[sw-l] Question....Creating SWML-S with SignMaker

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
October 16, 2004

Stephen Slevinski wrote:
> A new name may be needed, lets use Sign Sentence Maker (or SSM for
> short).

This is fabulous, Stephen, that with SWML you are able to create a way
to write whole sentences, and possibly a full-page document, in
SignWriting on the web, with no glosses, but drag and drop instead -
That is simply wonderful!

Yes. A new name is needed. SignMaker creates individual signs, which
can then be loaded into a dictionary. But a link can be located on
SignPuddle for this other program, which at the moment we are calling
SignSentence Maker, which is a long name...I need to understand the
full extent of all the features possible.

In time, as we get used to creating sentences, I would think that later
we could create full paragraphs...the user would state how many signs
per column, and then drag and drop signs, adding them to the sentences,
one by one, choosing the unique facial expression and unique lane for
each sign as you go.... and the documents created with SSM would become
printable, because people could print from the PDF...


> Currently, SSM is a more technical, less end user solution.  Creating
> a 50
> page document is possible, but editing would be painful.  As of now,
> SSM is
> best for free-writing or transcription.

Great way to start!! It will take us a year just to let this settle
down and people become skilled with it...But we all need to understand
it better...

> It should be possible to create PDFs from SWML directly.  However, SSM
> contains no formatting other than sentences with lanes.  No headers,
> titles,
> paragraphs, ...

That is ok for now. Mainly we need to be able to tell the program how
many signs we want per column. For now that is plenty!


> And you are going to have to teach how to write with lanes, ha ha :)
> Something else on your plate.  But I know lanes are a special feature
> that
> you would love to talk about.

Ha! Yes. You are right. This is really good for the writing system,
because people who only use SignWriter DOS are not used to the idea of
writing down in vertical columns...and they certainly don't have to!
Everyone can write as they choose...but this gives us a forum for
discussing the pros and cons of vertical writing, and why the lanes add
so much to writing sign language storytelling...

Val ;-)

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SIGN PUDDLE on the web:

1. CHOOSE Different Sign Languages
http://signbank.org/signpuddle

2. SEARCH Dictionary
http://signbank.org/signpuddle/sgn-US/search.php

3. TRANSLATE Words to Signs...
http://signbank.org/signpuddle/sgn-US/translate.php

4. SIGNMAIL: Send SignWriting Email
http://signbank.org/signpuddle/sgn-US/email.php

5. SIGNMAKER: Make Your Own Signs in SignWriting
http://signbank.org/signpuddle/sgn-US/create.php