SignWriting Symbol Font: TrueType outlines with OpenType features

Sun Sep 21 19:45:15 UTC 2014

SignWriting List
September 21, 2014

André and everyone -

Steve is working long hours alone, to bring out SignPuddle 3, which will include new versions of SignMaker and SignText. But there will be no keyboarding in SignPuddle 3. He is also working very hard on getting Unicode 8 to function, and also working on software development for the sign language Wikipedias.

If you would like to have keyboarding for SignPuddle, in perhaps SignPuddle 4, we all need to find funding to not only help support Steve and his family, but also other dedicated programmers who have also been donating their time to help -

I am grateful to so many software developers for their time and efforts, including Yair Rand, Eduardo Trapani, Jonathan Duncan, Jake Chasan, the Delegs Team in Germany, and so many others-  there are too many to name - and the vast majority of them donated their time -

We are so fortunate to have what we have! And I know the development will move forward no matter what…

But there is one fact…If there is funding, the progress will happen faster.

I am not a natural grant writer, but I am trying to find funds nonetheless - 

So André - do you know of any sources for funding for software development? specifically for Deaf Education, rare languages, and so forth?

Finding individual donors, or finding the right small foundations whose guidelines match our needs is what we need -

So if you want our efforts to move faster, then we need to help finding funds -

otherwise be patient and in time it will happen despite us!

Val ;-)

On Sep 21, 2014, at 9:02 AM, André Thibeault <atg at VIDEOTRON.CA> wrote:

> Hi Stefan and everyone,
> 
> “…However, I intend to learn how to use a keyboard in SignPuddle in the
> future. Otherwise, I will lose motivation if I can only use a mouse for SW
> sign
> language (SignPuddle)...“
> What does that mean?
> 
> I will answer your question above later. First, I would like to explain
> what I mean by
> "to read and to write daily". If you (anyone) use English, you probably
> enjoy reading it in any papers (newspapers, books, magazines…) or on a
> computer
> (emails, Wikipedia…). You probably read English daily. When you write
> texts in
> English, you use Microsoft Word and a keyboard to type English sentences.
> For
> you, it is easy to accept to write again and again many new documents this
> way.
> You probably write them « daily ». Remember that you do not need to
> constantly use Google's language translation tools. But, of course, you use
> those sometimes when you do not understand specific words or another
> language.
> 
> Here, I’m talking about using SignPuddle. When you use a (SW) written ASL,
> you enjoy
> reading  SW ASL in any papers or on any
> computers. It seems to me that it is easy to accept to read a written ASL
> this
> way. You probably read signtexts in ASL daily. When you write signtexts in
> ASL
> (sentences), you use SignPuddle and a mouse for a SW sign language, but
> you use
> a keyboard for a spoken language. Do you want to write again and again ASL
> sentences in many new documents ‘by using a mouse’? My answer is that it is
> probably not true that you write signtexts by using a mouse « daily »
> because most people do not want to write (by using a mouse) any SW sign
> language. They prefer to use the Translation (Translate) Feature to write
> their
> spoken languages by using a keyboard and by translating them to their SW
> sign
> languages. Probably that only some people write (by using a mouse) many SW
> words « daily » (not sentences) in dictionary entries (SignPuddle).
> It is very common to use a keyboard daily to type spoken languages with the
> Translation Feature (SignPuddle). For example, using a mouse, I write and
> create many new SW LSQ words in dictionary entries, but I do not want to
> write
> (by using a mouse) many signtexts in LSQ because, then, I have to work for
> long
> hours. However, I use a keyboard for typing texts in French with the
> Translation Feature (SignPuddle). I click on ‘translate from French to the
> (SW)
> written LSQ (sentences)’. I do not write « daily » many LSQ sentences
> without using the Translation Feature.
> 
> Stefan, here is my answer: I mean that I intent to use a keyboard only for
> typing SW sign
> language. I would like to write again and again many LSQ sentences in many
> new
> documents without having to use the Translation Feature (SignPuddle). In a
> similar way, I use Microsoft Word to write texts in French in my
> documents. If
> the program developer does not offer the possibility to use a keyboard to
> type
> SW sign languages, I will be bored to use only a mouse for creating many
> SW LSQ
> words in dictionary entries that I translate DAILY from French to SW
> written
> LSQ (sentences) in many new documents because my time is precious. I do not
> write on a DAILY basis LSQ sentences, but I translate them DAILY. For
> example,
> Stefan sometimes sends a signmail to the SW list. What tool do you think he
> uses to write a full sentence: the Translation Feature or a mouse?
> 
> What will happen?
> 
> Stefan, I do not know. But, I can tell you that I taught a SW course to 17
> hearing adults and 7
> Deafian adults. What happened? They were interested in reading SW LSQ, but
> they
> were not interested in writing LSQ by using a mouse. Why? For example, you
> use
> a keyboard for tying a word for kitchen. How long to type this word? About
> 5
> seconds. Imagine that you write texts (500 words) in English by using a
> keyboard. Let’s calculate: 500 words x 5 seconds each = 2,500 seconds.
> 2,500 is
> equivalent to 41 minutes. Assume that you write texts (500 words) by using
> a
> keyboard during 30 to 45 minutes. If you write an ASL word for KITCHEN, how
> long do you have to use a mouse for this word? About 30 seconds. Then, 500
> words x 30 seconds each = 15,000 seconds. 15,000 seconds is equivalent to 4
> hours. Assume that you write (by using a mouse) signtexts (500 words)
> during
> 3:30 to 4 hours. Hearing and Deafian adults found that they had to work a
> lot.
> I dream that I will type an ASL word for KITCHEN during 10 seconds. I may
> write
> by using a keyboard signtexts (500 words) during 1:00 to 1:30 hours.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> André
> 
> 
> Le 14-09-18 15:02, « Stefan Wöhrmann » <stefanwoehrmann at GOOGLEMAIL.COM> a
> écrit :
> 
>> Hi André, 
>> 
>> just curious - you write
>> 
>> "However, I intend to learn how to use a keyboard in SignPuddle in the
>> future. Otherwise, I will lose motivation if I can only use a mouse for SW
>> sign language (SignPuddle)."
>> 
>> What does that mean. What will happen?
>> 
>> All best 
>> 
>> Stefan 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
>> Von: SignWriting List: Read and Write Sign Languages
>> [mailto:SW-L at LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU] Im Auftrag von André Thibeault
>> Gesendet: Donnerstag, 18. September 2014 19:11
>> An: SW-L at LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU
>> Betreff: Re: SignWriting Symbol Font: TrueType outlines with OpenType
>> features
>> 
>> Hi Steve and everyone,
>> 
>> I am not a computer expert, nor a programmer, nor a computer repair
>> technician.
>> 
>> Charles Bulter and I have asked a question (a keyboard) before. If the SW
>> symbol font is ready, will we be able to use a keyboard for SW sign
>> languages (not for spoken languages)?
>> 
>> Val, I know that you will answer this: “Should we learn a SW-Box Dos if we
>> can use a keyboard for SW sign languages?” I am sorry to say that I am not
>> really interested in learning SW-Box Dos.
>> 
>> However, I intend to learn how to use a keyboard in SignPuddle in the
>> future. Otherwise, I will lose motivation if I can only use a mouse for SW
>> sign language (SignPuddle).
>> 
>> For many years now, Steve has been a hard worker improving for us many
>> computer features and functions, which is great and praiseworthy. Thanks a
>> lot, Steve!
>> 
>> Best regards,
>> 
>> André
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Le 14-09-17 15:43, « Stephen E Slevinski Jr » <slevin at SIGNPUDDLE.NET> a
>> écrit :
>> 
>>> Hi SignWriting List,
>>> 
>>> I've been busy working with the ISWA 2010 Font Reference. I just
>>> released version 1.10.
>>> http://signpuddle.net/iswa
>>> 
>>> It is a vast collection of ISWA 2010 data available in a variety of
>>> formats such as PNG, PBM, SVG, TXT, and TTF.
>>> 
>>> I'm happy to announce the availability of 150 MB of new compressed and
>>> refined SVG files for the ISWA 1010. There are 37,811 line glyphs and
>>> 25,429 fill glyphs, available in 4 styles: as Unified SVG (2 color), as
>>> Line SVG, as Fill SVG (white), and as Fill SVG (black). Every style has
>>> either 37,811 glyphs because it includes the line or it has 25,429
>>> glyphs because it is fill only. The individual SVG files are named after
>>> the symbol key and available in one of 12 different zipped directories.
>>> 
>>> This is prep work for the new TrueType outline conversion. I should be
>>> able to create 2-color fonts in a variety of formats that can be
>>> downloaded and installed, or streamed over the internet for viewing
>>> without installation. People who install the font locally will decrease
>>> their internet traffic by 96%. Instead of a page size of 1.1 MB of
>>> streamed SVGs or TTFs, the page will include 36 KB of FSW text.
>>> 
>>> Once the new font files are loaded with the TrueType outlines, I will
>>> need to map those glyphs onto a set of characters. Using Open Type
>>> features, I have put together 3 more text files, each is over 1 MB. The
>>> feature files map a set of strings onto the glyphs in the font. Each
>>> file contains a different set of target strings. There is one for FSW
>>> symbol keys, another for Unicode 8, and a final set for Unicode PUA.
>>> Regardless of our character set choice, we should be able to utilize a
>>> client side font and reduce our network traffic by 96%.
>>> 
>>> All of these files are available on the ISWA 2010 Font Reference in the
>>> Symbol Font Development section.
>>> http://signpuddle.net/iswa/#fontdev
>>> 
>>> I am hoping to have the new font files available soon. I am making
>>> progress with FontForge and python scripting. I will keep you posted.
>>> 
>>> Regards,
>>> ∼Steve
>>> 
>>> ________________________________________________
>>> 
>>> 
>>> SIGNWRITING LIST INFORMATION
>>> 
>>> Valerie Sutton
>>> SignWriting List moderator
>>> sutton at signwriting.org
>>> 
>>> Post Messages to the SignWriting List:
>>> sw-l at listserv.valenciacollege.edu
>>> 
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>>> 
>> 
>> ________________________________________________
>> 
>> 
>> SIGNWRITING LIST INFORMATION
>> 
>> Valerie Sutton
>> SignWriting List moderator
>> sutton at signwriting.org
>> 
>> Post Messages to the SignWriting List:
>> sw-l at listserv.valenciacollege.edu
>> 
>> SignWriting List Archives & Home Page
>> http://www.signwriting.org/forums/swlist
>> 
>> Join, Leave or Change How You Receive SW List Messages
>> http://listserv.valenciacollege.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=SW-L&A=1
>> 
>> ________________________________________________
>> 
>> 
>> SIGNWRITING LIST INFORMATION
>> 
>> Valerie Sutton
>> SignWriting List moderator
>> sutton at signwriting.org
>> 
>> Post Messages to the SignWriting List:
>> sw-l at listserv.valenciacollege.edu
>> 
>> SignWriting List Archives & Home Page
>> http://www.signwriting.org/forums/swlist
>> 
>> Join, Leave or Change How You Receive SW List Messages
>> http://listserv.valenciacollege.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=SW-L&A=1
>> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________________________
> 
> 
> SIGNWRITING LIST INFORMATION
> 
> Valerie Sutton
> SignWriting List moderator
> sutton at signwriting.org
> 
> Post Messages to the SignWriting List:
> sw-l at listserv.valenciacollege.edu
> 
> SignWriting List Archives & Home Page
> http://www.signwriting.org/forums/swlist
> 
> Join, Leave or Change How You Receive SW List Messages
> http://listserv.valenciacollege.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=SW-L&A=1
> <default[1].xml>

________________________________________________

SIGNWRITING LIST INFORMATION

Valerie Sutton
SignWriting List moderator
sutton at signwriting.org

Post Messages to the SignWriting List:
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