Isard Manual

Last update: jun 22, 2001

Version 1.4, Jean-Sébastien Roy

To get the most recent version of Isard and its manual see the Home Page of Isard

How to create a new figure ?

To create a new figure do: IsardPlanDisplay vierge
You can find some examples in the IsardTests class.

Keyboard and mouse usage

Inside the Visualiseur d'Isard-Plan window:

• Use ctrl+drag to move the picture (a hand will appear).
• Use alt+click to access to the menu.
• click on objects to select them. A menu may appears if there is many objets around the mouse pointer: just select one in the list.
• click+drag points to move them.
• shift+click objects to select/unselect them without unselecting other objects first (enable multiple selection).

The menu enables you to create/modify/delete/save objects.

The main menu

A propos...: Brings you an about box.

Zoom in: Zooms in.
Zoom out: Zooms out.

Créé point...: Create a new point, then asks you for a new name (cancel if you want to keep the automatically generated name).
Crée >: Depending on what is selected (and in what order) enables you to create new objects from the ones you selected.
Renomme...: Rename an object.
Substitue: Replace one object by another (warning: quite dangerous, may have strange side effects).
Noms d'origine >: Sub-menu that details the way the selected objects where created.

Couleur >: Change the color of selected objects.
Epaisseur >: Change the width of selected objects.
Visibilité >: Make objects visible / invisible.

Sélectionne >: Help select objects (even invisible ones).
Désélectionne >: Help select objects (even invisible ones).

Sauve...: Creates a method that recreates the figure. Ask for the class and selector to use for the method.
Sauve en EPS...: Saves the figure as a color A4 EPS file.
Sauve en GIF...: Saves the figure as a color GIF file.
Créé Macro...: Create a new macro from the selection.

Nettoie: Removes not used objects (a bit difficult to explain: I'll try next time).
Enlève: Removes selected objects (and whatever objects need those).
Efface tout...: Remove all objects. asks first for a confirmation.

Changer commentaire...: Allow to change the commentary associated with the object.
Voir commentaire global...: Open a window displaying the global commentary of the picture. The content of the window is automatically updated.

Affichage fluide: On or Off. Determines whether double buffering is used to achieve smooth display when moving objects.

What kind of objects can be created ?

• Points (Free or constrained to be on another object)
• Lines
• Circles
• Segments
• Sets (of points)
• Vectors
• Angles
• Transformations
• Numbers, Coordinates
• Controllers (coordinates, number)

What are controllers ?

Controllers are non-geometric objects that help define a characteristic (of an object) that can be set arbitrarily.
For example, a the position of a Point can either be defined by other geometric objects (like as the intersection of two lines), or by its coordinates (via a coordinates controller: IsardControleCoord), or by its position on a circle (via a circle and a number controller: IsardControleNombre).
Objects that are defined via the use of a controller can be moved using the interface, others cannot.
Some numbers or coordinates are not controllers: they can be the result of a calculation. For example, the angle between to vectors is a number (that cannot be set), that can be used to define the position of point on a circle, or the angle of a rotation, ...

How to create objects ?

Depending on what is selected (and in what order it was selected) you can create the following objects:
Note: This is roughly the output ofIsardObject dictionnaireMethodesDeCreation reportString.
Object creation methods that make use of controllers are not currently included in this listing.

If you select one object:

• A point: a central symmetry.
• A segment: its mediatrice ; a point on it ; its mid-point.
• A circle: a point on it.
• A set: a point on it.
• A line: an axial symmetry.

If you select two objects:

• Two vectors: an angle.
• Two points P1 and P2: a circle centered on P1 that contains P2 ; the segment [P1,P2] ; the vector P1P2 ; the line (P1,P2)
• A point P and a number R: a circle centered on P and whose radius is R.
• A line D and a point P: the line perpendicular to D in P.
• A point P and transformation f: the point f(P).
• Two lines: their intersection.
• A point P1 and a point P2 on a circle: the rotation centered on P1 whose angle is defined by the position of P2
• A point P1 and a point P2 on an object O: the set of points defined by the set of all positions that P1 can take when P2 moves (on O)

If you select three objects:

• three points P1, P2, P3: the bisecting line of the triangle P1P2P3, that contains P2 ; the triangle P1,P2,P3

What are macros ?

Macros are ways to automate the creation of objects. Once you have created a figure that depends on a few objects, select these, and use the Créé Macro... function to create a macro. Name it after the figure you created. Now, each time you want to recreate the figure, select the objects that the figure depends on, and use Crée > Macro > TheNameOfTheFigure to recreate it.

Can I define figures programmatically ?

Yes. Look at IsardTests cercleEulerOrig for an example.