Big Bang Pictures Manual big_bang_pictures.pdf - Inclusive ...

Big Bang Pictures 

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. 

Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. 

Big Bang Pictures was created Adobe Flash. Flash® is © 1993 

Adobe Systems Inc. 

Big Bang Pictures is © 2008 Inclusive Technology Ltd. 

Sassoon Font is © 1993 Sassoon and Williams. 

No part of this publication or software may be reproduced or 

transmitted in whole or part by any means without the written 

permission of the publisher. Whilst every care has been taken with 

this product, the author and publisher cannot be held responsible 

for any errors it may contain. No liability is accepted for any loss or 

damage resulting from the use of this product. 

Big Bang Pictures Software design: Rod Boyes. Project 

management: Paul Pearce and Rod Boyes. Programming: 

Zhengyi Li. Graphic design: Chris Thornton and Q&D Multimedia. 

Animations: Steve Blower. Audio effects: Graham Wright. 

Documentation: Alison Littlewood and Peter Butler. 

We welcome your comments on all Inclusive Technology products. 

Inclusive Technology Ltd 

Riverside Court 

Huddersfield Road 

Delph 

Oldham OL3 5FZ 

UK 

Tel: +44 (0)1457 819790 

Fax: +44 (0)1457 819799 

email: inclusive@inclusive.co.uk 

www.inclusive.co.uk 


1

Introduction 

In response to the popularity of Big Bang, Inclusive Technology 

has developed more software for students with severe and complex 

needs and very young children. Big Bang Pictures provides 

visually stimulating images that can be played in a sequence or 

used in early switch activities. There is plenty of exciting music and 

sound effects too or you can use your own. 

Big Bang Pictures has 21 simple animating pictures in two 

colours. These can be displayed as simple silhouettes, simple line 

drawings or more detailed line drawings. Many familiar objects are 

included, such as a bus, house, dog, flower and so on. 

These images allow you to assess and develop your students’ 

visual attention skills. The more detailed line drawings may also 

be more appropriate for older students. All the animations make 

large movements that are highly attractive, accompanied by loud 

music and sound effects. The pictures can be displayed in black 

and white, or in any other combination of red blue, green, yellow, 

violet or orange. 

2 Big Bang Pictures

Big Bang Pictures can be used in five different ways: 

• Experiential - the student watches the animations. 

• Cause and effect - simply pressing a switch or touching the 

screen will give an animated reward with lots of music and 

noise. 

• Picture Building - build up a picture by pressing the switch. 

Helps to progress switch training. 

• Two switch picture building - introduces a second switch. 

Useful for turn taking as well as learning two switch skills. 

• Choosing with two switches - press one switch to change the 

picture on the screen. Press the second switch to animate the 

picture. 

The decision to use animations at three different levels of visual 

complexity was taken after consultation with colleagues in the VI 

service. It also provides opportunities to: 

• Identify an object. 

• Identify detail in an object. 

• Identify an object from parts. 

Many other options allow you to fine tune the program to your 

students needs and progress their development in small steps. 

Don’t forget to take full advantage of the built-in MP3 player to make 

Big Bang Pictures especially attractive to your learners. It can play 

their favourite music! 

Have you seen our other Big Bang titles? 

See www.inclusive.co.uk for details. 


3

Connecting switches 

Switches come in all shapes and sizes. One 

popular type is the “Jelly Bean” switch. This is a 

simple round plastic button that can be pushed 

down. It springs up again when you take your 

hand off. This means it is a “non-latching” or 

“momentary” switch, like a doorbell. Most 

switches available for special needs use are of 

this type. 

To use a switch with Big Bang Pictures, you 

will need to attach it to the computer using an 

interface box. There are a number of interface 

boxes available. The Simple Switch Box is 

inexpensive and easy to use. 

Just plug your switch into the interface box, then 

plug that into one of computer’s rectangular 

USB sockets. 

You can also use the Space bar and Enter keys on the computer 

keyboard with Big Bang Pictures. 

Above: The Simple Switch Box from Inclusive. 


Minimum Specification 

Windows 

OS: Windows 2000, XP and Vista 

Processor: 1GHZ Pentium 2 

RAM: 128Mb 

Audio: SoundBlaster compatible 16 bit sound card 

Apple Macintosh 

OS: Mac OS X 10.3.0 and above 

Processor: 1GHZ PowerPC G4 

RAM: 128Mb 

Installation 

You will need to install Big Bang Pictures before you can run it. 

You only need to do this once. 

Windows 

Insert the CD. 

If your computer is set to Auto-run CDs, just follow the on-screen 

instructions. 

Otherwise, double-click on My Computer, then double-click on the 

CD icon. Double-click on Setup.exe to run the installer. 


Insert the CD. 

When the Big Bang Pictures CD icon appears, double-click on it. 

Double-click the icon called Install Big Bang Pictures to run the 

installer. 


5

Running Big Bang Pictures 

Windows 

If the Big Bang Pictures icon is on the computer screen (the 

desktop), double-click on it. Otherwise click on the Start button, 

then on Programs, then on Inclusive Technology, then on Big 

Bang Pictures. 


If the Big Bang Pictures icon is on the computer screen (the 

desktop), double-click on it. Otherwise go to where you chose to 

install Big Bang Pictures to find the icon. 

When Big Bang Pictures begins, the title screen will appear* with 

a choice of 5 activities. Click an activity picture to see a description 

of the activity in the box at the bottom of the screen. 

* If this not the first time the program has been run, you will be asked if 

you want to use the default settings or with the settings as when Big Bang 

Pictures was last used. 

Big Bang Pictures has lots of options so you can personalise it to your own 

needs. The options give Big Bang Pictures versatility and are its strength 

as a learning tool. 

This gives you a quick route to playing Big Bang Pictures with your options 

as you had them before. If you’re not sure, just click Use the default 

settings. 


On each activity title screen you will be presented with further 

buttons: 

Click on this button for further information about this 

activity. 

You can make changes to this activity to suit the needs 

of the individual learner. Click this button to see the 

changes you can make. 

Click on this button to start playing the selected activity. 

You will be offered a choice of picture styles: simple line 

art, silhouettes or complex line art. 

The Home button will return you to the title screen. 

A single click on one of the picture style buttons will start the activity 

using that style. All the activities have the same set of animating 

pictures. 

Whilst playing, you can use the left and right arrow keys 

on the keyboard at any time to change the picture. 


7

Stopping Big Bang Pictures 

Whilst playing an activity, press the Esc key on the keyboard. This 

will take you back to the picture style screen. 

Click the Home button to go back to the title screen with 

the choice of activities. 

To exit the program completely, click on the home button, 

then the exit button. 

Big Bang Pictures Activities 

Experiential Activity 

These activities play a series of animations in sequence, without 

any interaction being required from the learner. They are designed 

to simply engage the attention and cause a reaction from those 

with profound and multiple difficulties. Make sure you watch the 

learner while the animations play. Do they respond? Check for eye 

movement - are they following the movement of objects around 

the screen? Perhaps try turning off the sound to see if they are 

responding to the visual or auditory stimulation. 


Experiential Activity - Options 

The Options screen allows you to tailor the activities to your 

learners’ needs. Click on the buttons down the left hand side of the 

screen to change the following: 

Colour 

Here you can change the 

colour of the pictures and 

the background. You could 

make them high contrast, for 

example, for those with visual 

impairment. As a default the 

images will appear in a variety 

of colours and on a black 

background. 

NOTE: if you choose the same colour for the image and the 

background, you won’t be able to see the animation! 

Pictures 

Here you can choose which 

animations appear. You need to 

have at least one selected. 


9

Sequence 

Choose whether the animations 

play in a fixed sequence, or 

if you would like the same 

animation to keep playing until 

you press the left or right arrow 

keys on the keyboard to select 

a new one. 

You can also choose whether 

to have the name of the picture 

displayed at the top of the 

screen. 

Music 

See the Playing Your Own Music section on page 17. 

Action 

Here you can choose how long 

each animation lasts. You can 

also change the length of the 

pause between animations. 

When you have made your 

required changes, click on Play 

to view the animations or Go 

Back to the activity selection 

screen. 


Cause and Effect Activity 

In these activities the user presses a switch to get a big on-screen 

reward with music or sound effects. They can also use the Space 

bar, mouse button or simply touch a touch screen. 

Note that the teacher may use the left and right arrow keys at any 

time to change the picture. 

Cause and Effect Activity - Options 

The Cause and effect Options work in the same way as for the 

Experiential activities (see pages 9 to 10 for details), with the 

exception of: 

Delay 

The ‘pre-acceptance’ delay 

function is useful for students 

who make brief involuntary 

switch presses you don’t want 

the computer to recognise. 

If you set the delay to 0.3 

seconds, the program will only 

accept switch presses longer 

than 0.3 seconds. 

Action 

Here you can decide whether a 

single switch press will trigger 

the animation, or if the learner 

will need to press once to 

display the picture and a second 

time to start the animation. 

You can also choose how long 

each animation lasts. 


11

When you have made your required changes, click on Play to view 

the animations or Go Back to the activity selection screen. 

Picture Build Activity 

In this activity you press a switch a number of times to build up 

a picture in steps. When complete, the picture animates. You 

can also use the Space bar to use this activity, or click or touch 

anywhere on the screen. 




Picture Build Activity - Options 

The Picture Build Options work in the same way as for the 

Experiential activities (see pages 9 to 10 for details), with the 

exception of the Actions section: 

Action 

Here you can decide how many 

switch presses will be required 

to build the picture and start the 

animation. 

You can also choose how long 

each animation lasts. 




13

Two Switch Play Activity 

This activity needs two switches. Press one switch to reveal a 

picture and the other switch to make it animate. Use this activity for 

basic two-switch training. It can also help with inattentive “switch 

bashing”. 

You can use the Space bar and the Enter key to use this activity. 

Otherwise use two switches connected to the computer through a 

“switch interface”, so that they behave like the computer’s Space 

bar and Enter key. See page 4 for details. 




Two Switch Play Activity - Options 

The Two Switch Play Options work in the same way as for the 

Experiential activity (see pages 9 to 10 for details), with the 

exception of the Actions and Switch Colour sections: 

Action 

Here you can decide how the 

two switches will be used. You 

can also choose how long each 

animation lasts. 

Switch Colour 

In this activity, pictures of 

switches appear on the screen 

to indicate which switch to 

press. With this option you 

can decide what colour the 

on-screen switches should be, 

so that they match the ones 

you are using. 




15

Choosing with Two Switches 

This activity allows the learner to choose a picture to animate. 

Only one picture is shown on the screen at a time. Switch 1 (or the 

Space bar) is used to change the picture displayed while Switch 2 

(or the Enter key) makes the current picture animate. See if your 

learner can choose a favourite picture - though you might have to 

use the second switch, at least to begin with. Start with just a few 

pictures, by using the “Pictures” option. 

You can use the Space bar and the Enter key to use this activity. 

Otherwise use two switches connected to the computer through a 

“switch interface”, so that they behave like the computer’s Space 

bar and Enter key. See page 4 for details. 



Choosing with Two Switches - Options 

The Choosing with Two Switches Options work in the same way 

as for the Experiential activity (see pages 9 to 10 for details), with 

the exception of the Actions section: 

Action 

Here you can choose how long 

each animation lasts. You can 

also decide how many steps it 

takes to build the picture. 

When you have made your 

required changes, click on Play 

to view the animations or Go 

Back to the activity selection 

screen. 


Playing Your Own Music 

Big Bang Pictures allows you to play your own MP3 music while 

the animations play. This can be very motivating for learners, who 

often have their own music preferences. Recordings of familiar 

people can also be very motivating. 

To select your own music, go to the Music section of the Options 

menu: 

This shows that the default music setting is the built-in music and 

sound effects. Click in the circle next to Use my own music and 

then click the Search button. 


17

You can then browse to where your MP3 files are saved and click 

OK*. 

The program will display any MP3 files in the selected folder. Click 

OK to continue. 

Big Bang Pictures will automatically select all of the tracks. 

You can de-select them by clicking on the tick to the left of the track 

name. You can select or de-select the whole list by clicking Tick 

all or Tick none at the bottom of the screen. Alternatively, you can 

click on New Search to find music elsewhere on your computer or 

Cancel to return to the options. 

If you are happy with your music selection, click Save to save your 

selection and return to the Music Options screen. Then you can click 

Play to play your activity with your chosen music. 

You can change your music selection at any time by returning to the 

Music Options menu and clicking on Edit List. 

* Don’t forget to plug your MP3 player into your computer’s USB port 

if you wish to select music from it. 


The Inclusive Technology 

Troubleshooting Guide 

This is a simple guide to common problems when trying to 

install, remove or use any new software. If you need any 

further assistance, please contact us. Our online support 

website is available at www.inclusive.co.uk (click on support), 

e‐mail us on support@inclusive.co.uk or telephone 

Technical Support on 01457 819723. 

1. I put my CD in and nothing happens. 

To install the software, do the following: 

• Click on ‘My Computer’. This is either on the desktop of your computer 

or in the Windows Start Menu. 

• This will open a window showing all your computer drives. Doubleclick 

on your CD drive (usually the D drive) and you will see a list of 

everything on the CD. There will be an icon called ‘Setup’. Doubleclick 

on this icon and the software installation will start. 

2. I have installed the program but no text appears in the menu. 

To complete the installation you must restart your machine. After a reboot, all text will 

appear. 

3. How do I set switches up? 

It’s a popular misconception that switches plug directly into your computer when used 

with switch accessible software. You actually need to plug them into a Switch Interface. 

These come in various shapes and sizes including switch boxes and roller/joysticks 

(see www.inclusive.co.uk). 

The most popular interfaces are dedicated devices that sit between the switch and the 

computer and convert the switch press into the press of a chosen keyboard key. The 

software recognises this key press (usually Space and/or Enter) and acts accordingly. 

When using two switches (one to scan, the other to select), all Inclusive Technology 

software uses the same key presses: Space to scan and Enter to select. Some switch 

interfaces are programmed using their own software; others are simply a case of plug-in 

and play. If you require further help regarding switch set-up, please contact us. 


19

4. I would like to remove the software but don’t know how. 

There are two ways to remove programs: 

a) Go to the Windows Start menu. Click Settings and then Control Panel. Double-click 

on ‘Add or Remove Programs’. This will bring up a window showing all software 

installed on your computer: 

Click on the Change/Remove button and follow the prompts to remove the software. 

b) Not all software appears in Add/Remove programs. If your software does not, follow 

these steps: 

• Open ‘My Computer’ (see Question 1). 

• Double-click on the C drive. 

• Double-click on the Inclusive folder. 

• Highlight the folder with the software you want to remove and press ‘Delete’. 

Extra help from Inclusive... 

Don’t forget that there are over a thousand pages of information about using technology 

to support your learners on our website. See: www.inclusive.co.uk 

We organise Information Days around the country which are packed with advice, 

inspiration and ideas. See: www.inclusive.co.uk/events 

We also organise exhibitions about ICT for special needs. 

See: www.inclusive.co.uk/exhibitions

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