How to convert handwriting to text?

[Fgsf 3]

How can you convert digital handwriting to text? Doesn't Evernote support this like OneNote and some other programs do?

[gazumped 11,708]

On 8/12/2022 at 10:30 PM, Fgsf said:

How can you convert digital handwriting to text? Doesn't Evernote support this like OneNote and some other programs do?

Hi.  Evernote will OCR your handwriting and make it searchable,  but it does not give you the plain text version.

Capture handwriting and scan documents with your phone

[PinkElephant 8,183]

You need to use a program that does support handwriting to text. EN doesn’t.

As a workaround, some smartphones and computers support the extraction of text from pictures. On iOS this works when you have a picture in the camera roll, for example. On MacOS the OS does it, as do independent apps. The  handwritten text can be selected and copied elsewhere.

In general it has mixed results when the text is already written. Most apps that extract handwriting follow the writing process and gain a better understanding of what was written.

[Fgsf 3]

Imo, Evernote needs to incorporate handwriting to text natively similar to OneNote. There is no reason Evernote still hasn't done this years later.

Also, the latency lag in using digital stylus needs to be improved. It's very noticeable.

Lastly, unrelated, but reminders in tasks should also have a custom time option too, not just the 4 it does now. Maybe you want a reminder 10, 15, 30 minutes before.

[PinkElephant 8,183]

EN doesn’t NEED to do anything. If you have nothing more convincing to tell than „but app xyz has this feature“, I think you are out of luck (and arguments). There is no NEED to duplicate abilities just to have them as well - the „as well“ already indicates that it is not a proposition to stand out, but a mere copycat action. 

Second EN is not optimized (and does not promote itself) for handwriting. Handwriting is foreign to the basic data format used by EN, which is a flavor of HTML.

If you want a handwriting (notes) app, there is enough in the field that you will be able to pick your best choice. EN offers the Penultimate app, but I don’t recommend it. Again, there is no need to be a late follower in a field already covered by very capable specialists (From Strategic Management, Chapter 1). Penultimate is what happens when companies follow your cheap advise, and it is dreadful.

When using my Apple Pencil with the Sketch feature, there is absolutely no lag. If your stylus lags, you probably need to change your equipment, or play with settings. No, not in the app, because there are no in app settings for the stylus.

No comment on unrelated issues - they should be posted in another thread.

This was my personal opinion and experience. When you want to contact EN, use the feedback function or issue a support ticket.

[Fgsf 3]

You are entitled to your opinion as are others to theirs. No need to be antagonist or brash in your response.

 

Your use case might not need it or benefit much from it but masses of others would. It is a clear obvious missing feature. Your example of penultimate does not apply to plethora of Android and Windows devices. Not to mention there is literally no need to do that when you can easily incorporate the function natively with no need for other apps or it's inconvenience. By that logic EN should never improve and why bring in tasks for example when tons of other apps do it just fine? Because it makes it much more attractive, centralized and convenient proposition. And developmentally they could do it easy enough considering their sketch OCR, next step in the evolution. The lag was specific to EN sketch compared native apps or OneNote on 3 different devices.

 

Re unrelated issue and feedback ok.

[PinkElephant 8,183]

About handwriting you still miss the point, too much focus on getting it, I would say. The basic EN data structure is not allowing for what is needed for handwriting. This is why Sketch is "containerized" in the way it is. If you ever used a good handwriting app, you would know the difference. There is nothing "easy" about building such an app. Everybody who successfully build one build exactly this: A handwriting app - Period - Nothing else.

EN does not need to build a handwriting app for Android or Windows: There are others, and any user of these OSes can pick one of these. Penultimate is not the beginning of a strategy to move into handwriting, it is the ruined left over of a failed attempt to do so. I think they have learned their lesson. And maybe (just a thought) it is still on the AppStore because they want to avoid the write off from the balance sheet when finally dropping it.

About tasks you miss the main difference as well: Task managers manage tasks. EN tasks are unique, because they are build to make notes actionable. Tasks in EN were not introduced as a separate entity: Every task must reside inside of a note, and the main purpose of tasks is to control an action on that note. This is no copy of what standard Task managers do, it is a novel approach. And opposite to handwriting Tasks were embedded into the existing data structure.

[Fgsf 3]

Agree to disagree.

[PinkElephant 8,183]

You are free to disagree with an opinion.

Although it got a trend in the last years, you can’t disagree with facts.

[Chrispolotic 2]

On 8/15/2022 at 4:32 PM, Fgsf said:

Imo, Evernote needs to incorporate handwriting to text natively similar to OneNote. There is no reason Evernote still hasn't done this years later.

Also, the latency lag in using digital stylus needs to be improved. It's very noticeable.

Lastly, unrelated, but reminders in tasks should also have a custom time option too, not just the 4 it does now. Maybe you want a reminder 10, 15, 30 minutes before.

I would have to agree with you. Evernote is hemorrhaging subscribers by the Millions. This is evidenced by the fact that there are tens of millions if not Hundreds of millions of people on competing apps. Those could have been Evernote customers. Just b/c you said Evernote needs to implement a feature is no call for sarcasm from other people on this forum. This forum reminds me a lot how the old BlackBerry forum used to be, some 10-12 years ago.. People would complain, rightfully so, that BlackBerry had obvious shortcomings. The Blackberry "regulars" would be so condescending and sarcastic, to legitimate complaints. Note Apps, like all apps should COMPETE with one another. They should do this by offering at the bare minimum, similar functionality. BlackBerry was on top of the world at one point. They refused to evolve. I see Evernote going down the same path. 

[gazumped 11,708]

Hi.  Evernote gets thousands of requests to add / change features on a daily basis.  I would hope that they're smart enough to implement the most requested (and cost-effective) updates for the resources they have.  If requests for handwriting OCR are not urgent and important (and your post is the first in this thread for 5 months),  it will naturally have a low priority.  To be clear Evernote does OCR handwritten text for searches - but because of the 'matrix' methods it uses to construct meaning from the text,  it cannot provide a separate downloadable document.  If that's what you need,  any number of tablets and notation systems can provide it for you... 

[PinkElephant 8,183]

@Chrispolotic Oh, another enlightened forum user, knowing the past and the future. Thanks for sharing - let's take a look at the present.

Let us say you own a Porsche. But your main goal is to transport some tons of logs. You can try to optimize the Porsche. However, better to exchange it against a truck.

It is the same with handwriting. The basic data model of EN is footed on HTML. You don't find a handwriting app that uses HTML directly. So they have shortcomings to do the same EN does. But they are pretty good for handwritten stuff, that is what they have been designed for.

On iOS you can use Penultimate (from EN) for handwriting, saving directly into EN. Or you use Noteshelf, 3rd party, iOS and Android, but as well able to sync directly with EN. It seems the "problem" you are making up has already been solved. Sure, it could always be working better, but who is looking for a solution will find it.

Who is here for the big picture may overlook such details, however. And come to the wrong conclusions.

[Chrispolotic 2]

You proved my point.

[PinkElephant 8,183]

You didn't make a point. You posted first entries here (oh, welcome to the forum) with histories from the war, belittling other forum users (we appreciate any such show of greatness) and forgot to ask anything, using forum space for statements we can do without.

Hope posting it did make you feel better, at last.

Just to mention it: The top placed handwriting apps in the iOS App Store have no strong integration. They are pretty stand alone. It seems wrapping them into larger apps is not really in the focus of the users - they prefer (as I do) specialized tools. With text recognition including handwriting incorporated into the OS, the added value of such a feature is diminished. As I said, the wars of yesterday.

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,979]

52 minutes ago, Chrispolotic said:

Evernote is hemorrhaging subscribers by the Millions. This is evidenced by the fact that there are tens of millions if not Hundreds of millions of people on competing apps. Those could have been Evernote customers.

Can you provide your source for these figures? The fact that however-many million people use other apps doesn't prove that they have all left Evernote to do so, any more than Evernote's 200 million or so users all ditched Google Keep or OneNote for Evernote. It would be great if Evernote could OCR handwriting, but I don't think any of us here actually knows how easy or difficult it would be to add that--or whether Evernote's new ownership has any plans to do so.

[Jason from New Zealand 0]

I was looking for information on this and came across this thread - I hate to be another one @PinkElephant, but I agree with the OP.

I was an Evernote user, but then I wanted to write my notes down on an iPad rather than in a book and have to load in later OR type them directly into the iPad. While that is an option, I'm in sales, and it isn't polite to be on your computer in a meeting, even if it is for notes. With an iPad, people can see I am using it for notes.

Since Evernote doesn't have this feature, I moved to OneNote, which works for me in that respect (I have another issue where I would rather write my notes and convert after, but that's only on Windows - with iOS/Mac, I need to use the "writing to text" pen to do it in real-time)

As @Chrispolotic says - they are losing subscribers (unsure of the number), but I can confirm 100% this is why I haven't renewed my subscription - if it had this functionality, I would be back in a second, but it's a deal breaker for me 🤷‍♂️

[PinkElephant 8,183]

There is a number of handwriting apps for the iPad  - ON would be the last that crosses my mind.

2 of them stand out in terms of integration: Penultimate and Noteshelf can sync directly with an EN account. Personally I prefer GoodNotes 5, even when it means I have to export my handwritten notes later to EN.

[laurence.glazier 106]

I use Penultimate every morning and it works nicely and has no lag. All searchable in Evernote. It hasn't been updated for a while but I assume it will continue to work and be available.

It would be nice to be able to convert the handwriting to text but that is another matter. Thanks for mentioning Noteshelf, PinkElephant, I will look into that.