MacSword Quick Start for Voiceover Volume 002.
For version 1.2.1B
These instructions may vary slightly with other versions of MacSword.
You can download MacSword from: www.MacSword.com
Using the Bible, Strong's Numbers, Commentaries and the Search or Find System
Text can be made bigger for low vision users. The function to do this is under options in menus.
This is a great Bible study program, however there are some things that a Voiceover user needs to do to make the program useable with the Mac. Here is how I do it and it works for me.
I will not be walking you through downloading and installing MacSword; I will only be dealing with set up and some basic operating instructions.
First of all, lets talk about some Voiceover terms.
1. When you hear "VO keys", this means that you will be using the control and option keys with another key in order to cause something to happen in Voiceover.
2. When you here the term "interact", that means that you will need to use the VO keys-shift-down arrow keys to interact with the text or screen.
3. Stop interacting with VO keys-shift-up arrow keys.
MacSword is on my Dockk, so I go to the Dockk with VO keys-d and right arrow until I hear MacSword and press enter to enter the program. If you do not have MacSword on your Dockk, do the following.
From the finder press command-shift-a which will take you in to the applications menu and start typing MacSword and you should hear MacSword spoken. At this point, press command-o to open the MacSword folder. When you open this folder, you will want to find a good way to get around in this folder. I use list view. For list view, press, command-2. Now everything in this folder is in a list and numbered. You will need to find MacSword.app. When you have found it, press command-o to open it.
Now that you have the MacSword application open you can put it on your Dockk so that you will not need to go through all of that again.
Do the following.
With the MacSword application open, press, VO keys-d to go to the Dock. Now right arrow, or left arrow with out the VO keys until you hear, MacSword running. Now, down arrow until you hear, keep in Dock and press enter. Now MacSword will be in the Dock the next time you want to use it.
Now, a little set up is necessary.
Next use control-option-m, or control-f2 to go into the menus.
Then, arrow to the right until you come to MacSword. Then with the down arrow key, move to, preferences, ellipses, and press enter.
With control-option-down arrow, move down to, Interface tab number 2 and select that tab with the space bar.
Next, tab to: "Use tool tips for references" and uncheck the box with the space bar. If you do not do this, Voiceover will say "MacSword busy" most of the time you are using the program. Be sure to close preferences with, command-w.
Using MacSword
The first thing you should hear in the MacSword program is: "MacSword modules". Use VO keys-down arrow, or, VO keys-up arrow depending on where you are in the menu. To select the Bible translation, or commentary you wish to use you will need to click on your selection name twice quickly with VO keys-shift-space bar.
Note, in some versions of MacSword, you may hear Voiceover say, "Outline", if this happens, just interact with the screen.
Once you have done this it will give the name of the translation for instance: "KJV window". With Control-option-down arrow cursor down to where it says: "Edit text containing about". Press the space bar which will delete this text. Then type in the Bible reference you want to read for instance John 3:16 for John chapter three verse 16 and then press enter.
Cursor down with control-option-down arrow until you hear: "HTML content" Then interact with the HTML content with Vo keys-shift-down arrow. Then you can read your selection with VO keys-down arrow. Continue cursoring down until your selection is heard. Remember this program also has a menu system, which you can access with VO keys-dash-m, or control-F2. Take a few minutes to explore the menu system, using just your left and right or up and down arrow keys. This will be a great help to you in learning to use the MacSword Bible study program. Strong's numbers for instance can be accessed from menus under options. Cursor down to Strong's numbers and check the check box with the space bar. Now when you go back to your text, you will find the Strong's numbers imbedded in the text. If you find a word, name or phrase that you would like to know more about, just press enter on the number you wish to use and arrow around in the new window with the arrow keys. You may need to use Voiceover Keys and the arrow keys in the new window.
When you have finished with Strong's numbers, remember to go back and uncheck the box.
A few commands.
Next chapter, command-right arrow
Previous chapter, command left arrow
Next book or entry, command-down arrow
Previous book or entry, command-up arrow.
Commentaries
You can use commentaries while you have a verse or chapter selected and the commentary will open to the verse or chapter of the Bible where you are studying, depending on the nature of the commentary.
To open a commentary:
use the window chooser menu by pressing VO keys-f2 twice quickly. Next, with control-option-down arrow cursor down to modules and press enter. Now with control-option-down arrow select the commentary that you wish to open and press VO keys-shift-space bar twice quickly as you did in opening a Bible translation.
The commentary should open in the same text where your Bible is open.
Next, cursor down with, control-option-down arrow until you hear: "html content". Now interact with the text with VO keys-shift-down arrow. You should be in the text of the commentary that you have chosen and you may now read the text with control-option-down arrow.
You can move between open windows for instance, a Bible translation and several commentaries with the command-accent keys. The accent key is just below the Escape Key.
Want to Do a Word or Phrase Search?
Ok, do the following:
Command-f is the find command.
The first thing you will hear is, "Find window". The Find window will come up with the Voiceover cursor on the words "Edit text containing" unless you have already done a search. If so, the Voiceover cursor will land on the table of the last search and you will need to tab once or twice to get to the field that says, "edit text containing". Delete this text with the space bar and type in your word, phrase, or search string.
Next tab through the choices of how you want the search to be done. You will find a number of buttons which all seem to speak and a box or two which you can check or uncheck. Then when you have set up your search, tab or back tab depending on where in the window you are to "find" and press enter. The search takes just a few seconds and does not speak when it is done.
Next tab over to where you hear, "table". You may then move through the table with just the arrow keys. However, if the arrow keys do not respond, try control-option and the arrow keys.
If you would like to see one of the verses in your search in context, that is to say see the chapter in the Bible where the verse is located, while you are on the row or verse, press VO keys-shift-space bar twice quickly and you will be taken to that chapter.
Hopefully, this will get you started in MacSword. I have many things to learn about this program and many more things to learn about God's Word. Let's learn together.
In Christ service
For God's glory,
Keith Reedy, Director
BIBLES FOR THE BLIND AND
VISUALLY HANDICAPPED INTERNATIONAL
www.biblesfortheblind.org
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