[Sw-l] Sutton SignWriting in 2017 - characters and fonts

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
November 16, 2017

Hello Steve!

WOW!! Congratulations! This is so exciting and we will keep our fingers crossed!

What an impressive accomplishment all around!

Val ;-)

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> On Nov 16, 2017, at 3:35 PM, Stephen Slevinski <slevin at SIGNPUDDLE.NET> wrote:
> 
> Hi SignWriting List,
> 
> 2017 has been a great year for Sutton SignWriting and we're not done yet.
> 
> Today, I received excellent news regarding a grant to fund the Two-D font for SignWriting.
> * https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Project/slevinski/ASL_Wikipedia_2-D_Font_Development_for_SignWriting <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Project/slevinski/ASL_Wikipedia_2-D_Font_Development_for_SignWriting>
> 
> --------------------------------
> This proposal has been recommended for due diligence review.
> The Project Grants Committee has conducted a preliminary assessment of your proposal and recommended it for due diligence review. This means that a majority of the committee reviewers favorably assessed this proposal and have requested further investigation by Wikimedia Foundation staff.
> 
> --------------------------------
> *https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants_talk:Project/slevinski/ASL_Wikipedia_2-D_Font_Development_for_SignWriting#Round_2_2017_Aggregated_feedback_from_the_committee_for_ASL_Wikipedia_2-D_Font_Development_for_SignWriting <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants_talk:Project/slevinski/ASL_Wikipedia_2-D_Font_Development_for_SignWriting#Round_2_2017_Aggregated_feedback_from_the_committee_for_ASL_Wikipedia_2-D_Font_Development_for_SignWriting>
> The grant will be announced on Dec 14th, so fingers crossed.
> 
> Regardless if the grant is approved, it is a good sign that "a majority of the committee reviewers favorably assessed this proposal".
> 
> I'm very happy with Formal SignWriting in ASCII (FSW).  Stable since 2012, it will always be available and useful.
> Going forward, we're ready to move to a new character set: SignWriting in Unicode (SWU).  First published in July 2017, SWU is the final specification for naming signs.  It is 100% FSW compatible with easy bi-directional conversions.
> It is already an improvement over FSW without the Two-D font.  While SWU still looks like data, it is better than FSW.  FSW doesn't look like sign language at all.  Consider this sign written in both formats.
> <pnkonfppdclgcgpe.png>
> 
> 
> The above image is from SignMaker 2017 with the FSW view option enabled.  By default, SignMaker 2017 will only display the SWU at a larger size.
> <mppjbglbcigkkebb.png>
> 
> 
> SWU is meant to be used in edit fields, applications, databases, and URLs.  The One-D font is available for SWU and the text looks like the examples above.  It still requires SVG for proper viewing.  When the Two-D font is available, the SWU characters will not look like a visual string, but the signs will look like signs.
> 
> Before the end of 2017, I plan to release an update of the Sutton SignWriting project and SignMaker 2017 with full SWU support.  2018 will be a year of transition to the new standard of SWU.  2019 will be a year of growth with SWU and the Two-D font.
> 
> These two changes are disruptive, but very beneficial.
> 1) Character update - FSW to SWU
> 2) Viewer update - SVG  to Two-D font
> 
> Better tools and software are on the way.  Thanks for your support and patience.
> Regards,
> -Steve
> ________________________________________________
> 
> SIGNWRITING LIST INFORMATION
> 
> Valerie Sutton SignWriting List moderator sutton at signwriting.org <mailto:sutton at signwriting.org>
> Post Messages to the SignWriting List: sw-l at listserv.valenciacollege.edu <mailto:sw-l at listserv.valenciacollege.edu>
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________________________________________________


SIGNWRITING LIST INFORMATION

Valerie Sutton
SignWriting List moderator
sutton at signwriting.org

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