updated readme

Author: dani-polani

README.md

@@ -1,13 +1,58 @@
-# bitext-word-alignment
+# Aligner — word-by-word translation visualizer
 
-Draft requirements: `docs/tmp/idea.md` (under `docs/tmp/`, often gitignored).
+**[aligner.tinygods.dev](https://aligner.tinygods.dev)**
 
-## App (`bitext/`)
+Aligner (also called *Bitext Align*) is a free web tool that shows **which word matches which** across stacked lines of text. Type or paste a sentence and its translation, click a word and then its match on the line above or below, and curved connectors draw the alignment between them. Add extra rows for **glosses** or **IPA**, then **export** the diagram or **share** it with a link.
 
-SvelteKit app — see [`bitext/README.md`](bitext/README.md).
+No accounts, no machine translation — you stay in control of every link. Great for lessons, social posts, grammar notes, and conlang documentation.
 
-**Node 20.19+ or 22.12+** required for the toolchain (Vite 8).
+![Linking words between “Hello world” and its French translation](bitext/static/examples/action.gif)
 
-```sh
-cd bitext && npm install && npm run dev
-```
+## What it's for
+
+- **Language learners** — see exactly why a translation says what it does: which source word became which target word, what gets dropped, and where word order changes.
+- **Teachers** — build handouts, slides, and flashcards; export a clean PNG or SVG and drop it into a lesson without retyping anything.
+- **Linguists** — produce Leipzig-style interlinear glosses with morpheme alignment, case/agreement tags, and free translations.
+- **Conlangers** — show how a constructed language maps onto English, with custom script fonts, gloss rows, and IPA.
+
+## What it does
+
+- **Multi-line alignment** — stack as many rows as you need (source, translation, gloss, IPA); links connect vertically adjacent lines.
+- **Manual word linking** — click a word, then its match; supports one-to-many and many-to-one links and freely crossing connectors for reordered translations.
+- **Interlinear glosses & IPA** — add annotation tiers above or below any line.
+- **Right-to-left scripts** — Hebrew, Arabic, and mixed LTR/RTL layouts.
+- **Tokenization control** — choose how text splits into word boxes (split characters, a join marker for fixed expressions, optional punctuation handling).
+- **Per-line typography** — font, size, spacing, and direction per line; custom and Google Fonts.
+- **Exports** — PNG, SVG, PDF, and a self-contained HTML file; exports match the preview, including custom-font shaping.
+- **Shareable URLs** — the whole alignment (text, links, and visual settings) is encoded in a `?data=` link.
+
+## Examples
+
+Browse ready-made examples — bilingual pairs, Turkish interlinear with IPA, RTL scripts, Tagalog compounds, Japanese–Chinese–English word order, and more interlinear glosses — at **[aligner.tinygods.dev/examples](https://aligner.tinygods.dev/examples)**. Open any one in the editor to adapt it.
+
+![Turkish interlinear preview with glosses, IPA, and connectors](bitext/static/screenshots/preview-turkish-example.png)
+
+![Conlang example with a custom script font and interlinear glosses](bitext/static/examples/conlang_gloss.png)
+
+## How it works
+
+Edit your lines in the line editor, then link words in the preview.
+
+![Aligner line editor with stacked lines and word-splitting summary](bitext/static/screenshots/line-editor.png)
+
+Tune colors, tokenization, and fonts in settings, then export or share.
+
+![Export options: PNG, SVG, PDF, and HTML](bitext/static/screenshots/export-card.png)
+
+## Word alignment vs. interlinear vs. parallel text
+
+- **Interlinear translation** places a gloss directly under each source word — compact, but it hides reordering. Aligner keeps both sentences on their own line and draws connectors, so reorderings, splits, and merges stay obvious.
+- **Parallel text** is side-by-side bilingual reading for long-form study. Aligner focuses on one sentence pair at a time with explicit connectors showing which tokens correspond.
+
+## Learn more
+
+- **App:** [aligner.tinygods.dev](https://aligner.tinygods.dev)
+- **About / documentation:** [aligner.tinygods.dev/about](https://aligner.tinygods.dev/about)
+- **Privacy:** [aligner.tinygods.dev/privacy](https://aligner.tinygods.dev/privacy)
+
+Created by Dani Polani. See other [tools for linguistics and conlanging](https://danipolani.github.io/en/blog/tools/).