

                            
                            Finger Spelling Tutor
                                Demo Release  
                                 Version 1.0

                               Copyright 1995
                          Open Hands Software Group

========================================================================

Contents 

1.0   About the Finger Spelling Tutor.
  1.1 What is Finger Spelling?
  1.2 What is the Finger Spelling Tutor for?    
  1.3 Who is the FST for?
  1.4 How is the FST Software different?
  1.5 Why Register?
2.0   Installation.
  2.1 System Requirements.
  2.2 Required Files. 
  2.3 Installation
3.0   Using the FST Software
  3.1 Startup
  3.2 The Main Screen. 
  3.3 The Animation Window
  3.4 The Text Window
  3.5 The Main Controls
    3.5.1 Practice Mode
    3.5.2 Test Mode
    3.5.3 Storybook Mode
    3.5.4 Speed Controls
    3.5.5 Colour Controls
    3.5.6 New User Button
    3.5.7 Exit Button
4.0   The Button Cluster
  4.1 View Control Buttons
  4.2 Speed Control Buttons
5.0   Registration and License
  5.1 Registration
  5.2 License Agreement
6.0   How to Reach Us
7.0   Bugs in the Software

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  1.1 What is Finger Spelling?

  Finger spelling is a simple form of sign language. Instead of using
  gestures to represent entire words or ideas, in finger spelling each
  gesture or hand position represents a single letter or a digit from one
  to nine.

  1.2 What is the Finger Spelling Tutor for?    
      
  The Finger Spelling Tutor (FST) is designed to teach finger spelling
  to anyone.  No previous experience or knowledge of signing or finger 
  is required.

  1.3 Who is the FST for?

  The FST software is for anyone that has an interest in learning to 
  finger spell.
  
  It was originally written for the Capital Region Centre
  for the Hearing Impaired in Ottawa, Ontario.  It is currently used at the  
  centre.

  1.4 How is the FST Software different?

  Unlike previous software designed to teach finger spelling, which 
  employed still diagrams of hand positions, the FST provides a fully 
  animated rendering of a hand moving from letter to letter.  It is easily
  used and learned from.
  
  1.5 Why Register?

  As you will see, this all the functions of this software are available in
  this release.  Restrictions, however, have been placed on the operation of
  the software.  
  
  Practice mode will only spell ten letters at a time.  In the registered 
  version up to forty may be spelled.

  Test mode will only test you on five words at a time.  In the registered
  version the words are delivered in rounds of ten with score information
  displayed every ten words.

  Storybook mode will only show twenty words at a time.  In the registered
  version text files are read until done.

  Part of the proceeds from every registration of the FST software 
  is given to the Capital Region Centre for the Hearing Impaired 
  by the Open Hands Software Group in appreciation of their support and 
  their help in ensuring that the animations are as accurate and realistic 
  as possible.

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2.0   Installation.

  2.1 System Requirements.

  The FST software will run on most IBM compatible machines (286 and up).
  
  A mouse is required.  Standard Microsoft and Logitech mice are supported.
  
  Some less common mouse drivers may not be suitable for use with the FST.
  
  A minimum of 411 Kb of free core memory is required.  
  
  The FST is a DOS application.  Please remember that Windows is
  not supported at this time.

  2.2 Required Files. 
  
  The package you receive or download should have the following files
  when unzipped or unarjed: 
      
  FST.EXE      - The main executable.
  MANUAL.TXT   - The manual (which you are reading).
  LICENSE.TXT  - The license agreement. Read it.
  ORDERFRM.TXT - The all important order form.
  STORY.TXT    - A sample story for storybook mode.
  TEST.TST     - A sample test file for test mode.
  FILE_ID.DIZ  - A brief description of the FST software.

  After the FST has been run files will be created to retain user profile
  information. Do not erase them unless you wish to lose all your user
  data.  The files will be:

  FST.PRF      - The index into the user files.
  FST.X        - The individual user profiles. X will be a number.
                 You will have one FST.X file for each user.

  2.3 Installation

  Make a directory for the software to be placed in ( C:\FST ).
  Copy the archive file into the directory and uncompress it.
  
========================================================================

3.0   Using the FST Software

  3.1 Startup

  Make the FST directory the current directory, then type FST <enter>.
  The software will start running.  Press "A" to accept the license terms.
  You will be prompted to enter your name.  This will create a user profile.
  Once this is done, you are ready to start learning to finger spell.

  3.2 The Main Screen. 
  
  The screen has several components.  They are:

  The animation window  - in the centre of the screen.
                        - this is the area the animated hand moves in.

  The text window       - the rectangular box at the bottom of the screen.
                        - this is where text input is entered, and prompts
                          displayed to the user.

  The main controls     - at the left of the animation area in the top half
                          of the screen. This area has seven buttons.
  
  The button cluster    - at the left of the animation area at the bottom of
                          the screen. This area has nine buttons.

  Any of the buttons may be pressed by positioning the mouse cursor over a 
  button and clicking the left mouse button.

  3.3 The Animation Window

  This is the area the hand is displayed in.  Some menus will produce a popup
  box in this area, but the hand will pause until the box is cleared.

  3.4 The Text Window

  Boxes will appear in this area as required, either to prompt for and
  receive keyboard input, or to display text messages.

  3.5 The Main Controls

  There are seven buttons in this area:  PRACTICE, TEST, STORYBOOK, SPEED, 
  COLOUR, NEW USER, and EXIT.
  
  The first three select a mode for the software to run in.  
  
  SPEED and COLOUR allow the user to configure the software to his or her 
  requirements.  
  
  NEW USER allows a different user to use the FST without restarting the 
  software.  
  
  EXIT ends the FST session.

  3.5.1  Practice Mode

     Practice mode allows the user to enter a word in the text window.
     After the word is entered, the animated hand spells the word.
     While the hand is spelling the word, the word is still displayed 
     in the text window with the current letter highlighted for clarity.
     
     To enter another word, simply press PRACTICE again.

     ! In the demo release, only ten letters may be entered at a time.

  3.5.2  Test Mode
     
     Test mode allows a user to be tested.

     When the button is pressed, a box appears asking the user to specify
     a file to get the test words from (Any plain text file with a name 
     ending in ".TST" can be used, ie: TEST.TST).

     Select a file name from the list with a double click.  Press the OK
     button.

     The hand will then spell the first word in the file.  After the spelling
     is complete the user is prompted to enter the word as text.  The response
     is evaluated.  If correct, the next word is displayed.  If incorrect, the 
     word is shown again.  After two wrong answers, the correct word is 
     revealed and the next word is displayed.

     ! In the demonstration version only five words will spelled at a time.
     ! Also, the correct word will not be shown after an incorrect answer,
       as it is in the registered version.

     After a set of ten, the user is shown the results.

     ! In the demonstration release the user is not offered the results

     The mode continues until the end of the file is reached or the mode is 
     changed by the user (except in the demo release, as noted above).


  3.5.3  Storybook Mode

     A file selection box is presented, as in section 3.5.2.  In this case
     the files have the extension ".TXT". Any ordinary text file can be used, 
     even one created by the user.

     In this mode the words are read continuously from the indicated file,
     like a story.  Again, the letter currently being fingerspelled by the
     hand is shown in the text box with a highlight to increase clarity. 
     
     The mode will continue until end of file, or until the user selects
     another mode.
          
     ! In the demo release, only twenty words may be spelled in storybook
     mode.

  3.5.4  Speed Control   
     
     When the SPEED button is pressed, a popup box appears in the centre
     of the screen.  Moving the two slider bars with the mouse cursor 
     controls the speed in two ways.  
     
     The top bar sets the delay between "frames" in the animation of the hand.
     All the way to the left results in the "fastest looking" values.

     The bottom bar is the number of frames to be used to get from one
     letter to another in the animation process.  All the way to the left is
     fastest, but produces a choppy looking display.   It should only be
     turned down on slower machines, such as 286's or 386/16's.  On a faster
     machine, such as a 486/66, more frames will result in a very smooth
     animation.

  3.5.5 Colour Control

     When the COLOUR button is pressed, a menu appears.  The user may change
     the menu foreground and background colours, the hand animation window 
     background colour, the colour of the hand, the colour of the text display
     and the text highlight colour.

     Select one of these by clicking the mouse on the colour patch beside
     the label.  This will call another popup containing possible colours.
     Click on the desired colour and click OK.  When finished with the main
     colour menu click OK there as well.  

     The display colours will be updated at the start of the next letter.
     A user's configuration choices are remembered and used whenever the
     user logs in.

  3.5.6  New User Button

     When the NEW USER button is pressed a text input box appears to get the
     user's name.  After the name is received the user's profile is loaded. 
     If the user has never logged in before a default profile is created.

     This button allows the changing of users without restarting the program.

  3.5.7  Exit Button

     When this button is pressed the program is shut down, returning the user
     to the DOS prompt.

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4.0   The Button Cluster 

  There are eight working buttons in this cluster with a label panel in the 
  centre.  Six of the buttons control the view of the hand, and the other
  two are speed controls.

  4.1 View Control Buttons

  The hand may be seen from many angles. The FRONT, BACK, RIGHT and LEFT
  buttons move the hand to be seen from those perspectives.  The TURN RIGHT
  and TURN LEFT buttons turn the hand right or left by small amounts. 
  
  The view buttons may be used while the hand is moving.

  4.2 Speed Control Buttons
   
  The SPEED UP and SPEED DOWN provide a function similar to the Speed Menu, 
  but are easier and faster to use.  The are present for convenience.

  The speed buttons may be used while the hand is moving.

========================================================================

5.0   Registration and License

  5.1 Registration

  Registration benefits are described in section 1.5, "Why Register?".
  Enclosed in this release package is a file called ORDERFRM.TXT. 
  Print it and fill it in, enclose payment and mail it to us at the  
  address on the order form.  As soon as your cheque or money order
  made out to Open Hands Software is processed we will ship you the 
  registered version of the Finger Spelling Tutor.

  5.2 License Agreement

  Use of the software in any way indicates compliance with the attached
  license agreement contained in the file LICENSE.TXT distributed with this
  software

========================================================================

6.0   How to Reach Us.

  The Open Hands software group can be reached at:

  Open Hands Software              EMail:  openhands@cst.algonquinc.on.ca            
  1380 Cavendish Rd.               Orders: Voice: 631-731-9963 
  Ottawa, ON, K1H 6B9                      Fax  : 613-224-3662
  Canada                                
  
7.0   Bugs in the Software  
  
  We welcome your comments and observations.  If you find a bug in the 
  software, please let us know.  Include your hardware and operating 
  system info.  If you are the FIRST person to report a previously unnoticed
  bug, you will get the registered version FREE!!!

  If you have trouble running the FST please write us at the above address. 
  Include a description of the problem and list your hardware and setup 
  for us to examine.  
  
  Remember: This software might not run under Windows, although it probably 
  will.

  For use in DOS, make0 sure to have at least 411 Kb of base memory available
  for use by the FST software.

  The Open Hands Software thanks you for using the Finger Spelling Tutor.

  
