OneNote needs better handwriting recognition using a tablet

[Safetyduck]

When using my WACOM tablet with my desktop to write notes, the letters as I
write tend to connect and make the words unreadable. Also the
interconnections between the letters do not make any sense, further making
the words difficult to read.

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http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...a9c8-59a8be43969b&dg=microsoft.public.onenote

 

[Chris H.]

And we're supposed to do what? Seems to me if you can't read your own
writing it might be time to slow down and make things a bit more legible.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -

 

[Ben M. Schorr, MVP]

When using my WACOM tablet with my desktop to write notes, the letters
as I
write tend to connect and make the words unreadable. Also the
interconnections between the letters do not make any sense, further
making
the words difficult to read.

Chris is partly right - to some degree you probably need to write more
carefully. This is especially true when you're using an external tablet
like a Wacom which doesn't have the kind of capture rate that a Tablet PC
does. There isn't much Microsoft can do about the quality of the inking
on a hardware device.

--
-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, MVP-OneNote/Outlook
Operations Coordinator
Stockholm/KSG - Honolulu
http://www.scgab.com

 

[Safetyduck]

I wasn't looking for perfection, or a smart ass response. But, even when I
do write slowly and squarely, for whatever reason, I get interconnections
between the letters. And if OneNote is intended to replace the standard pen
and paper, I would think that MS would be interested in trying to further
their ink recognition for all hardware, not just Tablet PC's. I can't
believe that you geniuses don't have the imagination to foresee the use of
pens/tablets as a primary source of input and thereby replacing the mouse.....

 

[Chris H.]

I hope you didn't take it that way, but there's no way for us to predict or
control someone's handwriting, especially when you're substituting a writing
pad which records the lines are the rate of a mouse. That's why a Tablet
PC, with its digital system and a hugely higher sampling rate, recognizes
not just the "character" or "word" you input, but the strokes which make up
each letter. Ink in OneNote is only fully supported on a Tablet PC.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -

 

[Ben M. Schorr, MVP]

I can't
believe that you geniuses don't have the imagination to foresee the use
of
pens/tablets as a primary source of input and thereby replacing the

The fundamental problem, as I mentioned in my previous reply, is that the
writing pads like what you're using don't have nearly the capture rate of
the Tablet PC digitizer. They simply don't provide OneNote/Windows XP
with the quality of input required for high quality text recognition.

Perhaps if Wacom wants to produce a writing pad with a digitizer that
captures at the same rate a Tablet PC does then you'd get better results.
In the meantime the limitation is really in the hardware; not the software.

--
-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, MVP-OneNote/Outlook
Operations Coordinator
Stockholm/KSG - Honolulu
http://www.scgab.com

 

[James Gockel]

I'd like to see this digitizer, it'd probably be firewire. ;-)
Bluetooth would be unreliable, IMO, for this kind of implimentation.
-James

 

[Safetyduck]

Thank you - I understand the limitations of the tablet - a device that is not
entirely designed for the uses that I am subjecting it to. I also should not
have snapped quite so hard at Chris, but I don't need a lecture on my
penmanship. I just wanted a straightforward answer and maybe some foresight
into the software side. But I do have another question: If the graphics
tablet does not capture as fast, then in theory, couldn't the software be
programmed to capture at the ideal rate for the tablet?

 

[Chris H.]

That's why I had the "" - a smile - in the comment. No, the software
cannot compensate for the input. What you're basically doing is making a
drawing, not digital Ink as is supported only on Tablet PCs.

You would probably have nearly the same results as just using your mouse,
since the input speed (roughly 40 samples per second) is about 1/3 of
digital input (133 per second). I'm not sure what a writing pad registers
for resolution, but a Tablet PC with handwriting recognition requires
digitizer resolution of 600 points per inch at the low, with 1,000 point
recommended.

Now, that said, perhaps the software which came with your writing pad has
some adjustments you might be able to make to compensate for what you're
seeing as results on-screen. You might want to check http://www.wacom.com
to see if any updated drivers are available for you, or perhaps their
support section regarding the blending of the letters.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -

 

[Ben M. Schorr, MVP]

But I do have another question: If the graphics
tablet does not capture as fast, then in theory, couldn't the software be
programmed to capture at the ideal rate for the tablet?

There may be some optimizations they can make there but it's still not
going to be as good as the digitizer on the Tablet PC so the results are
always going to suffer a bit. I would also assume that MS has chosen to
allocate it's finite (Yes!) OneNote resources where the most user benefit
would be and I'd be surprised if even 3% of the OneNote users have the
writing tablets like yours.

So I can understand if they are reluctant to invest significant resources,
or make substatial alterations to their code base, to address an issue
that only a very small percentage of people are having. Not to mention
the fact that they probably can't really fix the problem; they only have
some hope of making it a little better.

Speaking personally I'd rather devote the programming time to adding
internal hyperlinks or increasing the integration with Outlook.

--
-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, MVP-OneNote/Outlook
Operations Coordinator
Stockholm/KSG - Honolulu
http://www.scgab.com

 

[Ben M. Schorr, MVP]

I'd like to see this digitizer, it'd probably be firewire. ;-)
Bluetooth would be unreliable, IMO, for this kind of implimentation.
-James

Yes, it would probably have to be Firewire. Too expensive to develop a
proprietary interface card these days.



--
-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, MVP-OneNote/Outlook
Operations Coordinator
Stockholm/KSG - Honolulu
http://www.scgab.com

 

[James Gockel]

I have a graphics tablet also... dont know the sample rate of it...
But I had mine before I bought my tablet pc.. never tried to get any
handwriting to work using the external tablet...

Just so that i am clear with the OP's post... He's got a tablet pc, in which
he's writing on an external graphics tablet, in onenote, and trying to get
the writing recog to work?

-James

 

[Chris H.]

His original post said, "When using my WACOM tablet with my desktop. . ."
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -

 

[James Gockel]

But I thought you said chris A while ago, that handwriting recognition
wouldnt be available unless it was a tablet pc...
Maybe i misread... or misunderstood your meaning.

-James

 

[Ben M. Schorr, MVP]

But I thought you said chris A while ago, that handwriting recognition
wouldnt be available unless it was a tablet pc...
Maybe i misread... or misunderstood your meaning.

-James

No, you got it right. He can still handwrite with the Wacom, but OneNote
won't recognize it as text if he doesn't have the TabletPC OS (i.e.
digital ink). It'll just be a picture to OneNote. But it'll still look
like handwriting to him.

--
-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, MVP-OneNote/Outlook
Operations Coordinator
Stockholm/KSG - Honolulu
http://www.scgab.com

 

[Chris H.]

The difference, as Ben says, is it looks like "handwriting" in OneNote but
is actually a graphic. Therefore, it cannot be searched or converted to
text as you can on a Tablet PC. The "written note" is still there, but it
is a big graphic, and cannot be edited or changed.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -

 

[appalcarp]

'or increasing the integration with OUTLOOK'
YEAH, like using ALL current versions of Word and Outlook. Suggestion.

 

[Ben M. Schorr, MVP]

'or increasing the integration with OUTLOOK'
YEAH, like using ALL current versions of Word and Outlook. Suggestion.

That's another one that is a little unlikely. Investing a lot of coding
time to add compatibility to older versions of Office is unlikely. I'd
rather see them continue to move forward rather than look back.

--
-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, MVP-OneNote/Outlook
Operations Coordinator
Stockholm/KSG - Honolulu
Microsoft OneNote FAQ:
http://home.hawaii.rr.com/schorr/computers/onenotefaq.htm

 

[Sue G.]

Safetyduck, Yes you should have snapped! Chris was way out of line. I hope
someone is monitoring his behavior; Doesn't look good for Microsoft to have
smart mouthed staff. I use Corel Draw and the software/Wacom tablet with
stylus works for me (for drawing) because I am doing loose spontaneous line
drawings. If I try to draw a controlled line, like writing requires, it is a
struggle. I also have problems with One Note and handwriting. I find that it
is very very difficult to control the script. It is much easier to type the
notes.

 

[Sue G.]

Safetyduck, It is understandable that you snapped. There is frustration on both sides. I also have problems with One Note and handwriting becausue I use a PC and Wacom tablet. I find that it is very very difficult to control the script. It is much easier to type the notes. I have read many of the posts and understand that because I use a PC and Wacom tablet, ON recognizes all my writing as drawing. This link helped put it all together for me. http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/assistance/HA010784561033.aspx All the other capabilities of ON that I can use on my PC are advantageous.