tab didn't properly cover the Loadout dialog used for nested styles.
• Fixed a cursor issue where inline six-keyed text wasn't properly inserted at the cursor position.
• Fixed an exception that occurred when pasting partially emphasized text into a new document.
• Fixed an issue where once a page number had been edited, it could not be edited again.
• Fixed an issue where Add/Remove Uncontracted Glossary Items did not work with manual selection.
• Fixed an issue where the running head was not appearing consistently in the correct cell position.
• Fixed an issue with undo that could lead to a crash under specific circumstances.
• Fixed an issue where breadcrumbs were not properly selecting text.
• Fixed an issue that could occur with Find and Replace when replacing Unicode characters.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when adding print page numbers to a new file.
• Fixed an issue when adding a new page to a blank document.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when removing an entire element using Find and Replace.
• Fixed an issue when trying to open a file through Recent Documents after the file had been moved or deleted. You now get a warning instead of an exception.

Version 1.0.18-beta, July 17, 2017¶

Features¶

Autosave has been implemented

BrailleBlaster will now make an auto save of your work. This auto save feature is meant to help users recover if BrailleBlaster should stop for any reason other than the user intentionally closing it. Auto saves occur every 30 seconds and can be found under File > Recent Auto Saves if available. Auto saves are temporary and so if an auto save is created and you intentionally close BrailleBlaster without manually saving a copy, the auto save will be deleted.

Remove uncontracted glossary items

One feature of BB is that you can automatically add the occasionally necessary uncontracted versions of glossary terms. However, once you added them, getting rid of them could be somewhat difficult. Now, this tool works as a toggle. Use it to add the uncontracted version to the glossary terms that need them and then use it again to remove the uncontracted version from the glossary terms that no longer need it. For more information on when to add the uncontracted version to a glossary term, please see Formats 2016.

Formats 2016: transcriber's note indicators on volume divisions in TOC

Now when you add a volume division via the TOC Builder, the volume divisions will automatically add the necessary transcriber's note indicators. When you first add a volume division, it will just say "TOC Volume split placeholder" but once you disperse the TOC to volumes (using the button "Disperse to Volumes"), those placeholders will be replaced with the appropriate volume name and necessary TN indicators.

Added an uncontracted UEB plus Nemeth table

We now have an uncontracted UEB plus Nemeth table. You can change your translation table via Settings > Translation Settings.

Privacy policy added to About dialog

APH's Privacy Policy can be found at Help > About BrailleBlaster and then click on the button "APH Privacy Policy".

Fixes¶

• Fixed crashes Fixed a crash that occurred when direct translating certain Unicode characters. Fixed a crash that occurred when deleting direct translated text. Fixed a crash that occurred when pasting onto a blank line that was created as a part of automatic formatting. Fixed a crash that occurred when specific TOC entries were created. Fixed a crash that occurred when the cursor was inserted into a very specific situation. Fixed a crash that occurred when elements were combined in certain books.
• Emphasis fixes Fixed an issue when removing emphasis from single-character word contractions. Fixed an issue where punctuation at the beginning of an emphasized portion was being emphasized regardless of whether it was emphasized at first. Finally, have fixed a bug so that TN indicators will always appear outside of emphasis indicators.
• TOC Fixes Fixed several exceptions that were occurring with the TOC Builder. Fixed a translation issue where if the TOC entry ended in a number, the page number wouldn't have the necessary number indicator. Fixed an issue where the user couldn't remove blank lines that came before the TOC Volume Split Header.
• Math Fixes Fixed an issue of the Math Hub not being able to properly navigate the document when using "Next Math" and "Previous Math". Fixed an issue with the cursor used by the Math Hub not updating when switching between files. Fixed an issue that was causing an exception when the user tried to insert math on a new line. Fixed an issue that was causing an exception when translation text with emphasis into math. Cut/copy has been disabled with math while we work on issues related to their use.
• Page Number Fixes Now correctly updates page number type when editing a page number using the Page Number Editor. Fixed an issue where editing a page number could cause your running head to end up on a page it shouldn't be on. Fixed a regression where all user-created pages were automatically treated as regular pages- user-created pages will now inherit the type of the page number that precedes them. Fixed an issue with page numbers not appearing in the correct location when created by the user. Fixed an issue with implied page numbers losing their implied aspect when the user put a page break before them. Fixed a translation issue involving page numbers with numbers, letters, and punctuation in them.
• Fixed a bug that could occur if certain control characters were used in txt files and then those files were opened in BrailleBlaster.
• Fixed an issue that could occur with page breaks and guide words.
• Fixed a couple issues with box lines where the bottom box line was not appearing where it should.
• Fixed an issue where removing the heading of a table caused that part of the table to be deleted, rather than added to the document as normal, non-table text.
• Fixed an issue with using breadcrumbs that selected portions of text larger than the currently loaded section.
• Fixed an issue when using Identify Guide Words with user-created files.
• Fixed an issue where the T-Page dialog could span off the primary monitor.
• Fixed an issue with the Special Symbols reorder button referencing Formats 2014 instead of Formats 2016.
• Fixed an issue when deleting under very specific circumstances.

Version 1.0.17-beta, June 19, 2017¶

Features¶

More Formats 2016 changes

Continuing to make Formats 2016 changes. This time added Boxes with Color to the Miscellaneous menu. Just go to Miscellaneous > Boxes > Color Boxes or Full Color Boxes and then a dialog opens asking you to type the name of the color. Type the name of your color, press enter, and a box will be made per the Formats 2016 guidelines with that color! Also updated the listed table transcriber's note and linear table format to be in line with Formats 2016. Thankfully Formats 2016 and 2011 aren't too different and so we're nearly done with updating BB for Formats 2016.

Math updates

The biggest change is that the Math Hub now includes MathJax. This is great because MathJax is accessible! So you make your equation in ASCII Math and then can view it with a screen reader via MathJax. Additionally, the Math Hub now has a tab that will allow you to search for symbols- very useful for when you don't know what category to check. Finally, we've also added the ability to create your ASCII Math entirely in the Math Hub, which should make it easier to learn as you can reference the MathJax as you are creating the equation. A number of bugs were also fixed, those are covered below, and we're getting to closer to having full math support in BB.

Accessibility

Biggest change is that the page numbers in the print view can now be read by a screen reader. We're unfortunately limited to just NVDA at the moment but we're working on JAWS support. We've also set the Toolbar Tools (TOC Builder, Line Number Tools) to become the focus when you open them, which should make them easier to use (and find) with a screen reader. Remember to use ctrl+tab on PC to move through the various views and tools. We've also improved focus handling when using Find and Replace.

Exception reporting service

Everybody hates getting exception but we can't fix them if we don't know about them. We encourage everyone to please help us make BB better by taking advantage of this new feature. When you get an exception, you now have the option to send that exception to APH. On the exception there are two buttons, one is "OK" and that will dismiss the exception and the other is "Tell APH About This Error So They Can Fix It" and using that button will send the exception directly to us. Please use this button and together we will eliminate the exceptions that remain in BB.

Multi-Element 6-Key Entry

Now when you use 6-Key Entry, you can add line breaks. There are two options "Insert Inline" and "Insert as Block". Insert Inline will still be limited to a single element as the text will be inserted within another element. Insert as Block will allow you to add multiple elements worth of 6-keyed material to your document. This feature is accessed the same as the previous method for 6-key entry, via the Tools menu or F6.

Save dialog will keep name of file

Small addition but now when you save a file, a name will be generated in the Save As dialog based on the current name of the file. This will be helpful if you like to keep multiple save but it will also at least keep you from having to manually type out the NIMAS number if that's what you want your BBX file to be called.

Settings menu Alt Key added

Not a feature so much but a big enough change its worth mentioning: the Settings menu now has an Alt key. To access the Settings menu with the keyboard, use Alt+S. Styles is now Alt+L.

Fixes¶

• After temporarily disabling the emphasizing of math, those changes caused trouble when trying to apply emphasis within the vicinity of math.
• An issue was fixed when trying to combine typed ASCII Math with ASCII Math generated by the Math Hub.
• Fixed an issue with changing your translation table after making changes to math causing an exception.
• Fixed an issue with the math accent mark (`) not being respected by the cursor so that the user couldn't predict when they were "inside" or "outside" of them. Now it is much clearer- if you're inside the math accent marks, you're inside math and if you're not, you're not.
• Fixed a number of translation issues too, including mixed fractions in Nemeth and the numeric indicator with UEB.
• Fixed an issue that was causing the Production Notes Manager to fail to open if the note itself was deleted but the reference to the note wasn't deleted.
• Fixed the margins of Attribution to be 5-5. We're still working on getting this style to be as adaptive as it needs to be but for now it will work in the majority of cases.
• Fixed an issue with changing the translation tables after working with Tables.
• Fixed a number of page numbering issues including page numbering when using interpoint and a very specific issue where a page number was getting two runover indicators.
• Fixed an issue that was causing Loadouts to not work. Loadouts should be working as expected.
• Fixed an issue with the cursor jumping position after using six-key.
• Fixed an issue with blank block elements being created when blank lines are copied and pasted.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when deleting emphasis.
• Fixed issues with Guide Words that could occur if you opened Edit Guide Words but did not make any changes.
• Fixed issue with TOC Builder that was quite specific but prevented the user from finishing their work. Hopefully this change will prevent other users from being stuck.
• Fixed issue with how the TN Symbols interacted with translation changes. Now the TN Symbols will not break when direct translation or uncontracted are applied to them.

Version 1.0.16-beta, June 5, 2017¶

Features¶

Beginning to incorporate Formats 2016 changes

There's not much in this release but we have begun the process of incorporating Formats 2016 changes. The only major change in this release involves the Stage Directions styles now following the 2016 rules but more changes are coming!

Accessibility updates

We've been addressing accessibility issues in this update as well. From ensuring focus works as expected to fixing a situation where we had three close buttons in the toolbar with the same name (and hence difficult to follow with a screen reader) we will continue to make changes to accommodate accessibility concerns. We will keep testing our end but please let us know of any accessibility concerns that you may have.

Fixes¶

• Fixed a regression involving cutting or deleting an element that contains both emphasized and regular text.
• Fixed bugs in TOC Builder. This included a couple of exceptions that could occur and a translation issue that end of word contractions weren't being used if they were followed by guide dots.
• Fixed issue with using Line Number Tools on the first line of a document. The first line would get pulled to the left margin once a line number was added regardless of its margin before adding the line number. This has been fixed. Also fixed a similar issue where putting a line number at the beginning of a document could cause an exception.
• Fixed math issues. Math work continues. There's now an easy way to remove a "math" element after it has been added. Several translation updates. More work on ensuring changes made by the user are retained.
• Fixed a bug when deleting blank lines with multiple other elements. The bug was that when you deleted two elements that were separated by a blank line, you would get an exception.
• Fixed issues with using the automated volume layout that occurs with the TOC Builder and T-Page Generator. Now page numbering should be correct and more predictable.

Version 1.0.15-beta, May 19, 2017¶

Features¶

Applying the page style is now easier.

Previously, the page style could only be applied if the page number was the only item inside the element. Now the number can be a part of a larger element with other text and the element will either be split or otherwise accommodate the number becoming a page number. Additionally, the page style can be applied to much longer elements and will also recognize words and phrase as page numbers. There's a lot of page number types out there and this should handle them all. If a page number is too long for your current margins, BB will truncate the page number when necessary- you'll need to edit the page number appropriately or adjust your margins.

Edit Production Notes is now called Production Notes Manager

This change was prompted by a user being confused by this tool. It doesn't really allow you to edit production notes, which are notes added by the publisher that may or may not be needed in braille, but instead allows you to delete them, keep them, or hide them as needed quickly and easily. Check this tool out if you haven't. It's in the Edit menu and useful when transcribing textbooks from XML/NIMAS files.

Math work continues

We're making a lot of changes with math. Math editing is basically disabled in this release. It will be back in the next release but in a limited capacity. There's a lot to math, it's basically as big as BrailleBlaster itself. We want to make sure we do it right and so we're going to pull back a little bit, focus on the basics, and make sure we give you something you can use and that's reliable. Feedback is always appreciated. While we're working with this, please remember that you can always use Direct Translate and Set Cell Position and other tools to get math done. We're hoping to give you something quicker and easier when we're done. We're also working on allowing multi-line six key entry specifically for math. It will have other uses as well, of course. Still finalizing all of the math features. Stay tuned!

Fixes¶

• Fixed bug with an empty element. An exception would be thrown if an element only contained a space.

• Fixed bug with combining elements when one element was much longer than the other.

• Continued working ensuring the cursor maintains the correct position after changes. Still more to be done here but it's getting better.

• Fixed BB getting stuck in a loop after very specific kinds of editing.

• Fixed an issue with selection stopping at a running heading.

• Page style will now match the page type of whatever section it is in. This means if you make a print page in the p-pages, BB will know that print page is still a part of the p-pages.

• Fixed a bug with TOC page number editing causing a crash.

• Fixed several bugs with Find and Replace. Should be much more robust and reliable.

• Fixed bug with poetry having unnecessary white space.

• Added more Unicode characters to LibLouis. Work continues with unknown characters too. We're always adding more to the database and we're also going to be doing more to handle these in future releases thanks to suggestions from users.

• Fixed a bug with line numbers at the beginning of an element causing an exception.

• Fixed issue with breadcrumbs and direct translated text causing an exception.

• Fixed issue with adding print page numbers at the beginning of a document.

• A lot of work is going to page settings. Fixed bugs with interpoint setting, volume additions, and interactions between all of these and the T-Page generator and TOC Builder. Work continues.

• Fixed a bug with changing the nesting level of glossary styles.

• Fixed a bug with lowering the nesting level of list items.

• Adjusted how nesting level is applied in XML files so they are more reliable and closer to what users will want.

• Fixed how the number sign is applied so that it is more likely to be correct.

• Re-enabled Edit Guide Words. It was temporarily disabled while work was done on it.

• Some books require an internet connection but BB will handle these books without the necessary internet connection. Before it would fail.

Version 1.0.14-beta, April 21, 2017¶

Features¶

Adds support for both horizontal and beveled fractions

Since Nemeth differentiates between these kinds of fractions, BB must too. Right now this implementation is limited to MathML with beveled (diagonal) fractions. There is currently no way to make beveled fractions in ASCII Math and we are open to suggestions about what would be the best way to differentiate between them. If the MathML has beveled fractions, the braille will be correct but the ASCII Math will look the same as a horizontal fraction.

Adds preceding subscripts and superscripts for chemistry to ASCII Math

Still a work in progress. You can now make preceding subscripts and superscripts in ASCII Math. Here's an example: ""_3^7C. That will make a letter C with a subscript of 3 and a superscript of 7 preceding it. However, we're still working on the translation and we're also going to need to add an example to the Math Hub.

Adds ability to select and translate elements containing mixed literary and math content

There's still some issues that we're working out but you can now write some ASCII Math yourself, add some ASCII Math from the Math Hub, and translate both together as a single unit. Still some issues but we're getting closer.

Adds ability to specify either the multiplication cross or multiplication dot

In ASCII Math, you can make a multiplication dot with \cdot and a multiplication cross with \times. You can also use * for the dot or xx for the cross. These translate correctly and there are examples in the Math Hub but we still need to get better ones that are easier to find.

Adds the splash screen on the Mac

Now Mac users can enjoy the same splash screen as PC users. Enjoy! Note that the program actually loads fairly quickly and does not pause to allow the splash screen to flourish in all of its glory. It appears and then disappears as soon as the program is ready. We think this is for the best and hope you do too!

Adds correct translation of a numeric series

Numeric series were putting in too many number signs. This has been corrected. We're still working on a way for the user to easily designate a series of numbers as a numeric series. Sometimes a series of numbers will need the numeric space and sometimes they won't. Right now, BB assumes that any series of numbers is going to want the numeric space but that will be changing. We'll probably default to the numeric space but give the user the option to remove it as easily as adding emphasis.

Adds some reorganization of the Edit menu

Edit Guide Word is now in the Alphabetic Reference Tools sub-menu. Edit Production Notes has been moved to the Tools menu. Edit Production Notes is a handy tool for textbooks that will allow users to remove Production Notes. Production Notes are added by the publisher and sometimes they are necessary for the braille and sometimes they aren't. You can remove them all at once or on a case-by-case basis. Our recommendation would be to remove them within the dialog then review them before making that change, so you can be sure to keep the few that are necessary. The main issue is that sometimes publishers mislabel them. We've actually found print tables that have been labeled as production notes! You'll want to keep that table but you won't want to keep printing instructions.

Adds support for decimal comma

This is really a fix but it's an important enough fix to mention. Previously, if you had your machine set to use any decimal system other than the decimal point, BB would not be able to open any files because of a conflict that would occur. This has been fixed. Please let us know if you have any issues.

Fixes¶

• Fixes guide words on pages that do not contain the beginning of an alphabetic reference.
• Fixes a fatal error when adding an uncontracted term.
• Fixes deleting a line break at the end of a document.
• Fixes a problem where the page setting dialog closed when an invalid setting was made.
• Fixes some translation errors, such as the 'ed' in "doubleday".
• Fixes a problem where a click on OK was required to close the image describer.
• Fixes a problem where continuation pages were not being used when producing interpoint braille.
• Corrects translation of fractions in UEB.
• Fixes an error caused by clicking on an image placeholder that ran onto the following page. The placeholder was correctly pushed to the next page and left some blank space on the current page that should have been editable.

Version 1.0.12-beta, April 10, 2017¶

This release includes a lot of improvements in the math editor (math hub), and math in general. We know there is still more to do but we are making great progress. Below are some of the other corrections since the last update.

Features¶

• Adds a find feature to the braille preview.
• Adds handling extremely long page numbers that are longer than a line on the braille page.
• Adds a single-page view to the braille preview.
• The TOC builder now handles page numbers.
• Extra leading and trailing space from guide words are now removed.
• Highlighted text is now replaced when using six-key entry in the image describer.
• Some documentation has been added to the Users' manual regarding the math features. Note that this is still a work in progress and that there is still a lot of work to do.

Fixes¶

• Corrects a problem where prose caused unnecessary blank lines to be added.
• Corrects an exception when one attempted to add an uncontracted form of an alphabetic reference.
• Corrects a problem with two line numbers on the last line of a page.
• Corrects a blank line that was left behind after deleting display text.
• Corrects some instances where blank lines were not being added automatically when they should.
• Corrects some handling of list items that are moved out of a list.
• Corrects handling of transcriber-defined typeforms in UEB.
• Corrects problems with merging guide-word elements.
• Corrects a problem where, when you attempted to adjust the spacing of a glossary/term on a non-glossary item, a warning appeared but then the dialog to adjust the spacing came up anyhow and the warning was repeated.
• Corrects a problem where, when you deleted line numbers, blank spaces were left behind.
• Corrects an exception that was caused when you attempted to use the line number editor twice.
• Corrects a problem with whitespace that could cause an index-out-of-bounds exception.
• Corrects a line-number error in a file with only one paragraph.
• Corrects a number of unknown characters in UEB braille translated from MathML.
• Corrects a problem where continue pages was continuing t-pages and p-pages.
• Corrects a problem where new lines before page indicators were affected by lines before the element after the page indicator.
• Corrects a problem where find and replace was not working for emphasis when only a part of an element was emphasized.
• Corrects a couple of very specific problems in the TOC builder.
• Corrects a problem where find and replace was finding blank elements.
• Corrects page numbering issues with blank pages.
• Corrects several problems that caused changes to revert when the translation and formatting had not yet been updated.
• Improves performance caused by the "undo" stack.

Version 1.0.11-beta, March 24, 2017¶

Features¶

• We continue to make progress with math support in both UEB and Nemeth. There is some support there now but keep in mind that it is still incomplete.
• Adds the ability to use Find and Replace to replace multiple spaces with a single space.
• Added the ability to delete a volume division.
• Adds differentiation between Box and Full Box in the breadcrumb viewer.
• Adds the ability to open BRFs.
• Improves performance in the TOC builder.

Fixes¶

• Corrects a possible lock-up when user actions tie up the forematter.
• Corrects a problem that caused a fatal exception when using Ctrl+Enter.
• Corrects a case that caused line numbers to be incorrectly placed the same line as the page number.
• Fixed a case that caused the BRF file to not format correctly when guide words were used.
• Corrects an exception when scrolling through a document with the cursor keys.
• Corrects an error that occasionally happened when entering text.
• Continuation pages are now discontinued at volume breaks.
• TOC entries now correctly retain runovers (indention).
• Corrects a problem deleting manually added lines or spaces at the beginning of a blank document.
• Now correctly adds a list container when a table is turned into a list.
• Corrects a problem with multiple instances of Set Cell Position being used.
• Corrects the addition of an unnecessary blank line when a note separation line is inserted.
• Corrects a problem that caused deleted text to return when multiple edits were performed consecutively.
• Corrects a persistent blank line when text is pasted onto the blank line.
• Restores single-page presentation in the braille previewer.
• Corrects a problem that caused guide words to be mangled when adding new guide words.
• Corrects an error in the BBX document.

Version 1.0.10-beta, February 17, 2017¶

Features¶

• Adds ability to replace an image with text using the print/text view.
• Adds accessibility labels to views and controls within the table editor.
• Adds the ability to delete page-change indicators.
• Adds menu option to change volume type.
• Adds the "Tab" option to the menu.
• Adds a limit to the maximum line number to avoid errors when an absurdly large number is entered.
• Adds the command Shift+Enter, insert a line break, to the menu.

Fixes¶

• Corrects a null-pointer exception error in certain, very specific instances.
• Corrects the page number on the status bar when a print-page indicator is encountered.
• Corrects an exception error when pages are added.
• Using tab to set the horizontal position now respects existing blank spaces.
• Corrects a problem where the page indicator was deleted when blank lines were deleted.
• Front matter, body matter, and back matter elements in NIMAS books are now hidden as they are not useful and are possibly confusing.
• Corrects an exception error when Ctrl+End and Shift+Ctrl+End are used in a blank document.
• Corrects an exception error when guide word style is applied in a new document.
• Corrects an error opening books with UEB+Nemeth as the default braille profile.
• Corrects a problem applying "Don't Split" to certain elements.
• Corrects an error when attempting to change the braille page number in certain situations.
• Corrects a problem where using Ctrl+Enter moved the page number when only the text should be moved.
• Removed roman braille page type.
• Corrects a problem where editing a title page caused text to be placed in seemingly random spots.
• Corrects formatter exceptions on a couple of specific NIMAS books.
• Prevents pasting of text within a table. The table editor must be used when editing tables.
• Removed the "sidebar" style. Box styles are used for actual sidebars in a book.
• Corrects an error when a new line is added on line 25 of a new document.
• Corrects a problem in the page number dialog where entries are not saved when previous or next is pressed.
• Corrects problems with transcriber note symbols.
• Corrects boxes showing up as sidebars in the breadcrumb viewer.
• Corrects mapping of text in a block quote.
• Corrects inability to change the page type of page t-1.
• Corrects a missing blank line when headings fall on the top of a page after a running head.
• Corrects an error when selecting list items.
• Corrects some problems opening old BBX (BrailleBlaster) documents.
• Corrects a problem that caused styles to be applied to page numbers.
• Fixes a performance problem with the page number dialog.
• Corrects a problem when navigating in the line-number dialog.
• Clicking on the X at the top of the BrailleBlaster window now brings up save query just like selecting Exit on the menu.
• Corrects a problem where inserting a volume with your cursor on a print page indicator replaces the print page indicator.
• Corrects problems deleting line numbers from the line number dialog.
• Corrects a problem where t-pages were getting print page numbers.
• Corrects a problem adding a new line at the bottom of a page when the page ends with a table.
• Corrects a problem applying TOC entries to lists that contain page numbers.
• Corrects a problem when you search for bold, replace with add italics, remove bold, Find & Replace just removes bold.
• Corrects a problem applying a container style to a container.
• Corrects an error caused by applying a blank string as an image description.
• Makes the image describer easier to exit.
• Removed refresh translation from the toolbar.
• Corrects a problem that resulted in F&R not finding boxes.
• Corrects missing blank lines on the title page.
• Corrects an inability to add text within a box.
• Corrects a problem that caused "Cancel" to fail when leaving the table editor.
• Corrects an error when searching for "Displayed Block" text.
• Corrects a problem entering a blank line at the beginning of a document with text.
• Corrects a problem where applying a full box to a box removed the box.
• Corrects a problem inserting text before a page break.
• Corrects prose missing from the style pane.
• Corrects a problem that caused automatic blank lines to be removed when a running head is added.
• Corrects some problems entering new lines when lank pages are added before or after.
• Corrects an error caused when line numbers are added to the beginning of a blank document.
• Corrects an error caused when the last line number is deleted in the line number editor.
• Corrects missing blank lines after a running head on t-pages.
• Corrects an error when you use the line number editor in a document with no line numbers.
• Shows line numbers that are off screen when editing line numbers.
• Corrects a problem with braille page numbers when using interpoint mode.
• Corrects a problem where line numbers were being inserted in the wrong location when multiple line numbers were inserted.
• Corrects a problem where pressing enter before a listed table broke the formatting of the table.
• Corrects a problem where tab were not tabbing correctly when there were two tabs in the same element.
• Poetic stanzas now show correctly in the breadcrumb viewer.
• Corrects some formatting errors when blank lines are added after an element.
• Corrects an error triggered when a list item is changed to body text.
• Corrects an error that caused line numbers to skip top line in a new document without print page numbers.
• Corrects a problem that caused elements beginning with emphasis to get pulled up to previous element when wrapped with Prose tag.
• Corrects an error caused when Find & Replace was used to replace emphasis and emphasis was already there.
• Corrects a problem that caused BrailleBlaster to skip an extra page when a new volume starts.
• Removes using the Tab key to set the cell position. It broke accessibility and confused some users. It is in the Edit menu.
• Corrects a problem where a line would be mangled if you used the Delete key to remove the text on the line before it.
• Corrects a failure on the TOC in some books.
• Corrects some problems that caused errors when scrolling the views with the keyboard.
• Corrects a problem where a page break before a 1-5 line and print page indicator caused an exception error.

Version 1.0.9-beta, February 3, 2017¶

Features¶

• Adds the ability to open multiple blank documents.
• Adds the automatic removal of the "sidebar" elements. These are often not properly used by publishers for the purpose of creating braille.
• Adds the ability to remove inserted tabs.
• Adds automatic creation of a Mac application bundle (.dmg). You can find this at http://BrailleBlaster.org/version.php.

Fixes¶

• Corrects a problem that caused the TOC builder not seeing page changes in subsequent volumes.
• Corrects an exception when hitting enter after typing on a line.
• Corrects a problem that caused an attempt to remove multiple typeforms in a larger typeformed passage to result in an error.
• Corrects an error caused by pasting direct translated text multiple times.
• Corrects an error when attempting to emboss a single page.
• Corrects a problem that caused an error when a single space was entered into an otherwise empty paragraph.
• Corrects a problem that caused the selection in the braille view to select an incorrect section in the print view.
• Corrects a problem that caused a failure to open a BBX file that was created on a different computer.
• Corrects a problem that caused an unending loop of errors in a specific instance.
• Corrects a problem removing a box from around a table.
• Corrects a problem removing bold from a passage.
• Corrects an error when inserting volumes in certain cases.
• Corrects an error when using Ctrl+Enter in the last section of a document and under other specific conditions.
• Corrects a problem where backspace was not consistently deleting blank lines that precede headings.
• Corrects an "illegal argument" error using find and replace in certain instances.
• Corrects a problem where pressing enter after typing a lot of text and then pressing enter caused the cursor to be in the wrong position.
• Corrects a problem where blank lines before or after a print page indicator could not be removed.
• Corrects a problem where find and replace was not adding emphasis to emphasis.
• Corrects a problem where image placeholders were skipping one less line than requested.
• Corrects an issue with page numbers and blank lines in a new document.
• Corrects an error caused by pressing backspace in a blank document.
• Corrects an error caused using the insert key. Type-over mode is currently not supported.
• Corrects a problem that prevented find and replace from finding the plus (+) sign.
• Corrects an error caused when "skip number lines" includes a print page indicator.
• Corrects an error caused when you "unwrap" a box.
• Corrects some problems with pasting inside a box.
• Corrects some problems editing a new document with a running head.
• Corrects some scrolling errors in the views.
• Corrects an error with the print page number on the status line.
• Corrects a problem that caused p-style text within a poetic stanza to disappear.
• Corrects section selection in the breadcrumb viewer.
• Corrects problems in the breadcrumb viewer caused by emphasis inside block text.
• Corrects error with breadcrumbs when a document is closed.
• Corrects selection of containers in the breadcrumb viewer.
• Corrects problems with removing elements selected using the breadcrumb viewer.
• The blank document is now closed when a document is opened.

Version 1.0.8-beta, Jan. 27, 2017¶

Features¶

• When you cancel the prompt to save your document on exit it returns you to your document rather than exiting.
• Adds the ability to edit braille page number in files without print page numbers.

Fixes¶

• Corrects a problem that caused a failure to find the previous or next page number.
• Corrects failure of some of the benchmark test books to open.
• Corrects problems running under 32-bit Windows. Please test this if you have a 32-bit machine. We still do not recommend 32-bit Windows because it is slow when working with large books. With small to medium sized files, it seems fine.
• Corrects a translation error where there is a bold word attached to the end of a word preceding a bold word.
• Corrects problems with be, con, and dis contractions and capitalization indicators.
• Corrects a problem where BrailleBlaster was not skipping the top page number line when there was no bottom page number.
• Corrects superscript and subscripts not appearing in Nemeth math.
• Corrects line numbers appearing in the wrong cell position in certain instances.
• Corrects some problems merging elements when delete or backspace was used.
• Corrects problems with the page builder not removing formatting elements when it should.
• Corrects a spacing problem in simple tables.
• Table editor now refers to "direct" translation rather than "exact" for direct translation.

Version 1.0.7-beta, Jan. 13, 2017¶

Features¶

• Adds the ability to include the style when cutting and pasting text.
• Adds a way to edit and delete line numbers with the new style panel.
• Adds the ability to scroll text in the six-key image description area.
• Adds identification of emphasis type in breadcrumbs.
• Emphasis now appears nested in breadcrumbs. Previously only one emphasis type appeared in breadcrumbs.
• Adds Apply and Cancel buttons in a separate area to help with editing multiple production notes.
• Adds the table style name to the Style panel.
• Adds a warning that auto-generated symbols can overwrite user added symbols in the Special symbols page.

Fixes¶

• Corrects a problem inserting a new line for an explicit line break before a page break. Previously, this made the next element align left when it should maintain its horizontal position with the previous item.
• Corrects a problem that could make the views position incorrectly.
• Corrects a problem adding new lines manually.
• Corrects a problem where adding line numbers in prose made the line number not respect the margins.
• Corrects a problem that let BrailleBlaster put two line numbers on a line.
• Corrects a problem that prevented you from using the Backspace key to change the indent.
• Corrects a problem with formatting when deleting lines in a list.
• Corrects a problem that showed page numbers incorrectly in the braille preview.
• Corrects a problem that prevented BrailleBlaster from opening NIMAS files from bookshare.org.
• Corrects a problem where BrailleBlaster was skipping lines even if there was not a page number on the line.
• Corrects a problem preventing you from inserting additional line numbers.
• Corrects a problem that kept you from turning off the print and braille views.
• Corrects exceptions in six-key entry.
• Corrects a problem reformatting for the table of contents builder.
• Corrects a problem where the image describer dialog was larger than the window in which it was contained.
• Corrects a problem when selecting text that included a table.
• Corrects a problem occurred when inserting a list inside another list.
• Corrects a problem that prevented production notes from showing up.
• Corrects a problem that caused styles to behave inconsistently after page numbers.
• Corrects a problem when removing all emphasis.
• Corrects a problem formatting linear tables.
• Corrects a problem where transcriber note symbols were adding extra spaces.
• Corrects a problem that prevented you from using Ctrl+Enter before a print page indicator.
• Corrects a problem that caused the program to slow down after using Ctrl+Enter in a large title.
• Corrects a problem that prevented you from using line number tools.
• Corrects a problem that prevented the find command from finding elements that were not visible.
• Corrects a problem where the scroll bar wasn't working in Edit Production Notes.
• Corrects a problem where the Style panel conflicted with a document with a running head.
• Corrects a problem generating a table of contents with TOC place holders to volumes that do not yet exist.
• Corrects a problem with placing an "End of Volume" statement on the print page indicator.
• Corrects a problem that could add extra spaces after publisher line numbers.
• Corrects a problem where incidental notes were called reference notes.