Character Recognition Tool

[flameproof]

Another tool I haven't seen mentioned here:

HanziLookup

http://www.kiang.org/jordan/software/hanzilookup/

It's a application you need to D/L and install. You can write characters with your mouse and look them up. I haven't tried it, but it's maybe useful to some.

PS: I think this section needs a clean up. We need just the very first page here with the links and description, would be like a wiki then....

[gato]

This handwriting recognition applet apparently has already been incorporated into Dimsum.

http://www.mandarintools.com/dimsum.html

November 15, 2004: (v0.7.4) Added handwriting recognition from HanziDict

[flameproof]

oh, I didn't know that. Well, since we have the topic anyway, you can also do it online and write characters with your mouse with the same engine:

http://www.kiang.org/jordan/software/hanzilookup/hanzidict.html

BTW, NJ Star Chinese Pen can do it too, but costs US$59 after the 30 days free trial.

[stoney]

Help!

How do you get this thing to run?

I'm not even sure what a "Java Swing component" is or how to instal this.

[flameproof]

I think the online version does pretty much the same without installing.

Otherwise you need to install the Java runtime

[roddy]

Isn't there some kind of similar tool built into the MS IME? I'm sure I've used it before, but I can't find it now.

[flameproof]

Isn't there some kind of similar tool built into the MS IME

I was doubtful, but there is....:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/int_pr_install_languages.mspx?mfr=true

Quote:

Handwriting recognition allows you to insert text by writing instead of typing. You can insert text using a handwriting device, such as a digital pen and tablet, or you can move your mouse to form words while holding down the primary mouse button

The first five Microsoft engines that are available are Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean.

How to install it:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/input_pen_installing_hw.mspx

I will not try it since I use PlecoDict, and I am happy that my Xp can use Pinyin input now. But I think it's a great help for people which have no PlecoDict and stumble on hostile characters in Newspapers or whatever offline media.

[roddy]

Yeah, got it working. It doesn't seem to be the best, and is clumsy to say the least with a mouse, but it's there.

[flameproof]

I think that MS IME link should also go into the "useful tools"

There seem to be very little out there that lets you write a character with a mouse.

[haton]

I find Jordan Kiang's recognition program very good. The algorithm is very simple yet effective.

On my computer, java is slow, however and the result was a bit frustrating.

That's why I ported it to Basic (under Windows). It is the same algorithm but it runs much faster.

I incorporated the character recognition into a dictionary program I wrote, called PABLO. Check it out at:

http://ehaton.blogspot.com

[ChouDoufu]

Quote:

Isn't there some kind of similar tool built into the MS IME? I'm sure I've used it before, but I can't find it now.

Yes there is!!! I just was searching for such a function and discovered it completely by accident. There are multiple ways to access it. The first is to add New Changjie or New Phonetic input (which is under Chinese (Taiwan) in the regional and languages settings. Then choose the IMEpad under the Tool Menu.

now, i personally don't type in traditional normally, and the IME pad under MS2003Pinyin IME doesn't have the handwriting method in the default IME pad. But there is a way to add the capability to Pinyin IME. The default IME pad for Pinyin IME looks like this:

if you click the upper left corner, it will bring up a file menu. which is in chinese for me (maybe because of my language settings...)

Choose the "show applets for all IME" option and choose Hand Writing(CH).

and there you go, hand writing recognition for chinese built into windows.

Note: since this tool was attached to the taiwanese ime i was curious about the support for simplified characters. It has complex characters and "simplified characters". the visual depiction on the simplified characters sometimes looks like a cross between trad-simp, but when you select the character, it will be output in proper simplified form. If you choose a complex character, it will come out as complex.

[Quakebum]

What program is that? Is that the one from Office?

[roddy]

There's a handwriting extension for Sougou Pinyin - 手写输入法1.1.0.30 on the left hand side. Haven't tried it.