Facial Expressions, Breathing, Multiple Face Features

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
May 21, 2004

Maria Azzopardi Galea wrote:
> 1) The main one is how to transcribe multiple non-manuals. My main
> problem is that many times there is not enough room on the face to
> write
> it all down (and even worse when typing) several non-manuals at once...
> Any suggestions?

Hello Maria, and Everyone!
When you say non-manuals, I am assuming that you mean Facial
Expressions? Or does the term non-manual also apply to shoulders
lifting, rocking of the upper body, and twisting of the torso? Just
curious about the terminology, since I am not a linguist...

But regarding multiple facial expressions that happen
simultaneously...you are right that typing this is a problem. The old
SignWriter DOS program does not have beautiful graphics, as you know,
and the facial circles are jagged and rough looking. They circles are
also small, and this problem comes up again and again...but there are
solutions.

Imagine, for one minute, writing the Facial Circle by hand. Imagine if
you have a complicated facial expression that has many parts. If you
are writing by hand, instinctively you would write the Facial Circle
just a tiny bit larger to accomodate your need for more room. And so
this issue never came up until typing with computers, because
variations in the size of the circle happened all the time in
handwriting, and no one cared, just as long as they could read the
symbols...

Some future computer solutions...

First, in the IMWA (International Movement Writing Alphabet) I am
hoping to include all possible combinations of facial expressions as
symbols in their own rights, so you will be able to find the
combination you want and type with it, without having to piece faces
together...

Second, TrueType Fonts also hold the opportunity of creating facial
circles that have a very thin line, so that there is more room to place
the symbols inside the face...

So what do you do right now, while you wait for improved software? Move
one face on top of the other. If some combinations work, use those. But
when you have more faces needed, place them side by side...that way
people will know that they are happening simultaneously...

What computer program are you using, Maria?

....More soon...

Val ;-)


Valerie Sutton
Sutton at SignWriting.org

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