Constructing a file to illustrate loci of points equidistant from a point

1. Define a new parameter (Graph -> New Parameter). This is going to be the given distance from the centre point. Give the parameter an appropriate name and define the units as cm so we can use it as a length. Click OK To change the value of the parameter you can either double click the parameter and manually input a new value or highlight the parameter and use the + and keys to increase and decrease the value

2. Use the Point tool to construct a point. 3. We now need to translate the point by the distance defined in our parameter. Highlight the point by clicking on it. Translate the point (Transform -> Translate)

This will be the centre of the loci Once this panel is open you need to click on our parameter to define it as the distance of translation. Click OK

4. You should now have two points. We are going to construct a circle using the two points. Higlight both points by clicking on them. The first point highlighted will be the centre, the second will be a point on the circumference. With both points highlighted construct the circle (Construct -> Circle By Centre + Point)

Note: alternatively the circle could have been constructed using one point and the parameter. Select both the point and the parameter the construct the circle (Construct -> Circle By Centre + Radius)

5. Select the point tool and construct a point on the circumference of the circle. The circle will glow blue to show that the point is over it. 6. We are now going to animate the point so that it randomly appears around the circumference of the circle. Select the newly added point and select the animation command (Edit -> Action Buttons > Animation) Change the direction from counter-clockwise to Random by using the drop down menu. Click OK You should now have an action button which when pressed causes the point to randomly flit about the circumference of the circle 7. Now we want to get rid of the circle and the construction point on its circumference. Select both and hide them (Display -> Hide Objects) 8. Finally we want the point to mark wherever it randomly moves to by using the trace point command. Select the point and trace it (Display -> Trace Point) 9. Animate the point and behold as the loci of points equidistant from your start point appears before your eyes. Amazing

If you grab the point and move it, it should be confined to the circumference of the circle.

The colouring game

1. Construct two points fairly close together. We are going to use these to construct two circles by defining the orientation of one relative to the other as a vector. Select the two points by clicking on them. Define the vector (Transform -> Mark Vector). 2. Construct two more points, these will be the centres of the two circles. 3. Translate both of the points (Transform -> Translate). By default the defined vector will be the translation. Click OK. 4. Use the two new pairs of points to construct two circles. 5. When you are happy with the radii of you circles hide the initial two points. 6. Construct the circle interiors: selecting the circumferences individually then (Construct -> Circle Interior) 7. Measure the distance between both circle centres: select both centres then (Measure -> Distance) 8. Choose one of the circles to be our paint brush. Highlight the interior and trace it. 9. We are going to use parametric colouring to link the colour of the traced circle to the distance between the two circles. Highlight your paint brush interior and the measured distance. Colour the interior parametrically (Display -> Colour -> Parametric)

10. Play around with the Parameter Domain to find one which works well for you (From: 0.0 To: 5.0 is pretty great) Click OK. Drag around your paint brush and be amazed. 11. Tidy up your sketch by hiding anything you dont need (circle centres, the measured distance etc.) 12. Select the circle which isnt your paint brush. Create a Hide/Show action button (Edit -> Action Buttons -> Hide/Show) Tidy up the function of your Hide/Show action button by right clicking -> properties. Within the properties box click the Hide/Show tab and deselect Select Objects After Showing 13. The game is now complete. Move the marker circle, hide it and let someone else try to find it by painting the screen

The line is _ long

This is a hand tool for creating dynamic text 1. Use the straightedge tool to construct a line 2. Measure the length of the line. There are two ways to do this: Highlight only the line itself. Measure its length (Measure -> Length) Highlight the two points. Measure the distance between the points (Measure -> Distance) 3. Use the text tool to create two pieces of text: This line is (with space at the end) long (with space at the start) 4. We are going to merge the two pieces of the text to the measurement to create a piece of dynamic text. Select the text and measurement in the order you want them to be i.e. This line is then the measurement, then long and merge the text (Edit -> Merge Text) 5. Move the points. Done

Creating a random number generator

This can be used in place of a parameter the create random geometrical designs 1. First create two new parameters to be your maximum and minimum values (perhaps name them Max and Min) 2. We are going to use the random animation of a point around the circumference of a circle to generate random numbers. Construct a circle using the compass tool. Put two points on the circumference of your circle. 3. Create a random animation action button of one of the points. 4. Measure the angle created between the two radii which meet your two points by selecting one of the points, then the centre of the circle, then the other point, then (Measure -> Angle). If you click your action button you should see the angle measurement is a random angle between 0 and 180 5. We can use the Calculate function to generate random numbers between our two parameters (Measure -> Calculate) 6. The calculation needed is

(where m ABC is the measured angle).