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@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@ + +README for LibStroke/LibGStroke +(http://www.etla.net/libstroke/) + +LibGStroke is a port of the LibStroke library to the Gnome +environment, and is being worked on by Dan Nicolaescu and Mark Willey. +It is fully functional right now, you can find more details in +README.libgstroke, the source code in the libgstroke subdirectory and +a demo in tests/gnome_stroke_test.c +The goal is to have a simple and complete implementation of stroke +recognition that can be used by all Gnome applications. + +For DEMOS: see the tests subdirectory (it contains a demo for +LibStroke and one for LibGStroke). + +For NEWS see the NEWS file. + +LibStroke is a stroke interface library. Strokes are motions +of the mouse that can be interpreted by a program as a command. Strokes +are used extensively in CAD programs. I fell in love with them when I was +using the Mentor Graphics CAD tools and the CAD tools internally developed +by Intel. I am writing this library so that others can see how useful +strokes can be and so that more programs take advantage of this extremely +natural human-computer interface. + +The basic idea: + +Your program forwards certain events to a LibStroke function called +record(). These events are built up into a string of numbers representing +positions on a grid. The size of the grid is 3x3. Then, when the final +event is sent to the library, a sequence of numbers will be returned in a +string. This sequence represents the path that the stroke followed. +Currently, there is only one interface to the library -- the record() +function will return the string as an argument. In the future, this will +be adapted to make it more flexible with a multitude of interfaces. + +This grid looks like this: + + 1 2 3 + + 4 5 6 + + 7 8 9 + +I am resisting my natural computer engineer tendancy of starting to count +with zero... ;-) Just so it looks like a phone keypad and for other +hysterical raisins. + +For a set of proposed standard strokes see doc/standard_strokes.jpg + +For more detailed information on the algorithm, please see the paper I +wrote on stroke recognition for an IEEE paper contest. It's on the web +page. + +The library comes with a test program for the purpose of experimenting with +the library. Run stroke_test and try a few strokes on the window. Depress +the middle mouse button and drag it for a bit. Release the button. The +stroke sequence will be printf'd out by stroke_test. + +To help you add LibStroke support for your application, there are reference +applications included in the tarball and links to real applications that use +LibStroke (FVWM2, gEDA) available the LibStroke home page. + +Try it, you'll like it. :) + +For comments, questions, suggestions, patches and to tell how you have +used LibStroke/LibGStroke write to: +Mark Willey, ETLA Technical Solutions, willey@etla.net +and +Dan Nicolaescu, dann@ics.uci.edu + |