Mathematical Characters (RR-785)

  • Most people who want to embed Mathematics into Scribes are a part of the e-learning community.


    Adobe Captivate now supports the embedding of Math symbols into its videos or other e-learning. When is videoscribe going to make this happen.

  • Mathematical Characters does not cut it....

    Neither does SVG's of Mathematics...


    We do need input through a LaTeX supporting panel of symbols. Click the button and the symbol appears with cursors in the appropriate place.


    Adobe Captivate if scribing is not necessary / highly desirable for you, now supports the embedding of Math symbols that has LaTeX support into its videos or other e-learning.


    When is VideoScribe going to make this happen?

  • I am a calculus tutor and I subscribed to VS for one month earlier this year. I loved it! Then... I cancelled my subscription. As soon as VS offers LaTeX support, I will pick up a subscription again and (a much more likely scenario) all-out buy it! 


    However in the off-chance they 

    1. decide NOT to
    2. decide NOT to + remain cryptic on how up-voting translates to action [** If I'm made aware by a live up-vote rankings page, for instance, that LaTeX support lands only 7th in the rankings, I'd be just as upset! But then, I'd equally be way waaay more understanding as to why nearly 2 YEARS worth of comments + 23 up-votes, results in... not all that much.]
    3. decide NOT to respond to/with Pierre's proposed road map on this issue ASAP 


    I'd like to remind you that its only a matter of time cough *Wacom/Adobe* cough figures out that its cool to scribe lol, and salivates for a slice of this market too... which I assume will be very shortly. 


    HURRY UP VideoScribe!!! 


    BE REMEMBERED as That Creative Company that responded to their users requests, and won their hearts over (and also their loyalty.) 

     

    WE LOVE YOU. WE ARE HUGE FANS OF YOURS!

     

    All the same...

     

    Tick Tock. 

  • I do fully agree: the only reason I keep receiving mail from vs is because of my eagerness to once be able to read: 'vs now supports latex'. Without latex, vs is no use for me. So please: get it done! Asap.
  • Hey Sarang Radhakrishnan, take a look at the features of Adobe Captivate.


    Adobe Captivate now supports Mathematics in e-learning content. But they miss the one thing that makes VS cool; the Creative Presentation that Scribing offers. But it is only 1 thing. Captivate produces vids, quizzes and other interactivity that VS does not.

     

    I wouldn't mind if VideoScribe paired with MathMagic to allow for a fully integrated ADD-ON.


    But as Sarang said


    """""""TICK TOCK """""""""


    The time is coming when a big company will recognise that scribing in a hand written manner makes things look pretty.

  • Hello Jonny (VideoScribe Support)



    The fonts that you have given to us on previous page are a fantastic addition....



    Is creating a categorized clickable panel of these symbols a possibility such as the examples that look like below????

    MathType.

    MathMagic.  This is the one Adobe Captivate is able to integrate with.


    Because having this instead of a fully integrated LaTeX system would be a massive first step and probably a heck of a lot easier for the VideoScribe software designers.

  • Hi guys,

    First of all, a big thanks for the continued feedback on this request.

    As a refresher for those joining this post, the previous suggestions have included the mathematical symbol images in the image library and the use of Maths fonts.

    Examples of these are on the previous page, this is in no means a fix for the request but simply a workaround to what it is a huge task in its entirety.

     

    As you may be aware, VideoScribe works best with SVG images because the files have a trace path saved in the layers and this directs the movement of the pen/item drawing the line.

    This is also the process used to create your own SVG images.

    This particular feature would require any exported image files from LaTeX/MathMagic etc to be converted into usable SVG's, and then assigned trace paths to any combination of symbols from the file and draw them correctly in the right order.

    The alternative is using text characters in the available font and then creating an input tool within VideoScribe that can accurately convert all combinations of maths input into drawings.

    Either method would prove to be an exceptionally large task, and though we are unable to to provide a roadmap for users, this feature is a long way from implemented whilst we work on ways this can be achieved correctly.

    This request has been taken seriously and we do appreciate the multiple recommendations for ourselves and other users alike.

  • Can we have mathematical characters in VideoScribe so we do not have to do them as SVGs. 

     

    BELOW IS NOT AN ALTERNATIVE in answering the original question..... Please don't solve the wrong problem when you do get around to it...

     

    This particular feature would require any exported image files from LaTeX/MathMagic etc to be converted into usable SVG's, and then assigned trace paths to any combination of symbols from the file and draw them correctly in the right order.

     

     

    BELOW IS THE SOLUTION with ONE change

    The alternative is using text characters in the available font and then creating an input tool within VideoScribe that can accurately convert all combinations of maths input into TEXT.



    STEP 1 - Create a TTF with a huge range of characters.


    Produce a Math TTF, with all Mathematical Symbols and all the normal standard alphanumeric characters that can be typed in.



    STEP 2 - If above TTF Selected - have ONE large panel appear with categorised groups clickable Maths symbols.

    If the above Math TTF is selected, have a large panel of Mathematics clickable buttons on the Text Input Panel. This would solve 50% of the problem


    This is not the solution, and I understand that the LaTeX side of things is difficult. But the above is achievable in a SHORT period of time and would get Videoscribe 50% of the way toward a full solution.



  • so Jonny... what do you think about Josh' idea here? Sounds like he's onto a good alternate solution yeah? 

  • Hi Jonny,

    • Having a panel of categorised buttons appear due to a particular variable being selected would be re-hashing of already present code...
    • Having Clickable buttons would be largely be re-hashing of already present code....
    • The clicked button referencing particular characters of a TTF is likely to be new....


    """TICK TOCK"""" would love to see a timeline....

  • Hi all,

    The proposed work around is a very good (and well thought out) idea!

    Agreed, it's not the complete solution, but a step in the right direction. 

    Difficulty would arise from more complex character arrangements e.g determining the length of square root symbols and alignment of text with certain symbols but these UI suggestions are a good start.

    This has been put forward to the dev team, but I'm afraid there's no public timeline available for the projects they're working on. 

    Any more suggestions are more than welcome.


  • Thanks for your response Jonny,


    The UI proposed change would simply make adding most of the basic mathematics a real lot quicker....


    But the difficulty you mention comes with the LaTeX side of things and not the initial UI proposed change (upon selection of the Math TTF).


    Therefore I would hope that the proposed UI change, could be achieved on a separate timeline to the LaTeX side of things.

  • Almost 20 months after the initial post asking for TeX support was posted, I understand the answer is :


    1) there is no TeX support scheduled

    2) a UI improvement may be considered making the edition of maths expressions easier, but with no timeline.


    As for me, this is it. I have spent enough time expressing my need (direct support for TeX files because all my courses are already written in TeX and I won't spend any second retyping them with some clumsy maths toolbar).


    I am cancelling my account right away.



  • Hi all,

    Same problem for me. I buy the whole thing as I have almost 200 maths videos to make. I thought i'll be tough enough to use the "svg solution", but I'm done. It's a waste of time ... 

    I also bought it as a company known for the amazing "user adaptation" reputation. 


    Please, please, please consider it. Or at least answer a piece of something in the direction of the latex plugin or anything else helping us.


    Thks a lot. I love your software, but I'd love more to keep working with it ...

    Gia.Hi all,

    Same problem for me. I buy the whole thing as I have almost 200 maths videos to make. I thought i'll be tough enough to use the "svg solution", but I'm done. It's a waste of time ... 

    I also bought it as a company known for the amazing "user adaptation" reputation. 


    Please, please, please consider it. Or at least answer a piece of something in the direction of the latex plugin or anything else helping us.


    Thks a lot. I love your software, but I'd love more to keep working with it ...

    Gia.

  • Hi Gia,


    I am in the exact same boat. I had hundreds of videos I wanted to make, but the lack of support for true mathematical input has stopped me from using the bought product. The SVG thing is simply NOT a solution, not even a reasonable work-a-round. Because you typically have to make 4 or more SVGs per 1 minute video, and then it does not SCRIBE correctly anyway -- it draws. Totally useless!!!!


    So SVG as solution is simply bad advertising for VS.


    Although I love the product it's approaching 2 years since the initial request, and VS do not even have a timeline for this feature....


    Come on VS give us a timeline, on at least partial fulfillment of the request...

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