 Introduction
SwitchCursor 2 has been designed to add one- or two-switch access to Windows XP and Vista. It allows users to drive the cursor around the screen, select, double- and right-click, and simulates the use of drag and drop. Once SwitchCursor 2 has been installed, the switch user can carry out most Windows-based activities - including configuring SwitchCursor 2 itself.
SwitchCursor 2 is highly configurable. The Quick start section of this manual describes the basic settings to give you an understanding of how the software works. The Configurations Editor section will show you how to adapt SwitchCursor 2 to meet specific needs. (In this online manual you will find further information on some topics by rolling over text marked in red.)
Each user that logs on to the computer can have from 1 to 6 Configurations that are created when each user starts SwitchCursor 2 for the first time. Alternatively, six people can share a single-user setup.
Each Configuration contains the settings for cursor speeds, button selections and commands, tremor de-bounce, switch input and many others. Configurations can be quickly selected if a machine is used by a number of people, or a single user can have a number of Configurations for different purposes. |
Quick start
Configurations are numbered from 1 to 6 (you can also give each Configuration a name). Normally, SwitchCursor 2 will start with the last-used Configuration. This section assumes you are using the program for the first time and Configuration 1 is used as a demonstration.
When the software starts, vertical and horizontal wires appear rather like cross-hairs on a telescopic sight. Where they meet is the target area and where you will find the mouse pointer. Press your switch (or the Left Cursor key) and a Button Bar appears with the first button highlighted and the rest faded.
Your switch can be used to:
This Configuration has been set to scan automatically through the Button Bar; press your switch to select a button. The function of most of the buttons will be clear after a little experimentation.
When moving the mouse pointer, the wires will speed up after a short while. Press your switch to slow as you near your target and press again to stop.
The Mark button needs some explanation. If there are no windows available, open a window smaller than the whole screen. Move the cursor target area to the window's top bar. Press your switch and select the Mark button - this will leave a cross mark at your first selection point. Move to a new position and choose Mark again at your second selection point. The window will move to the new position. Select the Cancel button if you decide not to finish the move.
This three-stage technique - mark, move, mark - can be used to move or resize a window or panel, or move a selected object: it is the SwitchCursor 2 equivalent of drag and drop. If your word processor supports it, you can use it to select text, then use it again to move the selection.
Choosing a different Configuration
SwitchCursor 2 has six Configurations to suit different users or different applications:
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If your standard Button Bar Set is dark and a particular application has dark backgrounds making your buttons difficult to see, you could have another Configuration with suitably contrasting or complementary colour. |
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If you need a slower cursor speed for an application or a different Skip size, you can adjust the settings in the Configurations Editor. |
 Right-click on the SwitchCursor 2 icon – the arrow in the yellow box – in the taskbar notification area to choose from the available Configurations (or choose Editor).
The current selection, 1 - Peter's setup, is highlighted. To experiment with a more sophisticated setup, choose 2 - Yellow set.
The Wires will disappear, but SwitchCursor 2 is still active. Press your switch and a single button will appear; this is the first button of the button bar. Keep pressing your switch until the first button appears again. To choose a button, just wait a few seconds. You will notice the small white triangle at the bottom right of most of the buttons.
This triangle shows that you can jump to another Button Bar within the set, each if which is a collection of specialised buttons.
Move button bar
These are as Configuration 1, plus diagonal moves.
Mouse bar
Click actions as in Configuration 1.
Skip button bar
This is similar to the Move bar, but the cursor will jump across the screen in predefined steps.
Hotspot button bar
Hotspots can be dropped at places you visit frequently; this might be a menu, a tool palette or a button.
A set of hotspots is attached to an application and is saved automatically so that a recorded set is available every time you use that software.
The first button will cycle through any hotspots you have marked. To drop a hotspot, move to the place to be marked, select the Hotspot jump button and then the Drop button. You can make up to 25 hotspots in each application.
To delete a hotspot, cycle through your hotspots to reach the one to be deleted and select the Delete button.
When you choose Hotspot Cycle, SwitchCursor 2 will identify the application that ‘owns’ the window under the mouse pointer and use any hotspots that have been made for that application. The time delay between hot spot jumps is set by the Time Fuse, which can be adjusted in the Editor. Press your switch when you reach your target.
Hotspots marking floating palettes, toolbars or other windows of the application will attempt to remain with that object while the application is open so that you retain your links while it is moved round the screen. They will only stay with the object when you reopen the application if the item is opened in the same position as when the hotspot was created. An object that is reopened in a new position will lose the link but SwitchCursor 2 will cycle to the original hotspot position. |
Configurations Editor
The Editor is opened by right-clicking or double-clicking on the SwitchCursor 2 icon in the taskbar notification area, or by using Start > Programs > SwitchCursor 2 editor.
The Editor always opens with the General tab:
Editable items ore on 'hot' bars outlined in grey. Altering a selection or setting depends on the display method:
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On lists with radio buttons, click on another item |
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On thermometer bars, click anywhere else on the bar |
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On toggle bars, the green tick means 'on'; click the bar again to turn the item off. |
If you are editing a Configuration, any changes are saved straight away. If you wish to remove all changes you have made to the Configuration you are editing, click Reset. You can edit Configurations other than the one you are using. If you want to experiment without losing the current settings, choose an unused Configuration.
For convenience, some items may appear on more than one tab panel; changes made on one panel will appear on others.
Input tab
When first running Switch Cursor 2 you should check the input method. Each Configuration can use a different input method.
There are a number of devices to connect switches to the computer:
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Keyboards and devices that generate keystrokes
You can specify which keystrokes SwitchCursor 2 will respond to. There are a number of switch interfaces that generate keystrokes:
– Simple Switch Box from Inclusive Technology
– QuizWORKS USB Switch Interface
– Switch Interface Pro 5.0
– Crick USB Switch Interface (when used with the associated USBkeys software)
To change either keystroke, select Keyboard switch 1 or Keyboard switch 2 and press a key or a switch connected to a key switch box.
The keystrokes you use with SwitchCursor 2 cannot be used by any other program. If you are using SwitchCursor 2 to control an on-screen keyboard using one of these devices, try setting the keystrokes to keypad 1 and 2. You can still enter numbers from the upper row of keys.
SwitchCursor 2 is designed to control software that does not normally respond to switches. If you use switch-enabled software that uses the same keystrokes as SwitchCursor 2, there will be a conflict. If you need to use standard software and switch-enabled software, consider turning off the swith-enabled features and use SwitchCursor 2 alone. |
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Direct Input
SwitchCursor 2 can read switch presses directly using switches connected through devices that identify themselves as joysticks. This includes:
– The Crick USB Switch Interface (when the associated USBkeys software is not used)
– Joy Cable 2
– Many types of joystick or game controller.
SwitchCursor 2 reads buttons 1 and 2 of these devices directly. The Crick USB Switch Interface, for example, will work with SwitchCursor 2 straight from the box without the Crick software - USBkeys - being installed. |
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Mouse
Set up the mouse buttons to act as switches. |
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COM port
This has been included to handle legacy devices that used the COM ports. SwitchCursor 2 will scan the available ports for attached devices and will then show a list of those available to you. SwitchCursor 2 will attempt to remove ports with an active device from the list, but this not always possible. |
Single-switch setups
Switch cycle, Auto select lets you cycle through the Button Bar by pressing your switch; to select any button you must wait for the Time Fuse to time out.
Auto cycle, Switch select will start after a switch press and then automatically step through the buttons using the Time Fuse as the dwell period.
Two-switch setup
Switch cycle, Switch select permits two-switch users to use one switch to cycle through the Button Bar and the second to select.
Defaults
On installation, SwitchCursor 2 uses Configuration 1 with keyboard input with the Left Cursor key and Up Cursor key acting as switches. Activation is through Switch cycle, auto select.
General tab
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Naming Configurations
Configurations are automatically numbered from 1 to 6, but each can also be named. |
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Time fuse
The Time fuse is an adjustable time delay - the time from when an action is initiated to the time when it is implemented. It is the dwell time setting for autoscanning between Buttons and moving round Hotspot sets. It is also used to delay the speed change of the wires. |
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Minimum/Maximum cursor speed
When you select a cursor movement, the cursor starts moving at the Minimum cursor speed for the period set by the Time fuse, and then accelerates as it moves over the screen until it reaches Maximum cursor speed. You can adjust the starting minimum speed and its maximum speed by selecting points on the 1-20 bars. If Slow down is on and your Wires are moving faster than the minimum speed, one press of your switch will slow them to the minimum speed and a second press will stop. |
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Slow down
If the Maximum cursor speed is set to be greater than the Minimum cursor speed, you can slow the Wires as you approach your target by pressing your switch. A second click on your switch will stop them.
A single press of the switch will stop the wires if:
- Slow down is off, or
- the wires have yet to begin accelerating, or
- the maximum and minimum speeds are the same. |
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Mark with box/Mark with crosses
By default, SwitchCursor 2 Marks positions with a cross. It is sometimes clearer to pick out the direction of the drag with a marquee--style box. A box marker is useful in applications such as art programs. In text-based applications, text between the start and end marks will be selected and this may fall outside the bounds of the box. |
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Show in Taskbar menu
If the Show in Taskbar menu is selected, the number and name of the Configuration will appear in the taskbar menu. This is the equivalent of turning each Configuration on or off. |
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Tremor de-bounce
This inserts a pause between switch presses to stop a tremor accidentally cycling through the Buttons. The bigger the number, the longer the pause and the lower the sensitivity. |
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The Skip
This size defines the size of the cursor jumps in Skip mode. |
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Drag speed
This adjusts the speed at which an item is dragged from one position to another. Adjusting the drag speed is useful in paint programs, where movement that is too rapid can leave dotted lines. |
Wires tab
This window allows you to adjust the Wires (the cross-hairs).
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Wires always visible
To stop Wires obstructing a display while they are inactive, turn this off. SwitchCursor 2 will then show Wires and buttons only after a switch activation. |
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Move wires to mouse
If this is on, the SwitchCursor 2 will automatically move to the position of the mouse next time the switch is pressed; if not, the mouse will jump to the Wires' position. |
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Snap to default button
If this is on, SwitchCursor 2 will attempt to move to the default button in a dialogue box or window - the action which would take effect if the Enter key was pressed. |
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Stop/Wrap/Bounce at edge
The three choices here define the cursor action when it reaches the edge of the screen. It can bounce off the edge, wrap around and reappear at the opposite side of the screen or remain at the edge. |
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Length
This sets the length of the Wires. A setting of 20 extends the Wires to the edges of the screen. |
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Gap width
This adjusts the target area where the Wires meet. The active cursor point is at the centre of the gap where the Wires would cross. |
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Horizontal and Vertical thickness can be adjusted separately from 1 up to a maximum of 20 pixels. For a variation of the cross theme, try setting the Wire Length to 1, the Gap width to 11 and the Wire thickness to 20. |
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Horizontal and Vertical transparency can be adjusted separately from 1 (which turns the wires off) up to a maximum of 20 (which is a solid colour). |
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Wire colour can be chosen from a palette of 16 colours. The small triangle indicates the selected colour.
When you are editing the current Configuration, any edits are used immediatly. If you are editing another Configuration, the Example box will give you a rough idea of what your changes will look like in use. |
Button Bar tab
This tab panel allows you to make changes to the Button Bars and to the way the buttons are displayed. Roll over any button image to see the command attached to it.
The right-hand panel shows the Button Bar Set for the Configuration. Click any Bar to open the Bar Editor.
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Load images
You can change the images for other designs. You will be taken to the folder of buttons that we supplied, but you can also navigate to other folders.
The numbers indicate the base size of the graphics: 32 means that each button is 32 pixels square. Highlight one of the titles and a full sized image of the button graphics will appear at the bottom of the panel.
The source images were all created in the same order, so any set of graphics will replace your existing Button Bars with similar icons. You can create your own button images. All buttons have to be square and be side by side in a single BMP, JPG or PNG graphic; SwitchCursor 2 will split the graphic down into individual buttons, based on the height of the graphic.
If you create your buttons in the same order as those supplied, the buttons will match existing sets when imported. We have used only the first 20 images; any others in the row are optional.
You don't need to use only the symbols supplied as the commands are independent - any symbol will do as long as it means something to you. If you are pleased with a set of graphics you have created and want to share them with other users, why not send them to Resource Education for inclusion on the SwitchCursor 2 website.
Our email address is: software@resourcekt.co.uk
Our website is: www.resourcekt.co.uk. |
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Show bar/Show button
If Show bar is selected, all the buttons are shown at once and each button will be highlighted in turn.
If Show button is selected, only one button will be shown at a time. |
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Wire colour can be chosen from a palette of 16 colours. The small triangle indicates the selected colour.
Essential commands |
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Integrity check
To ensure that your button bar will work, SwitchCursor 2 always checks that these commands are included in each Configuration. If any command is marked in red, the Configuration will not be saved: you will have to add the missing commands to your bar. |
Button Bar editor
The top part of the screen is a palette of all the button images available to you; in the lower part are the commands that can be attached to the buttons. Between them is the Bar title: click to change the name.
Immediately below the title is the bar being assembled.
There are two edit modes:
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Insert
– Click on an image to insert to the left of the highlighted image in the bar.
– Drag an image to any position in the Bar. |
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Overwrite
– Click on an image to replace the highlighted image in the bar.
– Drag an image and drop it over any button the Bar. This will not replace the command, just the image. |
Images already placed can be dragged to different positions with their attached commands. To remove a button, simply drag it out of the Bar.
To add a command to a button, select a button, then click on a command from the lower palette.
It is advisable to always start or end your bar with a Cancel button.
If you get in a hopeless mess and want to start again, click the Reset button.
When you have added a command to each of the buttons, click on the Show all button to return to the overview screen.
Clicking Done will close and save your changes; if you don't have a green light for each of the Essential commands, your edits will not be saved. This is a safety net for any switch user who creates an unusable Button set.
The default Configuration 2 - Yellow setup has a complex button set to accommodate a wider range of buttons than is possible on a single bar:
The first three items in the Top bar are jumps to other bars in the set: the first to the Move bar, the second to the Mouse bar and so on. Changes made to the second level bars are added to the Commands list.
Hotspots tab
The Hotspots panel shows you the number of hotspots that are attached to any application. Double-clicking on the name of an application will launch the program.
Summary tab
The Summary panel gives you a complete view of the entire setup for the selected Configuration, including the commands that are attached to each button.
Global settings
The button for the Global settings can be found under the tab for Configuration 6 only when the Editor is launched from the Start menu. By definition, Global settings are in addition to the six Configurations; each user account on the computer will have its own six Configurations.
On XP
The only setting available on XP is Start when I log on, which will run SwitchCursor 2 automatically at logon. |
On Vista
In addition to Start when I log on, Vista users can choose Run on the Welcome screen for all users. If this item is checked:
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SwitchCursor 2 will run when Windows starts, using the last-used Configuration, irrespective of user. This Configuration can be used to log on any account |
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If the Start when I log on is set for the selected account, SwitchCursor 2 will be run with the correct Configurations. |
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In normal use, SwitchCursor 2 can be launched from Start > Programs > SwitchCursor 2. A SwitchCursor 2 icon is shown in the taskbar notification area.