How can I convert Chinese characters sketched with my mouse, into computerised characters?

Question

Are there any websites or resources analogous to Detextify for maths?
Presently, I do not know (but desire to learn) how to type Chinese characters.

Answer 1

There are many online OCR input websites. For example:

http://www.yibizi.com/html5/ (neat and fast, without ads, but seems only working inside China)

I strongly suggest you install a client software rather than using a website because many websites are full of ads. And many of them are only working in some particular browsers, like infamous IE series.

Sougou Pinyin (wikipedia page) is the most used Input Method in China. I am also personally using this on my MacBook Pro. It has Windows/Mac version. You can get the software by clicking the links in the Wikipedia page.

With it, you can click "手写输入" to input by "drawing":

Answer 2

http://jingyan.baidu.com/article/a17d5285399a948099c8f243.html If your OS is Windows 7, you can use "Tablet PC Input Board".

Answer 3

You can simply use Google translate input method. They have a handwriting recognition pad.

Let's see a screenshot:

See how it works in action. (dial down the volume first)

Bonus (so you want to learn how to type Chinese):

1. Video: How to type Chinese using Google translate?

2. Video: How to type Chinese using Windows built-in input method?

   2-1. Setting up Microsoft Pinyin new experience input method - step 1

   2-2. Setting up Microsoft Pinyin new experience input method - step 2

   2-3. Setting up Microsoft Pinyin new experience input method - step 3

   2-4. Setting up Microsoft Pinyin new experience input method - step 4

   2-5. Setting up Microsoft Pinyin new experience input method - step 5

   2-6. Setting up Microsoft Pinyin new experience input method - step 6

   2-7. Setting up Microsoft Pinyin new experience input method - step 7

   2-8. Setting up Microsoft Pinyin new experience input method - step 8

Answer 4

I use this one: http://ce.linedict.com/dict.html#/cnen/home and it always worked perfectly. Can recommend!

Answer 5

The three best options IMHO are:

1. Nciku (the pioneer, still works on a webpage). Now called Line-dict.
2. Google Translate App, as posted above. It recently bought nciku's technology, but the imput method is not as confortable, since your writing must be really fast for the software to pick it up.
3. Pleco: my own personal choice. It is flexible, extendable, colourful, confortable, has a very comprehensive dictionary, and has lots of extra features, such as automatic picture translation or even live video text translation (this last one function for a fee).