SVG version of our IMWA symbols

Thu Apr 26 04:29:15 UTC 2007

It is a internet abbreviation which means As Far As I Know. :)

Stuart

On Apr 25, 2007, at 22:07, Adam Frost wrote:

> What does AFAIK mean?
>
> Adam
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Stuart Thiessen" <sw at passitonservices.org>
> Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:57:51
> To:sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
> Subject: Re: [sw-l] SVG version of our IMWA symbols
>
> AFAIK, on a browser, everything is cached unless the server  
> indicates it should not be. So I wouldn't be too worried about that.
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
> Stuart
>
>
> On Apr 25, 2007, at 18:19, Jonathan wrote:
>
>
>  Valerie Sutton wrote: SignWriting List
>  April 25, 2007
>
>  Yes, that is correct. Steve Slevinski asked for the SVG version of  
> our symbols for programming...so I will put that as a priority...it  
> is my responsibility to finish the IMWA so we can move forward with  
> SVG...
>
>  It will take some time for me to complete the IMWA 1.4 in bitmaps,  
> but I hope to do that this year, the sooner the better, and then  
> the entire IMWA 1.4 will need to be placed into SVG...Machado has  
> already done a lot of the symbols in SVG...so it is a matter of  
> making sure that every new symbol is added to the current set of  
> SVG...
>
>  And I know there are different typeface designs that can be done  
> in SVG, so there can be different writing styles of the same  
> symbols and it may be that someday there will be different sets of  
> SVG so we can choose typefaces...
>
>  I read your message below, Jonathan, and the problem is, I am not  
> a programmer. I just want to provide every programmer with what  
> they need, to program using SignWriting.
>       Val,
>         I am glad you are working on getting the symbols to SVG as  
> well.  I guess it really is the best option for the online  
> community.  The project that I am working in my spare time is using  
> the PNG format which are working very well for my needs.  I'm sure  
> that Steve and Sandy will be for of the first to use the SVG  
> symbols and I probably will follow not long after.
>
>  I understand your concerns about SVG taking bandwidth, if you do  
> not have a stable internet connection, and it may be that in  
> countries where that is the norm, another version of the symbols in  
> bitmap form will be necessary...I have to leave that to the  
> programming experts...
>   After all, the SVG will probably the better way even if it  
> couldn't be cached because only a few or even one symbols needs to  
> be downloaded to do all 96 fills and rotations.
>
>  SVG is easier than creating True Type fonts the old way...so I can  
> see it has value, because the symbols look better on the screen and  
> they reduce with better quality I believe...
>   BTW do you know if Stephan ever finished our sign names as fonts?
>
>  Thanks for all your messages, Jonathan!
>
>  it is hard to keep up with so many messages these days!
>   So many great lists to be eh?  :-)
>
>  Val ;-)
>
>  ----------
>
>
>
>
>  On Apr 25, 2007, at 10:07 AM, Steve Slevinski wrote:
>
>  Jonathan,
>
>  I am the one requesting an SVG
>
>  Jonathan wrote:
>  An SVG version of the IMWA symbols seems exciting.  I was  
> wondering we advantages this might have.  I know that currently the  
> PNG symbols are cacheable so this is better for us that have lower  
> bandwidth as we only have to get each symbol once. I briefly looked  
> into the SVG and it seems to be inline so it comes as part of the  
> web page.  I don't think that it would be cacheable but I could be  
> wrong. If the SVG is part of the page, then the browser wouldn't  
> have to get each symbol one by one, it would load faster on the  
> browser but the server would have to resend the symbol on each web  
> page refresh so it might be a bit longer to load each page for  
> those of us with lower bandwith.  Though on second thought, if we  
> don't have to get each rotation it might even be faster.
>      I was thinking on the savings are far as rotations  for only  
> the handshapes using the SVG.  Presently there are about 207 hand  
> shapes with 6 distinct fills rotated 8 different positions then  
> mirrored and rotated another 8 positions.  So for each of the 207  
> there are 6 fills X 16 rotations = 96 symbols per hand shape.  207  
> handshapes X 96 symbols each =  19872 handshape symbols.  Now if we  
> only had to draw the 6 fills for the 207 handshapes, we would only  
> have to define 207 X 6 =  1242 symbols which SVG could easily  
> mirror and rotate all the ways we wanted to.  So with SVG we would  
> only need to define 6% of the current handshape symbols.  That's  
> like 94% improvement. Not bad!!! Some of the other arrows etc can  
> also be rotated and flipped to make up the full set. However there  
> wouldn't be any savings as far as the face symbols or some of the  
> punctuation is concerned.
>      I guess when we have made a few, we will have a better idea  
> how they compare in size to the PNG symbols.  I wonder if they  
> would be any smaller as many symbols have a lot of parts that have  
> to be described.  The median PNG symbol file size is only 232  
> bytes.  It going to be hard to beat that but with a 90-94% savings  
> from rotating them on the SVG I guess it would really be worth it.
>      I the other more immediate benefit would be that they are  
> easily scalable.  This would be better for captioning or people who  
> have bad eyesight.
>  What else have your learned about doing the IMWA in SVG?
>  Jonathan
>
>  I am going to step out in the beautiful Springtime air and be back  
> shortly -
>
>  Val ;-)
>
>  -----------
>
>
>  On Apr 21, 2007, at 11:29 AM, Cherie Wren wrote:
>
>  I volunteer to help...
>
>  cherie
>
>  ----- Original Message ----
>  From: Valerie Sutton <sutton at signwriting.org>:  
> <mailto:sutton at signwriting.org>
>  To: List SignWriting <sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu>:  
> <mailto:sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu>
>  Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 8:41:27 PM
>  Subject: [sw-l] Wikipedia American Sign Language
>
>  SignWriting List
>  April 20, 2007
>
>  Hello SW List Members!
>
>  As you all know, recently there has been interest in creating a
>  possible ASL Wikipedia, or at least, the beginning of writing an
>  Encyclopedia in ASL...
>
>  Since we are new to writing and posting documents on the web, in our
>  SignPuddle 1.5 Literature Puddle online, I realize that this is a
>  very big leap forward, to start writing encyclopedia articles in ASL!
>
>  To write such an article, we would need to either choose an article
>  already written in another encyclopedia, and then translate it from
>  English to ASL and then write it in SignWriting in SignText...
>
>  or...
>
>  write it directly from our own knowledge of physics, or geography or
>  whatever the article is about!
>
>  This seems like a big new project, doesn't it?
>
>  Sooo...here is my thought...
>
>  Do we have volunteers to help us write one test-article for a new
>  encyclopedia written in ASL?
>
>  It will be our FIRST article for an encyclopedia in ASL...like a test
>  drive. Then we can show the document to those at Wikimedia and to
>  others too...It will be an historic and interesting adventure...
>
>  I know many of you are already overloaded with projects, so only
>  volunteer if you feel you have the time. We could create an
>  Encylopedia team of writers, and each person could take a small
>  section of the translation and writing...
>
>  And there is no rush and no deadline.
>
>  Plus we need to choose the one article we want to write...
>
>  But before we choose the article, is there anyone interested in
>  volunteering to write an article for an Encyclopedia?
>
>  Once we have a few volunteers, I will write to the Wikimedia language
>  committee to suggest that maybe they can choose one article for us to
>  translate from the Wikipedia in English online...
>
>  Those are my thoughts...
>
>  What are yours?
>
>  Val ;-)
>
>
>
>  Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell?
>  Check out new cars at Yahoo! Autos.
>
>
>
>
>  --
>  Jonathan & Yolaine Duncan
>  8-)  & ;-)
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -- 
>
>
>  Jonathan & Yolaine Duncan
>   8-)  & ;-)
>
>
>
>