Whiteboard

Whiteboard is a drawing tool that designers, students, and teaching assistants can use during an online discussion. This tool allows users to enter text, draw objects, insert graphics, and make modifications — especially useful for drawing and viewing diagrams in real-time.

Whiteboard allows you to do the following:

• enter and modify text
• draw and modify objects
• move text and objects
• delete text and objects
• change background color of the drawing area
• upload images from your computer and import images from your My-Files folder
• save and load screen content

To view a description of the Whiteboard tools, rest your mouse on the tool icon. The description will be displayed in the Information box on the lower right of the Whiteboard screen.

Entering and Modifying Text

Entering text

This tool allows designers, students, and teaching assistants to enter text in the drawing area, and view the results in real-time during an online discussion. Whiteboard allows one user to enter text at a time.

1. From the Drawing Palette, click the Text icon.
2. Click anywhere in the drawing area and enter your text. As you type, your text appears underscored to indicate to other users that you are typing.
3. When you're finished entering your text, press Enter on your keyboard. The underscore disappears. Others may now enter text.
4. To clear the drawing area, click the Clear icon. A confirmation window appears.
5. To confirm, click OK.

Changing text style

This feature allows designers, students, and teaching assistants to change the font and font size, and to bold or italicize text.

To change text color

1. From the Drawing Palette, click the Selection icon. Selection handles appear around the text.
2. On the Foreground/Background Color Selector at the bottom of the Whiteboard screen, click the square on the upper left. A black border appears around it.
3. On the Color Palette, click one of the six colors.
4. To change text color, click any one of its selection handles. The text appears in the new color. Any new text you enter appears in the new color.

To change font, font size, font style

Note: WebCT matches standard Java fonts to the fonts that most closely resemble your computer's fonts. Because one or more of these fonts may not be loaded on your computer, the font that appears on your screen may not match exactly the font you choose from the WhiteboardFont Selector.

1. From the Drawing Palette, click the Selection icon. Selection handles appear around the text.
2. At the bottom of the Whiteboard, click the Font Selector icon. The Whiteboard Font window appears.
3. Change the font, font size or font type as desired:
   • To change the font, select one of the fonts in the list.
   • To change the font size, select it from the Size drop-down list.
   • To bold the text , select the Bold check box.
   • To italicize the text, select the Italic check box.
4. Click OK. The Whiteboard Font window disappears.
5. Click any one of the selection handles around the text you want to change. The text you selected is modified. Any new text you enter appears with the new font characteristics.

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Drawing and Modifying Lines and Objects

Drawing lines

This tool allows designers, students, and teaching assistants to draw lines in the Whiteboard screen, and view the results in real-time during an online discussion. Whiteboard allows one user to draw at a time.

Line drawing icons include:

Freehand line
Straight line

1. From the Drawing Palette, click the Line Drawing icon.
   
2. Click anywhere in the drawing area and keep the mouse button depressed.
3. To draw your line, drag the mouse.
4. When you have finished drawing your line, release the mouse button. Other users may now see the line you drew.
5. To clear the drawing area and start again, click the Clear icon. A confirmation window appears.
6. To confirm, click OK.

Note: When drawing straight lines that connect, previously drawn lines may erase. To correct this, in Whiteboard, under File, click Refresh. A confirmation screen appears. Click OK. The erased portions reappear.

Modifying lines

This feature allows designers, students, and teaching assistants to change the following characteristics of a line: thickness, shape, and color.

To change the line thickness

1. From the Drawing Palette, click the Selection icon. Selection handles will appear around the line.
2. From the Line Thickness Modifier icon at the bottom of the Whiteboard screen, click the line thickness you want.
3. To change the thickness of a line, click any one of its selection handles. The line appears in the new thickness. Any new lines you draw will appear in the new thickness.
4. To clear the drawing area and start again, click the Clear icon. A confirmation window appears.
5. To confirm, click OK.

To reshape a line

Note: You can only reshape a straight line.

1. On the Drawing Palette, click the Selection icon. Selection handles will appear around the line.
2. Click the Reshape icon.
3. Click any one of the selection handles around the line you want to reshape and keep the mouse button depressed. Ensure the cursor's crosshairs are inside the selection handle.
4. Drag the selection handle until the line has the desired shape, and release.
5. To clear the drawing area and start again, click the Clear icon. A confirmation window appears.
6. To confirm, click OK.

To change the color of a line

1. From the Drawing Palette, click the Selection icon. Selection handles will appear around the line.
2. On the Foreground/Background Color Selector at the bottom of the Whiteboard screen, click the square on the upper left. A black border appears around it.
3. On the Color Palette, click one of the six colors.
4. To change the color of a line, click any one of its selection handles. The line changes color. Any new lines you draw will appear in the new color.
5. To clear the drawing area and start again, click the Clear icon. A confirmation window appears.
6. To confirm, click OK.

Drawing objects

This tool allows designers, students, and teaching assistants to draw objects in the Whiteboard screen, and view the results in real-time during an online discussion. Whiteboard allows one user to draw at a time.

Drawing object icons include:

Empty oval
Filled oval
Empty rectangle
Filled rectangle

1. From the Drawing Palette, click the Selection icon.
   
2. Click anywhere in the drawing area and keep the mouse button depressed.
3. To draw your object, drag the mouse.
4. When you have finished drawing your object, release the mouse button. Other users may now see the object you drew.
5. To clear the drawing area and start again, click the Clear icon. A confirmation window appears.
6. To confirm, click OK.

Note: When drawing filled rectangles that overlap, the overlapped portion of previously drawn rectangles may erase. To correct this, from the WebCT Whiteboard File menu, click Refresh. A confirmation screen appears. Click OK. The erased portions reappear.

Modifying objects

This feature allows designers, students, and teaching assistants to change the following characteristics of an object: thickness, color, shape, fill, and unfill.

To unfill an object

1. From the Drawing Palette, click the Unfill icon. Selection handles appear around any objects that can be unfilled.
2. To unfill an object, click any one of its selection handles.
3. To clear the drawing area and start again, click the Clear icon. A confirmation window appears.
4. To confirm, click OK.

To fill an object

1. From the Drawing Palette, click the Fill icon. Selection handles appear around any objects that can be filled.
2. To fill an object, click any one of its selection handles.
3. To clear the drawing area and start again, click the Clear icon. A confirmation window appears.
4. To confirm, click OK.

To reshape an object

1. From the Drawing Palette, click the Selection icon. Selection handles appear around the object.
2. Click the Reshape icon.
3. Click any one of the selection handles around the object you want to reshape and keep the mouse button depressed. Ensure the cursor's crosshairs are inside the selection handle.
4. To reshape the object, drag its selection handle until the object has the desired shape, and release.
5. To clear the drawing area and start again, click the Clear icon. A confirmation window appears.
6. To confirm, click OK.

To change the color of an object

1. From the Drawing Palette, click the Selection icon. Selection handles appear around the object.
2. On the Foreground/Background Color Selector at the bottom of the Whiteboard screen, click the square on the upper left. A black border appears around it.
3. On the Color Palette, click one of the six colors.
4. To change the color of an object, click any one of its selection handles. The object appears in the new color. Any new objects you draw will appear in the new color.
5. To clear the drawing area and start again, click the Clear icon. A confirmation window appears.
6. To confirm, click OK.

To change the thickness of an object

1. From the Drawing Palette, click the Selection icon. Selection handles appear around the object.
2. On the Line Thickness Modifier icon at the bottom of the Whiteboard screen, click the line thickness you want.
3. To change the thickness of an object, click any one of its selection handles. The object appears in the new thickness. Any new objects you draw will appear in the new thickness.
4. To clear the drawing area and start again, click the Clear icon. A confirmation window appears.
5. To confirm, click OK.

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Moving text, lines, or objects

This tool allows designers, students, and teaching assistants to move text, lines, or objects in the drawing area and view the results in real-time during an online discussion.

1. From the Drawing Palette, click the Selection icon. Selection handles appear around the text, line, or object.
2. Click the Move icon.
3. Click any one of the selection handles around the text, line, or object, and keep the mouse button depressed. Ensure the cursor's crosshairs are inside the selection handle.
4. To move the text, line, or object, drag the mouse.
5. When you have finished, release the mouse button.
6. To clear the drawing area, click the Clear icon. A confirmation window appears.
7. To confirm, click OK.

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Deleting text, lines, or objects

This tool allows designers, students, and teaching assistants to delete text, lines, or objects from the drawing area and view the results in real-time during an online discussion.

1. From the Drawing Palette, click the Selection icon. Selection handles appear around each text, line, and object element.
2. Click the Delete icon.
3. To delete text, a line, or an object, click any one of its selection handles.

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Changing the background color

This tool allows designers, students, and teaching assistants to change the background color of the drawing area.

1. On the Foreground/Background Color Selector at the bottom of the Whiteboard screen, click the square on the lower right. A black border appears around it.
2. On the Color Palette, click one of the six colors. The background color of the drawing area changes for all users connected to the current online discussion.

Clearing the drawing area

This tool allows designers, students, and teaching assistants to clear the entire drawing area, that is, delete all the text, lines, and objects currently in view.

1. From the Drawing Palette, click the Clear icon. A confirmation window appears.
2. Click OK. The drawing area is cleared.

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Managing Image Files

Importing images from My-Files

This tool allows designers, students, and teaching assistants to import .gif or .jpg image files from their My-Files folder in Manage Files. In order to import images, you must first upload them from your computer to your My-Files folder.

1. At the bottom of the Whiteboard screen, click the Image Selector icon.
2. If the image you want to import appears in one of the Image Boxes, click it and proceed to step 4.
3. Click any one of the six Image Boxes.
4. Click Import. The Load Image File window appears, containing a drop-down list of previously uploaded images.
5. Double-click the filename of the image you want to import.
6. In the Load Image File window, click OK.
7. In the Whiteboard Image window, click OK.
8. From the Drawing Palette, click the Paste icon.
9. Click anywhere in the drawing area. The image appears.

Caution: Image files are saved in, and loaded from, My-Files/whiteboard/images. When you save a Whiteboard file, it is saved in My-Files/Whiteboard/savefiles.

Uploading images from your computer

This tool allows designers, students, and teaching assistants to upload .gif or .jpg image files from their computer to their My-Files folder.

1. At the bottom of the Whiteboard screen, click the Image Selector icon. The Whiteboard Image window appears.
2. Click any of the six Image Boxes and click Upload.
3. Under Please input your filename, enter the path and filename of your image, or to select the file, click Browse.
4. Click OK.
5. The image appears in the Image Box you selected.
6. If you want to upload another image, repeat steps 2 through 4. You must select a different Image Box for each additional image. When you have finished uploading your images, continue with step 7.
7. Click the image you want to paste to the drawing area.
8. Click OK.
9. From the Drawing Palette, click the Paste icon.
10. Click anywhere in the drawing area. The image appears.

Note: When you have uploaded your image, you can save it in your My-Files folder and load it anytime. To preview your Whiteboard images, go to Manage Files. The images are saved in My-Files/ whiteboard/images. Click the preview icon next to the filename.

Deleting all Whiteboard image files

This feature allows you to delete all Whiteboard image files saved in your My-Files folder.

1. From the Whiteboard screen, under Options, click Reset. A warning message appears.
2. Click OK. The Whiteboard Reset screen appears confirming the update.
3. Click Continue. The Whiteboard screen appears.

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Saving and Loading Files

Saving screen content

Designers can turn the Save Content feature on or off. If this feature is turned on, it allows designers, students, and teaching assistants to save current Whiteboard screen content in their WebCT My-Files directory for use at a later time.

1. From the File menu, click Save. The Save Whiteboard File window appears.
2. In the bottom box, enter a filename.
3. Click OK. The Whiteboard screen content is saved.

Loading a file

Designers can turn the Load File feature on or off. If this feature is turned on, it allows designers, students, and teaching assistants to load a file of previously saved Whiteboard screen content.

1. From the File menu, click Load. The Load Whiteboard File window appears.
2. In the top box, double-click the filename. The filename appears in the bottom box.
3. Click OK. The file appears on the Whiteboard screen.

Setting load/save functions

This feature allows designers to turn on or off Whiteboard Load/Save functions.

1. From the Whiteboard screen, under Options, select one of the following:
   • Allow loading and saving
   • Do not allow loading and saving
2. Click Update. The Whiteboard Settings screen appears confirming the update.
3. Click Continue. The Whiteboard screen appears.

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