Presented Live Online July 22, 2014 on Google Hangouts and YouTube. Go to the SignWriting YouTube Channel: http://www.YouTube.com/SignWriting. Visit the SignWriting Symposium Presentation 19 web page to read abstracts and papers, and watch videos and slides by Stephen Slevinski: signwriting.org/symposium/presentation0019.html ABSTRACT Constructing a TrueType Font for the SignWriting Script with Unicode Characters Using the Graphite Rendering System by Stephen E. Slevinski, Jr., Software Developer of SignPuddle, SWIS, & Sign Language Wikipedias, www.signpuddle.net This paper is based on TrueType Font development by Eduardo Trápani. SignWriting is a complex script that requires 2-dimensional placement of glyphs. Graphite is a special rendering system that enhances TrueType Fonts with special rules to support complex scripts. Using FontForge, a TrueType Font was created that works with Graphite to support the 2-dimensional nature of the SignWriting script. The use of a locally installed font eliminates the need of server side generated images, reducing network traffic and allowing for users to work offline without an internet connection. The font has several issues to resolve before it is production ready, but demonstrates the future possibilities. Two web pages that display some symbols in Chrome: http://programoj.esperanto.org.uy/sw/mini.html http://programoj.esperanto.org.uy/sw/Main_page_2.html

1. Constructing a TrueType Font
for the SignWriting Script
with Unicode Characters
using the Graphite Rendering System
presented by Stephen E Slevinski Jr
in association with the Center for Sutton Movement Writing

2. Is it possible to have a
client side TrueType Font
for SignWriting?
SignWriting Text
SignWriting Script
Unicode Font Forge Graphite
Symbol Font

3. Outline
1. Background
2. Motivation
3. Quality
4. Future

4. 1. Background
• Symbol Font
• Unicode Private Use Area
• FontForge
• Graphite

5. Symbol Font
International SignWriting Alphabet
• 37,811 symbols
• Combined Character Sequence
• 674 Characters
ISWA 2010
ISWA 2010 HTML Reference
http://signbank.org/iswa/

6. Unicode Private Use Area
• Characters for symbols
• Characters for structural markers
• Number characters

7. FontForge Import
• Naming Convention: u1D800_u1DA8C_u1DA92.svg
• Martin Hosken’s symbol import prototype
• Eduardo Trápani’s symbol import and space control
http://fontforge.org/

8. Graphite
• Smart Font Technology
• Graphite Description Language (GDL)
• Coordinate Characters
http://graphite.sil.org/

9. 2. Motivation
• Client Side - download font and install
• No Server Required
• Complex Script
• User Arrangement

10. Client Side
download font and install
• iswa.ttf, 6.1 MB
• Enable Graphite in Firefox
• Github Source
ISWA 2010 Font Reference
http://signpuddle.net/iswa/

11. No Server Required
• SVG Images from Server
• Wikimedia Labs Project
• Github Source
http://swis.wmflabs.org

12. Complex Script
• 2-Dimensional Positioning
• Unpredictable Placement
• Coordinate Characters

13. User Arrangement
• Exact positioning
• Any sign is possible
• No gatekeepers
• No waiting

14. 3. Quality
• Entire ISWA 2010
• Real 2-dimensional placement
• Fuzzy depending on setup
• Fill issues
• Crashing

15. Font Comparisons
TrueType Font SVG

16. Font Comparisons
TrueType Font SVG

17. Font Comparisons
TrueType Font SVG

18. Font Comparisons
TrueType Font SVG

19. Font Comparisons
TrueType Font SVG

20. Font Comparisons
TrueType Font SVG

21. 4. Future
Further font development
• Symbol Quality
• 2-Color Font
• Margin Issues