SceleratSleuth said...
Just checking back in after having used this for a
bit. This is, in fact, as awesome as I thought it'd be, and holy hell
that ArmedBanana font freaks me out.
Thank you so much!!! I'm very very happy
to hear it. I'm also very happy to hear people took my Armed Banana
recommendation to heart - glad I get to share the exasperation.
I feel like an archaeologist trying to decipher some age old carvings scratched into a wall that's mostly eroded, leaving only the barest, scattered hints of what was once written.
I’ve read past this post about Jitai a few times and marked it in the “to be checked out later” bucket.
Tonight I gave it a spin and hey…this is really useful!
During review and lesson surges, I’ve noticed myself slipping into that glazed eye “I will push through this but damn, why are those kanji shifting around the screen so much” mode. Doesn’t help that 花粉 is driving my eyes crazy right now.
Jitai seems to be helping my eyes change their focal length in little increments enough that it nudges me out of the glaze and unexpectedly, is providing a degree of relief from the pollen.
…Whaaat? Japanese calligraphy is pretty absurd sometimes, apparently! The font is EPSON 行書体Ｍ. No way I would’ve gotten that one without hovering, hahah.
I think I see how this mess came to be, though. The first dot and line are separate strokes, so they can get separated. The weird thin at the right of the second stroke appears because the brush wasn’t lifted enough when going for the third stroke - which, by the way, is positioned a bit slap-dash and therefore doesn’t connect to the second. Huh.
brucehoward said..Jitai seems to be helping my eyes change their focal length in little increments enough that it nudges me out of the glaze and unexpectedly, is providing a degree of relief from the pollen.
Cheers!
I really like this comment. I'd expected to maybe help a few person learn a couple of things, but people have really shown an amount of support and approval I couldn't have wished for. A few "this will help me learn", but... let's just say what I expected the least was for someone to say Jitai helped their pollen allergy. 😀 New slogan, maybe? "Jitai: The font randomizer for your pollen allergy."
This is a really useful script, especially for those wanting to go to Japan and read signs in more rural areas which may be in calligraphic fonts, or a co-worker’s imperfect handwriting. However, I would add that I have one minor issue with the script. After an answer has been entered the font flicks back to Wanikani’s default font before giving the next question in an alternative font again. This is a little distracting and off-putting when trying to go through reviews, and if the change is a significant enough one (e.g. from a calligraphic font back to Wanikani’s sans serif), the rapid shift back and forth is disorienting.
Mythros said...
This is a really useful script, especially for those wanting to go to Japan and read signs in more rural areas which may be in calligraphic fonts, or a co-worker's imperfect handwriting. However, I would add that I have one minor issue with the script. After an answer has been entered the font flicks back to Wanikani's default font before giving the next question in an alternative font again. This is a little distracting and off-putting when trying to go through reviews, and if the change is a significant enough one (e.g. from a calligraphic font back to Wanikani's sans serif), the rapid shift back and forth is disorienting.
That's only a minor quibble.
Eh, I like this. It's good to see the item like I'm used to before moving on.
Mythros said...
This is a really useful script, especially for those wanting to go to Japan and read signs in more rural areas which may be in calligraphic fonts, or a co-worker's imperfect handwriting. However, I would add that I have one minor issue with the script. After an answer has been entered the font flicks back to Wanikani's default font before giving the next question in an alternative font again. This is a little distracting and off-putting when trying to go through reviews, and if the change is a significant enough one (e.g. from a calligraphic font back to Wanikani's sans serif), the rapid shift back and forth is disorienting.
That's only a minor quibble.
Eh, I like this. It's good to see the item like I'm used to before moving on.
Initially, I thought I liked it as well.
However, after a day or so of using Jitai, I have to agree with Mythros that font flicker is proving a bit distracting. It makes me think I got something wrong or there is something to which my attention needs to be drawn when there isn't.
To try the alternative, I did a quick and dirty change to a copy of Jitai code turning off the font reset/flicker and found the resulting experience more natural.
I'd suggest either removing the reset/flicker, or making it a configuration option.
I have the Lightning Mode on, so correct items automatically move on to the next review. Not noticed any lag with that.
obskyr said… I like Hakusyu Kaisho Bold - it’s a calligraphic font, but it’s a fairly clear one. Strokes are where they should be, and they don’t blend into each other. I’d recommend it!
Aw, I liked this font too (I don’t usually like bold fonts), but decided not to add anything that wasn’t at least JIS level 1. 1006 kanji isn’t enough to be useful imo.
Does anyone know which of the fonts this one is? I don’t have a Japanese IME installed on this work computer so I can’t test out my installed fonts in Word -_-
EskimoJo said…
Aw, I liked this font too (I don’t usually like bold
fonts), but decided not to add anything that wasn’t at least JIS level
1006 kanji isn’t enough to be useful imo.
Jitai only uses fonts when they have all the glyphs in the kanji being displayed, so I’d say there’s nothing to lose!
embe said…Do any of you notice like one second lag after hitting enter in order to get to the next item? I find it a bit irritating.
EskimoJo said…Ok, doing some reviews now and there is a lag, you’re right. It’s very small though, and it’s worth it for me for the font changes.
It shouldn’t really be possible that this is Jitai… It does all its font-switching work after the question switches over, not before, so it doesn’t delay anything. And the switchback is pretty much instant - just 2 lines of code (a CSS change). I was however also having a little delay after answering on my phone (which doesn’t have Jitai) earlier today, so something else might have been up. I don’t get any such lag at all now with Jitai on desktop, so I can’t really say what that’s about…
embe said…
I think I’d like it not to change the font after an answer, too. Or maybe only if the answer was wrong.
brucehoward said…I’d suggest either removing the reset/flicker, or making it a configuration option.
I think it’s a good feature when you don’t get bothered by it - it reminds you of how the kanji “really” looks in cases where the font was way out there. If it’s possible to get used to it, it may help you in the long run. However, if more people are bothered by it (and please do tell me if you are), a configuration option may be in order. At the moment (version 1.1.1), though, you can remove or comment out lines 186-195.
