Which manual for basic drawing?

Which manual for basic drawing?

[James Buchanan]

Hello,

I'm writing some simple workbooks for kids in grades 1 to 10 to help 
them with their math. I've worked with TeX and LaTeX for a while, until 
I was attracted to ConTeXt for is nice colors and things like that.

I need to know how to:

* Draw simple number lines, color if possible, label the cm dots or 
vertical lines, label the number line, fill in the numbers (or miss some 
out), place it where I want it, and perhaps have the label in a 
different color

* Draw plane shapes like squares, rectangles, triangles and so on, just 
2-D plane shapes. Outline in some color, inside with another color. 
Label them. Place them where I a want them. Sometimes I would like to 
extend the lines to show that all exterior angles add up to 360 degrees, 
things like that, and add in the arc and shade it in a different color.

When doing basic material like:

Solve:

6 + 7 + 4 = [box]

Have the equals signs and boxes lined up (or not), two sets of simple 
add these numbers (or whatever) per column. The answer box could be 
filled with a light color.

Is there a manual I should start with to learn how to do these things, 
and develop my own macros? First I would just like to learn how to do 
them, then gradually write my own macros. The material in my TeX Book 
and my Guide to LaTeX series gives instruction in drawing but it quickly 
progresses beyond my ability into 2-D shapes and so on. I understand 
basic things like \move{} and lineto{} and \lvec{} but that's where I 
get confused.

I was wondering if anyone could suggest a good ConTeXt series of 
readings to come to grips to switching from TeX/LaTeX to ConTeXt and 
then onto drawing basics and fonts and colors.

Thank you for your time,

James Buchanan
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___________________________________________________________________________________

Re: Which manual for basic drawing?

[Aditya Mahajan]

On Tue, 1 May 2007, James Buchanan wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I'm writing some simple workbooks for kids in grades 1 to 10 to help
> them with their math. I've worked with TeX and LaTeX for a while, until
> I was attracted to ConTeXt for is nice colors and things like that.
>
> I need to know how to:
>
> * Draw simple number lines, color if possible, label the cm dots or
> vertical lines, label the number line, fill in the numbers (or miss some
> out), place it where I want it, and perhaps have the label in a
> different color
>
> * Draw plane shapes like squares, rectangles, triangles and so on, just
> 2-D plane shapes. Outline in some color, inside with another color.
> Label them. Place them where I a want them. Sometimes I would like to
> extend the lines to show that all exterior angles add up to 360 degrees,
> things like that, and add in the arc and shade it in a different color.

Metapost or pstricks is the easiest way to draw such things. I would 
recommend metapost, as it is well integrated with Context. See 
http://melusine.eu.org/syracuse/metapost/cours/ for some examples of 
geometric figures using metapost. Also see

http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Metapost
http://wiki.contextgarden.net/MetaFun
http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Mpgraphic

The last page does not list \usempgraphic and \startMPcode ... 
\stopMPcode which are perhaps the easiest way to include MP figures. 
See the metafun manual for details.


> When doing basic material like:
>
> Solve:
>
> 6 + 7 + 4 = [box]
>
> Have the equals signs and boxes lined up (or not), two sets of simple
> add these numbers (or whatever) per column. The answer box could be
> filled with a light color.

This can be done easily using context's alignment mechanism. I am in a 
bit of a hurry right now, and will post an example later in the 
evening.

> Is there a manual I should start with to learn how to do these things,
> and develop my own macros? First I would just like to learn how to do
> them, then gradually write my own macros. The material in my TeX Book
> and my Guide to LaTeX series gives instruction in drawing but it quickly
> progresses beyond my ability into 2-D shapes and so on. I understand
> basic things like \move{} and lineto{} and \lvec{} but that's where I
> get confused.

Have a look at the metapost manual. If you think geometrically, then 
metapost is fairly easy to use.

Aditya
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Re: Which manual for basic drawing?

[Thomas A. Schmitz]

On May 1, 2007, at 3:33 PM, Aditya Mahajan wrote:

>> * Draw simple number lines, color if possible, label the cm dots or
>> vertical lines, label the number line, fill in the numbers (or  
>> miss some
>> out), place it where I want it, and perhaps have the label in a
>> different color
>>
>> * Draw plane shapes like squares, rectangles, triangles and so on,  
>> just
>> 2-D plane shapes. Outline in some color, inside with another color.
>> Label them. Place them where I a want them. Sometimes I would like to
>> extend the lines to show that all exterior angles add up to 360  
>> degrees,
>> things like that, and add in the arc and shade it in a different  
>> color.
>
> Metapost or pstricks is the easiest way to draw such things. I would
> recommend metapost, as it is well integrated with Context. See
> http://melusine.eu.org/syracuse/metapost/cours/ for some examples of
> geometric figures using metapost. Also see

While I don't disagree with Aditya, I think tikz should also be  
considered. It works well with ConTeXt if you use a relatively new  
version (like the one in TeXLive 2007), some people find its syntax  
easier to master than metapost, and the code can be used in ConTeXt  
and LaTeX. Just have a look at the big pgfmanual.pdf, which is  
probably already on your hard disk.

Thomas
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Re: Which manual for basic drawing?

[Aditya Mahajan]

On Tue, 1 May 2007, Aditya Mahajan wrote:

> On Tue, 1 May 2007, James Buchanan wrote:
>
>> When doing basic material like:
>>
>> Solve:
>>
>> 6 + 7 + 4 = [box]
>>
>> Have the equals signs and boxes lined up (or not), two sets of simple
>> add these numbers (or whatever) per column. The answer box could be
>> filled with a light color.
>
> This can be done easily using context's alignment mechanism. I am in a
> bit of a hurry right now, and will post an example later in the
> evening.

Here is an example:

\setupcolors[state=start]

\def\solutionbox
   {\dosingleempty\dosolutionbox}

\def\dosolutionbox[#1]%
   {\mframed[width=2em,background=color,backgroundcolor=lightgreen,#1]
     {\strut}}


\starttext
Not aligned

\startformula \startalign[n=1]
   \NC 6 + 7 + 4 = \solutionbox \NR
   \NC 16 + 5 + 4 = \solutionbox[width=1cm] \NR
   \NC 6 + 200 + 4 = \solutionbox[width=3cm] \NR
\stopalign \stopformula

aligned
\startformula
   \startalign[n=7,align={right,middle,right,middle,right,middle,left}]
   \NC  6 \NC + \NC 7   \NC + \NC 4 \EQ \NC \solutionbox \NR
   \NC 16 \NC + \NC 5   \NC + \NC 4 \EQ \NC \solutionbox[width=1cm] \NR
   \NC  6 \NC + \NC 200 \NC + \NC 4 \EQ \NC \solutionbox[width=3cm] \NR
\stopalign \stopformula

Two column
\startformulas
\startformula
   \startalign[n=7,align={right,middle,right,middle,right,middle,left}]
   \NC  6 \NC + \NC 7   \NC + \NC 4 \EQ \NC \solutionbox \NR
   \NC 16 \NC + \NC 5   \NC + \NC 4 \EQ \NC \solutionbox[width=1cm] \NR
   \NC  6 \NC + \NC 200 \NC + \NC 4 \EQ \NC \solutionbox[width=3cm] \NR
\stopalign \stopformula
\startformula
   \startalign[n=7,align={right,middle,right,middle,right,middle,left}]
   \NC  6 \NC + \NC 7   \NC + \NC 4 \EQ \NC \solutionbox \NR
   \NC 16 \NC + \NC 5   \NC + \NC 4 \EQ \NC \solutionbox[width=1cm] \NR
   \NC  6 \NC + \NC 200 \NC + \NC 4 \EQ \NC \solutionbox[width=3cm] \NR
\stopalign \stopformula
\stopformulas

\stoptext

Aditya
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Re: Which manual for basic drawing?

[James Buchanan]

Aditya Mahajan wrote:
> Here is an example:
> 
> \setupcolors[state=start]
> 
> \def\solutionbox
>    {\dosingleempty\dosolutionbox}
> 
> \def\dosolutionbox[#1]%
>    {\mframed[width=2em,background=color,backgroundcolor=lightgreen,#1]
>      {\strut}}
> 
> 
> \starttext

[cut]

> \stoptext
> 
> Aditya

Thanks everyone for your input. I think I have enough to go on now. It 
does seem MetaPost is easiest, but quickly gets complicated. I have not 
seen any simple geometry examples labeling angles, for example. I 
suppose though I can figure out those things for myself when I get some 
more practice in.

Is there a book on ConTeXt that starts from the beginning like layout of 
the page, setup of colors, and things like that, then typing in text, 
and finally drawing, fonts, inclusion of graphics and things like that?

Thanks again for everyone's generous help, Aditya and Thomas.

James Buchanan
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Re: Which manual for basic drawing?

[Idris Samawi Hamid]

On Wed, 02 May 2007 00:18:46 -0600, James Buchanan  
<spartacus007@internode.on.net> wrote:

> Thanks everyone for your input. I think I have enough to go on now. It
> does seem MetaPost is easiest, but quickly gets complicated.

Then you should definitely try TikZ

> I have not
> seen any simple geometry examples labeling angles, for example. I
> suppose though I can figure out those things for myself when I get some
> more practice in.

Again, TikZ ;-)

> Is there a book on ConTeXt that starts from the beginning like layout of
> the page, setup of colors, and things like that, then typing in text,
> and finally drawing, fonts, inclusion of graphics and things like that?

There are two general manuals on ConTeXt in the official documentation,  
and also one (The MetaFun manual) on Metapost. Look all three up on the  
wiki:

http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Official_ConTeXt_Documentation#General_Manuals

A real-life book on ConTeXt is still needed however. The manuals are a bit  
rough around the edges...

Best
Idris

-- 
Professor Idris Samawi Hamid
Department of Philosophy
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523

Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

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___________________________________________________________________________________

Re: Which manual for basic drawing?

[Idris Samawi Hamid]

PS

On Wed, 02 May 2007 14:46:12 -0600, Idris Samawi Hamid  
<ishamid@colostate.edu> wrote:

> On Wed, 02 May 2007 00:18:46 -0600, James Buchanan
> <spartacus007@internode.on.net> wrote:
>
>> Thanks everyone for your input. I think I have enough to go on now. It
>> does seem MetaPost is easiest, but quickly gets complicated.
>
> Then you should definitely try TikZ

Thanks to Mojca we have a package

http://modules.contextgarden.net/TikZ

Idris

-- 
Professor Idris Samawi Hamid
Department of Philosophy
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523

Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

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Re: Which manual for basic drawing?

[James Buchanan]

Idris Samawi Hamid wrote:
> PS
> 
> On Wed, 02 May 2007 14:46:12 -0600, Idris Samawi Hamid  
> <ishamid@colostate.edu> wrote:
> 
>> On Wed, 02 May 2007 00:18:46 -0600, James Buchanan
>> <spartacus007@internode.on.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Thanks everyone for your input. I think I have enough to go on now. It
>>> does seem MetaPost is easiest, but quickly gets complicated.
>> Then you should definitely try TikZ
> 
> Thanks to Mojca we have a package
> 
> http://modules.contextgarden.net/TikZ
> 
> Idris

Thanks Idris!

Best wishes,
James Buchanan

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Re: Which manual for basic drawing?

[James Buchanan]

Idris Samawi Hamid wrote:
http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Official_ConTeXt_Documentation#General_Manuals
> 
> A real-life book on ConTeXt is still needed however. The manuals are a bit  
> rough around the edges...
> 
> Best
> Idris

I haven't found the general manuals to be all that useful, since running 
the commands to get a basic "hello, world" page didn't work (but then 
again, it was probably my fault. I suspect I didn't install it correctly).

I'll follow the installation instructions and start again from scratch 
to see if I get anywhere.

Best,
James
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