[MR] A (Probably Ridiculous) Heraldic Suggestion (fwd)

[Craig Levin]

Sharon:

> I have seen info about a computer program that was developed so that you
> could type in the blazon and the program produces a picture. The software
> had the word Blazons in it I think.    Does anyone have the link for that?
> Or maybe your area Herald has a copy you could use.

I've used various incarnations of Blazons (tm) in the past, & I
have to say that while the goal is ambitious, the result is
usually only so-so. They don't do parted fields (for instance,
bendy) very well, & the available charges aren't anywhere close
to the huge list out there of charges you could use, with, AFAIK,
no way of adding any. In the end, there's little that beats a
human.

> One thing you might do is think about the images you would like to use and
> search the SCA lists for those words.
> http://www.sca.org/heraldry/OandA/index.html
> http://oanda.sca.org/
> http://www.goldenstag.net/OandA/
>  Then type in the Herald-Speak into the blazon/heraldry software to see what
> other people have come up with.  That would give you an idea of how others
> have used the images, so you can avoid duplicating them.  Also ask a herald
> for the specific words for the visual effects you'd like to use.  Some words
> are exactly what you think they would be---an apple is an apple.  But if you
> want them red hanging off a tree limb they get described as fructed gules
> plus some other words involving the branches and leaves.

Actually, conflict checking's a little more complex than that. If
you're ever at an event where I'm at the helm of a consult table,
please feel free to stop by and ask for a primer.

Pedro