Need help, adaptive equipment for High School Student

[Bctcteacher]

I know that this is not strictly an AutoCAD 2012 issue, BUT as her CAD teacher it’s my job to do the best I can for all of my students so I’m reaching out and asking for help.

I have a severely disabled student; she can only move her head (and that is severely limited). She has a head mouse to point with. She can left and right click her mouse by using a puffer tube in her mouth. But she can’t scroll or pan easily, (Center mouse wheel something easy for us). I have enlarged the icons, enlarged the text, high contrast background, moved the command line up to the ribbon, and she uses an onscreen keyboard (the default keyboard that comes with windows). But inputting numbers, zooming and panning is very hard; even with icons it is painfully slow. Note this is a main streamed student, who is at peer level.  She has a full time nurse and aid to help her.

I have a second monitor mounted close to me so I can see what she is doing, but I don’t have an easy way for her to signal me when she needs help. Anyone know how to write a lisp program to flash a red square to catch my attention? Example - Pick a help Icon and a square flashes etc.….

So simply put HELP!

                Anyone know of an adaptive onscreen keyboard?

Anyone know of adaptive equipment the will replicate a two button mouse with scroll wheel? Or  a way to mimic the scroll wheel under the above conditions.

                I’m looking for anyone who has experience with this type of adaptive needs

 I'm not looking for hand-outs just ideals and a better path to help this student make using autoCAD easier.

The student is game to try anything that will help increase her speed and decrease her movement. (Lots of head movement strains her)

Any ideas?

Thanks

Ken James

Note: New address and Phone number!!

Drafting Design Technology

Berks Career & Technology Center - East Campus

3307 Friedensburg Rd.

Oley, PA 19547

Kdjames@berkscareer.com

To connect directly to the class use the following

Telephone- (610) 987-6201

Fax - (610) 987-6106

Please note- Phone options have changed, listen to the menu

• Dial 1 for the East Campus
• Dial 1 because you know the extension
• Dial Extension 3532

Edited by
Discussion_Admin

original post here

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-2012/Need-help-adaptive-equipment-for-High-School-Student/m-p/...

[Bctcteacher]

• Dial 1 for the East Campus
• Dial 1 because you know the extension
• Dial Extension 3532

[StephenCollier]

I don't have a clue about the equipment & adaptive software, but I think I can put together a LISP routine that can signal you in some way.  Is the second monitor hooked up directly to her machine so that we just have to figure out what coordinates on the screen to draw a visual signal at?  Or is that more like a security monitor where you can watch the CAD lab?  We might be able to call something that can make a sound if that will help too.  I can work in LISP, VBA or .NET, so there should be plenty of options.  I hope I can help out.

I can also be reached at stephencollier@macdump.com if you need that.

[Kent1Cooper]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

.... 

I have a second monitor mounted close to me so I can see what she is doing, but I don’t have an easy way for her to signal me when she needs help. Anyone know how to write a lisp program to flash a red square to catch my attention? Example - Pick a help Icon and a square flashes etc.….

.... 

---

Try this out:

(defun C:WARN (/ *error* center halfedge warn)
  (defun *error* (errmsg)
    (if (not (wcmatch errmsg "Function cancelled,quit / exit abort,console break"))
      (princ (strcat "\nError: " errmsg))
    ); end if
    (if (equal warn (entlast)) (entdel warn))
    (command "_.undo" "_end")
    (setvar 'cmdecho cmde)
    (princ)
  ); defun - *error*
  (setq
    center (getvar 'viewctr)
    halfedge (/ (getvar 'viewsize) 3)
    cmde (getvar 'cmdecho)
  )
  (setvar 'cmdecho 0)
  (command
    "_.undo" "_begin"
    "_.solid"
    (mapcar '- center (list halfedge halfedge 0))
    (mapcar '+ center (list halfedge (- halfedge) 0))
    (mapcar '+ center (list (- halfedge) halfedge 0))
    (mapcar '+ center (list halfedge halfedge 0))
    ""
    "_.chprop" "_last" "" "_color" 10 ""
  )
  (setq warn (entlast))
  (while T
    (entdel warn)
    (command "_.delay" 500)
    (entdel warn)
    (command "_.delay" 500)
  )
  (princ)
)

It flashes a big red square on and off every half-second until Esc cancels it.  You can have it loaded by acaddoc.lsp or something, and put the command into a toolbar button or other menu item.

[EDIT: incorporated greater level of sophistication suggested in original post.]

[M_Hensley]

If she can speak clearly (and it would not be too disruptive during class) you may be able to get good results using Dragon voice activated software to control AutoCAD.

There was some discussion of this at this link: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-2007/voice-recognition-and-AutoCAD/m-p/2099770/highlight/true#...

[pbejse]

I remember this one

(defun SayIt (Phrase$ / Sapi)
  (setq Sapi (vlax-create-object "Sapi.SpVoice"))
  (vlax-invoke Sapi "Speak" Phrase$ 0)
  (vlax-release-object Sapi)
  (princ)
)

(sayit "Attention")

All you need to do is create a toolbar button, plug in a speaker and set it next to your station

HTH

[mmoolhuysen · Accepted solution]

I'm not sure if this is what you meant with "Even with icons  it's painfully slow", but have you tried to make a toolbar that contains the following standard AutoCAD commands? You will find these in the command list of the Customize User Interface dialogue (CUI):

Pan, Up

Pan, Right

Pan, Left

Pan, Down

A click on these buttons lets the screen scroll over 1/5 of the screen size measured in the direction given. Your student can repeat  scroll steps in a chosen direction as much as needed, without having to move her head. If a change between horizontal and vertical scroll direction is needed, only a  very small head movement to reach one of the other buttons is required.

[Kent1Cooper]

---

@Kent1Cooper wrote:

....

Try this out:

....

It flashes a big red square on and off every half-second until Esc cancels it.....

---

Or, as I understand flashing things at certain frequencies can trigger seizures in some people [perhaps even more so flashing red things? -- read "The Andromeda Strain"], here's another attention-getting approach:

(defun C:WARN (/ *error* center halfedge cmde blipm col)
  (defun *error* (errmsg)
    (if (not (wcmatch errmsg "Function cancelled,quit / exit abort,console break"))
      (princ (strcat "\nError: " errmsg))
    ); end if
    (command)
    (setvar 'blipmode blipm)
    (command "_.erase" "_last" "" "_.undo" "_end")
    (setvar 'cmdecho cmde)
    (princ)
  ); defun - *error*
  (setq
    center (getvar 'viewctr)
    halfedge (/ (getvar 'viewsize) 3)
    cmde (getvar 'cmdecho)
    blipm (getvar 'blipmode)
  )
  (setvar 'cmdecho 0)
  (setvar 'blipmode 0)
  (command
    "_.undo" "_begin"
    "_.solid"
    "_none" (mapcar '- center (list halfedge halfedge 0))
    "_none" (mapcar '+ center (list halfedge (- halfedge) 0))
    "_none" (mapcar '+ center (list (- halfedge) halfedge 0))
    "_none" (mapcar '+ center (list halfedge halfedge 0))
    ""
    "_.chprop" "_last" "" "_color" (setq col 1) ""
  )
  (while T
    (command
      "_.delay" 50
      "_.chprop" "_last" "" "_color" (setq col (1+ (rem col 255))) ""
      "_.rotate" "_last" "" center 2
    )
  )
  (princ)
)

[Bctcteacher]

WoW thanks for all the suggestions!!

I will give the lisp program a try this weekend- Note I have the students machine set up with a duel head video card that mirrors what is on the first display to the second display which I have a long video cable attached near my lecturn so I see exactly what she sees.

Thanks for the tip about pan .5 icon I will make a toolbar with pan Icons on it so she can pick a icon and pan left, right, up, or down by .5 a pick good ideal!!!

Keep them coming and thanks to all that replied!!!

Ken James

[Bctcteacher]

See her monitor is directly hooked up to my monitor by a duel head video card.

Thank for you reply and interest.

Ken James

[Bctcteacher]

thanks for the ideal, but i don't think ithat dragon will work.

Voice commands like dragon software ( Which I use and Love) doesn't work, because she is on a ventilator which is very loud, she does have a electronic voice box but due to the ambient noise from the vent even that is hard to hear let alone understand what she is saying.

Keep the ideals coming !

Ken james

[mmoolhuysen]

The default macro's for the pan left, right, up, and down buttons actually do a 0.2 scroll for each individual pick, instead of 0.5. (1/5 = 0.2) When needed you can adjust the amount of scrolling by changing the 0.2 value in the macro line of each pan command (inside Customize User Interface).