Different Sizes of Symbols

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
May 20, 2007

On May 19, 2007, at 6:37 PM, Stuart Thiessen wrote:
> By changing from Bitmaps to SVG, it will be no problem at all to  
> have varying sizes of circles. But using bitmap graphics is what  
> can restrict us to specific sizes. An issue we might have to  
> discuss is whether we would need to sort differently based on  
> sizing, but my instinct is that it shouldn't make any difference. I  
> would consider it a matter of style or tone rather than a true  
> difference that would need to be sorted differently. What do you  
> all think? Stuart

The ISWA, or the IMWA, already sorts by sizes. They are a different  
Variation Number in the ID string...they are the same symbol, in  
other words, but the Variation Number changes...Small comes before  
Medium comes before Large...This was true from the beginning of  
SignWriter Apple //e and SignWriter DOS as early as 1986!

Recently, with the new SignPuddle 1.5, we are able to export the data  
with SBML (SignBank Markup Language) so we can import the data into  
SignBank 8.5. This means I was able to import around 2000 signs with  
all the SignSpelling data imported immediately, which meant that I  
could print out a large dictionary sorted by SSS quickly in  
SignBank...and the sorting of course, includes the differences in  
sizes...since that is built into the IMWA (soon to be the ISWA ;-)

I am happy to know that SVG can help us improve sizes and frankly,  
creating the bitmaps of circles that are different sizes has been  
very hard to do well with bitmaps...so this is on one hand, good news  
indeed...and we could reduce the amount of symbols needed, if we can  
get rid of the Variations of Sizes, but it would also change the way  
people type...our old typing system that we all love and miss, from  
SignWriter DOS, which may be re-implemented someday, is based on the  
three Variations of Sizes....which never were enough...

Right now, in SignPuddle 1.5 and 1.0, if you choose an arrow of any  
size, by clicking on the Variations Button, you get the other  
sizes....So you can get the three sizes in two ways...by dragging and  
dropping each size, or by selecting the arrow in the SignBox and then  
clicking on the Variations Key below...see attached:

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