Geometry Explorer:
User Guide
Michael Hvidsten
Gustavus Adolphus College
DRAFT: August 3, 2015
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Contents
Introduction ix
1 Getting Started 1
1.1 The Main Geometry Explorer Window . . . XXXXXXXXXX1
1.2 Selecting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX4
1.2.1 Selections Using the Mouse . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX4
1.2.2 Selections Using the Select All Menu XXXXXXXXXX7
1.3 Active vs Inactive Tools . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX7
1.4 Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX7
1.5 Object Coloring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX9
1.6 Changing Palette Colors . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX9
1.7 On-Line Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX10
1.8 Undo/Redo of Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX10
1.9 Clearing, Resizing the Canvas . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX12
1.10 Saving, Opening, Printing of Files . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX13
1.11 Saving Files as Images . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX14
2 Tutorials 17
2.1 Tutorial 1 Working With Basic Geometric Figures XXXXXXXXXX
2.2 Tutorial 2 Constructions . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX20
2.2.1 Euclid’s Equilateral Triangle . . . . XXXXXXXXXX21
2.3 Tutorial 3 Transforming Geometric Figures XXXXXXXXXX24
2.3.1 Rotation of a Figure – Using a Geometric Angle XXXXXXXXXX
2.3.2 Dilation of a Figure – Using a Numerical Angle XXXXXXXXXX
2.4 Tutorial 4 Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX27
2.4.1 Triangle Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX28
2.4.2 Triangle Angle Sum . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX29
2.5 Tutorial 5 Analytic Geometry . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX32
2.6 Tutorial 6 Hype
olic Geometry . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX35
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2.7 Tutorial 7 Elliptic Geometry . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX41
2.8 Tutorial 8 Recording Geometric Macros . . XXXXXXXXXX45
2.8.1 Recorder Windows . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX45
2.8.2 Custom Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX48
2.9 Tutorial 9 Turtle Geometry . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX51
3 Constructions 57
3.1 Tools in the Construct Panel . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX58
3.2 Using the Locus Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX62
3.2.1 A Simple Example Using the Locus Tool XXXXXXXXXX
3.2.2 The Ellipse as a Locus of a Point . . XXXXXXXXXX63
3.3 Tangent to a Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX67
4 Measurements 69
4.1 Neutral Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX70
4.1.1 Point Measurements . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX71
4.1.2 Segment Measurements . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX71
4.1.3 Circle Measurements . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX72
4.1.4 Arc Measurements . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX72
4.1.5 Filled Object Measurements . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX72
4.2 Euclidean-only Measurements . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX72
4.2.1 Point Measurements . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX72
4.2.2 Linear Object Measurements . . . . XXXXXXXXXX73
4.3 Hype
olic-only Measurements . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX73
4.4 Elliptic-only Measurements . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX74
4.5 Precision in Measurements . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX75
4.6 Compound Measurements . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX75
4.7 Using the Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX76
4.7.1 Circle Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX77
4.7.2 The Button Pad . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX79
4.7.3 Evaluation of Expressions . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX84
4.8 Sliders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX84
4.9 User Input Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX87
4.10 Using Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX91
4.10.1 Quad Interior Angles . . . . . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX91
5 Transformations 95
5.1 Quick Overview of Transformations . . . . . XXXXXXXXXX96
5.2 Defining