Colour Accessibility

[margo]

Hi there,

I'm trying to make Paint.Net accessible for my son. He is using Eye-gaze, and onscreen keyboard to access the program. I'd chose PaintNet, because there are keys for tools, but Colour pallet is not accessible at all. It has to be keyboard accessible in order to use it. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

D.

[pdnnoob]

It really depends on why he can't click on anything...

If he uses the onscreen keyboard, wouldn't that mean he has the ability to click?

more info please

[Sarkut]

There is a simple program inside the attached zipfile.

So long as the program is running, pressing the

Pause key will effect a left mouse-button click.

Edit:

Attachment removed.

Edited November 5, 2010 by Sarkut

[pdnnoob]

Sarkut, it's an onscreen keyboard we are talking about -.- If it wasn't, I'd explain how to activate mouse keys (built in to windows and related to sticky keys) and use that for clicking.

[Sarkut]

It is a special case of on-screen keyboard using Eye-Gaze.

If the Pause key can be activated by Eye-Gaze, then the attached app may help.

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

No reason not to explain about activating mouse keys, if it might be helpful.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88849-mouse-keys.html

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/access_mousekeys_howtoclick.mspx?mfr=true

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/access_mousekeys_howtodrag.mspx?mfr=true

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

In any event, so far as I know, you need to

be able to click things in the Colors window.

.

Edited November 5, 2010 by Sarkut

[margo]

Hi, thanks for reply. My son can open color pallet, and move cursor with his eye-gaze, even click, but... color pallet is too small, and program that leads mouse movement is not that accurate. I was thinking if I can send some keys over the onscreen keyboart - like CTRL+123 for red and CTRL+1234... for blue, that will took away frustration of navigating mouse over that small pallet. Or if I can get some bigger buttons inside pallet...? It is nice that he can choose from tools (for example a bucket) which I'm going to make on onscreen kb, and he can move it with eye-gaze. When he stops, and stare for 1.6sec it will click and fill certain area with color for him. I hope you understand what is the problem.

Thanks,

D.

[margo]

fyi, the device is Eye-Max DynaVox - Win 7

[Sarkut]

Maybe prepare a full-size PNG image with large blocks of the pallette colors.

Set the file Properties to Read-Only so that it doesn't get saved over and lost.

Create a shortcut that opens Paint.Net with that file loaded.

Use the Color Picker tool.

Edited November 5, 2010 by Sarkut

[margo]

color picker can go outside of PaintNET?

[margo]

I see, what you meant. Can I open two files? One with color, one for painting?

[Sarkut]

Yes.

Or you can have it as a layer in every file if you like.

That layer can be discarded when not needed.

Edited November 6, 2010 by Sarkut

[margo]

THANK YOU!!! I'll try and lat you know how it is working.

Best wishes,

D.

[Djisves]

I hardly understand the discussion here. So, if what I propose sounds stupid, please excuse my jumping in and looking like an idiot.

I think that one way of working around this problem would be to make a custom palette with fewer colours, actually 4 times less colours than the default palette. Each colour would take the space/buttons available for four colours in the default palette like in my, rather hurried, example below. This way, navigation within the palette would be a lot easier.

If this is a satisfactory or acceptable solution, then the palette can be created and saved by following the simple instructions on Working With Palettes.

Edited November 6, 2010 by Djisves

[margo]

Dear Djisves,

you understood a problem. Still I think that is not going to be large enough, but I'll try. Can I assign keyboard shortcut to the color (inside of pallet)?

Thanks

[Sarkut]

If you decide to go with my suggestion, this plugin might be a good setup.

http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?showtopic=4175

Run it with these settings, and Paintbucket fill each square successively.

http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/3342/pallettesetup01.png

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/5905/pallettesetup02.png

Edited November 6, 2010 by Sarkut

[Djisves]

If four spaces are not enough, perhaps you can use 6 or 8. In any case, Sarkut’s reads like a far better solution.

I’m not an expert user by any measure (just look at my post count) but I dot not think you can use shortcuts within the palette. Wasn’t this the original problem?

[margo]

Thank you my friends. Sarkut's solution is the one, for now. Maybe, in the nearest future I'll make a real thing, as I'm familiar with C#. But this is an "emergency" and I need a quick solution.

Best wishes,

D.

[margo]

Apparently, I won't stop with questions. I can't pick the color from layer. It must be a truck, or some setting... If there are two or more layers, I can't. With two open files it is working, but than I have to open one file (with a pallet) and go back on the picture. Yes, they are in the top right corner, but I'm trying to make as simple as possible. Any ideas?

[Sarkut]

If you make the color layer active you should be able to pick from it.

Maybe you could enlarge the canvas and have the colors at the top of all layers.

Crop it away when done.

Edited November 6, 2010 by Sarkut

[margo]

I made it that way, but... Is there some settings, similar to "After click: Switch to previous tool.. " to switch to second layer? ...hmm

[Sarkut]

Nothing like that for switching active layers.

[pdnnoob]

I used this picture a while ago to explain something else, but it has a nice view of "more" mode on the color palette, so I'll use it here too.

If you click the "more" button as show in the picture, it will open up the advanced settings where you can adjust things with numbers. It is much more precise than the wheel and might be less frustrating that trying to click the color you want.