Create simple communication boards using digital images with the free PHOTOsyms Flash-based application. Your image grid can contain between 2 and 54 photos so within the grid limitations there’s quite a lot of room for customisation of size and number of pictures.
There’s no help file or instructions, but this is what I figured out: When you open the application first press the “Upload” button in the bottom left corner to get an image into the application. It should then show up on the left hand side of the application, like this:
You can use the slider under the photo to change the size of the portion of the image to be used, and drag the image itself to change the position of the section to be used.
If your “Upload” process doesn’t show your image on the left hand side, I suggest moving your image files into the “MySYMphotos” directory where the example images were. I found that the same image would work fine in that directory, but not if it were anywhere else on the hard drive. Kate at TLWMSN encountered this problem using the Windows version, while Patrick at TAS used the Mac version like me and didn’t have any trouble. I’m not sure what triggers it.
Once you’re happy with your selection press the “Add” button to put the picture onto your grid which is pictured on the right. The name of the image is used as a caption for the symbol, so I suggest renaming any symbols to have useful file names before you start the process. Pressing “Add” will always and only add the picture into the next grid space, so you must upload your pictures in order and be careful not to press “Add” twice with the same image. There’s no way to undo a mistake except for starting over, so be careful.
The slider under the grid can be used to change the number of image spots on the grid, although oddly the left side of the slider is a larger number of image slots and the right hand side is a smaller number. You can safely change the grid size while it has photos in it without erasing the photos you’ve already put in there.
Aside from your own photos, here’s some sources for online images which are legal to use and make good symbols:
These sources aren’t designed as communication symbols, but can be good legal sources also:
Website: PHOTOsyms
Sueblimely December 6, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Hi Ricky
Thank you for this post – some good resources here. I have been searching for things like this for a post I am doing on my Fragile X site.
Ricky Buchanan December 7, 2008 at 12:32 pm
@Sue: Make sure I read the post when you’re done! I’m glad they’re useful to you.
Judith November 3, 2009 at 12:47 am
Would love to be able to use the software but I can not see any of my uploaded images even if I put them in the directory you mention, MySYMphotos. What could be wrong ?
Jim Greenberg July 16, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Using iPads as assisted communications device and programmable switch in elementary school. Looking for a case/setup that will protect them, keep them from moving on the desktop… and tips?
Thanks.
.-= Jim Greenberg’s last blog: Is Moore’s Law Just a Pattern =-.
Ricky Buchanan August 3, 2010 at 9:30 pm
@Jim: I suggest you check out RJ Cooper’s iPad Carry Case and there’s also two iPad cases available from Otterbox which are very protective I understand. If you just want to keep them still, RJ Cooper also has some good stands available.