Transcriber

[playtothebeat]

i got my Ipaq rx3115 a couple weeks ago. I like it in general, its basically going to be used as an ipod, but there is something that i want to improve.. the transcriber. i installed Calligrapher, and still some of the things i handwrite are converted into something completely different. even though the text is either printed or written neatly in cursive.

do you guys have some tips for how to improve on that? or is there some software that can "learn" my handwriting?

[Darius Wey]

You can train CalliGrapher to recognise the way you write specific characters. If I recall correctly, you should be able to do it from the CalliGrapher menu bar.

[caubeck]

I'm glad you've asked that, as I've been waiting for an opportunity to praise the new Beta version of Calligrapher.

I find Calligrapher is the best software available for writing directly into the PDA. The key to using it is not to expect the programme to recognise any scribble you throw at it (it isn't a mind reader) but to accept a compromise between your slightly tidier-than-usual handwriting and its amazing ability to identify shapes. You should avoid writing at a slant (though there's a little arrow in the toolbar that you can orient to your angle of writing if you insist) and make sure your letters are "whole" (if you leave gaps between strokes forming individual letters it will often understand you've written more than one letter).

Don't try to correct something you've already written on the screen before it transforms it into text, either, or it will think you've written something new.

Here in Spain I find people have problems using PDA transcribers in general because of certain handwriting styles that are less common among native English writers. For example, their "m" and "w" often look exactly the same. But I advise them to do what I'd advise anyone else with transcriber problems to do: check out the "Select Letter Shapes" function. The purpose of this is to choose the way you most commonly write letters so the software can identify them more clearly. However, as the number of choices is limited you can use the list of options as a guide to how to write letters so that the machine can recognise them more easily. You don't have to change your own handwriting style, just reach a compromise between yourself and the software for certain letter shapes.

For words you need to write frequently and have trouble with, use the PenCommander, which lets you create an abbreviation for any text. For example, get it to write your complete name whenever you scribble your first initial and circle it. You can build up dozens of abbreviations like that to save time.

The Beta version of Calligrapher contains two more tools: Write Pad, which is a pink block (pad) that appears at the bottom of the screen. Here whatever you write appears as a line of text in the pad before you press "enter" to place it where you need it. This is useful as you know exactly how the software will interpret your text before you add it, and it allows you to correct yourself by writing over your own handwritten letters.

And Statistical Analyzer, which you can train to recognise your handwriting better (I haven't used it yet, this is new to the latest Beta).

The Beta version of Calligrapher is so efficient I can write out pages of text without a single error. The recogniser now seems to work more intimately with the built-in dictionary, something I notice particularly when I use the Spanish language pack which allows me to write accents.

The only area where Calligrapher has not improved is to provide more options in the "Select Letter Shapes" function. Why the option does not exist to allow adding your own styles puzzles me, but I expect there's some deep technical reason. Also, the last time I looked the latest Beta didn't work well with NYDITOT.

Anyway, if anyone at PhatWare is reading this, thanks for redeveloping this excellent tool, it saves me a lot of time!

Chris

[surur]

I find, using calligrapher, that restricting it to recognising only words that are in the dictionary improves things dramatically. When you come across a new word just type it in using the keyboard, correct it and add it to the dictionary.

If you continue having recognition errors with specific phrases consider adding them to the correction dictionary, where it will substitute what you add for what it recognised e.g. when I write O.K. it often recognised O. L. Ive just added O. L. to the correction dictionary, and now no longer have this problem.

Surur

[caubeck]

Another thing is that when you're writing fluidly and don't want to pause, you can write directly over the "ink" you've already scribbled on the screen. I've often written several sentences "on top of each other" this way with no resulting inaccuracies from the transcriber.

In the same way you can start half way down the screen and then use the space above to write the rest of the sentence. The software understands chronological, not spacial, order.

Another advantage of using the dictionary function is that you don't need to dot the i's and cross the t's, or add accents, in most cases.

For troublesome letters, change the buttons on the special pop-up keyboard to suit your needs. I always keep lower case x, j and z available.

[Tye]

The only area where Calligrapher has not improved is to provide more options in the "Select Letter Shapes" function. Why the option does not exist to allow adding your own styles puzzles me, but I expect there's some deep technical reason.
Chris

Buried in the new beta3 is an option to record your strokes and handwriting. I don't know exactly how it works, but I think the Phatware guys are getting ready to start collecting handwriting samples to increase the stroke set. Turn on this option and it might be your chance to bend Calligrapher's recognition engine to your writing style.

Before the new beta, I never found Calligrapher to be that much better than Transcriber. Now, with the new WritePad, I think it blows away every other HWR solution.