Introduction to Computer Applications 2010

Slide Show

The previous project emphasized sprites, message passing, and variables, but it did neglect a few important topics. This project will explore some of the motion (blue) and looks (purple) blocks that you have not yet seen. It also ties in with the PowerPoint unit with all of its transitions and actions. You will build a slide show with Scratch, complete with animations. The slides, recursively enough, will feature screen shots of Scratch features that you have tracked down in a Treasure Hunt. The features are pictured in the document ScratchTreasureHunt.pdf and finding them belongs to the preparation portion of the project.

Instructions

Again many of the instructions appear in graphic form. You see them on this web page as separate pictures and at reduced size. Download the graphics collection in a single zipped file so that you can easily view them at full scale. This time around a few of the graphics may leave something to be desired. For instance, they may be missing information which you need to fill in. Furthermore, you will need to think of at least three transitions between slides yourself. Exactly that many are provided as examples, but you should add three of your own.

Preparation

Go ahead and run the online version of this project so that you get a good feel for the user interface.

1. Find all the Treasure Hunt items pictured in the document. Scratch doesn't seem to have access to the clipboard for copy and paste operations. You can Import graphics files, however, so it would be a good plan to store the screen shots from the Treasure Hunt in individual graphics files. Scratch understands PNG and GIF formats and possibly others. If you pick something else, be sure to test it before using it on all 16 files and finding out that it doesn't work. Test it by editing the costume of a sprite and importing the graphic from your files.
2. After you start Scratch, but before you write or draw any code, save your Scratch project as SlideShow. Scratch adds the .sb extension to the file automatically.

Sprites

The graphic you initially choose for the single sprite pictured below is not critical. You will be replacing the costume of the sprite with the screen shots from the Treasure Hunt. Do give the sprite the name displayed so that these instructions can refer to it.

1. You can probably just stick with the default cat sprite. Is that cat called Scratch? If you pick a different sprite and it happens to includes scripts already, be sure to erase the scripts so that they don't interfere with your own.

Variables

Only one variable is necessary and it keeps track of the number of the slide being shown.

1. The variable is a global variable, so do not make it apply to any single sprite in particular. It is sometimes easier to make the variable on the stage, because the stage does not even allow local variables.
2. Check the box next to the variable name so that the slide number is displayed.

Stage

The stage takes care of responding to user commands and translating them into operations that the slide (and other potential sprites) can execute independently of the user. In this case the stage changes the value of the slide variable and then instructs the slide to update how it displays itself. Clicking on the flag simply resets the slide show to a known state from which the show can proceed. The user can use the left and right arrow keys to advance and retract slides.

1. Draw the code as shown and not shown. There should be enough exposed information that you can derive the rest. Think logically!

Slide

The slide really only resets itself and updates its appearance. Its appearance is determined by its costume. The costume is not updated instantly, but incrementally by using graphics effects and motion. Three of these incremental transitions are demonstrated. One block of code is responsible for selecting one of the transitions. Study it well because you will need to extend it to additional transitions.

1. Again draw the code as shown and not shown. Notice the patterns in the transitions. You can try out the different effects by simply picking different options from the list.
2. One costume is referenced explicitly in the code: introduction. Change to the Costumes tab and simply rename the first one introduction.

Costumes

All of your Treasure Hunt finds (and more) simply become slide costumes.

1. Change to the Costumes tab. Create a new costume or edit an existing one to produce an introduction slide. Put what you want on the slide as long as it does not yet show the Treasure Hunt material. An example is shown in the first graphic of these instructions.
2. Make the corresponding conclusion slide for the end of the presentation. An example is pictured below. Try the Paint, Import, Camera, or Copy buttons to create the new slide. Make sure this one is last in sequence and stays there as others are added.
3. Make one slide (costume) for each of your Treasure Hunt items. The most straightforward way to do this is to create a New costume by clicking the Paint button and then clicking the Import button in the Paint Editor. Navigate to your Treasure Hunt files and click OK, then click OK to approve the new costume.
4. Please name your costumes slide1, slide2, slide3, and so on so that they can be matched with the Treasure Hunt instructions.

Transitions

Add three of your own transitions to the collection. An obvious way to do this is to modify the ones provided by choosing different effects or moving to a different side of the screen. However, don't limit yourself to these possibilities. Invent at least one original transition and preferably more. For example:

1. Motion does not have to be in a straight line or a single line.
2. Rotation is another form of motion.
3. The size might be changed to make sprites disappear and reappear.
4. Show and hide can be timed to create effects including strobe.
5. Slides can talk and think.

After you have created enough transitions of your own, feel free to not use the existing ones, but do leave them in the code for reference.

Documentation

Several of your Treasure Hunt finds are related to documentation. Rather than just capturing a picture, try them out with this project.

1. When you save (or Save As...) this project, add your name as Project author.
2. Write a sentence in response to the "About this project" prompt.
3. Add Project Notes from the File menu. In the notes describe the three transitions which you have implemented.
4. Add a comment to the code of at least one of your transitions. Right click the background of the slide Scripts and choose "add comment." Write a short comment.
5. Drag the comment to a block of code and drop it where it can be attached. You should see a thin yellow line connecting the comment to the code. When you move the code, the comment moves with it.

Delivery

Submit SlideShow.sb (the Scratch project) attached to an email or via a USB drive. All the documentation should be included within the project.

Grading

Points will be awarded for the following categories and for the following amounts.

1. Preparation
  1. 1. Screen shots: 16
    2. Name SlideShow.sb with camelcase and without spaces: 2
2. Variables

- - 1. Name and scope: 2

1. Stage

- - 1. Code chunks: 4, 1 each

1. Slide

- - 1. Code chunks: 10, 2 each

1. Costumes

- - 1. Introduction: 1
    2. Conclusion: 1
    3. 16 others: 4, 1/4 each

1. Transitions

- - 1. Modifications: 6, 3 each
    2. First invention: 6 (code: 3, esthetics: 2, originality: 1)
    3. +Additional inventions: 2 extra credit each

1. Documentation

- - 1. Author: 1
    2. About: 1
    3. Project notes: 4 (1 each for modifications, 2 for inventions)
    4. Comment: 2, content and connection

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