By Scott Davert, 5 August, 2012
For some time now, users of braille displays have wantted to be able to read brf files from various sources such as the NLS Web Braille collection, Bookshare, and other sources around the world. I'm here to tell you that it's possible to do so using the following steps, but you'll still be very limited in the way in which you can navigate through content. For example, there is no way to bookmark a place in your file, and since iOS does not have a find function, you can't get there quickly through that manor either. However, for reading shorter documents in brf format, this does work.
First, you must have Dropbox installed on your iPhone, and you must get the source material ahead of time. When you have done so, put the brf file in to your Dropbox folder that you share with your iDevice, and then rename it to a .txt file instead of brf. Then, open Dropbox on your phone, and open the file. Turning off contractions with a G-Chord on your braille device will allow you to read the content in contracted braille. It will not work with speech or with vision, but if you really want to read a brf file, this is an option. Now understanding this, and noting that the AFB app may also have access to dropbox, if this app does have a find function available, it would make it a powerful book reading solution for those wishing to get their books in BRF format.
Disclaimer
The article on this page has generously been submitted by a member of the AppleVis community. As AppleVis is a community-powered website, we make no guarantee, either express or implied, of the accuracy or completeness of the information.
Comments
creating an app?
Yes, and app for this would
Agree
the app
Reading .brf files as HTML
Please do share! Scott
script
what if we don't have a braile display?
Hi, there is a book that I have been dying to read that is only available in BRF format. I can't find it on iBooks or Kindle or Bookshare or any other ebook format. It's either BRF or scan the thing myself with my phone as I don't have a proper scanning and reading tool for long projects. This book is huge. Is there anything at all available anywhere that will let me back translate this BRF file that doesn't involve spending a month's income? I've been looking everywhere. Any info would be most appreciated
Easier yet
If you have the BARD Mobile app, just do an open in to that with any brf document. It will appear under Braille Books when you do, and you can save your place and navigate like a BARD Braille book. No need for Dropbox jiggering; why is it that everyone thinks Dropbox is the only way to do things? Caveat though: this only works with a Braille display. I'm surprised apps like Voice Dream don't have the ability to backtranslate brf files to speech yet.
Zip the file
The Bard Mobile app requires files to be zipped in order to recognize them. Zip the BRF and then open it in BARD Mobile. It will appear in the list of Vraille books and may have an odd name. Arrange by latest end it will appear at the top of the list.