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Valerie Sutton wrote:
<blockquote cite="midFC732D4E-820D-4E1F-B125-B09FA8BAB8F2@mac.com"
type="cite">SignWriting List
<br>
April 25, 2007
<br>
<br>
Yes, that is correct. Steve Slevinski asked for the SVG version of our
symbols for programming...so I will put that as a priority...it is my
responsibility to finish the IMWA so we can move forward with SVG...
<br>
<br>
It will take some time for me to complete the IMWA 1.4 in bitmaps, but
I hope to do that this year, the sooner the better, and then the entire
IMWA 1.4 will need to be placed into SVG...Machado has already done a
lot of the symbols in SVG...so it is a matter of making sure that every
new symbol is added to the current set of SVG...
<br>
<br>
And I know there are different typeface designs that can be done in
SVG, so there can be different writing styles of the same symbols and
it may be that someday there will be different sets of SVG so we can
choose typefaces...
<br>
<br>
I read your message below, Jonathan, and the problem is, I am not a
programmer. I just want to provide every programmer with what they
need, to program using SignWriting.
<br>
</blockquote>
Val, <br>
I am glad you are working on getting the symbols to SVG as
well. I guess it really is the best option for the online community.
The project that I am working in my spare time is using the PNG format
which are working very well for my needs. I'm sure that Steve and
Sandy will be for of the first to use the SVG symbols and I probably
will follow not long after.<br>
<blockquote cite="midFC732D4E-820D-4E1F-B125-B09FA8BAB8F2@mac.com"
type="cite"><br>
I understand your concerns about SVG taking bandwidth, if you do not
have a stable internet connection, and it may be that in countries
where that is the norm, another version of the symbols in bitmap form
will be necessary...I have to leave that to the programming experts...
<br>
</blockquote>
After all, the SVG will probably the better way even if it couldn't be
cached because only a few or even one symbols needs to be downloaded to
do all 96 fills and rotations.<br>
<blockquote cite="midFC732D4E-820D-4E1F-B125-B09FA8BAB8F2@mac.com"
type="cite"><br>
SVG is easier than creating True Type fonts the old way...so I can see
it has value, because the symbols look better on the screen and they
reduce with better quality I believe...
<br>
</blockquote>
BTW do you know if Stephan ever finished our sign names as fonts?<br>
<blockquote cite="midFC732D4E-820D-4E1F-B125-B09FA8BAB8F2@mac.com"
type="cite"><br>
Thanks for all your messages, Jonathan!
<br>
<br>
it is hard to keep up with so many messages these days!
<br>
</blockquote>
So many great lists to be eh? <span class="moz-smiley-s1"><span> :-) </span></span><br>
<blockquote cite="midFC732D4E-820D-4E1F-B125-B09FA8BAB8F2@mac.com"
type="cite"><br>
Val ;-)
<br>
<br>
----------
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
On Apr 25, 2007, at 10:07 AM, Steve Slevinski wrote:
<br>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">Jonathan,
<br>
<br>
I am the one requesting an SVG
<br>
<br>
Jonathan wrote:
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">An SVG version of the IMWA symbols seems
exciting. I was wondering we advantages this might have. I know that
currently the PNG symbols are cacheable so this is better for us that
have lower bandwidth as we only have to get each symbol once. I briefly
looked into the SVG and it seems to be inline so it comes as part of
the web page. I don't think that it would be cacheable but I could be
wrong. If the SVG is part of the page, then the browser wouldn't have
to get each symbol one by one, it would load faster on the browser but
the server would have to resend the symbol on each web page refresh so
it might be a bit longer to load each page for those of us with lower
bandwith. Though on second thought, if we don't have to get each
rotation it might even be faster.
<br>
I was thinking on the savings are far as rotations for only the
handshapes using the SVG. Presently there are about 207 hand shapes
with 6 distinct fills rotated 8 different positions then mirrored and
rotated another 8 positions. So for each of the 207 there are 6 fills
X 16 rotations = 96 symbols per hand shape. 207 handshapes X 96
symbols each = 19872 handshape symbols. Now if we only had to draw
the 6 fills for the 207 handshapes, we would only have to define 207 X
6 = 1242 symbols which SVG could easily mirror and rotate all the ways
we wanted to. So with SVG we would only need to define 6% of the
current handshape symbols. That's like 94% improvement. Not bad!!!
Some of the other arrows etc can also be rotated and flipped to make up
the full set. However there wouldn't be any savings as far as the face
symbols or some of the punctuation is concerned.
<br>
I guess when we have made a few, we will have a better idea how
they compare in size to the PNG symbols. I wonder if they would be any
smaller as many symbols have a lot of parts that have to be described.
The median PNG symbol file size is only 232 bytes. It going to be hard
to beat that but with a 90-94% savings from rotating them on the SVG I
guess it would really be worth it.
<br>
I the other more immediate benefit would be that they are easily
scalable. This would be better for captioning or people who have bad
eyesight.
<br>
What else have your learned about doing the IMWA in SVG?
<br>
Jonathan
<br>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">I am going to step out in the beautiful
Springtime air and be back shortly -
<br>
<br>
Val ;-)
<br>
<br>
-----------
<br>
<br>
<br>
On Apr 21, 2007, at 11:29 AM, Cherie Wren wrote:
<br>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">I volunteer to help...
<br>
<br>
cherie
<br>
<br>
----- Original Message ----
<br>
From: Valerie Sutton <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:sutton@signwriting.org"><sutton@signwriting.org></a>
<br>
To: List SignWriting <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu"><sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu></a>
<br>
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 8:41:27 PM
<br>
Subject: [sw-l] Wikipedia American Sign Language
<br>
<br>
SignWriting List
<br>
April 20, 2007
<br>
<br>
Hello SW List Members!
<br>
<br>
As you all know, recently there has been interest in creating a
<br>
possible ASL Wikipedia, or at least, the beginning of writing an
<br>
Encyclopedia in ASL...
<br>
<br>
Since we are new to writing and posting documents on the web, in our
<br>
SignPuddle 1.5 Literature Puddle online, I realize that this is a
<br>
very big leap forward, to start writing encyclopedia articles in ASL!
<br>
<br>
To write such an article, we would need to either choose an article
<br>
already written in another encyclopedia, and then translate it from
<br>
English to ASL and then write it in SignWriting in SignText...
<br>
<br>
or...
<br>
<br>
write it directly from our own knowledge of physics, or geography or
<br>
whatever the article is about!
<br>
<br>
This seems like a big new project, doesn't it?
<br>
<br>
Sooo...here is my thought...
<br>
<br>
Do we have volunteers to help us write one test-article for a new
<br>
encyclopedia written in ASL?
<br>
<br>
It will be our FIRST article for an encyclopedia in ASL...like a test
<br>
drive. Then we can show the document to those at Wikimedia and to
<br>
others too...It will be an historic and interesting adventure...
<br>
<br>
I know many of you are already overloaded with projects, so only
<br>
volunteer if you feel you have the time. We could create an
<br>
Encylopedia team of writers, and each person could take a small
<br>
section of the translation and writing...
<br>
<br>
And there is no rush and no deadline.
<br>
<br>
Plus we need to choose the one article we want to write...
<br>
<br>
But before we choose the article, is there anyone interested in
<br>
volunteering to write an article for an Encyclopedia?
<br>
<br>
Once we have a few volunteers, I will write to the Wikimedia language
<br>
committee to suggest that maybe they can choose one article for us to
<br>
translate from the Wikipedia in English online...
<br>
<br>
Those are my thoughts...
<br>
<br>
What are yours?
<br>
<br>
Val ;-)
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell?
<br>
Check out new cars at Yahoo! Autos.
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
--
<br>
Jonathan & Yolaine Duncan
<br>
8-) & ;-)
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
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<br>
<div class="moz-signature">
<address><font face="Comic Sans MS"><big><font color="#6633ff">Jonathan
& Yolaine Duncan<br>
<span class="moz-smiley-s11"><span> 8-) </span></span>&<span
class="moz-smiley-s3"><span> ;-) </span></span></font>
<br>
<br>
</big></font></address>
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