Important Announcement: If you care about accessibility or convenience when writing, you need to know about what is this thread.
Trajecient has just made and is making some releases certain people REALLY need to know about, particularly writers, linguists, academics, web developers and game designers.
Some of this is free stuff, but very useful.
This will double as a reintroduction.
#programming #software #libre #foss #writing #linguistics #language #typography #gaming #introduction
(1/?)
Trajecient has developed what appears to be the world's first Alt Text for Text system. This involves a deep shortcut system useful for everyone that doubles as labels for screenreaders.
It appears to not have been done before now as it isn't something that can be done by programming alone. It needs type design, as textual data is rendered and processed by fonts.
#programming #software #libre #foss #writing #linguistics #language #typography #gaming #introduction #a11y #accessibility
(2/?)
The shortcut system part can also be accessed by an external script (it won't do Alt Text for Text labels though)
A Libre version is available and means characters can be accessed by simple codes no matter the font … that ellipsis was three dots with two commas on either side.
A proper times sign × from ,,times,,
This is very useful, but just the start.
#programming #software #libre #foss #writing #linguistics #language #typography #gaming #introduction #a11y #accessibility
(3/?)
This shortcut system is especially handy for people who rely on keyboard navigation or screenreaders.
Glyph Browsers and IMEs or Input Method Editors are usually designed for mouse-users only.
But it isn't just accessibility for them. Type designers can adapt this Libre script to add codes to quickly access any character they add into the Private Use Area.
#programming #software #libre #foss #writing #linguistics #language #typography #gaming #introduction #a11y #accessibility
(4/?)
Now let's start to get to some of the more exciting stuff. Attached are images of the first PowerPoint in 37 years to support OpenType features.
Normally glyphs used for OpenType features aren't given codepoints.
If a font DOES do this, then this system means a shortcut code can be set up so OpenType features can be enabled in programs that don't support them…
#programming #software #libre #foss #writing #linguistics #language #typography #gaming #introduction #a11y #accessibility
(5/?)
Sighted people will see that some of the gaps between letters disappears between the two version. Some letters have switched to alternate forms.
The Libre version is intentionally compact to be a starting point for others to make their own.
The other version launches with over 4800 codes.
I should talk a bit about where to get this stuff …
#programming #software #libre #foss #writing #linguistics #language #typography #gaming #introduction #a11y #accessibility
(6/?)
Trajecient has launched a Patreon. There are free and open source files available to anyone who becomes a free member with more to come.
I haven't uploaded everything yet, but I have for the first free stuff.
Oh and if YOU do social media promotion and give me the deets, you can get free copies of the non-free stuff.
The Patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/c/Trajecient
#programming #software #libre #foss #writing #linguistics #language #typography #gaming #introduction #a11y #accessibility
(7/?)
