FSEdit is a word processing application that you can use to create and edit documents. Unlike Pocket Word or Notes, FSEdit was created specifically for the blind user. Among its friendly and convenient features, you will find FSEdit allows you to work with Grade 2 Braille files, provides a robust editing environment complete with a spell checker, and offers the facility to not only print, but emboss as well.
The default location for FSEdit is the Programs submenu (F3, P, F, F, F). When you open FSEdit for the first time or when you create a new document, you are asked, "Would you like to make your new file a Grade 2 Braille document?" If you choose No, your file is then a Computer Braille document. Once you create a Computer Braille file, you cannot change it to Grade 2 Braille or vice versa. Instead you must create a new file and choose Yes when asked, "Would you like to make your new file a Grade 2 Braille document?" This, however, does not mean you cannot change how your document is embossed. Please see FSEdit, Computer Braille vs Grade 2 Braille for more information. For more information about entering punctuation characters in computer braille, see Appendix G: Computer Braille Reference
To view all the commands available in FSEdit, please see Appendix A: PAC Mate Commands.
If the file you want save has the correct name, is in the correct file format, and in the correct folder, you can simply press SH CHORD, S and your file will be saved.
If, however, you want to save the file with another name, with a different file format, or in another folder, you will have to open the File Menu and select Save As. In the Save As dialog you can change any parameter of the file. Use the TAB command to navigate this dialog. Below lists the options available in each combo box in the Save As dialog.
Folder combo box: The default is None, which means that you file will be saved in the default folder, My Documents. The other folder options, listed below, are subfolders of the My Documents folder.
File Type combo box: FSEdit offers a nice variety of file types that easily match your working needs. In addition, FSEdit’s own the default file type, .fsd, allows for synchronization to your PC, storage of additional information such as Grade of Braille, cursor location, mark location, and Grade 2 back translation for easy conversion between the other file types supported by FSEdit.
Location combo box:
This menu item reloads the last saved version of the document and discards any succeeding editorial changes.
Before you can emboss a document, you must first select your embosser type in the Properties dialog, which is accessed from the Emboss dialog.
When you select your embosser, many of the fields in the Properties dialog automatically populate with your embosser’s default settings. This means you can immediately begin embossing your document or you can change the embossing settings.
To launch the Properties dialog:
Embossing a document is initiated from the Emboss dialog. To launch the Emboss dialog you must open the File Menu and select Emboss (E). With the Emboss dialog open, you have several controls that allow you to change the way your document is embossed. If you do not want to change any of the parameters and are ready to emboss, press TAB until you reach the Ok button and then press SPACEBAR.
Unless you specify the number of copies embossed, FSEdit will only emboss one copy of a document.
To emboss more than one copy of a document:
Depending on your needs, you may want to emboss on different size paper. Changes made to the embossing settings are retained until you change them or reset them to their defaults.
For 8.5 x 11 inch paper, use the following settings:
Cell Per Line: 34
Lines Per Page: 25
Top Margin in lines: 0
Max Cells Per Line of Embosser: 34
Max Lines Per Page of Embosser: 27
For 11.5 x 11 inch paper, use the following settings:
Cell Per Line: 40
Lines Per Page: 25
Top Margin in lines: 0
Max Cells Per Line of Embosser: 42
Max Lines Per Page of Embosser: 27
To use WinPrint:
Regardless of whether you created a Computer Braille or Grade 2 Braille file, FSEdit’s default setting sends text to your embosser in Grade 2 Braille. If necessary, you can emboss a Computer Braille file in Computer Braille. You cannot, however, emboss a Grade 2 Braille file in Computer Braille.
To emboss a Computer Braille file in Computer Braille:
Emphasis text is text that is bold, underlined and/or in italics. This item (enabled by default and only available when embossing in Grade 2 Braille) indicates when text has emphasis.
While these two features, selecting text and marking text, use very different approaches, they do perform virtually the same function. The difference, however, is that with Marking Text you can accurately mark text and have the added advantage of being able to freely read your document until you find the word(s) you want to mark inclusively. Whereas when you select text, you must move linearly in a fixed increment until the block of text you want is selected. This may result in more editing, as some unwanted text might get selected.
On occasion you may find it helpful to review the information you have selected. Or you may find that you want to select text that is beyond the marked end. To do this easily, swap the position of the mark and cursor. You can find this feature in the Edit Menu or simply press E CHORD, W.
In addition to all the selecting commands available in PAC Mate, FSEdit has its own Quick Select commands. The Quick Select commands let you select text in five different increments. You can find these options in the Edit Menu under the Quick Select submenu or you can use the shortcut commands.
The Find feature is a very handy tool that lets you search for a word or phrase within an open document quickly. When you press E CHORD, F, FSEdit launches the Find dialog with the cursor in the Find What edit box. Type in the word or phrase you want to find. Use the TAB key to navigate the dialog. Other controls in this dialog that are available are Find Whole Words Only, Match Case, and Search Direction.
When you are ready, press ENTER on the Find Next button.
The Replace menu item (E CHORD, R) is similar to the Find feature in that it searches for words or phrases within a document, but it has the additional feature of replacing words or phrases with alternative text. Its dialog is similar to the Find dialog but has two additional buttons. The Replace button, which replaces one instance of the word or phrase and the Replace All button, which replaces all instances of the word or phrase in the document.
In FSEdit makes formatting a document very easy. Most formatting options available can be directly accessed from the two submenus in the Format Menu.
To format a document:
The first two items can be found in the Insert Menu, while the third item can be found in the Format Menu. To select a format for the Date/Time Stamp and for Bullets and Numbering go to the Tools Menu and select Options.
You can check the spelling of a specific word, or of all the words in a document. If a word is spelled correctly, but not recognized, you can add the word(s) to FSEdit’s online dictionary. To launch the Spell Checker dialog, press CH CHORD, S.
Once the Spell Checker dialog opens, your cursor is in the Change To box on a word from the Suggestions List. At this point, you have several options to choose from. Use the TAB key to navigate the dialog and press ENTER on the control that performs the particular action you want. When you encounter the Suggestions List box, use the UP or DOWN ARROW keys to make your selection.
When you want to know the number of words in a document, press F2 move to Tool and press ENTER. Then move and press ENTER on Word Count