Linda Armstrong, Center for Learning Technologies
OCM BOCES
larmstro@CNYRIC.ORG
433-8332
Table of Contents
Getting Started ..............................................................................Page 1
Changing Diagram Properties ......................................................Page 2
Symbol Defaults ...........................................................................Page 3
Entering the Main Idea .................................................................Page 4
Adding Ideas to Your Diagram ....................................................Page 4
Rapid Fire Command ....................................................................Page 5
Turn on Grid Lines/Page Lines ....................................................Page 6
Zooming In/On on Your Diagram ................................................Page 6
Adding a Link ...............................................................................Page 6
Organizing Ideas into an Outline View. .......................................Page 7
Add Topics and Subtopics ............................................................Page 7
Adding Notes to an Outline ..........................................................Page 8
Hiding and Showing Notes ...........................................................Page 8
Printing the Outline.......................................................................Page 8
Exporting the Outline to Word .....................................................Page 8
Moving back to the Diagram ........................................................Page 9
Changing Shapes, Color ...............................................................Page 9
Arranging the Diagram into different Layouts .......................... Page 10
Adding Text to a Link................................................................ Page 11
Moving Symbols within the Diagram ....................................... Page 11
Changing Symbols ..................................................................... Page 11
Viewing Notes in Diagram View .............................................. Page 11
Adding Color to the Diagram .................................................... Page 12
Changing: Line Colors, Link Colors and Arrow Heads ............ Page 12
Adding a Symbol Between 2 Connected Symbols .................... Page 12
Converting Text to a Caption .................................................... Page 12
Different Ways to Draw Links .................................................. Page 13
Printing Your Diagram .............................................................. Page 13
Previewing Your Document Quickly ........................................ Page 14
Adding a Hyperlink ................................................................... Page 14
Adding Graphics from another Source ...................................... Page 15
Creating a Custom Library ........................................................ Page 15
Exporting the file ....................................................................... Page 16
Settig up a Template .................................................................. Page 17
Inserting Video or Audio ........................................................... Page 18
Gathering Hyperlinks................................................................. Page 18
Inspiration is a software program that allows the user to think, plan, and
learn visually. It provides the tools to create a picture of ideas or concepts
in the form of a diagram. It also provides an integrated outlining environment
that can be used to develop ideas into organized written documents.
The opening screen:
We will begin by looking at Templates...choose your area of interest and explore.
Next, look under Learn to Use explore the Examples and Curriculum Packets.
Inspiration has 2 main views:
I.
II.
Diagram View
Outline View
Getting Started with Inspiration
When the program opens a Main Idea box is automatically created and waiting for
you to type in.
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Symbol Palette
Main idea – is the
starting point
Formatting
Toolbar – tools
here can be used
to format text,
color text and
symbols & draw
shapes
Change Properties (Do this BEFORE you work on your diagram!)
Inspiration defaults to size 12 font. You can change this for each object before
typing in your content.
To change the properties of your new file:
• Go to UTILITY- Default Settings
• Click the Change button and NEXT
• Change the things you’d like for your diagram BEFORE you work on your diagram!
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After you change the defaults of symbols, links, or notes, you can apply these
changes to existing objects in your diagram.
To apply defaults to existing objects:
1. Select the object to which you want to apply the new defaults.
You can select multiple objects of the same type, for example several symbols.
2. On the Formatting toolbar, click the Defaults button
Apply Default.
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, and then choose
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Entering Main Idea of Theme
In the Diagram view we will type in the main theme. For this example, the main
theme will be “Stopping in the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost”.
• Look at the main idea box, you should see that main idea is highlighted, so just
type your main idea
• Let’s change the symbol- go to the Symbol Palette under View (F8 if not
showing).
Click in the box at the bottom of the Symbol Palette and type in a search word“snow” for example. (When you search for symbols, Inspiration searches both the
Inspiration libraries on your computer and the online collection. Note: To search the
online symbol collection, the Online Access option must be selected in Preferences.
You will find Preferences on the Utility menu.)
• Be sure to have the main idea selected, then click the new symbol you want
• Now click the mouse outside the main idea box to end the entry.
Adding Ideas to Your Diagram
We are now going to enter topics for the main idea.
•
Click once on the main idea, and then place the mouse on the Create Button on
the icon bar.
When you point the arrow at the create button, you will be able to highlight one of
the arrows. The one that you highlight
indicates the direction that the new idea
symbol will be created in.
• Click on a LEFT create bubble, you
should get a new idea box LEFT of the
main idea.
• Type in Effect on the Reader then
click back on the main idea.
• Create a new symbol and type in
Interpretation, click background
• Add Subject and Theme, etc
Be sure to go back to the main idea before adding new topics!
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NOTE: To quickly create a symbol, hold the CTRL key and click on the
background on the desired location.
Now let's add some sub-topics:
•
Select the box Style symbol. Hold CTRL and
click on the background, and add 3 boxes:
• Rhyme/rhythm to reinforce meaning
• Soft sounding words
• Repetition
The Rapid Fire Command
•
Select Interpretation (be sure cursor it at the END of the word), click on the
Rapid Fire icon
•
After the
lightning bolt, type soft snow,
darkness could mean sleep or
death, press Enter
Type The horse represents
life and a reminder that we
must live, press Enter
Type The speaker has
"promises to keep"- the duty
to live press Enter
To turn rapid fire off, click on
the icon again
•
•
•
Rapid fire allows the user to place
ideas in a freeform structure!
Any ideas can be relocated later
if that is necessary.
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Correct typos – double-click on the text in a symbol and then select the words you
want to change and type over them. You can insert text too. Double-click and then
place the cursor where you want by clicking the mouse once, then type.
SpellCheck- Right click on an red underlined word:
Word Guide- access this dictionary/thesaurus from the icon bar
clicking on a red underlined word.
or by right
Turn on Grid Lines and Page Lines
Go to View, Select Page Lines. Go to Tools and select Grid Settings. “Snap to
Grid” makes the objects “snap” to the nearest grid line (not always where you want)
Zooming in and Out
•
•
•
The percentage lets you select a percentage at
which to view
The larger and smaller “mountains” control the Zoom Command and allow the
user to diagram to increase or decrease in size.
The last icon fits the diagram to full screen size.
Moving the Diagram Around in the Window
•
On the Formatting tool bar, click on Position Button, this will give you a hand
cursor.
•
Click and drag and the entire diagram will move to any place you would like,
helpful if you have a large diagram.
Click once again on the Position Button to turn that option off
•
Adding a link
Now let’s add to Summary
• CTRL click on background for a new box
• Create 3 new symbols but don’t link them yet:
o The speaker steals a moment to watch snow falling
o His horse is anxious to keep going
o The speaker forces himself to go on because of duty
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•
•
Now click on the Summary symbol
Click once on the Link Icon on the toolbar
•
•
•
•
Then click once on The speaker…
And once on His horse.
And once on The speaker…
An easier way to link floating
ideas to connect the diamond
“handles” on the symbol…just
click a diamond and move to the
symbol you want to connect it to.
Organizing Ideas into an Outline View
•
•
On the diagram Toolbar, click on the Outline Button
Your diagram now appears in an outline view.
The idea symbols appear as topics and subtopics in the outline view.
Adding Topics and subtopics in Outline view
•
Now let’s add a subtopic to Summary
•
Select Sujmary and Subtopic button:
- type in The world, offering
perfect quiet and solitude, exists side by side with the realization that
there is also another world, a world of people and social obligations.
With your cursor on the Subject and Theme, click SubTopic and add A
moment of reflection on life and death
•
•
•
•
With your cursor on that same line, click Topic
Type in What appears to be "simple" is shown to be not really simple, what
appears to be innocent not really innocent.
Continue practicing with other topics
Topics and subtopics relate to the level you are on. If you want something at
the SAME level, click TOPIC, if you want something INDENTED, click
SUBTOPIC
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Adding Notes to an Outline
•
•
•
If you want to add a note to a topic or subtopic, select it and press ADD NOTE
Click on “Soft snow, darkness could mean sleep or death” and add a note: we are
being drawn into silence and sleep
When you add a note to a topic, Inspiration puts a note icon in
the left margin. There are also arrows to collapse and open a
topic.
Hiding and Showing Notes
•
•
•
•
•
•
With the topic selected that has a note, click the Note icon on the left margin
to hide or show the note.
You can also move topics above or below in the outline, just click and drag to
accomplish this.
You can change the level of indent by “left” or “right”
You can also change the outline prefixes. Go to outline…Prefix Labels on the
menu bar.
Select the prefix you want, and it will change the entire outline
To change font, select the text you want to change and use the formatting
toolbar at the bottom of your screen
Printing the Outline
•
•
First, use the Print Preview option
From the File Menu, select Print Preview to see
what it will look like BEFORE it goes to the
printer…be sure it is “Portrait” layout.
Exporting the Outline
•
Save your file
•
•
From outline, choose Transfer
A dialog box will ask what you want to
transfer:
The outline will immediately open in Word and
be ready for editing.
•
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Back to Diagram mode
•
Click on Diagram to go back to diagram mode
•
Notice the symbol with the note has a note icon in the top
right corner.
What do other handles do?
•
•
•
•
Top left- double click if you have notes there (an icon will tell you if notes are
there)
Top right- shows icons in effect (notes, subtopics, etc)
Bottom left- hides/shows subtopics
Bottom right-resize window (all handles do this)
Changing Shapes, color, etc
•
Make the subtopic level a different
shape, and fill color and outline
color
o Select more than one shape
with the Shift key and
mouse click
o On the palette, choose a new
shape
o On the bottom menu, choose
fill color and line color
SAVE here- the next routine will
change everything!
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Arranging the Diagram into Different Layouts
NOTE: This will entirely change your diagram…You can IMMEDIATELY go to EDITUndo if you don’t like the changes.
•
Click the Arrange button to arrange the symbols
•
The arrange box appears
with 3 options to select
•
•
Try different
arrangements to see
which one best suits the
information.
Click More Options and
explore what these do:
• Tree direction
• Lowest level (your
subtopics)
• Link style ( the line is
right angled, straight,
curved, etc
• Apply this to the
entire diagram (or
arrange a selected
part of the diagram)
• Tighten spacing
(minimize space
between symbols)
• Arrange in same order
as the outline
• Size text by level(Automatically size
the text in a symbol based on the symbol's level in the diagram. The text in
higher level symbols is larger. The text in lower level symbols is smaller)
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Adding Text to a Link
•
•
•
Click once on the link between 2 symbols. This will give you a text box.
Type connecting thoughts
Now click outside the diagram to deselect the link.
Moving Symbols within the Diagram
•
•
•
•
Click on a symbol and drag it
Notice the links are maintained even when the symbol is
moved
To align symbols, hold the SHIFT key while you click on the
symbols.
Go to Effect…Align and choose the side of the objects to
align.
Changing Symbols
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Select the Symbol to change,
Select multiples by holding SHIFT key and click symbols
Choose a new symbol from the palette.
All of those selected symbols should change to the symbol
you chose.
Note: Use the Libraries tab and down arrow next to Basic
Scroll through the libraries with the side arrows
OR: Search by typing in a word at the bottom of the Search
window.
Viewing Notes in Diagram View
•
•
Click on the symbol that has a note with it (You can tell which
symbols have notes attached to them, if when the symbol is
selected, the upper right corner has a NOTE icon)
To add a note:
• Click on the symbol you want to add a note to.
•
•
On the Diagram Toolbar, click on NOTE .
Type in the note box that appears.
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Choose the symbols and fonts that you want:
•
•
•
From the Edit Menu, choose Select, then choose Symbols, this will select all the
symbols in your diagram
Now choose a symbol from the palette, this will change all symbols to your choice
To change the font and / or size:
• From the Text Menu, choose font, size, etc
Adding Color to the Diagram
Fill color of symbols can be changed
• From edit menu, choose Select…Symbols, this will select all the symbols in your
diagram
• From the Draw menu, choose the Fill Color Button
Changing Line (link) Color
•
•
•
From Edit menu, choose Select…Links. This will select all the links in your
diagram
From the Effects Menu, choose Line Color, or Line Thickness, etc
Choose a color for the line of the symbols. Line color affects both line and
shadow colors
Changing the Arrow Heads
•
•
•
Select the link you want to change
From the Link Menu, choose Arrow Head Ending Point
Select the arrow head you want
Adding a Symbol Between 2 Connected Symbols
•
•
•
•
Select the link that is between the 2 symbols you want to connect
From the Symbol Menu, choose Insert Symbol
A new symbol appears that's linked to both of the original symbols
Enter an idea for the new symbol
Converting Text to a Caption
•
•
Select the symbol whose text area you want to move
On the Symbol menu, choose Captained Symbol
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•
Inspiration will move the text so it appears as a caption
Different Ways to Draw Links
•
•
•
•
•
Standard links are what we have used up until now
Click on the link you want to change
Go to the Link Menu, select the link style you want (standard, auto-90, curved,
etc)
The link will have changed.
Try the different links to see how they differ.
Printing Your Diagram
•
•
•
Go into the File Menu, choose Page
Setup
You have the ability to control
many factors that affect the
printing of your Diagram and
Outline such as: the ability to print
your diagram in order to fit in a
particular way on the page
Make changes to experiment, BUT
don't print until you hit the Preview
Button at the top of the dialog box!
If you like what you see, then hit
the Print Button. If you don't like
what you if you want to make
additional changes, just click on the Cancel Button you will return to your
document.
Printing Tips
To get a quick preview of your document before you print it, go into the File Menu
and choose Print Preview.
If you need to move your diagram, use the Edit Menu, Select All then the move
the objects to fit on the page.
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Previewing your Document Quickly
To see a preview of your document before you print:
• Display the document you want to print.
• For example, if you want to print a diagram, make sure you’re in Diagram view.
• On the File menu, choose Print Preview.
• The Print Preview window appears, showing you a reduced view of the first page
of your document.
• Tip... If you’re printing a multiple-page diagram, it’s helpful to see where the
page breaks will be. To see page breaks while working on the document in
Diagram view, turn on the page lines. For more information, see “Showing and
hiding page lines”.
• If the document has more than one page, click the Next Page button to display
the following page.
• To return to a preceding page, click the Previous Page button.
Adding A Hyperlink
1. Quick way- with the address showing:
• Click on the background and paste the Internet address where you want the
hyperlink to appear. For example:
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/frost/woods.htm
After you complete adding the hyperlink, when you move the mouse pointer over the
link, the pointer becomes an icon. This icon indicates the
hyperlink is “live” and ready to start your browser.
2. Add a link the kinder, gentler way (without the address
showing);
•
Highlight text either in a box or in a text box you just created.
•
Click on the hyperlink tool
Address” box.
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and paste the URL address in the” Hyperlink
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Adding Graphics from another Source:
(In Windows you can copy and paste WMF, GIF, JPEG and BMP files.
On the Macintosh, you can copy and paste PICT, JPEG and GIF files. )
Inspiration automatically assigns a captioned text area below the graphic, making
the graphic a captioned symbol. You can also position the caption inside the graphic.
Note… You can also install imported graphics into the symbol libraries. See
Installing a custom graphic into a symbol library.
To copy and paste a graphic onto a diagram:
•
•
•
•
Open IE and go to Google and find a picture of Robert Frost
Right click on the graphic. Copy or Save it to the clipboard or desktop
To use it immediately, copy and paste it into your document- be sure to select
what you want to replace.
Or save it to your Documents Folder
• Go to Edit…Insert Graphic
Create Custom LIbrary
Custom libraries you create are stored in the Custom Libraries folder inside of the
Inspiration 8/Libraries folder. When you do not have the write access privileges
that allow you to copy files and folders to the Libraries folder, custom libraries are
stored in your Personal Libraries folder in your My Documents folder.
To create a symbol library:
• On the Utility menu, choose New Symbol Library.
• In the New Library Name box, type a
name for the library, then click OK.
• Click OK.
Now
•
•
•
to add graphics to your library:
Go to Utility…Edit Symbol Library
Find your user name
Insert Graphics from saved area, or drag
to your window
You can add any symbol on your diagram,
including imported graphics and videos, and
symbols created using the Draw tools, to a
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custom library. You can also copy any symbol on the Symbols palette—including
search results—to a custom library.
Note: There must be an open slot at the bottom of the library to add the symbol. If
there are no open slots in the library, Inspiration creates a new library called User
1 under the Custom Libraries category on the Symbols palette. If there is already a
User 1 library, Inspiration creates a User 2 library, and so on.
Exporting the file
You can export to Word, PowerPoint, a web page, or a graphics file. When you
export a document, hyperlinks, graphics, videos and attached audio files may or may
not be included depending on the export format you choose. For all export formats
except web page format, external audio and video files are copied to a folder named
<filename>_mediafiles, where <filename> is the name of your Inspiration document.
The folder is stored in the same folder as the exported document.
Click and explore each one:
• Word processor: same
as transfer we did
earlier
• PowerPoint: The
exported document
contains formatted
topic text. The main
idea becomes the
presentation title, and
each first level topic
becomes a separate
slide. Subtopics
become slide content.
You can choose to
include hidden subtopics and hidden notes. Hyperlinks, graphics, audio files
and videos inserted into notes are not included in the exported document.
Video symbols are converted to symbol text.
• Web Page: When you save a diagram as a web page, the diagram is exported
as a one-page graphic in GIF file format. You can choose to include hidden
subtopics and hidden notes. If you are focused in on a portion of the diagram,
only that portion of the diagram is exported. Hyperlinked files are not
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•
exported. The HTML-Single Web Page option saves the graphic in the HTML
format for use on the World Wide Web. The diagram shrinks so that it fits on
a 640-pixel-wide screen. The height is adjusted proportionally. Any URL
hyperlinks in the file are retained as hyperlinks in the HTML file. This export
makes two files: an HTML file and a JPEG file. Both files need to remain
together to view the HTML file in a browser. HTML exports only the main
diagram. If you want to include children, they must be exported as separate
files.
Graphic file: When you export a diagram to one of the graphic file formats
available in Inspiration, only the visible items in the diagram are included in
the graphic. Hidden symbols, links and notes are not exported. If you are
focused in on a portion of the diagram, only that portion of the diagram is
exported. Hyperlinked files and attached audio files are not exported.
Setting up a Template
Teachers often create their own templates to use as a starting point for a special
project or assignment.
• To create a template in Diagram View or Outline View:
Create the document you want to save as a template.
• On the Utility menu, choose Template Wizard.
• Enter a description for the template, then click Next.
• In each dialog choose the settings you want, then click Next.
• When you are done choosing settings, click Finish.
• In the Save Template dialog, select the folder in which to save the
template. (Inspiration automatically opens the Templates folder, but you
can select another.)
• In the File Name box, type a name for the template, then click Save.
• To set the newly created template as the default template for the
Inspiration program, select the Set as Default checkbox in the Success
dialog. When you choose this option, all new Inspiration documents will be
based on the newly created template. (not too good in school)
• Tip: You can save custom symbol libraries along with a template, which is an
easy way to share your libraries with other computers.
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Insert Video or Sound
You can attach AIFF, Midi, MP3 and WAV files to symbols and topics. You can
attach one audio file or one recorded sound to each symbol or topic. To attach an
audio file, your computer must have QuickTime. (To install QuickTime, choose Get
QuickTime on the Help menu.)
To attach an audio file to a symbol or topic:
• Select the symbol or topic.
• On the Tools menu, choose Insert Video or Sound, then select Sound File.
• Open the folder where the audio file is located.
• Select the file, then click Open.
Click the Audio Quick Control (speaker) to play the recording.
Video symbols are symbols that play digital video files within the diagram. You
create video symbols by importing videos created in other programs. You can insert
AVI, MPG and QuickTime files and any type of video file that can be viewed
using QuickTime. (To install QuickTime, choose Get QuickTime on the Help menu.)
The first frame of the video is the symbol image that appears. Click the Video
button to show the video controls. You can pause the video and select that frame as
the video symbol image.
To create a video symbol:
•
•
•
Click where you want to place the video symbol.
On the Tools menu, choose Insert Video or Sound, then select Video.
Select the video file, then click Open.
Gathering Hyperlinks
When a document contains hyperlinks to other files, you can use the Gather
Hyperlinked Files command to create one folder that contains a copy of the original
file and a folder containing a copy of each hyperlinked file. This procedure makes it
easy to manage the files and distribute them to other people.
To gather hyperlinked files:
1.
On the File menu, choose Gather Hyperlinked Files.
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2.
3.
In the Gather into folder box, type a name for the folder.
Click Save.
Inspiration creates a new folder containing a copy of your original document and a
folder containing a copy of each hyperlinked file. The original documents remain in
their original location.
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