WinTriangle
Publisher:
Cooperative effort by Oregon State University’s:
TechnologyAccessProgram —
ScienceAccessProject —
WinTriangle Listserv —
Retail Cost:
Open Source Effort. Originally developed by Oregon State Universities Technology Access Program; development continues under Vivek Narendra
Download available at:
System Requirements:
- Microsoft Windows XP or 2000
- Sound Card
Description
WinTriangle is a specialized RTF word processor capable of displaying and voicing conventional text and the symbols commonly used in math and scientific expressions. WinTriangle has menus and hot keys permitting access to and voicing of a number of Windows screen fonts including the Triangle.ttf font containing markup symbols permitting virtually any math or scientific expression to be expressed in a linear form.
One of the goals of WinTriangle is to provide a common format usable by sighted and blind people. WinTriangle completes the loop permitting essentially total written communication of scientific information between sighted and blind people. The remainder of this communication loop is provided by the TigertactilegraphicsembosserandtheAccessibleGraphingCalculator which are now commercially available.
Please recognize that WinTriangle is currently in development and not all features are available.
Installation
The following process will guide you through the installation and setup of the WinTriangle program.
1. Download the WinTriangle zip file from
2. After unzipping the file, you will have three folders, Fonts, WinTriangle, and sapi51.
3. In the Fonts folder, move the font, Triangle.ttf, to the Fonts folder on your system (typically located in C:\WINDOWS\Fonts).
4. Move the folder WinTriangle to a location in your program files (e.g., C:\Program Files).
5. Create a new shortcut on your desktop and point this shortcut towards the file named Triangle1.exe (located in the WinTriangle folder).
NOTE – Only run the SAPI51.exe file (located in the sapi51 folder) if you do not have a SAPI engine installed or if the program crashes upon launch. If you run this file, you will overwrite any SAPI engines on your machine.
Using WinTriangle
WinTriangle is designed to read the scientific notation common to various disciplines (e.g., mathematics, chemistry, physics, etc.). Document authors can either create mathematical notation within a word processing application or create the content from within the WinTriangle application. This training manual is going to focus on the creation of math notation using WinTriangle. For information regarding how to input the correct math notation into other word processor such that the content can be read by WinTriangle, please visit .
Reading Content
Reading content in WinTriangle is possible with the arrow keys. You can also have the equation be read to you with the command Ctrl+R. To read the entire equation, move to the beginning of the row and press Ctrl+R.
Entering Content
When using WinTriangle, it is important to use the correct input mechanisms in order to have equations voiced correctly. Avoid using symbols from the keyboard when entering notation into WinTriangle. You can enter text or numbers from the keyboard, but avoid symbols like the parentheses, division, addition, etc. These symbols can be entered using either the hot-keys (listed below) or by navigating to Insert on the menu bar and choosing Character.
Hot-KeyExpressions
Hot-key expressions can also be found by selecting Insert on the menu bar and choosing Hot-keyed expression. This will provide the same expressions and keystrokes listed in the table below.
Expression / KeystrokeFraction and Denominator / Alt+,
Denominator / Ctrl+/
Fraction / Ctrl+,
End Fraction / Ctrl+.
Open Parenthesis / Ctrl+[
Close Parenthesis / Ctrl+]
Begin Equation / Alt+[
End Equation / Alt+]
Over / Alt+/
Left Superscript (open, close) / Ctrl+7
Overscript (open, close) / Ctrl+9
Underscript / Ctrl+Shift+-
Subscript / Ctrl+-
Superscript / Ctrl+6
Root (open, close) / Ctrl+8
Fractions
For all fractions, use the hot-keyed expression from triangle:. This can be found by opening triangle, select “Insert”, “hot-keyed expression”, and select “fraction and denominator”. You can also use the shortcut key, Alt+, to create the fraction symbol.
The numerator goes between the first two symbols while the denominator goes between the second and third symbol.
For Example, isrepresentedasab.
Do not use brackets before and after the fraction markers and.
Also note that fractions in the units are not done using triangle fraction symbol. They should be edited normally with a slash. For example, 10ms is the correct way of displaying units, instead of 10 ms.
Don’t use any extra parenthesis around the numerator or denominator while using fractions. The fraction mark up will serve as implicit parenthesis for the numerator and denominator. For example, it is sufficient to write a + bc + d instead of writing a + bc + d.
Mathematical Symbols
The following chart contains a list of different mathematical symbols that may appear in math, science, or other scientific books. For instance, if dealing with “vectors”, you will need to use the vector symbol: ‘’. To enter these symbols:
1. Select Insert from the menu bar.
2. Choose the Character sub-menu. Select the Insert Math markup combo box and choose the appropriate symbol.
For the vector variables, use the vector symbol. For Example can be written as B. Similar symbols are script (), Roman(), overbar), tilde() and hat above().
Name / How looks in Text / How it should be representedVector / / B
Overbar / / B
Tilde / / B
Hat Above / / B
Bold / B / B
Script / B / B
Roman / III / 3
Limits and Integrals
When writing definiteintegrals, the limits should be listed BEFORE the integral symbol like ab. Also type the limits in “normal” position with a space (this must be in normal position) between the two limits. The lower limit is always before the upper limit.
Forallothercaseslike,],etc,limitsshouldbeplacedafterthesymbollikeab.
While editing limits, one should put lim and then put the limits in subscript. Don’t use under script markup from triangle to write the same.
Example:
Theaboveequationshouldbeeditedasfollows:
Lim xx+22
Equations should be written as Equation n: wherenisthenumberofequation.(make sure you have the colon after the equation number). The equation, the intermediate part, and final part should all be listed on separate lines.
Example:
This is how it looks in the textbook:
E = h = = (equation 1)
This is how it should look after editing:
Equation 1:
E = h
= hc
=ehcR4(z1)2
AdaptedfromOregonStateUniversitiesTechnologyAccessProgram “WinTriangleEditingProcedures” documentation. Pleasevisit
Introductory Tutorial for First-time Triangle users
April 25, 2003
You should read this document using Triangle. Instructions for starting Triangle and getting this file are given in the Read-me file and the Overview document.
If you know how to use Notepad or Wordpad or MS Word, you know the basic way that Windows word processor work and should be having no trouble reading text in Triangle to this point. Up and down arrows move by line and speak the line. Moving with right and left arrows and Control left and right arrows also work as with any word processor and any screen reader. You have already learned to use the Open-files menu item to get this file. It works like it does in word processors. So do other file functions such as save, save-as, etc.
There are relatively few specific screen-reader-type commands in Triangle. The most important is the read-line key CTRL-r. Hold down the Control key and press r now to hear the line you are on. Another specific Triangle function is ALT with right or left arrows. Use these to hear the letters pronounced in the international phonetic alphabet. Finally you may silence speech by pressing the SHIFT key.
Now let’s get to the reason Triangle was created, the ability to use many special math and science characters and in particular to write compact linear math equations. First you should review the math and science symbols in the Symbol.ttf font. You may do this most easily by pressing ALT-i, the hot key for entering the character insert menu item. The first list is the Symbol font. If you arrow down you will hear the numbers followed by the hot key combinations to get these numbers. In general you won’t need to use numbers from the Symbol font, because numbers are in the standard font, so continue to arrow down until you hear the “absolute” symbol. You will hear the voice say absolute followed by ALT vertical bar. If you press enter while on this item it will insert an absolute value bar into your file. You may also insert an absolute value bar by using the hot key combination ALT-g followed by typing the vertical bar - which is SHIFT Backslash.
If you continue to the next symbol you will hear aleph, a Hebrew character used in advanced math. You will hear its hot key as ALT-a followed by the at sign. All characters in the symbol font are called by hot keys using either ALT-g or ALT-a. I recommend you arrow through the entire list even though it is over a hundred characters long.
You may want to explore the list of characters in the markup font or the Extra font, which you reach by pressing TAB once for markup and twice for extra after ALT-i. Unless you are doing fairly advanced math, you will seldom need a symbol from the Extra set, but you will certainly need markup symbols. The rest of the tutorial is devoted to learning the most common markup symbols using examples from simple algebra.
Sub and Superscripts
Most people’s first encounter with a superscript is when it is used as a power. x squared is written by placing a 2 to the right of the x raised about a half a character from the text line. This is a superscript, so x squared is written x2. A superscript symbol can be created in several ways as described in the overview document. Easiest way for a single character superscript is by using ALT-u and then typing that symbol. It will then be in the superscript position. So you can practice by typing x then ALT-u followed by a 2. Windows is unpredictable about exiting sub and superscript mode when it is the last character, so I strongly recommend typing the next character after the superscript first, then arrow back to type the superscript character. So when typing at the end of a file, the best sequence is to type x, then a space or some other character, then arrow back once, then type ALT-u, then the 2.
For most people, the first encounter with subscripts is in introductory chemistry where a subscript is used to show the number of atoms of some type in a molecule. For example, the formula for water is H2O. Type the H then ALT-d, then the 2, then the O unless it is at the end of the file in which case it’s good to type the O before putting in the subscript 2.
If the subscript or superscript has more than a single character, the easiest way to create the sub and superscripts is to use the CTRL-d and CTRL-u toggles to turn on and then turn off the subscript mode or superscript mode. You will hear subscript on and subscript off when you type CTRL-d twice.
Subscripts and superscripts can appear on the left side of symbols on occasion. The most common example is the superscript left of the radical sign such as 37 for cube root of seven or 122 for the twelfth root of 2. These can also be written with the left superscript indicator as 37 and 122. There are also indicators for regular subscripts and superscripts. x2 can be correctly written x2, but for benefit of sighted readers it is generally preferred to use real subscripts and superscripts instead of the indicators. When one must write complex expressions having subscripts or superscripts that have themselves subscripts or superscripts, then one must use subscript and/or superscript indicator symbols.
Fractions.
There are a number of ways to write fractions on a single line. For example one half can be written 1/2. However 1/2x is ambiguous, because it isn’t clear whether the x is in the denominator or numerator. Does this represent one over the quantity 2x or does it represent one half times an x? These are not the same. Triangle has a symbol called “over” in the markup font set. Because it is very common, there is a single hot key, ALT-/ to obtain . This is a very special symbol and should be used only for fractions having a single character in both numerator and denominator. 12 is one half, so 12x is one half times x, not one over 2x.
Fractions can generally be much more complicated than simple fractions like 12 or 23. For example the fraction 11 over 4 should not be written as 11/4 or as 114. The first is ambiguous and the second actually is one times the fraction one fourth. 11 over 4 could be written unambiguously as (11)/4, but the best way to write it is with the Triangle fraction enclosures as 114. There are a number of ways to obtain the three fraction enclosure symbols. For example CTRL-comma is , CTRL-/is , and CTRL-period is . However the easiest method is to press ALT-comma to get all three at the same time. The cursor is placed between and , so it is in position to type the numerator. Then you need only to arrow right once and then type the denominator. For example, try typing the above fraction. Press ALT-comma, type 11, arrow right once, then type 4. You now have the fraction given above.
Greek letters.
Greek letters are very common even in low level math. An example is the in the expression a=r2. Many Greek letters can be obtained quite intuitively. The is the Greek equivalent of a p, so one inserts it by using the Greek remap ALT-g then typing a p. Many other Greek letters are also intuitive, alpha is a
Greek a, beta is a
Greek b, etc. Some are less intuitive. The common character theta is obtained with a q so is ALT-g followed by q. One can find the characters in the insert-character symbol list and learn their hot keys.
Readers wanting or needing to do math with more complex symbols or expressions are encouraged to read the full description of the markup characters in Markup.rtf.
WinTriangle Hot Keys
Hot keys in release 4—some will be changed in future
ALT-a remaps keyboard for one Advanced font character
ALT-c Close symbol (to be deleted in future)
ALT-d remaps keyboard for one subscript character
ALT-e remaps keyboard for one Extra font character
ALT-h Help menu
ALT-i Insert character menu item
ALT-f fraction begin symbol (to be deleted in future)
ALT-g remaps keyboard for one Greek font character
ALT-m remaps keyboard for one Markup symbol
ALT-o Over symbol (to be deleted in future)
ALT-s speech properties menu item
ALT-t remaps keyboard for one upper text font character
ALT-u remaps keyboard for one superscript character
ALT-v View menu
ALT-w Window menu
ALT-x Exit program
ALT-[ Equation open symbol
ALT-] end equation symbol
ALT-comma Fraction, denominator, and end fraction symbols
ALT-slash Over symbol
CTRL-6 superscript with open and close symbols
CTRL-7 left superscript with open and close symbols
CTRL-8 root with open and close symbols
CTRL-9 overscript with open and close symbols
CTRL-dash subscript with open and close symbols
CTRL-a selects all
CTRL-b Toggles bold mode
CTRL-c copies to clipboard
CTRL-d Toggles subscript mode
CTRL-h find and replace
CTRL-i Toggles italic mode
CTRL-o the Open menu item
CTRL-n opens new window
CTRL-u Toggles superscript mode
CTRL-v pastes from clipboard
CTRL-x cuts to clipboard
CTRL-[ Open symbol
CTRL-] Close symbol
CTRL-comma fraction start symbol
CTRL-period denominator symbol
CTRL-slash end fraction symbol