android app for SignPuddle US dictionary

[Schuyler Duveen]

Hello again,

Thanks everyone for sending feedback and issues back in September.  I
just started a new job, so I've been a little distracted, but finally
was able to come back around to this project.  A new version is at the
same URL:

http://skyb.us/static/signlanguage/downloads/SkySigns.apk

You can also just download it from the Android Market by searching for
'skysigns'

It's still a little slow on older devices, but please let me know if
something doesn't work.  It's basically a functional dictionary now.

I'm now working on a composer, which will let people upload signs which
will then get added to the dictionary (after some moderation).  After an
issue or two is resolved, it will also be an iPhone app and a website
with the same functionality.

If you want to preview the composer functionality, go to the About page
and scroll ALL the way down, and then click the "enable experimental
mode" link.  Nothing will happen, but if you exit and re-enter the app,
you'll suddenly have a 'Add new sign' option and you can edit any sign
in the dictionary.

One thing I was trying to do is use the compose context as a kind of
intro to sign writing -- by indexing common symbols.  A few of the sign
lists in the help/compose section have been selected by looking for the
most common elements used in the dictionary.  But the general approach
is not to be comprehensive with all the shapes -- instead having a short
but useful list.  I'd love feedback on important hand-shapes that are
not included or anything that's mislabeled.

Finally, the html/javascript part of it is open-source:
https://github.com/schuyler1d/skysigns

cheers,
sky

PS If you reply, please CC my email address (sky at skyb.us) since I read
the list in digest format, and it will be harder to answer.

On 09/06/2011 11:02 AM, Schuyler Duveen wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> I'm new to the community.  I became interested in learning sign
> language early this year, and discovered Sign Writing through some web
> searches.  Recently, I also became interested in learning about mobile
> application development, and SignWriting seemed like a great way to
> store a large ASL dictionary offline (so I can get it on the subway
> and without downloading a large video or something) and SignPuddle's
> export made it possible to start with a large database of signs.
>
> This is still not-even-alpha software -- lots of bugs, and debugging
> data exposed, but for those of you with Android phones you should be
> able to install this .apk file:
>
> http://skyb.us/static/signlanguage/downloads/SkySigns.apk
>
> (Follow these instructions:
>  http://www.androidcentral.com/allow-app-installs-unknown-sources
>  and then visit the above link from your phone.  After install, read
> the About page first.)
>
> Right now, it's just a dictionary with look-up, but I hope eventually
> to add reverse-lookup, a sign composer (so people can add to the
> dictionary easily), and support for arbitrary dictionaries (via spml
> files?).
>
> I'd also like to open-source license it, but because I'd like this app
> to be available on the android and iphone markets, I need to figure
> out what the best license is for such things (since they're pretty
> antagonistic toward open-source apps).
>
> In the meantime, this is also just a hello.  SignWriting was really
> easy to learn, and the infrastructure that all of you have built is
> amazing.
>
> cheers,
> Schuyler
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