Nyheter i Zoomtext och Fusion 2024

Publicerad: 7/3

Inverted Mouse Pointer Scheme

The Inverted pointer scheme is a new pointer enhancement available in ZoomText and Fusion 2024. When using other pointer schemes, the pointer is always a solid color. You can also increase the size of the pointer, which will cover more of the viewing area on your screen. By inverting the pointer and background colors, it can help you quickly locate the pointer position. Being able to see under the pointer is extremely helpful at any magnification level. For example, when moving the mouse pointer over a black background on the screen, the pointer will change to white and vice versa.

To choose the Inverted pointer scheme, do the following:

1. In the ZoomText or Fusion Magnifier toolbar tab, click the bottom portion of the Pointer button.
2. In the Pointer menu, choose Scheme.
3. In the Scheme menu, choose Inverted.

 

Note: You can change the size of the pointer using settings in the Pointer tab of the Screen Enhancement Settings dialog box.

 

Expanded Mouse Pointer Sizes

The Pointer Size setting has been updated for ZoomText and Fusion 2024.

Users often encountered challenges with the predefined pointer sizes. Over time, they observed that the "large" size may no longer meet their needs, and the transition to "extra-large" was too big. This update enables them to incrementally adjust the mouse pointer size to better suit their needs.

With the updated Pointer Size setting, users can choose from 15 different sizes and fine-tune the magnified pointer to meet their needs. In previous versions of ZoomText and Fusion, you were limited to three sizes, standard, large, and extra-large.

To try the new pointer size settings, do the following:

1. On the Magnifier toolbar tab, click the arrow next to Pointer or navigate to Pointer and press the down arrow key.
2. In the Pointer menu, choose Settings.
3. Do one of the following:

• Choose the Customize button located to the right of the active pointer scheme.
• Choose the Custom scheme.

4. In the Custom Settings, move the Size slider to increase or decrease the pointer size.

New Single Wedge Cursor Enhancements

The Single Wedge Bottom and the Single Wedge Top cursors are two new cursor schemes available in ZoomText and Fusion 2024. The Single Wedge Bottom cursor scheme displays a single blue triangle below the current cursor position. The Single Wedge Top cursor scheme displays a single blue triangle above the current cursor position.

To choose either Single Wedge cursor, do the following:

1. In the ZoomText or Fusion Magnifier toolbar tab, click the bottom portion of the Cursor button.
2. In the Cursor menu, choose Scheme.
3. In the Scheme menu, choose Single Wedge Bottom or Single Wedge Top.

 

Note: You can customize both schemes using the size, color, and transparency settings in the Cursor tab of the Screen Enhancement Settings dialog box.

 

Performance Improvements

Our restructured magnification engine optimizes startup performance and minimizes resource usage, including memory and processor consumption. Another advantage of the redesign is more stability and fewer delays. As a result, you will notice better performance with magnification functionality and will benefit from these improvements in ZoomText and Fusion 2024.

 

Simplified ZoomText and Fusion Menus

The ZoomText (ALT+Z) and Fusion (ALT+F) menus have been reorganized and simplified. The goal is to make it easy for both new and experienced users to quickly find and use ZoomText and Fusion features. The ZoomText top level menu has been reduced from 12 to 6 items. For Fusion, it has been reduced from 14 to 7 items.

ZoomText and Fusion Settings Migration

When you first install ZoomText 2024, your ZoomText 2023 settings are automatically migrated to ZoomText 2024.

If you are a Fusion user, your ZoomText 2023 magnification-specific settings are automatically migrated to Fusion 2024. Your JAWS-specific settings are migrated if you select the Migrate JAWS Settings checkbox that appears on the initial Fusion installation dialog.

Quick Access Bar Changes

Based on user feedback, we've changed how the Quick Access Bar works in ZoomText and Fusion 2024. It is no longer docked on the right side of the screen when you start ZoomText or Fusion. Most users prefer using CAPS LOCK+RIGHT CLICK to open it when they need it. This key combination works like a shortcut menu that can quickly open your favorite ZoomText or Fusion commands from anywhere on the screen. In this way, you do not need to move the magnified area to access the ZoomText commands.

 

Using the Quick Access Bar via the keystroke, helps to keep your screen clear and tidy.

AppReader

• You can now use the mouse wheel to scroll while you are in Text View. This should make it easier to navigate through your document. You can keep your mouse in the reading field, without having to go to the vertical scroll sidebar.
• Resolved an issue when using AppReader with Notepad on Windows 11 systems. Highlighting and tracking were not visible.
• Resolved an issue where the magnified view was corrupted after changing zoom levels while running and then closing Text View.

 

High Dynamic Range (HDR) Displays

• When opening ZoomText or Fusion, we deactivate the HDR filter on certain HDR monitors to improve magnification results. This may result in a slight shift towards more natural colors. A message now appears stating that HDR color mode is being turned off.

 

Other ZoomText and Fusion Fixes

• The installed Fusion, ZoomText, and JAWS versions are now included in the Fusion About box.
• You can now press INSERT+CTRL+WINDOWS Key+V to copy to the clipboard the Fusion, ZoomText, and JAWS versions, along with information about the current application that has focus.
• Resolved an installation issue where the ZoomText splash screen would continue to display after installing the software.
• Resolved an issue where the Quick Access Bar would continue to display when it was set to Automatically Hide. This was seen while running multiple monitors.
• Addressed an issue where Fusion was not consistently reading the status bar in Outlook when pressing INSERT+PAGE DOWN.
• Resolved an issue where ZoomText would speak despite being muted when starting the ZoomText Camera feature with CTRL+CAPS LOCK+C.
• Resolved an issue where the mouse pointer was difficult to see when moving it outside of a Freeze View window.
• Resolved an issue where configuration files assigned to hotkeys CAPS LOCK+ number row keys 1 through 0 were not migrated after upgrading from one major ZoomText release to another.
• Resolved an issue with mouse pointer positioning. By default, if the pointer is out of view on a magnified screen, you can move the mouse and the pointer will come into view. This is based on the "Route pointer into view when it is moved" mouse navigation setting being selected. It was observed that ZoomText would sometimes do the opposite and move the magnified screen to the current pointer position. This has been fixed.
• In Compatibility mode, when using a zoom level greater than 1x, it was observed that items shown in dropdown menus or lists appeared at 1x while the rest of the screen was magnified. This has been fixed.

 

JAWS Keyboard Help (Fusion Only)

Keyboard help for JAWS commands can be toggled on and off in Fusion using the Voice Assistant feature. When keyboard help is on, you can press a key combination, and hear what it does when running JAWS or Fusion. When keyboard help is off, the same key combination will perform the command.

To turn keyboard help on or off with Voice Assistant, say, "Hey Zoomy, toggle keyboard help" or "Hey Sharky, toggle keyboard help." You can also turn on keyboard help by pressing INSERT+1, and turn it off by pressing ESC or INSERT+1 again.

 

ZoomText and Fusion 2024 - December 2023 Update

 

Experience the Clearest Text Quality in Outlook 365, Word 365, and Excel 365

xFont is an advanced font smoothing technology that enhances the readability of text on the screen. Our reintroduced xFont technology in Office 365 improves the clarity and sharpness of text making it easier for low vision users to read and interact with content on their computer screens.

xFont support for Office 365 is currently available as an Early Adopter Program feature. You can preview xFont quality text in Outlook 365, Word 365, and Excel 365. We encourage you to try it and provide feedback via the Early Adopter Program “Send Feedback” form that is available in the Early Adopter Program dialog box.

To enable xFont for these Office 365 apps, do the following:

1. In the ZoomText or Fusion menu, choose Early Adopter Program.
2. Select xFont for Office 365.
   Note: If you clear the check box, you turn off xFont functionality for Office 365.
3. Click OK and restart the software.
4. Restart any Office 365 apps that are running.
5. xFont smoothing is now available when using Outlook 365, Word 365, and Excel 365.
   Note: When you enable xFont using the Early Adopter Program, it automatically enables xFont smoothing in the Smoothing tab of the Preferences dialog box.

Fixed Pointer Size Across Magnification Levels

As you zoom in or out, the size of the mouse pointer also changes relative to the zoom level. Using the new Lock Pointer Size setting available in this update, you can now set the pointer to always remain a fixed size no matter the zoom level.

In the first release (October 2023) of ZoomText and Fusion 2024, the pointer size settings were expanded from three to 15 different pointer sizes. You can now use pointer size settings along with the Lock Pointer Size to set the pointer to a consistent size that suits your needs.

To change and lock the pointer size, do the following:

1. On the Magnifier toolbar tab, click the arrow next to Pointer or navigate to Pointer and press the down arrow key.
2. In the Pointer menu, choose Settings.
3. Do one of the following:
   • Choose the Customize button located to the right of the active pointer scheme.
   • Choose the Custom scheme.
4. In the Custom Settings, move the Size slider to increase or decrease the pointer to a size that is comfortable and easy for you to locate on the screen.
5. Select Lock Pointer Size and then OK.
   Now when you zoom in or out, you will see that the pointer stays the same size.
6. To save the changes, in the ZoomText menu, choose Configurations > Save As Default.

 

AppReader Silent Mode

AppReader is a productivity tool that automatically reads documents, web pages, and emails while you visually follow along or relax your eyes and listen. While reading text aloud, a visual highlight also moves along as words are read.

App View and Text View are two reading modes available in AppReader. When using either mode, you can now run AppReader without speech and follow along with just highlight tracking. This guided reading approach simplifies the process of navigating through long passages of text by automatically moving the magnifier over words as they are read. This feature not only benefits children learning to read but also assists all users in maintaining their focus on the content without the distraction of manually adjusting the magnification window.

To enable Silent mode, do the following:

1. On the Reader toolbar tab, choose AppReader > Shared Settings.
   The AppReader Settings dialog appears with the Shared Settings tab displayed.

2. Select Run AppReader without speech.
3. Adjust the Highlight speed to control how fast the highlight moves while reading text in App View and Text View.
4. Click OK.
5. To save the changes, in the ZoomText menu, choose Configurations > Save As Default.

Improvements in this Update

• Resolved an issue where two Tethered View windows were open when running Fusion with Braille View or Text View enabled.
• Resolved an issue where keyboard echo was not working when typing in Excel.
• Resolved an issue where first-letter navigation was not working in the ZoomText and Fusion menus.
• Resolved an issue where the wrong values were announced when changing the Rate, Pitch, and Volume voice settings.
• Resolved an issue where the wrong values were announced when changing the Rate, Pitch, and Volume settings for the ZoomText Recorder.
• Resolved an issue with Firefox where it would crash when navigating in forms on some web pages.
• Resolved an issue with mouse echo not reading article headings and links on Yahoo web pages.
• Resolved an issue where some customers were losing product activation after renewing their software license.

 

ZoomText and Fusion 2024 - March 2024 Release Notes

Increased xFont Support for ZoomText and Fusion

We continue to make improvements to xFont, our advanced font smoothing technology. In our December 2023 update, we introduced xFont support in Office 365 apps as an Early Adopter Program feature. In our March 2024 update, xFont is no longer under evaluation and is now on by default. In addition, you can now experience xFont in the following areas of ZoomText and Fusion:
• Toolbar text and icons
• Settings dialog boxes
• Messages and notifications
• Tools such as AppReader and Background Reader

More Office 365 Support

In addition to supporting Word 365, Excel 365, and Outlook 365, xFont is now available in PowerPoint 365 and OneNote 365.
Important: When using xFont, make sure to start ZoomText first before starting your Office 365 app.

xFont Bold

Bold text can improve readability for some individuals by providing additional contrast.
xFont Bold is a ZoomText and Fusion setting that adds boldness to text displayed in the following areas:
• Text and ribbons in Office 365 apps
• Screen Enhancement Settings, Voice Settings, and Preferences Settings in ZoomText and Fusion
• Windows desktop
You can quickly turn xFont Bold on and off using two new keystrokes: CAPS LOCK+B and the layered keystroke CAPS LOCK+SPACEBAR, M, B. Feel free to enable xFont Bold to see if it improves readability for you.
One thing to keep in mind is that apps like Teams, WhatsApp, and Outlook use bold text to identify unread messages. Also, some documents use bold to emphasize specific text. When xFont Bold is enabled, all text appears as bold, and you will not see a difference until you turn it off using any of the new keystrokes.

Seamless Updates for xFont Support

To ensure the highest quality of text displayed, especially with evolving versions of Office 365 and other apps, occasional fine-tuning of ZoomText and Fusion is needed. The Seamless Updates feature is one way to implement these adjustments in the background.
By default, ZoomText and Fusion now check for and automatically apply updates for xFont support. When Seamless Updates are disabled, updates for xFont support are not installed.
To see if an update has been installed, do the following:
1. In the ZoomText or Fusion menus, choose Help > About. The About dialog box opens.
2. The Revision field shows if any updates have been installed.
• A value of 0 indicates no Seamless Updates are installed.
• A value from 1 through 9 indicates which Seamless Update is currently installed.
Note: The software version number will not change when a Seamless Update is installed.

To disable Seamless Updates, do the following:
Note: You must have administrative privileges to disable Seamless Updates.
1. In the ZoomText or Fusion menus, choose Preferences > Program. The Preferences Program dialog box opens.
2. In the Automatic Updating group, clear the “Seamless Updates for xFont support (requires admin privileges)” check box.

Fusion Screen Shade Enhancement

The Screen Shade feature for Fusion prevents others from seeing what you are typing or reading by turning your computer screen black. This level of privacy is useful when working in public environments. Also, for low vision users who take advantage of Fusion’s screen reader functionality, it can reduce visual distractions and improve concentration.
The status message “Fusion Screen Shade, Right-click to exit” has been added to alert visual users that Screen Shade is active. It displays for approximately five seconds on the screen when you move the mouse. Screen Shade remains active until turned off with a right mouse click, or Fusion is restarted. Being able to right-click is a fast and easy way to restore the screen if you accidentally turn on this feature.
Note: Screen Shade is strictly a privacy feature and will not increase the battery life on a laptop or tablet.

Turn Screen Shade On and Off

If Screen Shade is on and your screen is black, right-click to turn it off and show your computer screen.
To turn Screen Shade on and off, do one of the following:
• In the Fusion menu, choose Screen Shade
• Press INSERT+SPACEBAR followed by the F11 key
• Triple tap with three fingers on a touch screen
Note: If you are using a tool such as AppReader, it will stop reading when Screen Shade is turned on or off. To resume reading, you must restart AppReader.

 

Enhancements in ZoomText 2024.2405.12 and Fusion 2024.2405.6 (May 2024)

The following describes improvements made in the May 2024 update.

Single Desktop Mode when Using Multiple Monitors

When multiple displays are connected to your computer, you can extend your Windows desktop  across all displays. This larger workspace can increase productivity since you can place multiple applications where you like on your main and secondary displays. You can also spread your desktop icons across the different displays to suit your preferences.

However, if you are running ZoomText at a high zoom level, navigating the extended desktop can be a challenge since you cannot see all of it at once. This is where the new Single Desktop mode setting is helpful.

Single Desktop mode consolidates the Windows desktop (all icons, taskbar elements, and open apps) onto the main display, which is magnified by ZoomText, while providing an unmagnified (1x) view of the desktop on the secondary display. This is useful when you must have magnification to do your work, but still want to see an overall view of the desktop so that you know where you are working on the screen. This setup is also good if you are collaborating with someone who does not need magnification. You can continue to work on the magnified display while they view the unmagnified display.

Enable Single Desktop Mode

To enable Single Desktop mode, do the following.

Note: Before using Single Desktop mode, you must have multiple displays connected to your computer. In addition, make sure that the Multiple Displays setting in Windows is set to “Extend these displays.”

1. In the ZoomText or Fusion Magnifier toolbar tab, select the Window button and then Settings.
   
   
   
   The Zoom Window Settings dialog box appears with the Window tab displayed. 
    
2. Change the “Show Windows desktop as” setting to Single Desktop.
   
   
   
   Note: A confirmation message displays stating that all desktop icons and taskbar elements will be consolidated onto one display. When you switch back to Extended Desktop mode, the icons and elements that were previously on the secondary display do not automatically move back. You must manually move them to the other display.
    
3. Choose Yes.
   All desktop icons, taskbar elements, and open apps now appear on the main magnified display. The secondary display shows the desktop at 1x magnification along with color, focus, and mouse enhancements.

New Hotkey to Close ZoomText and Fusion

CAPS LOCK+F4 has been added as a hotkey to close ZoomText and Fusion.

ZoomText and Fusion Improvements

• Message Center is now available in the ZoomText menu when running the UK English version of ZoomText.
• Resolved an issue where the mouse pointer was not tracking or echoing correctly and would disappear in File Explorer.
• Improved ZoomText to restore previous settings if changes to the Zoom Window are canceled, ensuring user preferences are maintained.
• When you are running ZoomText with multiple monitors, any changes made to the Display settings in Windows could corrupt magnification. This issue has been resolved.
• Resolved an issue where the Camera view would display as a solid gray box after changing color filters.
• Resolved several keyboard conflicts when using Laptop Layout mode in Fusion. As a result, all magnification commands in Fusion now include the CAPS LOCK+ALT keys.
• Resolved hotkey conflicts with the Laptop Layout to support the Japanese version of Fusion.

Office 365 Improvements

• Resolved an issue where xFont was not available when running Outlook Calendar.
• Resolved an issue with xFont not being applied to text in Excel 365.
• Improved Cloud fonts support in Office 365 for bold and italic styles with xFont, ensuring better text visibility.
• Improved functionality in Outlook where mouse echo now activates immediately after exiting AppReader.

Microsoft Teams and Adobe Acrobat

• Teams now fully supports focus enhancements, cursor enhancements, tracking, and echo features even with the New Teams  mode enabled.
• When running Adobe Acrobat with ZoomText, the mouse pointer size was larger than expected. This issue has been resolved.

Back to top from May 2024 Enhancements

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Enhancements in ZoomText 2024.2402.66 and Fusion 2024.2403.1 (March 2024)

The following describes improvements made in the March 2024 update.

Increased xFont Support for ZoomText and Fusion

Watch the Video! For a brief and informative demonstration, watch our xFont video.

We continue to make improvements to xFont, our advanced font smoothing technology. In our December 2023 update, we introduced xFont support in Office 365 apps as an Early Adopter Program feature. In our March 2024 update, xFont is no longer under evaluation and is now on by default. In addition, you can now experience xFont in the following areas of ZoomText and Fusion:  

• Toolbar text and icons
• Settings dialog boxes
• Messages and notifications
• Tools such as AppReader and Background Reader

More Office 365 Support

In addition to supporting Word 365, Excel 365, and Outlook 365, xFont is now available in PowerPoint 365 and OneNote 365.

Important: When using xFont, make sure to start ZoomText first before starting your Office 365 app.

xFont Bold

Bold text can improve readability for some individuals by providing additional contrast.

xFont Bold is a ZoomText and Fusion setting that adds boldness to text displayed in the following areas:

• Text and ribbons in Office 365 apps
• Screen Enhancement Settings, Voice Settings, and Preferences Settings in ZoomText and Fusion
• Windows desktop

You can quickly turn xFont Bold on and off using two new keystrokes: CAPS LOCK+B and the layered keystroke CAPS LOCK+SPACEBAR, M, B. Feel free to enable xFont Bold to see if it improves readability for you.

One thing to keep in mind is that apps like Teams, WhatsApp, and Outlook use bold text to identify unread messages. Also, some documents use bold to emphasize specific text. When xFont Bold is enabled, all text appears as bold, and you will not see a difference until you turn it off using any of the new keystrokes.

Seamless Updates for xFont Support

To ensure the highest quality of text displayed, especially with evolving versions of Office 365 and other apps, occasional fine-tuning of ZoomText and Fusion is needed. The Seamless Updates feature is one way to implement these adjustments in the background.

By default, ZoomText and Fusion now check for and automatically apply updates for xFont support. When Seamless Updates are disabled, updates for xFont support are not installed.

To see if an update has been installed, do the following:

1. In the ZoomText or Fusion menus, choose Help > About. The About dialog box opens.
2. The Revision field shows if any updates have been installed.
   • A value of 0 indicates no Seamless Updates are installed.
   • A value from 1 through 9 indicates which Seamless Update is currently installed.  

Note: The software version number will not change when a Seamless Update is installed.

 

To disable Seamless Updates, do the following:

Note: You must have administrative privileges to disable Seamless Updates.

1. In the ZoomText or Fusion menus, choose Preferences > Program. The Preferences Program dialog box opens.
2. In the Automatic Updating group, clear the “Seamless Updates for xFont support (requires admin privileges)” check box.

Fusion Screen Shade Enhancement

The Screen Shade feature for Fusion prevents others from seeing what you are typing or reading by turning your computer screen black. This level of privacy is useful when working in public environments. Also, for low vision users who take advantage of Fusion’s screen reader functionality, it can reduce visual distractions and improve concentration.

The status message “Fusion Screen Shade, Right-click to exit” has been added to alert visual users that Screen Shade is active. It displays for approximately five seconds on the screen when you move the mouse. Screen Shade remains active until turned off with a right mouse click, or Fusion is restarted. Being able to right-click is a fast and easy way to restore the screen if you accidentally turn on this feature.

Note: Screen Shade is strictly a privacy feature and will not increase the battery life on a laptop or tablet.

Turn Screen Shade On and Off

If Screen Shade is on and your screen is black, right-click to turn it off and show your computer screen.

To turn Screen Shade on and off, do one of the following:

• In the Fusion menu, choose Screen Shade
• Press INSERT+SPACEBAR followed by the F11 key
• Triple tap with three fingers on a touch screen  

Note: If you are using a tool such as AppReader, it will stop reading when Screen Shade is turned on or off. To resume reading, you must restart AppReader.

Message Center

• Message Center is now available for German, French, Spanish, and Dutch Belgian. This brings power tips, What's New information, and critical announcements to these users.
• Braille now displays “unrd” to indicate the unread status of messages in the list similar to other applications like Outlook.
• When deleting a message from the list, you are now asked if you are sure you want to delete the item.
• If you accidentally delete a message you wanted to keep, you can now press CTRL+Z to undo the deletion.
• The Windows notification that displays when a new message is available in Message Center now includes the message title.

Word 365

• Resolved an issue where xFont in Word documents was lost when switching between multiple monitors.
• Resolved an issue where xFont was lost when switching between Print Layout and Web Layout views.
• Resolved an issue where items in the File menu were not displaying in xFont.
• Resolved an issue where text in a document would only display in xFont when Word’s zoom level was set to 100 percent.
• Resolved an issue where xFont was missing from several areas in the Backstage view, for example, the Account, Info, and Feedback pages.

Excel 365

• In Excel, there were several fonts that did not display using xFont. These same fonts in Word do display using xFont. This issue has been resolved. 

Outlook 365

• Resolved an issue where xFont was missing in the Mail, Calendar, and People windows in Outlook.

Teams

• Resolved an issue where the Teams app would display as a black window after restarting ZoomText or Fusion.

Firefox

• Resolved an issue where mouse echo was not working properly on Yahoo.com.

ZoomText

• If multiple users access ZoomText on the same computer, xFont would not display for all users until the computer was rebooted. This issue has been resolved.
• Resolved an issue where cursor enhancement settings were not migrated correctly when installing ZoomText 2024 over an existing installation of ZoomText 2023.
• When ZoomText is set to Korean, the keyboard echo would announce characters in English instead of Korean. This issue has been resolved.
• Resolved an issue where ZoomText was not reading correctly in NotePad Pro and Notepad++.
• Resolved an issue where the Windows Snipping Tool would not open after pressing Print Screen or WINDOWS Key+SHIFT+S while running ZoomText
• When you change the ZoomText user interface to another language, it no longer takes 10-15 seconds for ZoomText to close and restart in the newly selected language.
• Resolved an issue where Chinese and Japanese text was not displaying in xFont in multiple ZoomText dialog boxes, for example, FS Support Tools, Script Manager, Screen Enhancement Settings, and Preferences Settings.
• Resolved a memory leak issue that was observed when adding or removing monitors connected to a computer while running ZoomText on Windows 11.
• When the ZoomText Display Adapter setting was set to Compatibility mode, adding and removing monitors would disable magnification. The workaround was to change the setting or restart ZoomText. This issue has been resolved.
• If Desktop Window Manager (dwm.exe) was running, and you switched the ZoomText Display Adapter setting to Compatibility mode, adding or removing a monitor would cause one of the monitors to freeze. This issue has been resolved.

 

 

Senast uppdaterat Maj 2024