This guide is designed to help students create graphs on a personal computer using a simple graphing program and turn them in online along with their homework assignments. The guide will include instructions on how to use two simple graphing applications, a step by step illustration on creating one of the graphs that will be used in class and instructions on how to get the graph from the application to the homework conference in FirstClass.

Graphics applications

Students with a Windows driven machine can use the Paint application that is found in the Accessories folder of all campus IBM compatibles. A similar program on university Macintosh computers can be found in Claris Works, an advanced word processor. Simply chose the "painting" option from the Claris works start up menu to access the application. Both of these programs are user friendly and adequate for creating all of the graphs we will be studying in this class.

Functions of both programs are accessed through Menus at the top of the window by clicking on the words (File, Edit, View...). Other functions are accessed simply by clicking on the button with the corresponding picture. There are several of these that you will have to become familiar with first. The rectangle, line, curve, select, text, and eraser tools are the most important.

Microsoft Paint

Claris Works Painting

Rectangle Tool- This tool can be used to quickly form the axis of your graphs. After selecting the tool click and drag on your canvas to form the desired size box. Then select the eraser tool and trim off the excess.

Eraser Tool- This tool is used to erase things. Also, it comes in handy for making dotted lines.

Line Tool- The line tool makes straight lines in the same click and drag fashion that the Rectangle Tool used. Also, the line tool in Paint controls the thickness of the lines on several other tools.

Curve Tool- The curve tool is probably the most important and hardest to use tool. Creating a curve involves three clicks. In Paint first click and drag to form a line, then place the cross hairs on a section of the line and click and drag to bend that section, then repeat on another section to finish the curve. Warning: it takes some practice.

Bezigon Tool- Contained only in Claris, this tool makes creating a precise curve much easier. Simply click on the point you want the curve to intersect and Claris bends the curve accordingly. To finish simply double click on the last point.

Select Tools- These tools are used for selecting sections of your canvas so that you can move, enlarge, delete, and rotate. They are especially useful because you can draw curves in an empty section of your canvas and move them into the graph and right back out again if they don't fit. It is also handy for fitting text into tight places

Text Tool- This is a necessary tool for labeling your graphs. Select the text button and click and drag where you want your text to be. In Paint be sure to highlight the text tool bar under the view pull down menu. This will allow you to change the size and font of your text. For Claris users the text options are already located in menus at the top of the window.

Undo option- If you make a mistake you can undo it by selecting undo under the Edit pull down menu.

Tool adjustment features

Paint

1. This panel is used to adjust line color and fill color.

2. This panel is used to determine the pattern with which an object is filled. It also determines whether the object selected is inserted with background color or transparently, like panel 4 in Paint.

3. This panel accompanies the brush tool and allows you to select the shape of the brush for free form drawing. It is accessed by double clicking on the brush Icon.

4. This panel is used for making arrows.

5. This panel is used for choosing line width.

*Panels 1 and 2 are located under the paint can icon on the middle left side and panels 1, 2, 4 and 5 are located under the Pen icon on the middle left hand side.

Step by Step Graph Construction

Step 1: Creating your Axis

a. Paint users chose the thickness of the axis by selecting the line tool and using the size adjustment panel. Claris users select width under the Pen width control menu.

b. Next use the line tool to draw the axis, or draw a rectangle with the rectangle tool and trim the top and right hand sides with the eraser.

Step 2: Drawing lines

* Although they are technically "curves" many plots in economics graphing can be represented simplistically by a single straight line.

a. Chose the thickness and color of the line from your adjustment menus.

b. Click and drag to create your lines

Step 3: Curves

* Curves are the most difficult step in the graphing process. Often several tools must be used together in order to produce a usable curve. This will take some trial and error so remember the undo function. It is often helpful to create your curves in a space away from your graph and move them in with the select tools. This increases your flexibility and reduces the risk of ruining your graph with an unintended click. Dots can be placed at curve intersections by a single click with the brush tool. This allows the reader to better comprehend the graph and allows for less precision at intersections.

Step 4: Labeling

a. Select the text tool, making sure in Paint that there is a check beside " Text tool bar" in the "View" pull down menu at the top of the window. In Claris, text options will automatically appear at the top of the window.

b. Click and drag to form a text box in a free space away from your graph. then begin typing labels, using the text tool bar to make any alterations in size or font.

Step 5: The Finishing Touches

a. Dotted lines can be added by using the eraser tool to segment a thin line.

b. Labeling is completed by using the select tool to move the labels into place. Some of the labels on this case were rotated using functions in the Image menu in Paint and the Transform menu in Claris.

Turning your Graph in online

Graphs are turned in via picture messages in the FirstClass conference. Simply paste the graph you have created in to the Picture preview window using the paste function in the Edit pull down menu in FirstClass. Warning: sometimes data does not translate well between different computers so using the select function in the graphing applications to transfer the data to the computer's internal clipboard does not always work well. A full proof method is using a screen capture program. On university Windows machines