Surely we have heard it more than once: some of the best ideas in history began on a napkin. It can be an urban legend, an exaggerated story to call attention or a truth, but we all know that it takes much more than a piece of paper to materialize an idea minimally.
Because the only certain thing is that, when we talk about programming, whether the idea arises on a piece of cloth or on a graphic editor, translating those quick sketches into code is not as simple as drawing a few simple lines. To lend a hand in this embryonic task of a possible project, a group of Microsoft Garage Project interns decided to create a Windows application capable of converting sketches into code to work with.
The motivation they felt for transforming the process of generating ideas and the creation of prototypes using sketches of napkins and white boards, has become an application for Windows 10 called Ink to Code.
Ink to Code, from ‘napkin’ to code
The team started with the function known as Smart Ink, currently integrated in Windows 10, which is based on artificial intelligence recognition, to speed up the initial development of your idea. From the characteristic, they were building Ink to Code to automatically and consistently recognize and translate common design symbols into code with which to start working in Visual Studio.
The first version of this Windows 10 application supports basic visual elements such as labels, text fields, text paragraphs, images and buttons. Those responsible explain that although it can not give life to the complete vision of an application because there are certain limitations, it does create a basic and quick version of the foundations of a project thanks to the power of automation.
One of the ideas, in fact, is that Ink to Code can serve as a bridge between designers and developers and can be used in an agile way in meetings or brainstorms between teams, reducing discussion times on details of each of the disciplines .
The prototype application, which is currently only available in the United States and Canada , has had the collaboration of other interns who were studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as the sponsorship of Xamarin, a software company owned by Microsoft itself. Ink to Code is available in the Microsoft store (although it will give you an error if you are not in the mentioned countries) and it will be improved with the first experiences.
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