Proloquo2go allows you to select up to 12 rows and 12 columns. While we can make the keyguard with this configuration we do not recommend going over 8 rows and 8 columns due to the fact that anything more will make the buttons, and therefore the openings in the keyguard, very small.
App Settings and Options
This keyguard supports different designs based on user settings and preferences. Each of these affects the positioning of items on the screen, and thus the design of the keyguard itself. Your KeyguardAT keyguard will be truly custom-designed to match every one of the choices you make for the end user.
Not sure of the settings you want? You can order a temporary Proloquo2Go keyguard.
Select Device - Select the version of iPad you have. If you don't know, on newer iPads it's easy. Go to the Settings app General settings and tap "About". The Model Name is what you're looking for. Select that model from the "Device" pull down menu above.
On older iPads, use the Model Number, which is really a part number that looks something like "ML0N2LL/A". Do a Web search for that. On the back of your iPad there's also a very tiny model number that looks something like "A1538". Do a Web search for that, like "iPad A1538". This page from Apple may be of help. This keyguard does not come with an iPad.
To Fit Case - Select the case that you have on your iPad. This keyguard does not come with an iPad case. You are specifying the case you already have. Select "None" if the iPad is not in a case. Select "Other" at the bottom of the list if your case is not on the list, and specify the case in the Special Instructions field. If you don't know which case you have, see our blog How to Identify an iPad Case. Note: If you don't click that link and determine which iPad case you have, the keyguard will not fit, and we'll charge you to make a new one. It's not enough to give us a brand name and think we can figure it out. It's not enough to find a similar case and think it's pretty close.
Attachment - The attachment method you choose must be suitable for the iPad you have. See our blogs Keyguard Attachment Methods. and How to Identify an iPad Case.
Orientation - Proloquo2Go allows both landscape and portrait orientations. Choose the one you want to use.
Rows and Columns - Specify the number of rows and columns in the Appearance: View: Default Grid Size Setting. Note the Proloquo lists rows first, then columns. Note: Once you get above about 60 cells on an iPad Mini, the openings are getting so small as to be inaccessible to some users. On a full size iPad, grids of more than 100 cells could also be problematic.
Message Window Size - The message window size is controlled by a combination of the first two settings in the Appearance: Message Window section: Message Window Size and Toolbar Size. As Toolbar Size increases, so does the message window size, so if you increase the toolbar size, you may want to decrease the message window size. If you've turned Show Message off, choose Message Window Size of None. Otherwise, make it the same as the setting in the app.
Toolbar Size - From the Appearance: Toolbars section. Important: Never choose Small toolbar size without understanding the repercussions of your choice. If you choose Small, we will have to compromise other openings to make room for the toolbar openings, and even with Medium we may have to combine the top toolbar openings with the message window. The Toolbar Size setting controls the size of the top toolbar as well as the bottom, so Small messes up the keyguard at both ends! Medium Toolbar Size sometimes makes for non-ideal keyguards, but Small makes for bad ones, every time. Before you try cutting the toolbar size, please try cutting the message window size, instead. For example, a Medium toolbar size with a Small message window size makes for a great keyguard.
Bottom Toolbar Items - This is not a direct setting, but determines how many openings we create on the bottom toolbar. For example, the default is 5 items, but if you turn off editing, Proloquo removes the edit tool and leaves you with 4 items. If you know the number of tools in the bottom toolbar will be changing, you can specify 1 toolbar item and write in the Special Instructions field to make the bottom toolbar one full width opening. Note that that's not preferred, because it doesn't help the user differentiate the items. Choose 0 toolbar items to leave the entire bottom toolbar closed.
Bottom Toolbar Opening Shape - If you choose anything greater than 0 for the number of Bottom Toolbar Items, you can also specify the size and shape of the openings themselves. Selecting Full Size makes the openings rectangular, the same size as the buttons on the screen, unless they have been compromised by your specifying the Toolbar Size to be Small or Medium. Selecting 1/3" Circles will make the bottom toolbar openings so small it may require the use of a stylus, and will make them inaccessible to most users. Select 1/4" Circles to make the openings so small it will probably require a pointed stylus to access them.
Upper Toolbar Openings - Proloquo2Go puts two buttons on the upper toolbar for navigating back from within folders. The center button takes you back to the home page. The button on the left takes you back one folder. These buttons are normally open on the keyguard, but for users who do not navigate folders, you may choose to close them. Warning: If you don't leave at least one of these buttons open, you may not be able to navigate back to the home screen.
Button Spacing - This setting is found in Appearance: View: Advanced Options. It controls the amount of white space between the cells. Never choose Very Compact, because it will leave no space and the keyguard will obscure some of the text and/or graphics near the edges of the cells. For the same reason, don't choose Compact on a smaller iPad, only on big ones. Also, don't choose colored acrylic if the button spacing is Compact or Very Compact. Loose and Very Loose allow for the easiest differentiation of the cells, but shouldn't be used on grids of more than 40 cells or so, because the openings start to get very small.
Scroll Bar - Older versions of Proloquo2Go required the user to swipe up and down to see all the cells in a large set. If you still need that, choosing Open will tell us to place a vertical opening between two columns of cells where the user can swipe. This makes the surrounding openings smaller and is not needed in recent versions unless you need to swipe to see all the cells.
Sharing/Cancel Button - At the right end of the upper toolbar, there's a sharing button that appears when you've set up the user to do social media. In Search mode, there's a Cancel button that takes you back to the grid. Choose Cancel if you want the wider opening for the Cancel button. Choose Sharing if you want the narrower opening for the Sharing button. If you want neither, choose the default Neither.
Cell Openings - The default cell openings are rectangles with rounded corners, the same size as the cells. Elliptical openings are the same size as the cells. If you choose square or circular openings, they will be centered in the cells, reduced to fit in the cell. The extra space helps the user differentiate between the cells, and allows a little place for fingers to rest. If you choose anything other than full-sized rectangles, do not choose a colored material, as some information in the cells will be covered by the keyguard.
Reduce Openings To - By default, openings will be made as large as will fit the cell. If you specify a maximum opening size, the dimensions of the grid cells will be reduced so they are no bigger than the maximum you specified. If the cells would naturally be 1" wide and ".5" high, and you specified a maximum of 0.75", the cells would be reduced to 0.75" x 0.5". Round or square openings are reduced in both dimensions to the specified size. If the cells are already smaller than the specified size, nothing will change.
Swipe to Home - Newer iPads don't have a home button for returning to the home screen, so they require the user to swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen to return to home. If the user doesn't need access to the home screen, or if you're using a virtual home button, you can leave this closed for a much stronger and more esthetic keyguard. If the user will need to swipe to return to the home screen, you can open this, but note that this leaves an ugly notch in the bottom edge of the keyguard. The keyguard will be much weaker, and it may allow access to items on the bottom of the screen that would otherwise be unaccessible.
Material - The default clear acrylic styrene is more flexible than standard acrylics and is much less likely to crack when bent. It features a non-glare surface and comes with a 2-year guarantee against breakage. It's also available in several colors that are also non-glare and have a 1-year guarantee. 3/16" and 1/4" acrylics are standard PMMA acrylics like Plexiglass and Perspex. They are more rigid than the 1/8" due to their extra thickness, and they provide more depth to help the user avoid accidental touches, but they are brittle and can be cracked if bent. Polycarbonate is the strongest material, being virtually unbreakable, and comes with a lifetime guarantee against breakage. 3D resin prints are a gray or black polyurethane in a number of thicknesses and have a 1-year guarantee. Allow two extra days for polycarbonate or 3D-printed polyurethane. Learn about materials in more detail in our Keyguard Materials blog.
Acrylic styrene or polycarbonate is highly recommended on Proloquo2Go layouts of less than 9 cells due to the length and thinness of the bars separating the cells unless Button Spacing is set to Very Loose.
User ID - An optional HIPAA-compliant identifier to be engraved on the keyguard. Do not use full names. ID's may be up to 25 characters long.
Special Instructions - Use this field to communicate any other information we need to know about the keyguard. For example, if you've specified "Other" for an unlisted case, you can give us a link to the case online. On large orders, you can add the student's ID to help keep the keyguards straight (nothing will be added to the keyguard, only the documentation).
