110 Summer 2007 - Extra Credit Applications

A Little Help To Get You Started

WHERE TO FIND THE SOFTWARE:

Most of the following software is available on both the Macs and PCs in the labs..

HELP FROM THE TA

Each TA has been assigned several software packages to learn. You can see their names by the software descriptions below. You should contact this TA for help - not your own. Just click on their names below and you can type an email message to them.

SOME HINTS TO START WITH:

1. InDesign (Mail Kooshiar if you have questions about InDesign.)

   Adobe InDesign is in the Applications folder on the Macintosh in the labs and also on the PCs (see Start Menu, All Programs, Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe InDesign CS).

   InDesign is a desktop publishing application. In particular, it is layout software used to create documents that combine text and pictures. For example, it is good for creating newsletters and magazine-like documents. Though you can enter text and draw simple pictures within InDesign, it is not meant to replace word processors and graphical editors (Paint and Draw programs). Instead, it is best used by importing such text and graphics from other files or sources. The key command within InDesign is the Place command which allows you to import the information you are using from elsewhere. Besides being used for importing such information, the Place command is also used to select the exact location within the document where you want the image or text to appear. InDesign also makes it easy to make multiple column presentations, to have a section of text end at some point in one column and automatically continue (flow) into another column - possibly on another page. You can do this by using the handles that appear on the bottom of sections of text (you need to have selected the text using the selection tool arrow).  If you shrink a section so some text is obscured, you then can click on the + icon that appears on the lower right section of that text to grab the remaining (obscured text). After that if you click elsewhere (new column on the page, a totally different page), the text will continue where you click, placing the remainder of the text in that new section. These two parts will act as one continuous section of text with parts flowing from one to the other as needed. While you are working on your document, you may want to switch back and forth from getting a close up view versus a full-page view. The Zoom commands under View can help you with this. Use a word processing package (Word, etc.) to create the text you want in your newsletter. Pictures and images can be imported into the newsletter from web sites, a ClipArts file (i.e.,the MSWord clipart file), GIF or JPEG files, and other Macintosh formats.

    

2. PhotoShop (Mail Kooshiar if you have questions about PhotoShop.)

   Adobe PhotoShop CS is on the Dock on the Macintosh in the lab and also on the PCs (see Start Menu, All Programs, Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Photoshop CS).

   Note: Use the Import feature of PhotoShop to scan your image.

   Before using Photoshop software, select an image or photo to scan and alter. Complete this assigment in one of the computer labs (Loree,Tillett, CAC, ARC) where scanners are available. Some labs may have scanners for Macintosh and PC platforms -- ask at the lab where you usually work to see what options are available. Note: To use a scanner in the computer lab, you may have to sign up for special time; check this before you plan to be in the lab to complete the assignment. PhotoShop has built-in commands to scan in your image. You may find directions on how to scan an image posted on the flap of the scanner. If not, ask the consultants on duty for help.

    

   You can save the image in various formats. As long as you continue to work with it in Photoshop, saving in Photoshop format (.psd) is wise. Later if you want to use it in other software, you can save the final image as a TIFF (a common uncompressed format ) or jpg or gif which are common for use on the Internet. Pictures can take up a lot of space, so make sure you have your USB flash drive with you when you do this assignment. Decide how much space you want your images to take up and where you want to save them before beginning the assignment.

    

   PhotoShop is used to manipulate scanned images. For example, it can be used to add or delete items from the image, incorporate special effects into the image (blurring, distort, etc.), make the image appear fractured into crystals, or turn the image into a watermark. There is a vast amount of effects you can incorporate into the image; PhotoShop is a very powerful application but fairly easy to use. However, there are some aspects of PhotoShop you will want to become faimilar with. First, you need to become comfortable with the ways in which PhotoShop selects a portion of the picture (i.e.,using the lasso or dotted marquee). You need to be able to use this feature if you want to remove or change a section of the image or select a particular effect for a region. You also should be able to add or remove layers from the image. Think of the image as an onion,with the graphics on each slice completely or only partially obscuring the image from the layers below. In fact, with PhotoShop it is possible to cut/paste or import a number of images from different places and place each on its own layer. Thus, in effect, you create one overall image by combining many pieces. Finally, you should experiment with the special effects in PhotoShop. To do this, select a region of a test image and see what effects you can produce. (Try the Adjustment submenu of the Image menu. And you will especially want to try the numerous commands on the Filter menu. As mentioned, you must use a selection tool first, to select a region of your picture, before attempting to use any of these special effects.)

    

3. PowerPoint (Mail Kooshiar if you have questions about PowerPoint.)

   Microsoft Powerpoint is on the Dock on the Macintoshes in the lab and also on the PCs (see Start Menu, All Programs, Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft Office Powerpoint 2003).

   Powerpoint is part of the Microsoft Office package. So a wise place to start to learn about this software is in your book which has a whole chapter on it.

   Powerpoint is used to make presentations that can be displayed through a computer. In effect, you can create "slide shows." While using the software, the key thing to understand is that you can switch back and forth from looking at individual slides, to looking at the outline of the presentation. Each numbered item on the outline is a new slide. Often a slide can be made up of individual "bullet" items. You can control the effect used when the computer switches from one slide to another. You can also control the effect used when the computer works its way down the bullet items on a slide. Here are some useful hints to know when using Powerpoint in the labs. You will want to use New Presentation from File to start a new presentation. Once in Powerpoint, you will see a number of small icons on the bottom left. The second one is for going into Outline view. The third will put you in Slide view. (The first one, for "Normal View" lets you see Slide and Outline at the same time.) While in outline mode you can use the tab key to indent (put items on a slide) and shift-tab to un-indent (start a new slide). The Slide Transition command on the Slide Show menu is used to describe what effect should be used when switching from one slide to the next. The Animations command on the same menu is used to describe how the computer should work its way through the items on a slide. To use either Slide Transition or Animations in outline mode, click on the slide you want to effect (by clicking the icon after the number for that item) before using the commands. You can view the presentation at any time by using the View Show command from the Slide Show menu. To work your way through a presentation, keep clicking the mouse button to move from one item or slide to the next. ESC will stop a presentation early. (During a presentation, you can use ? to see other commands you can use.)

4. Quicken (Mail Kooshiar if you have questions about Quicken.)

   Quicken 2006 is in the Applications folder on the harddrive of the Macintosh computers; it is not available on the PCs in the labs.

   Quicken is financial software. It can be used to track and budget money through various accounts and investments. It is powerful enough to be used by individuals for their own home use and by businesses to handle more complex income and expenses. When you start up Quicken, give it your name when it asks for it, then hit Skip when it gives you the New User info. When you use Quicken it will ordinarily refer to one Master data file, which you might normally access on your own hard drive. Since this is not the case in the computer labs, when you start up Quicken and it asks for the Location of the "data file", select Cancel in the dialog box.

    

   The first thing you will do in Quicken is create a New File from the File menu. A dialog box will come up. Make sure Home category is selected and then name and save the file to your flash drive. On the next screen that comes up, you will want to click the choice "This account is not held at a financial institution." Next, Quicken will expect you to have at least one account where you can pull money from (or place money into), so you need to set up at least one account. You can pick a Checking account or a Cash account . You must enter a name for the account and then click the Create button. For Checking it will ask you for a statement date and the balance - you can enter anything for both of these.

   
   

   You will now be looking at the screen that tracks the amount in that account.  You can ignore the account part while you make your budget. To make the budget, make sure you go into the Planning component of Quicken (tab choice towards the middle top of the screen), then select Budget (icon on toolbar). You should now be able to proceed from there rather easily. Use the Quicken 2006 Help option from the Help menu as a reference as you create your budget.

    

5. Maple (Mail Kooshiar if you have questions about Maple.)

   Maple 10 is in the Applications folder on the harddrive of the Macintosh computers in the labs. It is also available on the START menu of the PCs of the labs, under All Programs, Class Software, Maple.

    

   Maple is an application for symbolic mathematics. It can do quite an extensive variety of sophisticated mathematical procedures. Some of the simpler tasks performed by Maple include solving algebraic equations, graphing functions, doing derivatives, and solving integrals. However, its capabilities far exceed these functions. Maple can probably do just about any operations you have had to do in your college mathematics courses. Maple is not a spreadsheet; yes, it can deal directly with values; but more importantly, it can manipulate the actual symbols that make up mathematical expressions. It is very easy to use if you are already somewhat comfortable with math.

   
   

   For this assignment, startup Maple and close the Tip window if it comes up. Next, you may be given a choice of two setups, select the first choice that reads Document.  A small Quick Help menu may become visible on the screen. The best way to learn everything you need for this assignment is try Maple Tour from this menu. (If it does not come up, you can use Take a Tour of Maple from the Help menu.)  When this opens, you can view any of the tours you want, but Ten Minute Tour seems quite useful. 

   
   

   When you are done touring go back to the main window (first tab, possibly labeled "untilted"). Within the main window type in any equation (i.e., 2 + 3;) and hit Return. You should see the answer come up midway on the next line. Note: all equations and other operations you do in Maple must end with a semicolon (;) and be triggered by hitting Return. When Maple calculates something, it will usually display the result in another color (blue?) which it shows towards the middle of the next line on the window.
   

   
   

6. Google Earth This software is available as part of Google Pack: http://pack.google.com - you do not have to download the whole package, you can just select Google Earth. (Help might become available later.)
7. Google Picasa This software is available on http://picasa.google.com (Keep on eye on this class webpage- more help might become available later.)