OptiKey

New:

• Korean support
• (optional) Attention key for attracting attention
• Support for dynamic (xml based) keyboards

Fixed:

• Upgrades some NuGet packages - crucially Mah Apps to fix crash when closing the Management Console
• Performance improvements to the way dictionary entries are managed in memory and persisted to disk
• When using Presage the dictionary entry usage count is now correctly updated
• More robust logging and restarting of the MaryTTS service
• Accented first character breaks multikey selection workflow https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/issues/386
• Calibration problem from conversation alpha keyboard - https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/issues/374
• CommuniKate keys with no Value no longer have a background colour - https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/issues/372
• Disable dictionary tab when using Presage - https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/issues/369
• Communikate folder location changes can't be cancelled - https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/issues/365
• Refactor and possible bugs in the CK20Page class(es) - https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/issues/375
• NBug emails not being delivered after credential changes - https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/issues/390
• Window state problems after calibrating in maximised mode - https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/issues/389
• Catch exceptions from copyfromscreen and display error instead - https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/issues/370
• OptiKey blink floating window and then jump to docked top on start - https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/issues/398
• Fixes bug where OptiKey refuses to dock in specific resolutions - https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/issues/394
• Simplifies keyboard layout options (English keyboards only) in settings - https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/issues/383
• Crash when MultiKeySelection is enabled in a language where the KeyValues.MultiKeySelectionKeys does not have a set specified - https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/issues/401
• OptiKey freezes on multikey selection if MaryTTS voice not found - https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/issues/404

Deprecated:

• None

New:

• Adds support for earlier version of Presage 0.9.1 as well as 0.9.2 (both must be 32 bit)

Fixed:

• None

Deprecated:

• None

New:

• Support for CommuniKate boards.
• Checks at startup to ensure that MaryTTS is installed correctly and disable it if not.
• Checks at startup to ensure that Presage is installed correctly and disable it if not.

Fixed:

• Issues with 2.8.0 that were causing crashes for some users.

Deprecated:

• None

Notes:
To use CommuniKate boards in OptiKey turn on 'Enable CommuniKate Keyboard Layout' setting on the Words tab of the Management Console. You should then see a "CK" key on the Alpha and ConversationAlpha keyboards. Optionally, if you only want to use CommuniKate, you can turn on the 'Replace Alpha Keyboard with CommuniKate' setting, also on the Words tab of the Management Console.

CommuniKate is only available when the Keyboard language in English (UK, US, or Canadian).

N.B. THIS RELEASE IS CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR SOME PEOPLE. PLEASE INSTALL 2.9.0 INSTEAD.

New:

• Support for CommuniKate boards.
• Checks at startup to ensure that MaryTTS is installed correctly and disable it if not.
• Checks at startup to ensure that Presage is installed correctly and disable it if not.

Fixed:

• None

Deprecated:

• None

Notes:
To use CommuniKate boards in OptiKey turn on 'Enable CommuniKate Keyboard Layout' setting on the Words tab of the Management Console. You should then see a "CK" key on the Alpha and ConversationAlpha keyboards. Optionally, if you only want to use CommuniKate, you can turn on the 'Replace Alpha Keyboard with CommuniKate' setting, also on the Words tab of the Management Console.

CommuniKate is only available when the Keyboard language in English (UK, US, or Canadian).

New:

• Next word prediction using the Presage engine (instructions here: https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/wiki/Next-word-prediction)

Fixed:

• None

Deprecated:

• None

New:

• Support for MaryTTS text to speech engine (see https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/wiki/Speech) for details of how to install and use MaryTTS with OptiKey)

Fixed:

• None

Deprecated:

• None

New:

• New Web Browsing keyboard - available from the Alpha and Numeric keyboards

Fixed:

• None

Deprecated:

• None

New:

• New "Simplified alpha" mode - needs to be enabled from the Words tab in the management console. Currently this is only available when the keyboard language is English (UK, US, or Canadian)

• New "Conversation Confirm" keyboard/mode - this is a highly simplified Yes/No keyboard which is available from the conversation keyboards - needs to be enabled from the Visuals tab in the management console.

• Display when manual mode is enabled (the user has switched to mouse control)

Fixed:

• None

Deprecated:

• None

New:

• Improves auto-space logic.
• Improves manual mode.

Fixed:

• None

Deprecated:

• None

New:

• None

Fixed:

• Prevents OptiKey from becoming unresponsive when an available update is detected.

Deprecated:

• None

New:

• Czech
• Manual/mouse mode added (available on the right click context menu, or by pressing ALT+ENTER with OptiKey focussed)

Fixed:

• Switching to manual mode from Tobii EyeX tracker caused crashes in v2.3.13 - fixed in v2.3.14

Deprecated:

• None

New:

• New smoothing filter added for all eye trackers (the Kalman Filter)

Fixed:

• Fixes 2 issues that can crash OptiKey

Deprecated:

• None

New:

• Alphabetical English keyboard layout for people who are not familiar with the QWERTY layout
• New setting to force caps (all characters in upper case)

Fixed:

• Fixes problems when using physical mouse clicks to control OptiKey (OptiKey will no longer steal focus when clicks occur)
• Removes magnetic cursor key from minimised mouse keyboard (this reverts a previous change)
• Fixes issues that can crash OptiKey
• Fixes bug where the OptiKey keys do not respond correctly after adding words to the dictionary
• Fixes bugs where OptiKey does not start up in the correct size or position after previously closing in an unusual way/size
• Code change to allow developers to work on OptiKey using Visual Studio 2017

Deprecated:

• None

New:

• Some accents provoke wrong strings that should not be added to dictionary (issue #300)
• Prevents OptiKey from taking focus when the selection trigger is the mouse button
• Adds alphabetical keyboard layout option (English only)
• Adds 'Force Caps Lock' settings

Fixed:

• Fixes nbug config which were preventing crash reports from being delivered
• Fixes bug that can crash OptiKey

Deprecated:

• None

New:

• None

Fixed:

• Crashes when selecting one of the new Tobii trackers as the point source.

Deprecated:

• None

New:

• Catalan
• Slovak
• Adds AppVeyor config to the project - this makes it asy to add continuous integration to forks of OptiKey (thanks to @Razzeee)
• Adds extra logging when saving and restoring state. Include screen co-ords.
• Adds the "magnetic cursor" key to the collapsed mouse view
• Add extra Tobii devices to drop down menu of options

Fixed:

• None

Deprecated:

• None

NOTES:
Microsoft doesn't seem to have released a Slovak voice for Windows, and trying to use the English voice to read Slovak is pointless. I have found one such software that's free for use:
http://epos.ufe.cz/
You can download the latest verison here:
http://epos.ufe.cz/download/bin/win32/EposSetup-2.4.85p.exe
Once you've downloaded the file, install it. Then in OptiKey Management Console, you can select a voice under Sounds->Speech->Voice.
Several Czech voices are available,
both male: machac, bob,
and female: violka
There is only one Slovak voice, igor, which is male.
You can either stick with igor, or try one of the Czech voices. The pronunciation is similar enough, and the Czech voices are generally better quality. However, they can have problems with certain letters that are not present in Czech, such as ľ or ô, so you may want to avoid them when speaking. You'll also be speaking Slovak with a Czech accent.
(info courtesy of @TheGreenAirplane - thank you)

New:

• Portuguese support

Fixed:

• None

Deprecated:

• None

N.B. The Portuguese dictionary has been updated. If you have tested a previous version of this dictionary please follow these instructions to reset the PortuguesePortugal.dic file: https://github.com/OptiKey/OptiKey/wiki/Factory-reset-the-dictionary

N.B. This release had a bug in it that prevents OptiKey from always being on top of everything else. Please download a later version instead!

New:

• Slovenian support
• Danish support
• Support for myGaze tracker (including ability to re-calibrate via OptiKey)

Fixed:

• When starting in a conversation keyboard OptiKey would not initialise correctly

Deprecated:

• None

New:

• Italian support

Fixed:

• None

Deprecated:

• None

New:

• Croatian support

Fixed:

• None

Deprecated:

• None