Handwriting in Chinese

PiRmD · Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:00 am Post subject: Handwriting in Chinese

Ni hao !

my (Chinese) girlfriend bought this week-end some fancy writing pad that let input Chinese simply by drawing the corresponding character with a pen (the product is made by Han Wan a Beijing compagny). It connects via the USB port.

Unfortunatly as you might imagine this wonderful product is not supported under linux (well the company does list Linux on his website but I found nothing on how to actually install it).

So here come my question: are you aware of a way to obtain such a similar behaviour?

By googling I understand the following points:
- the only writing pad like that seems supported under linux are wacom, aiptek and another I just forgot the name. So I suppose, finding a tablet that works under linux is not so difficult
- where the think begin to be difficult is how to have some handwritting recognition and have it coupled with some input method like SCIM. That's where I stoped my search. I did found some thing about
. an IME for SCIM (http://tomoe.sourceforge.jp/cgi-bin/en/blog/index.rb?date=20060516) but it only supports Japonese
. some IBM product but it seems no more available (http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/aw.nsf/FAQs/chinese4linux
. the chinput (and maybe minichinput) seems to have such kind of features but as I fail to find English instruction on this part I'm still ot clear how to install it

Have some of you some feedback/success story related to this ?

SnEptUne · l33t Joined: 23 Aug 2004 Posts: 656

Even if the hardware is supported by Linux (such as tablet that is based on wacom), the software wouldn't run under Linux natively. I still haven't find any handwritting tablet that support Linux. How sad...

However, there a input methods that would take handwriting, such as UniHan 2, from Sun Wah Linux. I have contacted them for the source code, but it seems like the distribution is not well maintained. I still haven't gotten any reply.

The binary can be installed on gentoo, but you would need to have iiimf working on Gentoo, as well as other static library.
_________________
"There will be more joy in heaven over the tear-bathed face of a repentant sinner than over the white robes of a hundred just men." (LM, 114)

PiRmD · Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2006 2:10 am Post subject:

Thanks for your clues. Anyway I'm afraid that th esolution you point out is a bit above my actual abilities.

Seems I will have to re-install a windows box soon

SnEptUne · l33t Joined: 23 Aug 2004 Posts: 656

Or you can just install Windows under vmware, with the raw image on a Linux partition. That way, you don't need to reboot everytime you need to use something from Windows. It isn't difficult to install, but setting up network that runs like a separate machine inside vmware is a little complicated.
_________________
"There will be more joy in heaven over the tear-bathed face of a repentant sinner than over the white robes of a hundred just men." (LM, 114)

PiRmD · Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 12:42 am Post subject:

Thanks you for your help. I will have a look to the vmware solution. Thus, can you explain me a bit what is the main objective to set-up a network that runs like a separate machine inside vmware ?

SnEptUne · l33t Joined: 23 Aug 2004 Posts: 656