New users should already have a copy of the LegalTransform CD or have it downloaded and installed.

Starting the Program

Depending on your installation options, you should simply be able to double click on the "LegalTransform" link on your desktop or from on your start menu.

Getting Familiar with the user interface

When you open the browser, it should look something like this:

Take a few minutes familiarize yourself with the components of the LegalTransform window, since it is highlighy customizable and may be changed in future versions.

There are three main components of the LegalTransform system - the first is the menu bar on the top, the second is the workspace in the center, and the third are the tools arranged as dockable menus between teh menu bar and the workspace.

The Menu Bar

As with most programs, on the upper part of the window there is a menu bar. This bar will always be there, no matter how you change the program.

The first menu is the File menu. From here, you can choose "Open from File" (to open a webpage on your computer), "Open from WWW" (to open a web page from the internet), and Exit (which will exit the program).

The second menu is the Edit menu, for common editing tasks such as cutting, copying, and pasting from text areas.

The third menu is the Perspectives menu.  It allows you to import and export perspectives, on the current document.  It allows you to start and stop the LegalTransform P2P Service, as well as find perspectives for the current page.  You can also change the author name (usually your name), so that all perspectives you create will have your name on them.  You can add a new, empty perspective to the current page.  Finally, through the "sort existing perspectives" menu allows you to apply and aggregate any number of existing perspectives:

Under this menu, you will find all perspectives that exist on this page on your computer.  The last on listed will always be the one you are currently editing.  Above that, there may be zero or more other perspectives that you also have.  Each one can be applied or un-applied and deleted.  If you are the author of the perspective, or if the perspective has no author, you may also edit that perspective.

The fourth menu is the Tools menu. It allows access to different tools to help you understand legal documents (the whole point of the program!). The first item is Open, which opens up the Tool Manager. See the next section for a description of this function. The second item on this menu is the "Reset Tools". This resets the program to its initial condition, which is very helpful if your program is misbehaving. However, it will remove all of the marks you have made on documents, so use it with care!

The fifth menu is the "Legal Documents Online" menu. It is a short list of legal documents that you can view and make your own perspectives on.  Also, if you are on one of these links and you go to the "Perspectives->Find Perspectives For This Page" menu, within 30 seconds, you should get a menu that says "You've Got Perpectives!" and will automatically download them for you.

The Tools Manager

The tools manager allows you to load and unload tools the program. Try it, and see what happens:

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On the left panel, you'll see tools that are known, but not loaded. On the right, you'll see tools that are loaded. Notice that, for each loaded tool, there is a tool of the same name back in the main window. You can load and unload tools by selecting a tool and using the center buttons, or you can simply double click the one you want to load or unload.

Press ok or close the window to get back to the main window.

The Workspace

The workspace is the window in the center of the window that displays documents. Currently, it can only display HTML documents (as an aside, ironically, it can't display this webpage!). Usually, you will interact with the workspace through the tools.

The Tools

Tools are considered anything that will help you understand legal documents. Here is a description of the tools currently included with the LegalTransform distribution.

Web Browser

The Browser allows the LegalTransform system to behave much like a normal web browser like Internet Explorer or Mozilla. It allows you to move forward and backward through documents, as well as going "home" and typing in an address (hint: don't forget the "http://" in front of your address!).

Furthermore, you will find that when you exit the LegalTransform system and have the Browser open, your browser history will be maintained. Specifically, the page you were on will be loaded when you open LegalTransform and you will be able to move backward and forward to pages you visited in the last session.

Highlighter

The highlighter allows you to make highlights to a web page, just as you would if you were highlighting a physical document in your hand. First, you must choose the "enable" check box to make sure it is enabled. Second, optionally, you can choose your color using the "choose color" button. Finally, select the text you want to highlight you want to make highlighted. Currently, much like regular highlighting, you can't remove highlights except using going to Tools->Reset Behaviors option.

Like the browser, when you leave the program or navigate away from the current page, your highlights will be there when you return.

HyperLinker

The HyperLinker allows you to make hyperlinks on a web page. For example, suppose a legal document says "and our affiliate" and you know one of that the affiliate they are talking about it the Kodak company. Then, you could enable the HyperLinker and select the "affiliate" text. Then, a box will come up that tells you to enter an address to link to. You would type in "http://www.kodak.com" and press ok. A link would then be applied to that text and by clicking on it, you would be able to go to Kodak's website.

Like the browser, when you leave the program or navigate away from the current page, your hyperlinks will be there when you return.

SpeechReader

The SpeechReader allows you to have the computer read part of a document for you. To use it, enable the SpeechReader, and simply highlight the text you would like it to read. While reading, you can pause and resume the voice. Also, you can change the speed at which the text is spoken by moving the slider before you highlight the text you want read.

The SpeechReader does not have anything to be saved between when you close the LegalTransform program is closed and reopened.

CAPSFixer

Changes statements in full caps to a normal sentences. For example, the statment:

THESE ARE YOUR RIGHTS. READ AND HEED THEM WELL.

can be selected when this tool is loaded and enabled, and it will replace the above text with:

These are your rights. Read and heed them well.

FontSizer

This tool allows you to change the text size of any piece of text. Simply load the tool, check the "enable" box, choose a font size with the slider, and select a section of text you want to resize.

FootNoter

This tool allows you to add popup notes to any document. After loading the FootNoter, checking the "enable" box, and selecting text, a box will come up and prompt for the note. Just enter a note into this box and press "ok." Now, whenever the tool is open and you put your mouse over the word, your note will pop up.

Additionally, you can insert basic HTML into the text box to create a formatted note.

Problems

If you have any questions or problems, please post your question on the Discussion