BRF files are basically normal text files which you can open in any text editor. They're encoded using ASCII Braille, a reliable standard for encoding any 6-dot pattern as a simple ASCII character. Voice Over comes with a special Braille table that supports this standard. However, unlike on iOS, that table isn't exposed in VO's Braille Table picker UI. Therefore, to get it added to Voice Over, you need to do it manually through a slightly convoluted process. Here's what you need to do:
1. Go to Voice Over Utility -> menu -> File -> Export Preferences
2. A save dialog will appear, pick a location on disk somewhere and save the file.
3. Open the file you just saved in any text editor. TextEdit should be good enough.
4. Find the following line:
<key>SCRCUserDefaultsBrailleTableGuideItems</key>
Use your editor's find feature (usually command + f) to do this.
5. Below this line, you should have a line containing <array>, followed by a few lines beginning with <string>, followed by </array>
6. Somewhere inbetween the <array> and </array>, make a new blank line and insert the following text:
8. In VO Utility, go to Menu -> File -> Import preferences.
9. Pick the file you just edited, agree to replace preferences.
You don't need to repeat this process every time you want to read a .brf. The table you just added should stay in your braille tables list until it is removed.
Comments
BRF on Mac Guide
BRF files are basically normal text files which you can open in any text editor. They're encoded using ASCII Braille, a reliable standard for encoding any 6-dot pattern as a simple ASCII character. Voice Over comes with a special Braille table that supports this standard. However, unlike on iOS, that table isn't exposed in VO's Braille Table picker UI. Therefore, to get it added to Voice Over, you need to do it manually through a slightly convoluted process. Here's what you need to do:
1. Go to Voice Over Utility -> menu -> File -> Export Preferences
2. A save dialog will appear, pick a location on disk somewhere and save the file.
3. Open the file you just saved in any text editor. TextEdit should be good enough.
4. Find the following line:
<key>SCRCUserDefaultsBrailleTableGuideItems</key>
Use your editor's find feature (usually command + f) to do this.
5. Below this line, you should have a line containing <array>, followed by a few lines beginning with <string>, followed by </array>
6. Somewhere inbetween the <array> and </array>, make a new blank line and insert the following text:
<string>com.apple.scrod.braille.table.liblouis.ascii</string>
7. Save the file.
8. In VO Utility, go to Menu -> File -> Import preferences.
9. Pick the file you just edited, agree to replace preferences.
You don't need to repeat this process every time you want to read a .brf. The table you just added should stay in your braille tables list until it is removed.
Thanks so much
THanks for this great idea
will give it a try soon