AsTeRICS Grid Communicator – 4 – Communicator main screen

AsTeRICS Grid Dynamic Communicator

4 – Communicator main screen

Main Menu

The Main menu of the AsTeRICS Grid dynamic communicator allows you to run the communicator of the currently open user or edit the currently displayed grid to customize it.

Throughout this tutorial, we will use, as a model, the communicator developed by the ARASAAC team. This communicator is designed to visualize all the possibilities offered by AsTeRICS Grid. It is very important to emphasize that each person needs a communicator adapted to his or her abilities, characteristics, needs, environment, etc. We must always adapt the communicator to the person and not the person to the communicator.

This communicator has been designed with two communication options, combined together, representing the two most widely used methodologies as Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems (AAC):

Communicator with a core vocabulary distributed by categories and
core vocabulary type configuration – essential words.

The main grid is the core vocabulary distributed by categories, although at the bottom right we have a cell, called Core 50, which leads us to the core vocabulary – essential words.

EN Comunicador-Asterics-pictogramas-ARASAAC

EN Comunicador Asterics pictogramas ARASAAC 23 — Core vocabulary communicator - essential words

Buttons for editing and run the communicator

At the top, we can see four buttons that offer very specific functions for editing or executing the communicator.

The following is a brief description:

As its name indicates, the Edit button allows us to edit the current grid to make modifications to the design, increase/decrease the number of cells (elements), insert pictograms or images, activate function keys, etc.

By clicking on the Input Options button, we can configure whether we want to use the mouse/click (depending on whether we use a computer/mobile device) or if we want to select different scanning systems, in the case of people with motor difficulties.

The Full Screen button allows you to run the communicator by filling the entire screen of the device without displaying any context menu or button. To return to the previous situation, we must press the Escape key (in the case of the computer) and in the case by dragging the finger up and down and pressing back (in the case of the mobile device).

The Lock button is used to make the Edit option and the Input Options disappear from the screen. In this way, the user cannot make modifications of any kind. To unlock it, click on the number of times indicated.

VERY IMPORTANT: if we press the Lock option and then the Full Screen button we get the best option that we can use with our user. To return to the main screen, press the Escape key.

In the Settings menu, which will be described later, a numeric password can also be set to lock the device.

Accumulated phrase and action buttons

A key element of the AsTeRICS Grid communicator is the cumulative phrase (collect element) and the action buttons next to it, which are fully configurable.

During the execution of the communicator, the pictograms, orthographic signs and texts that appear on the boards accumulate to give shape to the message that the user wants to emit.

In this example communicator, we have configured a series of action buttons on both sides of the sentence, although we can configure and distribute them in the place that is most useful for the user.

In this case, we have used buttons for Home, Go back, Speak phrase, Delete last pictogram/text and Delete phrase. These buttons are configured from the Global grid, whose operation will be explained in the following tutorials.

Main grid area and linked grids

Finally, in this screen we have access to the main AsTeRICS Grid communicator grid and to the grids linked to this grid.

The cells (elements) of the grid that are linked to other grids are distinguished by a small gray square in the upper right corner.

AsTeRICS Grid Dynamic Communicator

4 – Communicator main screen

Main Menu

Buttons for editing and run the communicator

Accumulated phrase and action buttons

Main grid area and linked grids

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