The protractor can be used to measure the angle between two lines. It also contains a series of circles ranging from 0,5 to 2,5 cm that can be used to draw small precise circles. The following video shows all the features of the protractor.
Important: these videos show a previous version of the TactiPad. The appearance of some components has changed in newer versions of the drawing board, yet the functionality is still the same.
The triangle is used to draw or measure the length of a line. In combination with the buttons on the edge of the drawing board it can be used to quickly make lines with an angle of 30, 45, 60 or 90 degrees. The next video shows how this is done in practice.
Important: these videos show a previous version of the TactiPad. The appearance of some components has changed in newer versions of the drawing board, yet the functionality is still the same.
The first of the drawing tools that come with the Tactipad is the ruler. The following video explains how to make perfectly straight lines of a certain length or how to draw it horizontally or vertically.
Important: these videos show a previous version of the TactiPad. The appearance of some components has changed in newer versions of the drawing board, yet the functionality is still the same.
The frame around the drawing surface contains a number of useful features that increase the precision and ease with which the drawing can be made. This video demonstrates how the buttons and centimetre scale along the frame can be used.
Important: these videos show a previous version of the TactiPad. The appearance of some components has changed in newer versions of the drawing board, yet the functionality is still the same.
The work surface of the drawing board is a rubber surface with German foil fixed on top of it. This video shows the properties of the foil and the way it is easily mounted on the TactiPad.
Important: these videos show a previous version of the TactiPad. The appearance of some components has changed in newer versions of the drawing board, yet the functionality is still the same.
This first video tutorial gives a general description of the TactiPad drawing board and shows an overview of the different components that will be shown in the rest of the video tutorials. They will contain more details about the use and dimensions of the drawing board itself, as well as the different drawing tools (ruler, triangle, compasses and protractor).
Important: these videos show a previous version of the TactiPad. The appearance of some components has changed in newer versions of the drawing board, yet the functionality is still the same.
The GraphGrid is one of the smart accessories for the TactiPad drawing board. Besides drawing freehand this accessory allows you to draw rows, columns, squares or a coordinate system in two or three dimensions. Rubber bands fixed inside and around the GraphGrid allow you to place flexible ‘graph paper’ and ‘coordinate systems’ on the TactiPad. When making creative drawings, playing games or doing school assignments, this allows you to work easily with cross-connections in tables, differences between fore- and background or spatial proportions.
Figure 1. The GraphGrid is placed on the TactiPad’s buttons.
The GraphGrid is a framework that is placed on the TactiPad like a picture frame. Rubber bands, placed inside and around this framework from left to right and from top to bottom, form the axes and lines of the graph paper.
Along the inner edge, small “hooks” are placed at a regular interval of 1 centimeter. Along the outer edge of the GraphGrid, indentations are made with a spacing of 1 centimeter as well. Slightly wider indications mark 5 centimeter intervals. The locations of the hooks and indentations both exactly match with the centimeter scale along the edges of the TactiPad. This way the measurements of the drawing board become tangible on the entire drawing surface. The frame overlaps the drawing surface along the edges by one centimeter.
Because of the A4 dimensions of the drawing surface (21.0 by 29.7 cm), the centimeter scale is not symmetrical along the TactiPad. Therefore the starting point for horizontal and vertical distances is at the upper left corner of the drawing board, when it is in landscape orientation with the hinge facing backwards. To position the GraphGrid in its correct position, place it with the flat corner in the upper right corner on the TactiPad.
The eight holes in the GraphGrid fit around the knobs on the TactiPad. For this, you place the knobs at five centimeters from the corners of the drawing surface.
In addition to the wedge tool, rubber bands can also form a tactile diameter or the center of the circle. Indentations are placed around the outside of the CircleFrame in which the rubber bands can be attached. These indentations are positioned so that the rubber bands exactly coincide with the degree indications along the circle. This way, the rubber bands intersect exactly in the center of the circle when they are attached around the CircleFrame. Slightly wider indents make the positions for 0, 30, 45, 60, 90 degrees, etc. easily recognizable.
The wedge-shaped drawing tool has a rounded edge that matches the curve of the circle in the CircleFrame. This rounded side covers an arc of 45 degrees. You can keep it in place with one or two fingers in the round hole in the tool and press it against the edge of the circle.
Two sides of this tool end in a flattened point. One of these sides is straight and ends in a very small point that serves as a pen-stop. This pen-stop exactly coincides with the center of the circle. With this straight side you can draw both the center and the radius of the circle.
The other side of the wedge is slightly curved inward. This side has pen-stops that indicate the radius per centimeter seen from the center of the CircleFrame. The small block between the penstops of 2 and 3 centimeters is used to position the compass base.
The wedge tool can be used to draw pie charts, which are often used to present information in fields such as mathematics, economics and geography. The quantity that each sector represents corresponds with an arc of a certain number of degrees. By determining the angle between two radii on the inside of the circle, you can draw the pie chart very accurately. Many other mathematical concepts in which degrees and angles play a key role, such as vectors or polar and trigonometric functions, can be explained and drawn as well using the CircleFrame.
Figure 1. Measure the required angles along the circle and use the straight side of the wedge tool to create a pie chart.
Another function of the wedge tool is to position the compass in the center of the Circle Frame. You can achieve this by placing the wedge tool anywhere against the edge of the circle with the compass base against the flattened tip of the wedge. The center of the compass base now hooks around the pen-stop at the tip of the wedge tool.
By slightly turning the base counterclockwise, it will catch the small protruding block on the curved side of the wedge. This way, the compass base is exactly in the middle of the circle. By removing the wedge tool and placing the compass arm into the base, you can now draw a circle precisely in the center of the CircleFrame.
Figure 2. Position the wedge tool along the edge of the circle (step 1), position the compass base and turn it so it rests against the wedge tool (steps 2 and 3) and remove the wedge tool (step 4). The compasses are now perfectly positioned in the center.
You can also combine the compass with the edge of the circle. The indents per five degrees are semicircular and have the same diameter as the needle of the compass. After placing the compass base on the CircleFrame, you can slide the needle of the compass into one of the indents along the edge. The center of the arcs are now exactly on the circle. By drawing multiple arcs along the edge of the circle, you can create intriguing repetitive geometric patterns.
Around the circle of the CircleFrame, multiples of 30 degrees are indicated by drop-shaped indentations. These make up for the twelve hours of the clock.
To draw a clock hand, you can use the wedge tool. Along the rounded side you will find grooves at an angle corresponding to 1 minute, or 6 degrees. The longer groove of 2 centimeter indicates the position of 5 minutes or 1 hour later. After placing the wedge tool with the rounded side against the edge of the circle and aligning the straight side with one of the hour indications, you can measure the minutes and draw the hands of the clock as radii and have it set at any desired time.
The large zigzag triangle fits perfectly against the edges of the circle and can rotate freely due to its rounded corners. One of its corners is slightly wider than the other two and using the notch in the middle, it can be lined up with the degree indicators along the circle.
This tool has a few different options for drawing patterns. One side provides a smooth wave pattern, at the opposite side you will find a zigzag pattern, and the final outer side is a straight line. This straight side can be used to create an equilateral triangle by repeating it three times with a rotation of 120 degrees. This side also has two pen-stops that indicate the length of a line segment needed to draw a hexagon, which can be created by rotating the zigzag triangle six times by 60 degrees.
The inner sides have the same patterns in a smaller scale.
Figure 1. With the zigzag triangle you can create intriguing shapes and patterns.
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