Frequently Asked Questions - Mac 1.2.0

Transcription

1 Frequently Asked Questions - Mac 1.2.0

2 Contents Installation... 3 Files and file compatibility... 3 Using view modes... 4 Default settings... 4 Using RM Easiteach Next Generation... 5 Drawing tools... 7 Text tools... 8 Using special effects... 8 Using widgets... 8 Clock... 9 Navigator... 9 Protractors... 9 Wordsearch Content Using the Multimedia resource bank Support materials RM Education 2013 Page 2 of 12

3 Listed below are possible Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to RM Easiteach Next Generation for Mac that customers may ask: Installation Can I do a network installation of RM Easiteach? Yes, RM Easiteach can be deployed following common Mac network installation methodologies, but the key code must be deployed separately for each client machine. To deploy the licence you must use the Registration application, which is available from When I try to install the application, I receive the following error message: Easiteach Installer.mpkg can t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer. What should I do? This occurs when the Gatekeeper functionality is enabled in Mac operating systems, blocking the installation of applications downloaded from the internet that are not from the Mac Store or are from unidentified developers. To install RM Easiteach, complete the following steps: 1. In Finder, right click the icon of the application Easiteach Installer.mpkg. 2. Select Open from the menu. 3. In the dialogue box that appears, select Open to begin the installation. Files and file compatibility Can files which were created in other interactive whiteboard software be opened? To view files that were created in other interactive whiteboard software applications, first save the file in the common file format (CFF) of.iwb (interactive whiteboard). Open the file via the e menu > Open option, choosing the CFF (*.iwb) option from the Files of type dropdown menu in the Open window. Are there any limitations on the size an RM Easiteach document? There are currently no limitations on the overall size of an RM Easiteach file. Can content created in earlier versions of RM Easiteach be used in RM Easiteach Next Generation? If the document was saved as an.iwb file (functionality available in RM Easiteach version 3.6), then it is possible to open it in RM Easiteach Next Generation and edit it as you would any other RM Easiteach Next Generation file. RM Education 2013 Page 3 of 12

4 Using view modes Is it possible to change the pen size in Glass mode? It is not currently possible to change the pen size in Glass mode in version of the software for Mac. I ve switched from glass mode to spotlight mode but I m unable to move the spotlight If you still have the annotation layer enabled in glass mode, it s not possible to move the spotlight. First disable the annotation layer, then move the spotlight by dragging the black area of the screen. The annotations are preserved if the annotation layer is reenabled. Default settings What are the defaults that can be set in RM Easiteach? You can set defaults for many things in RM Easiteach, including: Location of the toolbars (top or bottom) Save location for RM Easiteach documents Page size and orientation Font and font size Text/textbox colours Drawing colours Audio input device Video input device How do I change the language that RM Easiteach runs in? RM Easiteach will run in the language set by your operating system, provided that RM Easiteach is available in that language. To change your language, navigate to your system preferences, update your language and text, and then open RM Easiteach. Which languages are supported? RM Easiteach for Mac v currently supports 24 languages: Arabic, Basque, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Dutch, English (UK), English (US), French, Galician, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Spanish, Spanish (Latin American) and Swedish. More languages are planned to be included in future releases. Can the save location for documents be changed? Yes, the default save location can be changed via the e menu > My easiteach > Choose default save location, within the General settings tab. The current save location is displayed and this can be amended by selecting the Change button. OK must be selected for the changes to take effect. The application comes with the default save location of the Documents folder on the Mac. Can the default font and size be changed? Yes, the default font and size can be changed via the e menu > My easiteach > Choose default font, within the General settings tab. The font and its size can be changed by making a selection RM Education 2013 Page 4 of 12

5 from the dropdown menu. OK must be selected for the changes to take effect. The application comes with the default font of Arial, size 24. Does RM Easiteach retain the user s settings when the application is uninstalled and reinstalled on the same Mac? Yes, it does retain the user s settings (currently set in the e menu > My easiteach menu) if RM Easiteach is uninstalled and reinstalled on the same Mac. The config file doesn t get removed when the application is uninstalled, so if RM Easiteach is reinstalled, it will retain the settings previously saved. If these settings are no longer required, they can be changed by going to the e menu > My easiteach and updating the settings as required. The OK button must be selected for the updates to take effect. Can the position of the toolbars be changed? Yes, the position of the toolbars can be changed from displaying at the bottom of the screen to displaying at the top by accessing the My easiteach menu, via the e menu, and selecting the Choose default location of main toolbars option, within the General settings tab. The OK button must be selected for the changes to take effect. Can the default colours be changed? Yes, the default colour can be changed for both drawings and text via the e menu > My easiteach > Choose default drawing colours or Choose default text/textbox colours menu options, within the General settings tab. Select the colours required and select OK on the My easiteach menu for the changes to take effect. Using RM Easiteach Next Generation Is it possible to minimise the toolbars? Secondary toolbars (Drawing tools, Text tools, Special effects, Multimedia bank, and Widget bank), which are invoked by clicking on one of these tool buttons on the main toolbar, can be minimised once opened by selecting the Close secondary toolbar button (the downwards pointing arrow on the far right of the secondary toolbar) or by clicking again on the button of the toolbar currently open. To display the secondary toolbar again, just click on the appropriate button. Can keyboard shortcuts be used in RM Easiteach Next Generation? There are many shortcuts within RM Easiteach to make using the application quick and easy. Some of these include: Command A Command C Command N Command O Command S Command V Command X Command shift Z Select all Copy Opens a new document (will prompt to save existing document) Open Save as Paste Cut Redo RM Education 2013 Page 5 of 12

6 Command Z Command (whilst clicking objects) Undo last action Select multiple objects Are there any limitations on the size of the media files that can be incorporated into an RM Easiteach document? There are currently no limitations on the size of media files imported into RM Easiteach. Consequently there is no limit on the overall size of an RM Easiteach file. However, it should be noted that large files can take longer to save or open. How can a page be copied from one activity to another? This is possible, but both RM Easiteach documents will need to be open. In the first document, open the Storyboard view (either via the e menu > View modes menu option or by selecting the page number in the bottom right hand of the main menu) and select the page to be copied. Select the Copy button (below the page in Storyboard view). Next, go to the second document and paste the page whilst in Storyboard view. Is there a maximum page count for RM Easiteach documents? There is a maximum of 200 pages per file. What might cause pages to open slowly? Large images, animations or sound files on pages may slow down page opening. Can the properties of many objects be changed at once? If there are many objects on a page and a particular property needs to be changed to all of them, (e.g. border colour) multiple objects can be selected at once, by holding down the Command button, selecting each appropriate object and then applying the change. The change will take effect in each of the objects selected. This shortcut should work for most object properties, as long as all the objects have that property associated with it. This method can also be used to resize multiple objects, but only if the objects are all in a straight line and they are all the same size to begin with. Can I open a file created in the PC version of RM Easiteach in the Mac version and viceversa? Files created in PC version of RM Easiteach may not open as expected in the Mac version as it does not yet have all the features of the PC version. All files created using the Mac version of RM Easiteach will open in the PC version, it is fully compatible. RM Education 2013 Page 6 of 12

7 Can foreign languages characters be used? Yes, foreign characters can be used in any object that text can be added to. If you are using a Mac, this is a table of key combinations you need to use to type foreign characters. French German Italian Spanish Option + Shift + ä Option + u, then Option + Shift + ñ Option n, then n 8 a 8 î, â, ê Option + i, then the letter Ä Option + u, then shift + A é Option + e, then e Ñ Option n, then shift N Î, Â, Ê Option + i, then Shift + letter ö Option + u, then o ç Option + c ü Option + u, then u é Option + e, Ö Option + u, then à, è, ì, Option + `, then Ü Option + u, then then e shift + O ò, ù the letter shift + U É Option + e, ü Option + u, then À, È, Ì, Option + `, then á, é, í, Option + e, then then Shift + e u Ò, Ù Shift + letter ó, ú the letter è,à,ù Option + `, Ü Option + u, then Á, É, Í, Option + e, then then the letter shift + U Ó, Ú Shift + letter È, À, Ù Option + `, ß Option + s º Option + 0 then Shift + (zero) letter ë Option + u, Option + Shift + then e? Ë Option + u, Option + 1 then Shift + e ç Option + c Ç Shift + Option + C œ Option + q «Option + \» Shift + Option + \ There are also foreign characters available in the Multimedia resource bank and in the Symbol bank (which is in the Advanced text tools menu, accessible from the Text tools menu). Drawing tools How can items on the page be made transparent? Items can be made transparent by selecting the Make transparent / apply no colour button (a white square with a red stroke through it) from within the colour palette of either the fill/font colour or stroke/border colour whilst the object is selected. How can a colour already used in RM Easiteach be copied? If either the fill/font or stroke/border colour picker buttons are clicked, the colour picker is displayed. Use the eyedropper tool (which looks like a pipette) to select the colour from an object already on the canvas. With the eyedropper tool selected, click on the chosen colour and it will appear in the colour picker menu as a colour that can be applied to all text/objects. RM Education 2013 Page 7 of 12

8 Is it possible to draw a perfect shape? Yes it is. It can be done in two ways, either holding shift down as the shape tool is used or by having the Lock / unlock aspect ratio button selected whilst the object is drawn. Text tools How are the Advanced text tools accessed? Within the Text tools menu there is a slim button with an arrow on it named Show / hide advanced text tools. Click this and additional items are displayed. Click the button again to close the Advanced text tools. The Advanced text tools options available are cloze tool, remove punctuation, word wallet, remove capitals/change case, read with me, symbol bank, superscript, subscript, text to speech, spell check, keyboard, word builder, place value cards, apply a list style and text alignment. How can bullet points be removed from text? To remove a bullet point from text, position the cursor on the line of the bullet point and select the bullet point button (of the style you have selected) or choose the Remove bullet point button. Alternatively, position the cursor at the beginning of the line the bullet point needs to be removed from and select the backspace button on the keyboard. Can words be added to the word wallet? Yes. To do this, open the word wallet from the Advanced text tools menu and type in the required words or characters into the input field. Once something is typed in this field, the Add button will activate. Click to add the word/character to the word wallet. Using special effects How does the transparent effect work? This effect allows you to make a selected colour and its variant transparent. It does not make any other colours in the object transparent. Why do the transparent, swirl and ripple effects work differently on the Mac and PC? The transparent, swirl and ripple effects are implemented differently due to limitations on the Mac operating system. Using widgets Why doesn t a widget work correctly once it is added to the page? If the widget appears on the page, it is probably that the widget is selected (has a bounding box around it). Make sure that you are in Select mode on then click on the page. You should now click on the widget as normal. RM Education 2013 Page 8 of 12

9 How can the size, positioning and properties of a widget be changed? Ensure the cursor is in Select mode and select the circle in the top left hand side of the widget. A bounding box will appear around it, which can be altered as you would any other object. Click the Accelerator menu or use the options on the toolbar to make the required changes. It is possible to drag a widget off screen, so that the circular select area isn t shown, but it can be reselected, by stripe selecting the area of the page where the widget is positioned. How do you delete a widget from the page? Select the widget to be deleted then either select the Delete button on the object properties toolbar or select Delete on the keyboard. Sometimes when placing a widget on a page, nothing displays and a white rectangle appears where the widget should be. This can occur if an incorrect version of Flash Player is installed, if the existing installation of Flash Player has been removed or corrupted, or if only the Internet Explorer version of Flash Player is installed. Please note the prerequisites section of the Getting Started Guide or the Installation Guide advising that Flash Player 11 is the minimum version required. The steps to resolve this are: 1. Go to 2. Choose the operating system on the Mac and click Continue. 3. Choose the Other Browsers or Non-Internet Explorer version. 4. When installed close all browser windows and restart RM Easiteach. Clock How is the format of the Clock or Timer changed? Ensure that the Clock or Timer does not have a bounding box around it and click the Settings button (on the right of the widget) to open the settings menu. From this menu, the Clock or Timer can be altered to either analogue or digital. The OK button must be selected for the changes to take place. Navigator Why does the Navigator widget stop recording if the locator is moved manually? The Navigator only records movements made when it is moved using the on-screen direction pad. Protractors When using either of the protractor widgets, it is difficult to drag the measuring line in 1 degree increments. It seems to jump 2 or 3 degrees. Why is this? It can be difficult to drag to a particular angle when the protractor is quite small, so it is recommended that the protractor is made bigger by using the bounding box controls. RM Education 2013 Page 9 of 12

10 Why does the 360 degree Protractor widget display degrees instead of degrees? This is because the degree of 360 is also the same degree as 0. Wordsearch When using the Create my own game option in the Wordsearch widget, why can t a word with more than 12 letters be used? Only words with up to 12 letters can be entered so that the word can fit within the wordsearch grid, which is 12 x 12. Content Do you have readymade content and templates available to use in RM Easiteach? Yes you can access over 10,000 free and premium resources in a variety of languages from the Download centre on the dashboard or on our content portal RM Easilearn: The site is localised in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional) Czech, Dutch, English (AU), English (UK), English (US), French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Russian, Spanish and Swedish. Using the Multimedia resource bank Can users use their own media files in RM Easiteach? Yes, other media items can be added directly to the page or imported into RM Easiteach via the Multimedia resource bank. To add an asset to the Multimedia resource bank, select the Import button within the Multimedia resource bank and browse for the file to import. Once it is displayed within the Multimedia resource bank, it can be added to the RM Easiteach document in the same way as any other multimedia asset. To delete an item that has been imported, select the Delete button in the righthand corner of the item, when you are viewing it in the Multimedia resource bank. To add an asset directly to the RM Easiteach page, click on the My Files button within the Multimedia resource bank and browse for the file to be added. Once you click Open within the browse window, the file will be added directly to the page. Which devices can be used to record video? Only webcams can currently be used to record video. Videos recorded will be saved to the My media bank folder for future use. RM Education 2013 Page 10 of 12

11 Which devices can be used to record audio? Any devices that are picked up as a microphone by Macs can be used. Audio recorded will be saved to the My media bank folder for future use. With some microphones, the audio may need to be recorded and saved first and then imported into My media bank. What devices can be used to capture images from a visualiser? Images can be directly captured from any Mac compatible device. Images captured will be saved to the My media bank folder for future use. Support materials Can additional manuals be obtained for RM Easiteach? Yes, selecting the e menu > Help will open a PDF version of the Getting Started Guide, which can be printed or saved. RM Education 2013 Page 11 of 12

12 RM Easiteach is a trademark of RM Education in the UK. Copyright RM Education All rights reserved. RM Education 2013 Page 12 of 12