Coloured Chalk

Shape™ - Frequently Asked Questions

Please see below for answers to our frequently asked questions. The questions are divided into the following topics,

• Shapes
• Pictures
• Paper
• Formulas

Geometric shapes

• What shapes are available?

  There are four basic shapes - a circle, a rectangle, a right-angled triangle and a scalene triangle. There are also four composite shapes and four sector parts.

  In addition there are numerous customised basic shapes available. These have been tailored for specific uses. For example, a right-angle triangle with sides labelled a, b and c, useful when studying Pythagoras Theorem.

  All shapes can be found in the parts library.

• How do I resize shapes?

  Most shapes can be resized by dragging any vertex. Circles and sectors can be resized by dragging their outer edges. Shapes cannot be resized when they are selected.

• What is that grey background around the shape?

  When you click on a shape it becomes selected and a range of options becomes available. Shapes cannot be resized while they are selected. Read on for more details.

• How can I display the length of a side or angle on a shape?

  Select the shape and the lengths and angles that can be displayed are marked. Click on the mark to toggle to display of the value on and off. If you click on the value whilst the shape is unselected it will toggle between the value and a '?' or letter. The values shown depend upon the scale settings.

• How can I set a specific length or angle?

  Numbers can be dragged from the calculator (or any other shape) and dropped on any length or angle. The shape will resize according to the scale of the paper or background. Letters and symbols can also be dragged and dropped in the same way.

• How can I label sides and angles?

  Letters can be dragged from the calculator (or from anywhere else in Shape) and dropped on sides and angles just like numbers.

• How can I show the area or perimeter (circumference) of a shape?

  Select the shape and click on the area or perimeter button. A 'float' will appear. Click on the "?" to show the value. Click a second time to hide it.

• How do I change a shape's colour?

  Select the shape and choose a new colour from the colour bar.

• How can I rotate shapes?

  Click on any vertex of a shape to create a rotation point. Drag the body of the shape to rotate it about that point or drag another vertex to rotate and resize it. Shapes cannot be resized whilst they are selected.

• Can I flip shapes?

  Yes. Select the shape and click the flip (left/right) or flip (up/down) button.

• Can I clone or duplicate a shape?

  Yes. Select the shape and create a duplicate by dragging from the body of the original.

• How do I delete a shape?

  Select the shape and click on the small cross to delete it.

Pictures & Photographs

• What are the pictures for?

  The pictures are supplied to provide a context for study. The shapes can be overlaid directly on the pictures.

• Where can I find them?

  The pictures can be accessed by clicking the picture tab on the parts library.

• Can I change the scale of a picture?

  No, the pictures are of real-life objects so the scale is fixed.

• Can I change the accuracy of measurement in a picture?

  As with the paper or background, you can control the number of decimal places displayed on any shape within the picture. Click on the 0dp, 1dp or 2dp options to the side of the image. The accuracy only affects distances. All angles are displayed to the nearest degree.

• It can be difficult to see the values on my shapes when they are overlaid on pictures. What can I do?

  There is a fade button on each picture.

• Can I add my own pictures?

  No, unfortunately further pictures cannot be added.

Formulas

• What formula parts are available?

  There are 12 formula parts: rectangle area, triangle area, circle area, sector area, circle circumference, arc length, Pythagoras' Theorem, sine of an angle, cosine of an angle, tangent of an angle, sine rule and the cosine rule. All are available from the appropriate section in the parts library.

• Are different variations of the formula available?

  Each of the formulas can be displayed in a number of ways. Click on the button next to the formula to show the different variations. Each time you drag a formula from the parts library the most recently used variation will be shown.

• How can I insert values into a formula?

  Numbers and letters can be dragged and dropped directly into the formula part. They can be dragged directly from a shape, the calculator or anywhere else in Shape.

• How do I work through a calculation using the formula part?

  Click on the button to move to the next line. To move back a step, click on the formula part to select it and click then on the button at the bottom.

Paper

• What is the paper for?

  The paper is supplied to provide a specific space to work in. There are four variations - blank, squared (small and large) and dotted. Each piece of paper can have its own scale. Multiple pages can be placed on the background, allowing numerous calculations to be carried out separately. When a page isn't in use, or when you want to hide a page from view, it can be minimised to the bottom of the screen.

• How can I resize the paper?

  Drag the resize control on the bottom corner of the paper to resize it.

• How can I change the scale of a page?

  Numbers can be dragged from the calculator (or anywhere else in Shape) and dropped onto the scale indicator at the bottom of the paper. Any lengths displayed on shapes already on the page will be updated automatically (shapes will not resize).

  Click on the button to turn the scale off completely.

• Can I change the accuracy of measurement in the page?

  As with the background or pictures, you can control the number of decimal places displayed on any shape within the page. Click on the 0dp, 1dp or 2dp options to the side of the paper. The accuracy only affects distances. All angles are displayed to the nearest degree.

• What does 'Snap-on' mean?

  When the snap option is turned on shapes will snap to the nearest half-square when dropped. Turn the snap option on or off using the button.

• The message "The value you have dropped creates a shape too large for this size of paper" appeared. What does it mean?

  If you drag a value onto a length or angle the shape will try to resize accordingly. However, if this means the shape will no longer fit on the page the value will not be allowed.