AW: [sw-l] signtext

[Steve Slevinski]

Hi Stefan,

Thanks for the complement.  Even with all my mistakes, people have
appreciated and supported my work.  I've got some great things comming,
but an offline version of the SignPuddle dictionary tool is not going to
happen soon. The good news is that I've finally outgrown gloss.

Within the next few months, I hope to have SignPuddle 2.0
(signpuddle.org) up and running.  I am also working on a written sign
langauge wiki.  This wiki (signpuddle.net) should also be ready in a few
months.  Currently the wiki is a rough sketch.  It will contain a
multilingual SignPuddle 2.0 manual along with other reference material.

The first offline product that I will offer will either be an updated
SignText and an SPML viewer.  MovementWriter is still several years away
from working.  It will require a complex and open development model. It
will include keyboarding, drag and drop, and real dictionary searching
and lookup.  There are several developing SignWriters, but none
currently use the IMWA and will not work with anything SignPuddle
related, except as graphics only..

I have been writing a lot of English and the IMWA by hand.  I use the
Jarman font for English because it is a quick and ledgible way to
write.  Has anyone developed a font to quickly write hand shapes? There
are only about 70 hand symbols in the ASL SignPuddle dictionary.  The
most common symbol is 01-01-001-01 (based on symbol frequency).  The
handwriting technique should include writing with both hands, the 6 palm
facings (fill), 8 directions (rotations).  After I have a quick way to
write all possible versions of 01-01-001-01, I will pick the next most
common symbol.

Stefan, I remember seeing a picture of you using chalk to write on the
ground.  Now I know that you love SignWriter Dos, but I have to ask...
Do we really need all those heads?  I understand you use a lot of mouth
movements in your teaching.  But, when writing by hand, wouldn't a wider
head with multiple mouth movements inside make more sense?  It would be
easier to write and look better too.

All the best,
-Steve



Stefan Wöhrmann wrote:

>Hi Steve -
>
>your are so amazing. I have to smile - are you already dreaming of
>SignPuddle? Does it rains symbols in your imagination? And so many people
>will get first hand experience of how SW functions if they drag the single
>symbols into the field ... and the aahs and ooohs are nice music in my ears.
>
>
>Let me ask a question without putting additional stress on you -
>
>some time ago you informed me about a offline version of SignPuddle - any
>idea when you will be ready with that?
>
>Perhaps that would be a wonderful tool at our gathering in Brussels as well
>- or I can use it at my presentation at Maastricht? Just a question - please
>do not feel pushed ...
>
>Stefan ;-))
>
>-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
>Von: owner-sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
>[mailto:owner-sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu] Im Auftrag von Steve Slevinski
>Gesendet: Mittwoch, 11. Mai 2005 18:06
>An: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
>Betreff: Re: [sw-l] signtext
>
>Hi Honza,
>
>SignText is not available because it is not ready for users.  I need to
>update the IMWA symbol set, front-end display and markup language output.
>
>It was a good idea, but not ready for prime time.  I could patch it up
>in a few days if people are really using it, but I know of only one text
>document created with SignText.
>
>I have another writing tool that I am working on.  It will be available
>after SignPuddle 2.0.
>
>-Steve
>
>
>
>
>
>