Re: Another idea for Magnification

[Richard Powell <info powell homeip net>]

All,

I essentially have two problems using Compiz-Fusion.  First, it doesn't 
seem to recognize my keyboard/mouse of choice, i.e. it does recognize 
some of my other keyboard/mice.  I use a KVM setup so I use a single 
keyboard and mouse and have spent a lot of time and money finding the 
one that works best for me.  I really don't want to have to change if 
possible.  Second, the "Desktop Zoom" feature is "static".  In other 
words, it zooms in on a fixed, i.e. static,  area.  In trying to read 
text on a screen I need it to dynamically move as I scan the text.  It's 
great in what it does but it does not lend itself to reading.

Richard Powell

JGJones wrote:
> Just wondering...
>
> How is the Compiz's Zoom function for you? - I've mapped it to use the 
> <Super> (Win) key and so while I press the Windows key, and then 
> scroll the mouse wheel up - it'll zoom into around the cursor smoothly 
> as much as you want and the screen moves around with the cursor.
>
> You can zoom in and out as much as you wish anytime by pressing the 
> assigned key and moving mousewheel up and down - this is actually the 
> same as to how OSX does their zoom function.
>
> Obviously your suggestion is ideal for someone that can't use Compiz 
> for any reason though.
>
> BUT the reason I suggest Compiz was that you could make use of extra 
> features to help make things easier to see...for example I notice 
> there's a Negative plugin (reverse colours on screen) which could help 
> make things clear when it's needed etc and finally another plugin 
> called ADD Helper - the purpose of this tool is to dim all other 
> windows in the background so that the active window you are working on 
> is the only one that's "lit up" and all others behind is dimmed. 
> Switch to another window and that lights up and the previous will dim.
>
> Am aware that Compiz is not Gnome...but a lot of function could make 
> use of Compiz if supported no?
>
> Richard Powell wrote:
> > All,
> >
> > I've been using GNOME for almost 10 years now.  In 2003 I became 
> > legally blind (visually impaired).  Since that time I have had to use 
> > a combination of tricks to allow me to see the screen well enough to 
> > use it.  These "tricks" have included low resolution display setting, 
> > large monitors, extremely large font sizing and the use of a hand 
> > held magnifier.
> >
> > I've read through some of the discussions on this mailing list and it 
> > looks like the team members have some ambitious goals.  I truly hope 
> > that these goals can and will be met.  However, as a visually 
> > impaired GNOME user I know what would make GNOME much easier to use 
> > that I don't believe is nearly as ambitious.  Microsoft introduced a 
> > feature with their mice a few years back that has solved my problem 
> > entirely on a Windows machine (which ironically is not as easy to 
> > setup for the visually impaired as GNOME).  It's called "Magnify".  
> > Unlike Logitech's "Zoom" feature, which is little more than a button 
> > mapping to the text sizing function of applications such as Mozilla, 
> > "Magnify" actually pops up a magnification window around that mouse 
> > cursor.  This window can be adjusted for size and magnification level 
> > by simple mouse controls.  What this does for me and the other people 
> > that I have introduced to this, is it allows me to not have to change 
> > all my display and font settings and more importantly I no longer 
> > have to hold a magnifier in one hand while trying to use the computer 
> > with my other hand.
> >
> > I'm not sure what the effort level would be for this kind of task.  I 
> > do know however that this feature has been the most useful feature to 
> > me (as a visually impaired person) since the introduction of the 
> > mouse itself.  This may be a simpler solution that would solve the 
> > same issues that you are currently wrestling with.  It's application 
> > independent and it's extremely flexible to the user.
> >
> > Richard Powell
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