Surprised we havent seen a pantograph

[silvadel 1,393]

I would think that some other pegasus and earth ponies would get really tired of writing with their mouths -- especially if they were trying to write a book or something. A pantograph doesnt seem beyond their technology, and a pantograph with some other attachments could make it so the gross motions of your hoof could turn into script on a page. Yes the final contraption would look like something out of Twilight's mad scientist set-up but it should be doable. It is one thing Silvadel is saving her bits for (Actually we saw the carpenter ponies in Ponyville -- do they have an official name?)

[cuteycindyhoney 13,307]

I would think that some other pegasus and earth ponies would get really tired of writing with their mouths -- especially if they were trying to write a book or something. A pantograph doesnt seem beyond their technology, and a pantograph with some other attachments could make it so the gross motions of your hoof could turn into script on a page. Yes the final contraption would look like something out of Twilight's mad scientist set-up but it should be doable. It is one thing Silvadel is saving her bits for (Actually we saw the carpenter ponies in Ponyville -- do they have an official name?)

 

A pantograph is primarily used for making copies of something. It's used to trace a drawing or text, and make an enlargement or reduction in size of the original. You wouldn't use it for writing, unless you wanted to make two copies at once.

[silvadel 1,393]

A pantograph is primarily used for making copies of something. It's used to trace a drawing or text, and make an enlargement or reduction in size of the original. You wouldn't use it for writing, unless you wanted to make two copies at once.

 

Yes that is its primary use here (shrinking or expanding something you already have) but this would be an alternate use. Or are you saying that something like that couldnt work? I mean I would be looking for something that would have about a 3 to 1 ratio so you could do larger motions to create a smaller motion on the paper along with a secondary motion to raise/lower the stylus(pencil) and increment the paper. Yes a fairly complex mechanical device but in my mind it should work.

 

What other idea would you have for an earth pony or pegasus being able to write better beyond hiring a scribe.

[I used to be a stranger 7,993]

It would make logical sense, but so would power lines that lead away from the hydroelectric dam in S2E8 The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well and S2E24 Ponyville Confidential.

 

Young children would understand Pantographs as much as they would any similar device, like a drafting square arm.

"Dear Princess Celestia"

 

Highly distracting, compared to just letting a character with fingers do it.

Correction- claws.

[Planty 1,053]

We only see ponies other then unicorn's writing in 2 episodes

 

the one with Rainbowdash at the end, and the ponyville confidential.

 

Maybe unicorn's just do most of the writing? Earth ponies and pegasi seem to pass down from teaching, quite traditional (especially earth ponies), they don't really have a need to write (and they seem to use telegram's which makes sense for pegasi and earth ponies because they don't have magic).

 

However, seen as unicorn's have to study magic to be able to do it, they have to write libraries how to do so. L:earning to fly can not be written in a book so much as this (and although growing crops can, i think the rather use first hand traditional teaching method's) they use traditional method's for winter wrap up so it seems possible that it would carry to this.

[silvadel 1,393]

Yes but then again Silvadel would want to put some pictures in the book with diagrams which would be a lot harder to describe to a scribe (who would probably cost more bits than a mechanical device would over time). Plus I am also assuming that a more pure colony like say cloudsdale would have a harder time locating scribes.

 

And yes I do concur that most pony scholars would be unicorns, but again, a pegasus or earth pony scholar shouldnt be out of the question -- I mean there have to be books on farming techniques and while yes most flying lessons would be practical in nature I can't help but think there could be a book on advanced flying techniques somewhere -- and since there are books of fiction as well, why couldnt any type of pony end up an accomplished author? The pony version of J K Rowling doesnt necessarily need to be a unicorn.

 

One would think there would be an easy(ish) solution to this one.

[techno915 408]

What baffles me is the typewriter used in the Gabby Gums episode. If you notice, it has two buttons. Unless they use it to type in morse code, how does it print out more than just two letters of the alphabet?

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

I don't think pegasus' and Earth ponies have to write much anyways, but when they do they probably get either Spike (If it's one of the mane 6, or a unicorn to do it.

What baffles me is the typewriter used in the Gabby Gums episode. If you notice, it has two buttons. Unless they use it to type in morse code, how does it print out more than just two letters of the alphabet?

 

This, is probably a good theory. The ponies might use morse code, either that or they just didn't want to put all the buttons on...

[silvadel 1,393]

Actually there are all kinds of typing input devices -- just like there is the stenographer's device with the keys in a very odd layout. I just went to look at gabby gums and yes however it is set up it seems to work for them (I mean how you press the key could determine what letter it produced). That wouldnt work for diagrams but for regular work I guess there is a precedent for a typewriter of some sort. Nice find.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,307]

Yes that is its primary use here (shrinking or expanding something you already have) but this would be an alternate use. Or are you saying that something like that couldnt work? I mean I would be looking for something that would have about a 3 to 1 ratio so you could do larger motions to create a smaller motion on the paper along with a secondary motion to raise/lower the stylus(pencil) and increment the paper. Yes a fairly complex mechanical device but in my mind it should work.

 

What other idea would you have for an earth pony or pegasus being able to write better beyond hiring a scribe.

 

I think what you are describing is more like the remote manipulator devices, known as Waldoes. The name derives from the Robert Heinlein story "Waldo" in which the title character invents such a device to combat his own debilitating congenital weakness. Maybe ponies could use a device a character invented in the Heinlein story "Door into Summer" A "Drafting Dan" might be quite helpful!

Edited August 31, 2012 by cuteycindyhoney

[Zygen 6,066]

Well i think the writing with their mouths looks more natural or with the fingers or whatever(Plus I have to admit them holding pens and stuff in their mouth looks pretty cute <3)

The technology in ponyville kinda confuses me so idk lol But they'd still have the write the original copy out so it wouldn't be totally removing the writing.

 

And again that would look really outta place in their world I think...