Straight lines in overlay mode

[Dave Harrington]

I notice that the straight line option doesn't work in overlay mode. This is a shame because I like to use overlay alongside a graph drawing package such as autograph/omnigraph to get pupils to "predict" what a graph will look like (e.g. y=mx+c). Is it possible to get overlay mode to draw straight lines?

[Tiggermet]

Here, Here, why not stop there [clap] !

It would be brilliant if I was able to use all of the tools in overlay mode! This would be a massive improvement on the overlay feature because I often need to do more than work with a freehand pen!

Kind regards

David Metcalfe
ICT Coordinator/IWB Project Manager
Shakespeare Junior School
http://shakespeare.school.hants.gov.uk (http://shakespeare.school.hants.gov.uk/)

[AirSkeeter]

I just got mine to draw straight lines in overlay mode. Click the desktop icon in the studio and then right click on the pen...it should work. I drew straight lines over your message.

[sartley]

It works in desktop, but not overlay mode.

[Peter Lambert]

I feel I should explain here. The overlay mode is quite special because it makes a layer above all active Windows. It was introduced to allow annotation over moving video and other such wizzy things. Because of this, full functionality is not possible in this mode and that is why we had to retain the traditional desktop annotation mode. This (da) mode actually takes a snapshot of the desktop and thus "freezes" the screen. In this mode you can do any ACTIVstudio desktop function.


Did you all know that every time you go into desktop annotation mode you make a new page in a "desktop flipchart"?
On exit this may be saved and reviewed just like a normal flipchart file.

[Dave Harrington]

Ok, but i think you're missing the point of what I want to do. I like to use activestudio along side other software such as dynamic geometry. Imagine that I am teaching rotations, I could ask some pupils to draw where they think the rotation of a rectangle is on the board (overlay mode) and then have the dynamic geometry reveal or demonstrate the right answer. it's very frustrating that they cant draw straight lines. The desktop mode is OK, but pupils can't easily compare their answers with the correct one. I could do this with active1, (OK I had to "undo" as well) but now I can't. it just seems like a backward step. Perhaps I am the only one who likes to use the board this way?

[markrobinson]

There is a enhanced "Live Desktop" mode in AS 2.5 , that allows you to use all the tools on the desktop - protractors, rulers, etc. You can click through the overlay and even cut and paste between the applications.