Boardmaker 5 Basic Tutorial

1
Boardmaker 5 Basic Tutorial

• Beginning Level You will learn to
• Make a button
• Spray a grid
• Find and place symbols
• Remove symbols
• Combine symbols
• Make color-coded symbols
• Use lasso tool

2
Starting Boardmaker
Double-click on the Boardmaker icon on the desktop

• Be sure the CD is in the drive.
• Use the short-cut on the desktop to start your
  Boardmaker
• Or, click on STARTgtPrograms and select Boardmaker.

OR
Open via the START menu
3
Creating a New Board

• After the program opens, you have choices. . .
• Select Open a new board for this exercise.

This button will open a saved board
This button will open the pre-made grid and
template folder
Click on Open a new board
4
Creating a New Board

• Boardmaker opens to a blank workspace.
• The tool pallet has the design, writing, and
  color tools

5
Drawing a Button

• Select the Button Tool from the tool palette.
• Move the cursor to the blank workspace.
• Click and drag diagonally to create a button.

Click on the button tool
Click, HOLD, and drag to the right. DO NOT
release the mouse key until the button is drawn.
6
Spraying a Grid
Note to change the grid position. Select
EDITgtSELECT ALL and move all the buttons at once.

• Select the Button Sprayer Tool from the tool
  pallet.
• Move the cursor into the center of the button.
• Click and HOLD DOWN the mouse key. Drag cursor to
  the right.

For this exercise, make a grid 4 cells across and
2 cells down.
7
Finding a symbol

• To open the Symbol Finder Window, click on the
  Boardmaker icon in the tool pallet.
• The symbol finder window will open.

Click on the Boardmaker icon.
8
Finding a symbol - Step 1

• Type the word story in the Symbol Search
  Window.

3 ways to search
Search beginning of word
Search anywhere in word
Search whole word
Symbol Search Window
Next
9
Finding a symbol - Step 2

• Click on the thumbnail view button to display
  symbols that match story.

Thumbnail view
Thumbnail view button (this is one button with 3
objects on it)
Next
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Finding a symbol - Step 3

• Select the storyteller choice and type the
  words Lets read in the Alternative Symbol Name
  Field.

Alternative Symbol Name Field
Click on the storyteller selection
Next
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Finding a symbol - Step 4

• Press the Enter Key and the symbol will be
• placed in the grid.

12
Building a Board

• Continue building your board by typing bear in
  the Symbol Search Window.
• Select one of the bears from the thumbnail
  selections.
• Type in 6 more words of your choice and fill the
  buttons of the grid.

When placing a symbol by clicking in a cell, the
cursor will change to the Boardmaker Icon symbol.
13
Removing a symbol

• Type the word butterfly in the Symbol Search
  Window.
• Click on the button that has the bear.
• When the prompt comes up asking you to Replace,
  Add to, or Cancel, select Replace.

14
Put Two Symbols on a Button

• Type the word read in the Symbol Search Window.
• Click on thumbnails and select the stick figure
  reading.
• Remove the word from the Alternative Symbol Name
  window.

Highlight the word and use the delete key on your
keyboard to remove the word.
Next
15
Put Two Symbols on a Button

• Click on a button to add the symbol.
• A prompt will appear asking if you want to
  Replace, Add To, or Cancel. Select Add To.
• The symbol will be added to the button.

Next
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Put Two Symbols on a Button

• Work with the two symbols to make them fit nicely
  on the button. Practice this step with several
  symbols.

Symbol is added to button. Now there are 2
symbols on the button.
Click in center of read (top symbol). Dotted
line will appear around this symbol.
Click on the lower right corner of the dotted
line. An arrow will appear. Move arrow diagonally
to left. Do this slowly.
Repeat with the second symbol. Then move the 2
symbols around on the button to look good.
17
Using the Lasso/Marquee Tool

• Using the Symbol Finder Window, type I want to
  talk to you.
• Click on the Lasso/Marquee tool.
• Use the cursor to draw around a portion of the
  symbol.
• Press enter key to add to grid.

Marquee tool is a square. Lasso tool is an
irregular circle.
Try adding this to another symbol on your grid.
18
Add a Background Color

• Click on the background.
• Click on the color tool on the tool pallet.
• Select one of the colors.

19
Clearing Symbols from Buttons

• Remove symbols but leave the grid.
• Close the Symbol Finder Window.
• Pull down the Edit Menu from the Menu Bar choose
  Select All.
• Pull down the Edit Menu again and select Clear.

Close Symbol Finder Window here.
The symbols are removed but the grid remains.
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B/W Symbol-Color Background

• Click on the Boardmaker Icon to open the Symbol
  Finder Window
• Click on the Symbol Finder Settings Button.
• Select Use Black White Symbols and click on
  OK.

Symbol Finder Settings Button
Note This window also controls the languages,
word default size and more.
Next
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B/W Symbol-Color Background

• Type the word happy in the Symbol Finder
  Window.
• Click on thumbnails and select one of the happy
  symbols.
• Add several more symbols to your grid.

Note the thumbnails will appear in color but
will transfer to the grid in black and white.
Next
22
B/W Symbol-Color Background

• To add color to a button, click on the button
  first.
• Click on the Color Tool selection on the Tool
  Pallet.
• Click on the word Button and choose a color.
• Repeat for other buttons.

23
Adding a Title to the Board

• Click on the A tool on the Tool Pallet.
• Click above your grid and type a title.
• Without clicking off the sentence, pull down the
  Text menu from the menu bar and select 30 pts.
• Use the arrow tool to center the sentence.

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Review

• This completes the Boardmaker basics. You can
  now
• Draw buttons and spray grids
• Add background color
• Add a board title
• Place symbols on buttons
• Add to and remove symbols
• Create color-coded symbols
• Change the symbols from color to B/W