signwriter Java questions

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
May 13, 2004

Nancy E. Emery wrote:
> also, I have trouble keeping the blue editing box long enough to
> combine several elements -
> when i go to try to insert another handshape, movement, etc it often
> just ignores that and
> changes from the blue box into a completed sign.  And I can't always
> get the box to expand
> either - sometimes the shape I'm trying to drag to expand the box just
> disappears out of the
> box.  I'm using Mac OSX.3.   Any ideas?  I'm trying to show facial
> expression, some unusual
> movement patterns etc. so i can't just insert from dictionaries.


Yes. As you know, SignWriter Java is a partially completed program.
There are a lot of little bugs that can be really annoying at times.
But I released the program for download, because it is better than
nothing! So it is a matter of learning the quirks and learning how to
work around them...I am also running Mac OS X Panther (3.3) so we are
on the same operating system.

The first thing I learned is that you have to have at least two symbols
in the blue editing box, to be able to keep the box large. In other
words, place at least two symbols in the box and then enlarge the box
by dragging one of those symbols down or across...And I believe it
keeps everything centered, so if you have a big box and a small sign,
then the sign will be in the center of the large space...But if you
keep a symbol at the far ends of the box, and then compose the sign you
want in the middle of the large box, and then, when you are ready to
enter the sign, get rid of the symbol markers on each end...that is the
way I hold the box large while I am working...see attached diagram...

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