Handwriting recognition in Flash

[RQFlash]

Does anyone know if there is any way to do handwriting recognition in Flash (similar to the Palm Graffiti text)? I won't be running this on a Palm, so I would need something similar that would run in a PC environment.

Thanks,

[red penguin]

initial thoughts:

Use a grid.
Stage listens and tracks points.
Map of the letters to grid.
User clicks down on a particular 'area' (grid).
We know the mapping of any letter (as points in the grid)
If user gets the right (array?), we display the corresponding letter.

Why would one need this at a machine? Last I heard, most have keyboards, don't they?

[RQFlash]

Yes, with a typical PC, it would seem odd to want something like this. In this particular instance I am writing a Flash based user interface for a music server. It will be controlled via touch screen with no keyboard. I would like to offer 2 ways to enter text: Onscreen keyboard and Graffiti-style sketch pad. I like your idea of using a grid. I was hoping something existed already, but if not, that's probably the way to go.

Thanks for you help.

[red penguin]

At any rate an interesting problem to solve. I would have issues with accuracy. If I had some time, I would try to do this...

;)

Good luck and keep us posted...

[Xeef]

function X(x, y, D, K) {
trace(x);
Obj = _root.createEmptyMovieClip("Key"+D, D);
Obj._x = x;
Obj._y = y;
with (Obj) {
lineStyle(1, 0, 100);
beginFill(0x555555, 100);
lineTo(50, 0);
lineTo(50, 50);
lineTo(0, 50);
lineTo(0, 0);
endFill();
}
var Q:TextFormat = new TextFormat();
Q.color = 0xFFFFFF;
Q.size = 20;
Obj.createTextField("T", 1, 0, 0, 0, 0);
Obj.T.autoSize = true;
Obj.T.text = K;
Obj.T.setTextFormat(Q);
Obj.onPress = function() {
_root.OUT.text += K;
};
}
_root.createTextField("OUT", 10000, 0, 250, 0, 0);
OUT.autoSize = true;
KEY = "1234567890QWERTYUIOPASDFGHJKLZXCVBNM";
trace(KEY.length);
c = 0;
for (b=0; b<4; b++) {
for (a=0; a<10; a++) {
X(a*55, b*55, c++, KEY.substr(c, 1));
}
}


just to play whit it

BTW i was totaly confused by "Handwriting" this isn't Handwriting but an
onscreenkeyboard !!!

[agni]

Handwriting recognition is helpful for dyslexic children.I have seen the algorithm sumwhere,but i dunno hw to do it in Flash..anyone out there can help?thanks a lot..:)

[jsebrech]

Beware that you're probably not going to be able to implement a graffiti-like recognition system without violating a few software patents. It's why palm had to abandon their original graffiti system and adopt the new, inferior, handwriting recognition.

[agni]

I was thinking of developing a tool for them to learn to write,they can follow a dotted line or something and learn to write correctly...jus needed some ideas to do it in Flash..:)

[newblack]

you should talk to sophistikat on here.... he was working/about to work on some handwriting recognition stuff. in the meantime, here are some links i had dug up:

character recognition- the source code is temporarily offline but i'm sure you could write to him:
http://www.arkitus.com/?id=21

an extensive and fantastic list of evolutionary computation by craig reynolds, the fellow responsible for pretty much every idea behind imitating flocking motion programmatically:
http://www.red3d.com/cwr/evolve.html

some examples of genetic algorithms in use:
http://www.digilutionary.com/?p=32
http://www.digilutionary.com/?p=33

and some microsoft (ick) background on GA's and word/pattern recognition that might come in handy:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/is...ticAlgorithms/
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/...cognition.aspx

[agni]

Thanks Farista for the links.:) I would appreciate it if someone can show me how to detect if someone has drawn inside a certain grid.I plan to do a simple application that can teach a child to write using Flash.When they draw according to the dotted lines,if the pencil follows all the dotted lines,then there will be "Congrats" feedback..Thank you..