Symbols for Legacy Computing: Difference between revisions

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'''Symbols for Legacy Computing'''('''SLC''') are a set of Unicode symbols that aren't supported on most systems. OWOT added the original "Symbols for Legacy Computing" Unicode block on October 7th, 2022, with the supplemental Unicode block following on November 7th of the same year.

[[File:SLCWorld.jpeg|thumb|/slc in 2023]]

[https://owot.me/~~slc~~ '''/~~slc~~'''] is a OWOT ~~World by~~ fp, it just ~~shows~~ the SLC ~~Support~~ owot has,

Among other things, SLC can be used to make smoother shapes, or create the illusion of 3D objects when used in conjunction with the ability to change cell background colors. They have also been a valuable asset for scripters trying to make photorealistic [[Image Paster|image pasters]].

The ~~newer~~ world is [[/~~slc2~~]]

[[Art|Artists]] such as [[JRT]], [[AndreiXYZ]], [[Jan soweli Asike|Fox]], [[Placeholder|Place_holdrr]] and [[Polonez]] have taken great advantage of SLC ever since its introduction to OWOT.

== SLC Test Worlds ==

Worlds released with each SLC update.

=== /slc ===

[[File:Slc 1.png|thumb|240x240px|Symbols included with the first SLC update]]

{{hatnote|See also: {{wpd-l|Symbols for Legacy Computing}}}}

[https://owot.me/slc '''/slc'''] was created for users to test out the first set of SLC characters, which were implemented on October 7th, 2022.

Symbols introduced in the update allowed artists to create smooth shapes that can be colored to create simplistic drawings.

[[File:SLCWorld.jpeg|thumb|/slc in 2023|434x434px|none]]

=== /slc2 ===

[[File:Slc 2.jpg|thumb|288x288px|Symbols included with the second SLC update]]

See also: {{wpd-l|Symbols for Legacy Computing Supplements}}

A much larger set of SLC characters were introduced on November 7th, 2022, and along with it a second test world named [https://owot.me/slc2 '''/slc2''']. SLC 2 is most notable for introducing [[Octant|Octants]], a set of box drawing characters which allows for higher resolution art and [[Image Pasters|image pastes]].

A number of interesting but less useful characters were also included, such as six quartets of symbols that each combine to form a [[The Chess Pieces|chess piece]].

[[File:SLC2World.jpeg|thumb|/slc2 in 2023|439x439px|none]]

=== /bcolor ===

Though not explicitly related to SLC, the ability to customize background colors for individual cells greatly expands the scope of SLC art.

Namely, customizable cell backgrounds allow for two diagonal planes touch within a single text cell, which can now contain two separate colors(''the color of the text itself and the color of the background''). This means that SLC's pre-existing ability to make smoother and more complex shape can now be leveraged for 3D art.

The test world [https://ourworldoftext.com/bcolor /bcolor] showcases a variety of 3D creations that can be made by combining the two features.

This update also allows for increasingly photorealistic [[Image Paster|image pasters]].

[[File:Bcolor.jpg|thumb|620x620px|3D art and photorealistic image pastes can both be found at [https://ourworldoftext.com/bcolor /bcolor](''Screenshot taken 2025'')|none]]

== How to Make SLC Art ==

For a more in depth SLC tutorial, see [https://ourworldoftext.com/slc-handbook-maybe /SLC-Handbook-Maybe] by [[J.R.T.]]

SLC art can be incredibly tedious to make, since even the most basic drawings require a wide range of symbols to construct. But the upside is that you can create some of the most surreal art possible in a limited medium like OWOT.

And finally, the key is to experiment with symbols and shapes as much as possible. Try thinking outside the box.

=== SLC toolboxes ===

Users have created a variety of toolboxes to keep track of the many symbols used for drawing. Use ctrl/alt+a to copy characters from toolboxes.

File:Slc font slc toolbox.png|From [https://ourworldoftext.com/slc_font /slc_font]

File:Slc toolbox.png|From [https://ourworldoftext.com/slc_font /slc_font]

File:Polonez slc toolbox.png|By [[Polonez]]

File:Slc handbook slc toolbox.png|From [https://ourworldoftext.com/slc-handbook-maybe /SLC-Handbook-Maybe]

File:Jtpl plural slc toolbox.png|Mashup of various toolboxes from [https://ourworldoftext.com/jtpl /jtpl]

File:Fp slc toolbox.png|From [https://ourworldoftext.com/fp /fp]

</gallery>

=== Making Smoother Shapes Using SLC Slopes ===

A rough guide on how to draw slopes using SLC.

''*Note: Not all of the characters displayed below fall within the "Symbols for Legacy Computing" or "Symbols for Legacy Computing Supplement" Unicode blocks.''

''*Several symbols are not included in the images below.'' <gallery mode="packed" heights="150">

File:Slc compass.jpg

File:Slc slopes 2.png

File:Slc tutorial 3.png

</gallery><gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

File:Pi breakdown.png

File:Bcolor diagonal.png

</gallery>

=== How to Make a SLC Cube ===

An example of the many 3 dimensional objects that can be drawn using a combination of SLC and custom cell colors.

A standard SLC cube is six characters in width and four in height. The second lowest row(''or second highest, if you're making an upside down cube'') is consisted entirely of the default block "█," while all other layers are made from SLC slope characters. The row directly above(''or below'') it makes use of customized cell backgrounds to facilitate the intersection of three different colored planes.

SLC cubes have three faces, each with their own color. Most artists decorate their cubes with different shades of the same color in order to represent lighting.

You can obtain the necessary symbols by copying them from a pre-existing cube using Ctrl + A, and then changing the colors to your liking. There is also a handy SLC toolbox at the top of [https://ourworldoftext.com/slc_font /slc_font].

SLC cubes can be stacked and combined to create 3D pixel art. The ability to change cell colors allows two colors to exist within any given cell, so use this feature whenever two different colored cubes touch at their diagonal edges.[[File:Slc cube tutorial.png|center|thumb|Anatomy of a SLC cube|244x244px]]

File:Slc cube color.png

File:Slc cube colorless.png

</gallery><gallery mode="packed" heights="150">

File:Slc cubes color.png

File:Slc cubes colorless.png

</gallery>

=== How to Make a Unicode Cube ===

[[File:Unicode cube tutorial.png|thumb|Anatomy of a unicode cube]]

The second type of OWOT cubes face the screen at a more direct angle. They actually contain no SLC characters whatsoever, but are still included here due to their resemblance to cubes that do use SLC.

They are created using the default block character "█" along with the triangular unicodes "◢ ◣ ◤ ◥." Critically, the triangles must have the "'''''bold'''''" text decoration, which can be accessed using Ctrl + Q.

Standard unicode cubes are smaller than SLC cubes at five characters wide and three characters tall, but like their SLC counterparts they have three colors for each of their faces.

It is important to note that both unicode and SLC cubes can be expanded to any size you want.

File:Slc tetris color.png

File:Slc tetris colorless.png

</gallery>

=== More Complex SLC Art ===

[[File:Bcolor house.png|left|thumb|483x483px|By an unknown artist, possibly Meimei]]

(''Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.'') ['''these are placeholder text, just look at the pretty images'''] (''Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo.'') ['''these drawings are both made by hand'''] (''Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?'')

(''Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.'') ['''they utilize a variety of techniques: Octants and SLC slopes to create smooth shapes, text colors to create shading and gradients, custom cell colors to create the illusion of 3D objects, and probably a couple of others that i missed'''] (''Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.'') ['''to be honest i can't fully comprehend the process behind them, but it helps to look at the black and white versions of these drawings next to the colored versions'''] (''Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.'')

(''Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo.'') ['''the 3D owot logo was created by [[JRT]], you can read more about him below or on his page'''] (''Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.'') ['''the house was created by an unknown user, though [[Guest-1052]] speculated that it could have been [[Meimei]]'''] (''Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?'')<gallery mode="packed" heights="200" caption="By JRT">

File:JRT new perspective.png

File:JRT a new perspective no color.png

</gallery>

== SLC Art Gallery ==

=== AndreiXYZ ===

[[AndreiXYZ]] has occasionally dabbled in SLC art throughout his long history on the site.

He is a big advocate of OWOT as a medium for art and favors the art-centric world [[/main]] over the [[/|frontpage]].<gallery mode="packed" heights="140">

File:Andrei font.png

File:Andrei christmas.png|Inspired by [[Meimei|Meimei's]] Christmas 2022 art

File:Fp slc .png

File:Fp center console.png

File:Andrei soylent.png

</gallery>

=== Scar32 ===

[[Scar32]] was one of the site's most controversial users, but also happened to be good at [[SLC logos|replicating logos using SLC]].

He has also created [[Image Pasters|image pasters]] that render graphics using SLC slopes.<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">

File:Scar32 bp.png

File:Scar32 twitter.png

File:Scar32 hammer and sickle.png

File:Scar32 pokemon.png

</gallery>

=== Lime.owot ===

[[Lime.owot]]<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

File:Fish mission.png

File:Spider assets.jpg

</gallery>

=== Polonez ===

[[Polonez]] is a former troll who has recently decorated [[Lime.owot|Lime.owot's]] radio with a variety of high quality SLC art.<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

File:Polonez mario.png

File:Polonez calculator.png

</gallery>

=== Place_holdrr ===

[[Placeholder|Place_holdrr]] is a proficient SLC artist who destroyed most of their reputation during the LaserLime incident. Since then they have been working on rebuilding trust within the community.

P_h specializes in making 2D art of guns and other weapons. They have also created a variety of infrastructure for [[lime.owot]]'s radio, with lime being one of the only people who's still friends with them after all their controversies.

Place_holdrr's drawings are archived on his [https://ourworldoftext.com/place_holdrr world].<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">

File:Placeholder lazer.png

File:Placeholder gun.png

File:Orange gun.png

File:Placeholder tank.png

</gallery>

=== Fox ===

[[Jan soweli Asike|Fox]] learned how to use SLC on its own from creating various art using SLC, such as an earlier version of a Wheel Of Fortune puzzleboard ('''not''' shown here), refining an existing drawing of Mewo from ''Omori'', or from its most commonly recognized drawing, a 3D Minecraft fox. The 3D fox was routinely (and even automatically at one point) maintained at the North of spawn for months on end before eventually losing motivation to continue restoring it.

They have also created a script for creating 3D block drawings.<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">

File:Mcfox.png

File:Slc cat.png

File:Wheel of fortune.png

File:Fox elevator.png

</gallery>

=== JRT ===

After becoming active in August of 2024, [[JRT]] quickly became the most skilled(''and most prolific'') SLC artist in all of OWOT.

His drawings can be found all over the site, garnering large amounts of praise whenever they are posted at Spawn or onto the [[OWOT Discord]].

He owns several worlds dedicated to SLC art, such as [https://ourworldoftext.com/J.R.T.s_ULTIMATE_SLC_and_UNICODE_COLLECTION /J.R.T.s_ULTIMATE_SLC_and_UNICODE_COLLECTION] and https://ourworldoftext.com/ourworldofgeometry, which specifically archives 3D art.<gallery mode="packed" heights="120">

File:Jrt penrose triangle.png

File:Jrt organ.png

File:Jrt pi.png

File:Are you sure.png

File:Mayacomm 2.png|Based off of art by [[Crazy cat lady]]

File:Jrt speed of light city.jpg|Speed of Light City in [[/main]]

File:JRT TI-36X Pro.jpg

File:JRT new perspective.png

</gallery>

[[File:JRT's Ultimate SLC and Unicode Collection.png|center|thumb|536x536px|[https://ourworldoftext.com/J.R.T.s_ULTIMATE_SLC_and_UNICODE_COLLECTION /J.R.T.s_ULTIMATE_SLC_and_UNICODE_COLLECTION]]]

=== The Carrion ===

[[The Carrion|An abomination of SLC and unicodes]].

Iterations of The Carrion have been a staple at spawn since November 2024, with the creature taking on a variety of grotesque forms over its many appearances.

It is unclear whether there is a single creator behind The Carrion, or if it's a shared idea between many different users.<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">

File:Carrion mouth.png

File:Carrion may 5 2025 1.png

</gallery>

=== Yosicat ===

[[Yosicat]] picked up SLC art in ~July of 2025 and is improving rapidly. So far they have created multiple high quality patterns.

He is also an avid creator of ASCII art, and has cited text art as his inspiration for picking up traditional drawing.[[File:Yosicat slc keyboard.png|center|thumb|388x388px|Yosicat's custom SLC keyboard]]

File:Yosicat traffic cones.png|Early experimentation with SLC

File:Yosicat brick wall.png

File:Yosicat pattern 2.png

File:Yosicat pattern 3.png

File:Yosicat pattern 4.png

File:Yosicat shining.png|Carpet pattern from ''The Shining''

File:Yosicat pattern 1.png

File:Yosicat certified baka.png

File:Yosicat souls.png

File:Yosicat remain yourself.png

File:Yosicat hnk.png|Inspired by characters from ''Land of the Lustrous''

File:Yosicat pattern 5.png

File:Yosicat pattern 6.png

File:Yosicat flowers.png

File:Yosicat rabbit pattern.png

File:Yosicat dog patterns.png

File:Yosicat cat pattern.png

File:Yosicat pattern 7.png

File:Yosicat pattern 8.png

</gallery>

=== 67x8 ===

[[67x8]] used many art styles for their art series "36 Days of Type," some of which utilized SLC.<gallery mode="packed" widths="200" heights="120">

File:E .png|alt=By 67x8

File:F.png|alt=By 67x8

File:G.png|alt=By 67x8

File:I.png|alt=By 67x8

File:J .png

File:K.png

File:P.png

File:Y.png

File:Z.png

</gallery>

=== DominoGuy ===

[[DominoGuy]] is a [[Spam|spammer]] and SLC artist. They sign their works using "DG_"<gallery mode="packed" heights="150" caption="3D Squaries">

File:Slc art august 29.png|Delta and 5 Character Calculator

File:Slc art september 2.png|[[Europe2048]]

File:Slc art september 10.png|Calculator

</gallery>

=== ❧ ===

An anonymous artist that appeared in late 2025.

They occasionally sign their art with the [[wikipedia:Fleuron_(typography)|fleuron]] "❧," but often leave their drawings unmarked, so it's unclear if all of the images below were from them.<gallery widths="150" heights="150" mode="packed">

File:Owot slc art october 8 2025.png|October 8th, 2025

File:Autechre untitled 2005.png|Based off of an [[wikipedia:Untilted|Autechre album cover]](''October 11th, 2025'')

File:D20.png|October 13th, 2025

File:Rotated floral heart bullet.png|October 18th, 2025

File:Slc pattern october 22 2025.png|"[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/A_complex_Fleuron_with_thistle%2C_1870_American_Edition._Facsimile._Poems%2C_Chiefly_in_the_Scottish_Dialect.jpg/500px-A_complex_Fleuron_with_thistle%2C_1870_American_Edition._Facsimile._Poems%2C_Chiefly_in_the_Scottish_Dialect.jpg A complex fleuron with thistles]"(''October 22nd, 2025'')

</gallery>

=== Miscellaneous ===

SLC art by anonymous artists, or artists that are only known for a few creations.<gallery widths="120" heights="120">

File:Slc block stack.png

File:Slc happy meal box.png|Possibly by Scar32

File:Slc sanic.png|Possibly by Scar32

File:Slc owot logo.png

File:Bigrigs.png|From [https://ourworldoftext.com/bigrigs /bigrigs](''April 2022'')

File:Mch december 25 2022.png|[[/main]] center console for December 25th, 2022

File:Owot christmas.png|Christmas '22 art by [[Meimei]], the inspiration for Andrei's Christmas '23 art

File:Pippin ebbinghaus illusion.png|By [[Pippin]] for [https://ourworldoftext.com/OpticalIllusions /OpticalIllusions]

File:Slc firewall robot.png|March 11th, 2025

File:Slc earth.png|April 22nd, 2025

File:Us flag july 4 2025.png|July 4th, 2025

File:2d bridge.png|August 2025 in [https://ourworldoftext.com/J.R.T.s_ULTIMATE_SLC_and_UNICODE_COLLECTION JRT's world]

File:3d bridge.png|August 18th, 2025 in JRT's world

File:Slc us flag august 30 2025.png|August 30th, 2025

== SLC art trends ==

=== /slc_font ===

{{main|Custom Fonts}}[[File:Slc font.png|border|right|frameless|389x389px]]

[https://ourworldoftext.com/slc_font /slc_font] is a world owned by a guest account, where users are encouraged to make custom fonts out of SLC characters. You are free to paste these fonts anywhere and use them to write whatever you want.

[[File:Slc font world.png|none|thumb|470x470px]]

=== SLC logos ===

[[File:890 logos process.png|thumb|Tutorial for making logos using SLC]]

{{main|SLC logos}}A trend from ~2022. [[Scar32]] was the most prolific creator of SLC logos.

[[File:890 logos 1.png|none|thumb|589x589px|A road showcasing "OWOT sponsors" at [https://ourworldoftext.com/#x:110,y:888 X:110 Y:888]]]

== SLC art in TextWall ==

Symbols for Legacy Computing were added to TextWall, another [[Similar sites to OWOT|text canvas site]], in September 2022. SLC art there has a noticeably different aesthetic due to a lack of customizable cell colors, and because the site renders many symbols in a way that creates visible gaps between characters.<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">

File:Tw google.png|Art by [https://tw.2s4.me/~Delta Delta]

File:Dg planes.png|Art by [[DominoGuy]]

File:Dg white planes.png|Art by [[DominoGuy]]

</gallery>

== Trivia ==

* SLC is derived from [https://www.tara-systems.de/success-stories/teletext-evolution/ Teletext 2.5].

** A number of old Teletext creations have been replicated in OWOT, several of which have been used as custom Center Consoles for the art world [[/main]].

** You can find some of these internet artifacts at [https://ourworldoftext.com/teletext /teletext] and [https://ourworldoftext.com/JOBFINDER /JOBFINDER].[[File:Jobfinder.png|center|frameless|449x449px]]

[[Category:Documentation]]

[[Category:Tutorials]]

[[Category:Worlds]]

[[Category:Art]]

[[Category:Compilation pages]]