DesktopBrailleRAP

Document authoring tool for BrailleRAP allowing to mix svg vector graphics with Braille to build tangible documents.

A screenshot of DesktopBrailleRAP with svg vector and Braille text

A screenshot of DesktopBrailleRAP using pattern filling with vector graphics

A BrailleRAP embosser "printing" a tangible representation of the Eiffel tower in Paris

Some examples of tangible documents made on BrailleRAP with DesktopBrailleRAP

Features

• SVG import
• Build tangible sketch from svg by printing Braille dots along vector graphic Path
• Add text label anywhere on the page layout
• Text to Braille conversion. The Braille conversion is done with liblouis.
• Scale, rotate and move any element on the page layout.
• Associate filling or stroke color to patterns of Braille dots.
• Associate line color to patterns of Braille dots.
• Display a print preview.
• Direct print to BrailleRAP embosser.
• GCODE download for hacking and test.
• Multi locales GUI.
• Automation using environment variables.

we just start a wiki about DesktopBrailleRAP here

Releases

We provide pre-built binaries for Windows, Debian 12, Ubuntu 24.04 and Raspberry PI OS. See releases for more information.

DesktopBrailleRAP depends on glibc version. Unfortunately recent Debian and Ubuntu distribution are not using exactly the same. If your are using Debian 12 or a derivate distribution, use desktopbraillerap-debian. If you are using Ubuntu 24.04 or a derivate distribution, use desktopbraillerap-ubuntu

To use the BrailleRAP embosser from Linux, the user need permission to use the serial port. This generaly mean that your user need to be in the dialout group.

User manual

The user manual is available https://desktopbraillerap.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

There is also wiki about DesktopBrailleRAP here

en

fr

Contributing

Translation

If you need the software in your locale language, we will be happy to add a new translation. Translation files are hosted on codeberg community translation platform and can be updated by anyone weblate host on codeberg for more information.

Code and features

Feel free to open issues or pull requests ! We will be happy to review and merge your changes. BTW we have a great focus on accessibility and user friendly design.

Translations status

Software GUI

Translation files are available on codeberg weblate host . Some languages are partialy translated , we are looking for contributors to complete and check them.

<a href="https://translate.codeberg.org/engage/desktopbraillerap_translate/"> <img src="https://translate.codeberg.org/widget/desktopbraillerap_translate/ihm/multi-auto.svg" alt="État de la traduction" width="75%"/> </a>

User manual

User manual translation files are available on codeberg weblate host . Some languages are partialy translated , we are looking for contributors to complete and check them.

<a href="https://translate.codeberg.org/engage/desktopbraillerap_doc/"> <img src="https://translate.codeberg.org/widget/desktopbraillerap_doc/multi-auto.svg" alt="User manual translation status" width="75%"/> </a>

Funding

This project is funded through NGI0 Entrust, a fund established by NLnet with financial support from the European Commission's Next Generation Internet program. Learn more at the NLnet project page.

<img src="https://nlnet.nl/logo/banner.png" alt="NLnet foundation logo" width="20%" /> <img src="https://nlnet.nl/image/logos/NGI0_tag.svg" alt="NGI Zero Logo" width="20%" />

Building on Windows

Prerequisites

• Python 3.6 or later
• NodeJS 20.12 or later

Create a python virtual environment

python -m venv venv

Activate python virtual environment

.\venv\Scripts\activate

Install python dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

Install nodejs dependencies

npm install

Run in dev environement

npm run startview

Build windows .exe

npm run buildview

check DesktopBrailleRAP.exe in dist folder

Building on Linux

Prerequisites

We need several development tools to build DesktopBrailleRAP, python, nodejs and gcc to build some python dependencies. Depending on your system, you will also need a desktop environment installed on the build machine.

Python / gcc / nodejs

General build tools:

apt install  cmake build-essential git ninja-build autoconf gnulib
apt install  ca-certificates curl gnupg
apt install  software-properties-common
apt install  python3 python3-venv python3-dev
apt install  pkg-config 
apt install  gir1.2-gtk-3.0 gir1.2-webkit2-4.1
apt install  python3-tk 
apt install  xvfb
apt install  libcairo2 libcairo2-dev libgirepository1.0-dev
apt install  tcl curl

Nodejs:

General Nodejs

curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | bash -
apt update
apt install -y nodejs
npm i npm@latest -g

Install DesktopBrailleRAP nodejs dependencies

npm install

Python:

Create a python3 virtual environment

python3 -m venv venv

Activate python3 virtual environment

source ./venv/bin/activate

Install python3 DesktopBrailleRAP dependencies

pip install -r requirement_linux.txt

Build DesktopBrailleRAP

Activate python virtual env

source ./venv/bin/activate

Run in development environement

npm run startview

Build DesktopBrailleRAP

npm run builddebian

Check the ./dist folder for the desktopbraillerap-debian executable. You can install the .deb package with:

sudo dpkg -i desktopbraillerap-debian-x.x.x.deb

Building for Raspberry PI 4

Prerequisites

The packaged binary release has been build on a Raspberry 4 2GO with latest 64 bits Raspberry PI OS (debian bookworm)

Raspberry PI OS come with python, we only need to istall nodejs and some python dependicies. We love to use virtual env on python, but the needed python packages are not available has wheel packages on arm (packages for pip cmd), so we must install the python dependencies in the global system configuration.

build tools

sudo apt install git-extras

Python

sudo apt install python3-gi python3-gi-cairo gir1.2-gtk-3.0 gir1.2-webkit2-4.1
sudo apt install python3-pyqt5 python3-pyqt5.qtwebengine python3-pyqt5.qtwebchannel 
sudo apt install libqt5webkit5-dev

Install nodejs

curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | bash -
apt update
apt install -y nodejs
npm i npm@latest -g

Create python environnement

python3 -m venv venv --system-site-packages

install nodejs dependencies

npm i

activate virtualenv

source ./venv/bin/activate

install python dependencies in virtualenv

pip install pywebview
pip install pyserial
pip install pyinstaller

Run in development environement

npm run startview

build DesktopBrailleRAP

npm run buildrpi

Check the dist folder for desktopbraillerap-rpi executable. You can install the .deb package with :

sudo apt install desktopbraillerap-rpi-x.x.x.deb

Building for Linux using Docker

You can use Docker configuration to build DesktopBrailleRAP for a Linux distribution.

Docker configuration to build DesktopBrailleRAP for Debian or Ubuntu are available here:

Debian

Ubuntu