IMWA: Handshape Construction and Sequencing Rules

[Steven Aerts]

> Except for smooth video graphics, I am trying to
> understand see why 8 rotations with reflections (96
> per shape) won't do for all these figures.  Sign
> Writing is, as Valerie has said, "approximate".  Right
> now, the only handshape angle I can't show is two
> hands at 45 degrees (boat), tilted up 45 degrees,
> which I could show with only one extra symbol, the
> "slashed shaded circle" which I posted earlier.
We to are not keen on freely rotating handshapes.  But we only want a 
consistent and simple system where a rotation can't have tree different 
meanings depending on the context.

> ...
> The shoulder shrugs are something else again, as
> shoulders are not hands and have different
> recognizable degrees of motion.
But the problem is shoulders are not the only special case.  There are also 
some variations of some handforms which rotate clockwise instead of counter 
clockwise.  And such things slows down the development of SignWriting 
software you have to recognize such symbols and write special code for them.

Greetings,

        Bart & Steven