getting started - questions

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
November 30, 2003

Nancy Emery wrote:
> Anyway, I had a question about getting started.  Does the SignBank
> include the ability to transcribe new signs (like classifier
> predicates that are created fresh as they're used)?  I see that there
> is shareware to write with, but I don't have the "virtual PC" to
> convert that for my Mac, and if I could do it through the SignBank
> (which is available for Mac, right?) maybe it would be simpler to just
> get that.  (I'm not very tech-savvy, sigh.) .... Thanks for your work!
> Nancy Emery, nemery at u.washington.edu


Hello Nancy and Everyone!
Welcome to the SignWriting List, Nancy...There are quite a number of us
on Macs on this List...I am one of them ;-)

SignBank is definitely on the Mac. It is built inside FileMaker, which
was originally a Macintosh database program, and then expanded to
Windows, so you will have no problems with using SignBank on the Mac.
But SignBank is a database (a big storage closet) of signs that were
already typed. So for classifiers that change, you will need a way to
type SignWriting, and at the moment the only program available is
SignWriter.

There are two versions of SignWriter: SignWriter DOS and SignWriter
Java.

SignWriter DOS is a complete fully-functioning program for MS-DOS. You
will need Virtual PC, or another virtual program, to run it on your
Mac...We do not sell VirtualPC...You can purchase it directly from
Apple...go to...

Virtual PC for the Mac
http://www.apple.com/macosx/applications/virtualpc/

SignWriter Java is a partailly-functioning program that can be used
directly on your Mac...without any special virtual program...so if you
do not have the money to buy Virtual PC, I would suggest downloading
both SignWriter Java and SignBank...and between the two programs I can
help you to create the signs you need...So go to the downloads page and
then report back with questions...smile...

Download SignWriting Software
http://www.SignWriting.org/downloads