| The Magnifier: for Windows; Area and Full Screen Magnifier; Version 1.50 Release 5; User's Guide | ||
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When running The Magnifier, there are 2 main modes of operation - as a window (with up to 7 magnifiers running concurrently), or in full screen mode. Because of the differences in these 2 modes of operation, some features are not available, or do not apply depending on the current mode in use. For detailed information, you can refer to the chapters that cover these 2 modes in detail (Windowed and Full Screen).
Whenever The Magnifier is running, there will be a small magnifying glass icon in the system tray (next to the clock in the taskbar). You can always access The Magnifier menu by left or right clicking on this small icon.
When The Magnifier is in the window mode, double-clicking on The Magnifier window will switch to the Full Screen mode of operation. When the Full Screen mode of operation is in use, only 1 instance of The Magnifier will be running. If there is more than one instance of The Magnifier running prior to the switch to Full Screen mode, all but one will be closed before the switch to the Full Screen mode occurs.
The best way to read using The Magnifier is to use the Arrow keys as panning tools. For left-to-right reading material, position your mouse cursor at the left-most part of the text, then let go of the mouse, and use the Ctrl-Right Arrow to pan to the right. Once you reach the end of the page (and need to go back to the left) let go of the keyboard (this will snap you back to the beginning). When you need to go down, use the Alt-Down Arrow to move the mouse cursor down (or simply reposition the mouse as appropriate).
Note: Depending on the magnification that works best for you, and other applications in use, enabling the MouseKeys accessibility in Windows may be beneficial (MouseKeys allows the Numeric keypad to move the mouse cursor). For further details on MouseKeys, refer to the Accessibility options in Windows (Ease of Access in Windows Vista).
By default, The Magnifier tracks the text caret (text cursor), dialogs, and keyboard focus (menus, icons, selections, etc.), along with tracking the mouse cursor. When tracking the keyboard, the mouse tracking is disabled - to re-enable the mouse tracking, the mouse needs to move away from its current position. The keyboard options can be disabled within the Advanced Menu.
The Magnifier uses a standard menu for all available options (with other capabilities available through keyboard shortcuts). As a special feature within The Magnifier, there is also a Magnifier Menu that uses the entire screen for its display and uses large type. This large type menu has the same options as the standard menu, but may be preferable to some individuals. This is selectable in the Advanced Menu.
The Magnifier's basic operation is straightforward, and you can become proficient by reviewing this chapter alone, but there are numerous enhancements and advanced features available. Please refer to the following chapters, Advanced Notes, and the Developer's Kit utilities for even more details on The Magnifier capabilities.
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