Transcript Document

Harold the Herald:
An Automated Heraldic Conflict Checking System
by David P. Salley
Problem Statement
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The Society for Creative Anachronism
(SCA) is a non-profit educational
organization whose members study and
re-create aspects of the Middle Ages.
The Society maintains a registry of its
members heraldic devices (popularly
referred to as “coats of arms”)
Problem Statement (cont’d)
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The Society adds over 500 devices to its
registry each year, more than England’s
College of Arms registered in the last
century
Prior to the late 1990’s this registration
was done strictly manually. Online text
checking has improved the situation,
but not by much
The Honorable Lord
Dagonell Collingwood of Emerald Lake
“Barry wavy vert
and argent, a
unicorn’s head
couped sable,
armed, orbed and
crined and a chief
wavy Or.”
Heraldic Tinctures
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Gules = Red
Sable = Black
Vert = Green
Purpure = Purple
Azure = Blue
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Or = Yellow
Argent = White
Field Divisions
Lines of Partition
Ordinaries & Sub-ordinaries
Charge Positions
Charge Positions (cont’d)
The Honorable Lord
Dagonell Collingwood of Emerald Lake
“Barry wavy vert
and argent, a
unicorn’s head
couped sable,
armed, orbed and
crined and a chief
wavy Or.”
Backus-Naur Grammar
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1. <blazon> : : <field> <charge-list>
2. <field> : : <division> <background> AND <background> | <background>
3. <division> : : <field-division> [<partition>] | <line-division> [<partition>]
4. <field-division> : : BARRY | CHECKY | VAIRY | etc.
5. <line-division> : : PER BEND | PER FESS | PER PALE | etc.
6. <partition> : : DOVETAILED | EMBATTLED | POTENTY | etc.
7. <background> : : <tincture> | <color> <treatment> <metal> | <metal><treatment> <color>
8. <tincture> : : <color> | <metal> | <fur>
9. <color> : : AZURE | GULES | PURPURE | VERT | SABLE
10. <metal> : : ARGENT | OR
11. <fur> : : ERMINE | VAIR | PEAN | etc.
12. <treatment> : : FRETTY | MAILLY | MASONED | etc.
13. <charge-list> : : <charge> <charge-list> | (empty)
14. <charge> : : [<location>] <number> <type> [<position>] [<tincture-a>]
15. <location> : : IN DEXTER | IN SINISTER | etc.
16. <number> : : A | AN | ONE | TWO | THREE | etc.
17. <type> : : BEND | TIGER | MULLET | EAGLE | DRAGON | etc.
18. <position> : : BENDWISE | RAMPANT | DISPLAYED | etc.
19. <tincture-a> : : PROPER | COUNTER-CHANGED | <tincture>
Field ATN
Charge-list ATN
Conflict Checking
Conflict Checking - Fields
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Division – Barry
Partition – Wavy
FieldT1 – Vert
FieldT2 – Argent
1st Point of Difference
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Division – Quarterly
Partition – none
FieldT1 – Vert
FieldT2 – Argent
Conflict Checking – Chargelist
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Type1 – Uni. Head
Not Enough Difference
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Type1 – Horse Head
Conflict Checking - Charge
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Location1 – Center
Number1 – One
Type1 – Uni. Head
Position1 – Couped
Tincture1 – Sable
Not Enough Difference
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Location1 – Center
Number1 – One
Type1 – Horse Head
Position1 – Couped
Tincture1 - Sable
Conflict Checking
Conflict Checking - Fields
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Division – Barry
Partition – Wavy
FieldT1 – Vert
FieldT2 – Argent
1st Point of Difference
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Division – Quarterly
Partition – none
FieldT1 – Vert
FieldT2 – Argent
Conflict Checking - Chargelist
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Type1 – Uni. Head
Type2 – Chief
2nd Point of Difference
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Type1 – Horse Head
Program Demonstration
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The SCA Database
The Submission Rules
The Authority Files
The March Letter of Intent
My Capstone Paper
My Conference Paper
Possible Applications
for Similar Technology
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SCA College of Arms
England’s College of Arms
Corporate Logos
Clowns International
CSI – Tattoo Database
NBC vs. Nebraska Network
Clowns International
Clowns International
Clowns International
Clowns International
CSI: Tattoo Database
Bibliography
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Bedgood, Alan, ed. (1995).
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The Known World Handbook
(Milpitas, CA: Society for
Creative Anachronism)
Christiansen, Thomas and
Schwartz, Randal L.(1997).
Learning Perl ( O’Reilly and
Associates).
Fox-Davies, A.C. 1997. A
Complete Guide to Heraldry.
London, England: Gramercy
Books
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Parker, James. A Glossary of
Terms Used in British
Heraldry, London, England:
Tuttle Publishing
Rich, Elaine and Knight,
Kevin (1991). Artificial
Intelligence, (New
York:McGraw-Hill).
Russell, Stuart and Norvig,
Peter. 1995. Artificial
Intelligence: A Modern
Approach Englewood Cliffs,
NJ: Prentice-Hall
Questions
and
Two Final Anecdotes
Thank You!