Chapter 7

The Whiteboard

Overview

MDL’s Whiteboard enables you to collaboratively paint or mark up images with other conference members. You can also use all of the Whiteboard tools before you initiate a conference to capture, view, mark up, and save images for use while conferencing. Later, you can share this new information with the other conference members. The Whiteboard also supports a variety of file formats, allowing you to import graphics from other applications for use while conferencing.

This chapter will discuss:

The Whiteboard Interface

The Whiteboard consists of five distinct sections: the Menu Bar, the Tool Bar, the Toolbox, the Canvas, and the Status Bar.

The Menu Bar

The Menu Bar provides access to various commands. It includes the File, Edit, View, Capture, Page, Options, and Help menus. You can use these menus to load images, zoom on the image, copy and paste to the Clipboard, capture new images, control pages, and adjust preferences for the Whiteboard.

The Tool Bar

The Tool Bar is directly under the Menu Bar, and contains several buttons that provide you with shortcuts to menu items. Pausing the mouse cursor over any button for a few seconds will display a Tool Tip that indicates the function of that button. Moving from left to right, here are the tool buttons with corresponding functions:

Open File—Allows you to load an image for use with the Whiteboard. This function is identical to the one performed by the Open option in the File menu.

Save File—Allows you to save the contents of the canvas. This function is identical to that of the Save option in the File menu.

Print—The Print button launches the Print dialog, from which you can print the contents of the Whiteboard. It is a shortcut to the Print option from the File menu.

Copy Bitmap—The Copy Bitmap button is a shortcut to the Copy command from the Edit menu. Using Copy you can copy a section of the Canvas into the Windows clipboard.

Paste Bitmap—This button is a shortcut to the Paste command in the Copy menu. It allows you to Paste the contents of the Windows Clipboard onto the Canvas.

Fonts—Clicking on the Font area enables you to select a new font for use with the Text Tool.

Font Size—Clicking on the Font Size field provides you with a list of type sizes you can use with the Text Tool.

Bold—The Bold button sets the appearance of text you type with the Text Tool. It toggles between boldface and normal type.

Italic—The Italic button affects the appearance of text from the Text Tool. It toggles between italic and regular type.

First Page—Clicking on this button will take you to the first page of the Whiteboard. You can also move to the first page by using the First option from the Page menu.

Previous Page—Clicking on this button will take you to the previous page (if one exists) of the Whiteboard. You can also perform this function by selecting Previous from the Page menu.

Next Page—Clicking on next page will move you forward one page on the Whiteboard. If you are on the last page, a new page will be created. It duplicates the function of the Next option in the Page menu.

Last Page—Clicking on this tool button will take you to the last page of the Whiteboard. You can also move to the last page by selecting the Last option in the Page menu.

Help—Using this tool button will display the Help viewer. You can get help on the Whiteboard form the Help menu, or by pressing F1.

The Toolbox

The drawing tools are represented by icons in the Toolbox. By default, the Toolbox appears attached to the left hand side of the Whiteboard. Double clicking on the word Tools at the top of the Tool Box will detach it from the Canvas so it can be positioned on the screen independent of the Canvas window.

The Canvas

The Canvas is the large rectangular area white space where you display saved or captured images and mark them up with the drawing tools. The Canvas consists of two layers: the image layer and the markup layer. The image layer contains graphics loaded from a file, acquired from a Twain source, pasted from the Windows Clipboard or captured from the desktop. The markup layer contains any drawings made using the tools from the Toolbox. This allows you to "mark up" an image without altering it. If you wish you can save the image with the "markups" to disk as a new image.

The Status Bar

The Status Bar provides information about what is happening in the conference and hints on the usage of menu items and tools. When you pause your mouse pointer over a tool icon or menu item, a short note in the status bar will remind you of that item’s function. In the right hand corner of the Status Bar, you will see which Whiteboard page is displayed and how many total pages exist. It also indicates the current Fill mode and Eraser mode.

The Toolbox

The Toolbox contains icons that represent drawing tools that you can use to make markups on the Canvas. When you use the tools, any marks that you make are stored in the markup layer, so that they can later be erased without affecting the underlying image.

When you launch the Whiteboard, the tool you last used with the Whiteboard will automatically be selected.

Pencil

The Pencil allows you to draw freehand lines on the Whiteboard.

To draw on the Canvas with the Pencil, hold down the left mouse button as you move the pointer. A line will appear behind the pointer until you release the button.

Lines drawn with the Pencil will appear in the current Line Width, Fill Pattern, and Color.

Eraser

The Eraser can be used to remove markups or to remove both markups and the underlying image.

The Eraser functions in much the same way as the Pencil. When you hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse, the eraser will remove content from the canvas. When you release the mouse button, the Eraser will stop erasing the Canvas.

The width of the path that the Eraser removes is governed by the Line Width characteristic.

To toggle the Eraser between erasing the Image and Markup layers, either click on the indicator in the status bar, or select Erase Markups or Erase Image from the Options menu.

Box

With the Box tool you can create rectangles and squares on the Canvas.

To create a rectangle, press the left mouse button where you want to anchor one corner of the box on the Canvas. As you move the mouse, a bounding box will change sizes. When you are happy with the position of the rectangle indicated by the bounding box, release the mouse button. To create a perfect square, hold down the Shift key as you resize the bounding box.

The sides of the box you create will appear in the current color and fill pattern. The sides will also appear in the current line width.

Filled Box

The Filled Box tool is identical to the Box tool, except that when you place the box, it will be a solid object, appearing in the currently selected color and fill pattern.

Circle

With the Circle tool you can create circles or ellipses on the Canvas.

To create an ellipse, press the left mouse button to anchor once corner of the area the ellipse will fill. As you move the mouse, a bounding area will appear, indicating the shape and size of the ellipse that will be created when you when you release the mouse button. When you are satisfied with the size and position of the ellipse, release the mouse button. If you want to create a perfect circle, hold down the Shift key as you resize the ellipse.

The ellipse’s border will appear in the currently selected line width, fill pattern, and color.

Filled Circle

The Filled Circle functions identically to the Circle tool. However, Filled Circles appear as a solid object in the current color and fill pattern.

Pointer

The Pointer is a large arrow-shaped cursor that you can use to point to images and markups on the Canvas. It does not create marks on the Canvas, but unlike other tools, when the Pointer is positioned over the Canvas, other conference members will see it.

It can be used to point out important spots on the Canvas without altering the Whiteboard’s contents. It appears in the color that you have selected.

Text

With the Text tool you can type on the Canvas.

To enter Text on the Canvas, select the Font and Font Size that you wish the text to appear in and click on the Canvas to position the cursor. Type the message that you wish to send to other conference members and hit return. Until you press return, the data will not be sent.

Text appears in the current color and fill pattern.

Line

With the Line tool you can draw straight lines on the Canvas.

To draw a line, press the left mouse button to anchor one end of the line segment you will draw. You can move the mouse to stretch the segment and make sure that it points in the correct direction. When you are satisfied with the length and position of the line, release the mouse button.

Lines will appear in the current line width and color and fill pattern.

Constrained Line

With the Constrained Line you can create straight vertical or horizontal lines by selecting two endpoints.

The usage of the Constrained Line is identical to that of the Line, except that when you are using the Constrained Line, the preview image of the line is always either vertical or horizontal.

Line Width

The Line Width tool lets you select a brush size that is used with many of the other Toolbox tools. There are four line widths available.

To select a line width, click on one of the four Width icons in the Toolbox. They are below the drawing tools.

Fill Pattern

The Fill Pattern tool lets you select a pattern that is used with many of the other Toolbox tools. There are three patterns available, in addition to solid. You can use them each with a Solid or Transparent option.

To select a Fill Pattern, click on its button in the Toolbox.

To toggle from Solid Fill to Clear Fill, pull down the Options menu and select the Clear Fill option.

Transparent fill patterns display the underlying graphics through the gaps in the pattern. Solid patterns appear on a black background.

Color

The Color tool lets you select the color to use for most of the other Toolbox tools. There are 20 colors to select from.

To select a color, click on the appropriate button in the color palette.

Using Files

One of the most powerful features of the Whiteboard is the capability to load image files from disk and share them with other conference members, and then save the markups you make for later use.

From the File menu you can:

Loading an Existing Image File

To load an image file:

1. Select Open from the File menu or click on the Open file button in the Tool Bar.

A standard Windows file browser will appear.

2. Select the file you wish to load into the Canvas.

You can select files in the following formats: JPEG, TARGA, Sun Raster, Windows Bitmap, PCX, GIF, and TIFF.

3. Move your pointer over the Canvas.

You will see the rectangular outline of the image file. The outline will move with the cursor as you move your mouse. This should help you decide where to place the image. To preview what the image will look like when you place it, hold down Shift as you move it.

4. Click on the Canvas when the image is positioned where you want it.

The image will appear on the Canvas and location where you placed it. You can place many different images on the Canvas without having to delete the earlier images. The other conference members will get the image soon after you place it on the Canvas.

Selecting a Scanning Device

Before proceeding with this section, make sure that you have a scanning device properly installed and configured on your system. For more information on how to install and configure your scanner refer to its vendor’s technical documentation.

To select a scanning device:

1. Pull down the File menu and choose the Select source option.

The Select Source window will appear listing all the scanning devices currently installed on your PC.

2. If you have more than one scanning device, select the device you wish to use with the Whiteboard.

Acquiring an Image

To acquire an image:

1. If you are trying to use the scanning device for the first time, make sure that you properly define it by choosing the Select Source option in the File menu.

2. Pull down the File menu and select the Acquire Image option.

The window that displays the captured images will appear. The name and the content of this window depend on the scanning software package you have installed.

3. Scan and select the desired image.

You will see the outline of the size of the scanned image move with your cursor as you move your mouse. This should help you decide where to place the image.

4. Click on the Canvas in the spot where you want the upper left corner of the image to be placed.

The image will appear on the Canvas on the page and location where you placed it. You can place many different images on different Whiteboard pages without having to delete the earlier images. The other conference members will see the image after you place it on the Canvas.

Acquiring images from a TWAIN source is not supported under Window NT or Windows 95.

Saving the Whiteboard Contents

You can save the contents of the Canvas using the Save or Save As commands in the File menu. The contents of the Canvas are saved as an image file. You can specify the image format that is used to save the file, the name of the file, and whether you save the entire Canvas contents or just the visible area of the Canvas.

To Save the Canvas contents to disk:

1. Pull down the File menu and select Save As or click the left mouse button on the Save button in the Tool Bar.

The Save As File window will appear.

The Save File window is a standard Windows file browser.

2. Switch to the directory where you wish to save the file.

3. Enter the filename that you wish to use for the file.

4. Select the format that you want to use for saving the Canvas contents.

You can save files in the following formats: JPEG, TARGA, Sun Raster, Windows Bitmap, PCX, GIF, and TIFF.

5. Specify whether you want to save the entire Canvas or just the part of it that is visible.

6. Click OK.

The file will be saved to disk. If you want to save the Canvas contents again using the same name, use the Save command instead of the Save As command.

Printing the Whiteboard contents

1. Pull down the File menu and select the Print Setup option.

The Print Setup window will appear.

This window will vary depending on the type of printer defined as the Default Windows Printer.

2. After making all the settings, click OK.

Clicking OK will save all the settings and close the window.

3. Pull down the File menu and select the Print option.

The Print File window will appear.

The Print File window is a standard Windows file browser.

In this window you can specify whether you want to print the entire Canvas or just the part of it that you can see.

Closing the Whiteboard

To close the Whiteboard:

Pull down the File menu and select Close.

The Whiteboard window will be removed from your desktop. Select the Whiteboard button from the Conference Manager to start the tool again.

Editing Commands

With the Edit menu you can:

Copying an Image to the Clipboard

The Windows Clipboard can be used in the Whiteboard to share information between different Communique! tools or between the Whiteboard and other applications supporting the Clipboard.

The Windows Clipboard can hold graphical images when used with the Whiteboard.

To Copy an Image to the Clipboard:

1. Pull down the Edit menu and select Copy or click the left mouse button on the Copy button in the Tool Bar.

The cursor will change into an arrow with a bounding box attached to it.

2. Click and hold down the left mouse button on the Canvas to anchor one corner of the area that you want to copy into the Clipboard.

After the first corner is selected, a bounding box will appear as you drag the mouse, indicating the region to be copied. The outline will change dimensions as you move your mouse.

3. Release the left mouse button to define the opposite corner of the image area that you want to copy into the Clipboard.

Pasting an Image from the Clipboard

To Paste an image from the Clipboard:

1. Pull down the Edit menu and select Paste Bitmap or click on the Paste button in the Tool Bar.

You will see an outline of the image stored in the Clipboard. Move the outline to the spot on the Canvas where you want to place the image. To preview the image, hold down Shift as you move the outline.

2. Click on the Canvas when the image is in the proper position.

The image will appear on the Canvas.

The Windows Clipboard can also be used to copy the text between the Whiteboard and other Communique! tools. You can also Copy the text from other applications running on your PC and then Past it onto the Canvas.

Pasting Text from the Clipboard

To Paste the text from the Clipboard:

1. Pull down the Edit menu and select the Paste Text option.

You will see an outline of the size of the text that is contained in the Clipboard.

2. Click on the Canvas to define the position for the upper left corner of the text in the Clipboard.

The text will appear on the Canvas. It will cover any existing images or markups which was within the rectangular outline.

Pasting a Graphic from the Clipboard

To Paste non-bitmapped pictures to the Canvas:

1. Pull down the Edit menu and select the Paste Picture option.

An outline of the image that is contained in the Clipboard appears.

2. Click on the Canvas to define the position for the upper left corner of the picture in the Clipboard.

The picture will appear on the Canvas. It will cover any existing images or markups which was within the rectangular outline.

Clearing the Canvas

You can use the Clear Markups and Clear Whiteboard commands to quickly erase the images and drawings that you or other conference members have put on the Canvas. Clear Markups will only clear the part of the Canvas contents that were drawn with the Toolbox tools. Clear Whiteboard will erase everything on the Canvas, including the images that you have loaded.

To Clear the Canvas:

Pull down the Edit menu and select Clear Markups or Clear Whiteboard.

Depending on your choice, either the markups or both the markups and the images will be erased from the Canvas.

Synchronizing Pages

The Whiteboard has multiple pages on which you can place images and drawings. When the conference begins, the other conference members get the one Whiteboard page that the conference initiator is currently viewing if his Whiteboard is active. Using the options in the Page menu (this is discussed later), you can move from page to page, looking at them and drawing on them. You can change pages and the other conference members will receive and see the page you see.

Occasionally, the image and markup data on your page will appear different than what the other conference members see on their page. This might happen if one conference member is drawing on the Whiteboard while another conference member is loading an image. In rare cases this might cause the image to appear on top of the drawing for one conference member, and underneath the drawing for another conference member.

Synchronize Current Page should be used to correct this occasional problem. When you use this command, you force the current page on the other conference members’ Whiteboards to look just like your current page. This happens by sending the contents of your current page out to the other conference members.

To use Synchronize Current Page:

Pull down the Edit menu and select Synchronize Current Page.

The other conference members’ current Whiteboard page will be refreshed and appear the same as your current page.

The View Menu

With the View menu you can:

Zooming In and Out

There are seven different degrees of magnification. You can Zoom In with ratios of 1:8, 1:4, and 1:2, with 1:8 providing the greatest degree of magnification. You can Zoom Out with ratios of 3:1, 5:1, and 9:1 with 9:1 providing the widest angle of view. You can also return the view of the Canvas to the original magnification level.

To Zoom In:

1. Pull down the View menu and select one of the Zoom In options: either 1:8, 1:4, or 1:2.

The cursor will look like a magnifying glass when you move it over the Canvas.

2. Click on the Canvas at the point you want to be used as the center of the magnified area.

The view of the canvas will zoom in relative to the original size and pan (shift) so that the point selected is the center of the new view.

To Zoom Out:

Pull down the View menu and select one of the Zoom Out options: either 3:1, 5:1, or 9:1.

The view of the Canvas will zoom out the amount relative to the original (default) viewing size. The Zoom Out command will try to center the new view on the center point of the last view. After the image is zoomed out, you may see some areas on the edges of the Canvas on which you cannot place images or mark up. Depending on the Zoom Out factor, these areas may be visible onscreen but represent areas outside of the current maximum Canvas size.

To return to the original viewing size, pull down the View menu and select the Original Size command.

Capturing Images

The commands in the Capture menu let you grab images of portions of the desktop screen and place them on the Canvas. With the Capture menu you can:

When you capture images using the Capture menu, the Zoom setting discussed above will affect how you see the image once it is captured. The captured region will be zoomed in or out before you place it on the Canvas. This only becomes confusing when you are trying to capture images of the zoomed Canvas itself. If you are trying to capture an image of the zoomed Canvas and your captured image doesn’t look the way you want it to look (too large or too small), you may want to use the Copy and Paste commands from the Edit menu instead of the Capture commands.

Capturing a Region

To Capture a Region and place it on the Canvas:

1. Pull down the Capture menu and select Region.

Your cursor will change to a crosshair.

2. Click anywhere on the desktop to define a corner of the rectangular region to be captured.

After the first corner is selected, a bounding box will appear as you drag the mouse, indicating the region to be captured. The outline will change dimensions as you move your mouse.

3. Click to define the opposite corner of the region.

You will see an outline the size of the captured image move with your cursor as you move your mouse over the Canvas. This should help you decide where to place the image.

4. Click on the Canvas in the spot where you want the upper left corner of the image to be placed.

The image will appear on the Canvas on the page and location where you place it. It will cover any existing image or markup that was within the rectangular outline.

You can place many different images on the Canvas without having to delete the earlier images. The other conference members will get the image soon after you place it on the Canvas.

Capturing a Window

To Capture a Window and place it on the Canvas:

1. Pull down the Capture menu and select Window.

2. Click on any window’s Title Bar on your desktop to capture that window.

You will see an outline the size of the captured image move with your cursor as you move your mouse over the Canvas. This should help you decide where to place the image.

3. Click on the Canvas in the spot where you want the upper left corner of the image to be placed.

The image will appear on the Canvas on the page and location where you placed it. It will cover any existing image or markup that was within the rectangular outline.

Capturing the Desktop

To Capture your Desktop and place it on the Canvas:

1. Pull down the Capture menu and select Desktop.

You will see an outline the size of the captured images move with your cursor as you move your mouse over the Canvas. This should help you decide where to place the image.

2. Click on the Canvas in the spot where you want the upper left corner of the image to be placed.

The image will appear on the Canvas on the page and location where you placed it.

Working with Pages

The Page menu lets you move from page to page on the Whiteboard. Just like the pages in a book, the Whiteboard pages contain different pieces of information that always exist but you can only see when you turn to them. When you first start the Whiteboard, there is only one page. Other pages are created as you turn to them. When you first open Whiteboard, only the page that you are looking at gets transmitted to other conference members. However, as you turn from page to page, the information on those pages gets sent to the other conference members.

All pages are numbered in the order in which they were created. The numbers at the bottom right hand corner of the Whiteboard window tell you how many total pages there are and which page you are currently viewing.

With the Page menu you can:

Creating New Pages

To create a new Whiteboard Page:

1. Pull down the Page menu and select Last or click on the Last button in the Tool Bar.

You will see the last existing Whiteboard page.

2. Pull down the Page menu and select Next or click on the Next button in the Tool Bar.

You will see a new blank page. The number at the bottom right hand corner of the Whiteboard window showing the total number of pages will increase by one. You can load images or draw on this new page like you would any other page.

Turning Pages

To turn to a specific Whiteboard page:

1. Pull down the Page menu and select Go To Page...

You will see a pop-up window where you specify which page you want to turn to.

2. Type in the number of the page you want to view.

3. Click OK. (Or Cancel to get back to the Whiteboard without changing the page).

Only existing page numbers can be entered. Invalid page numbers will be rejected.

The Whiteboard will turn to the page you requested.

To turn to the page before or after the one you’re viewing, pull down the Page menu and select Previous or Next. You can also turn pages by clicking on the page buttons in the Tool Bar.

You will see the Whiteboard page just before (Previous) or after (Next) the one you were viewing.

You can also turn to the desired page by clicking on the Next or Previous buttons in the Tool Bar.

To turn to the first or last page of the Whiteboard, pull down the Page menu and select First or Last.

Deleting Pages

You can only delete pages when you are not in a conference.

To delete Whiteboard pages, pull down the Page menu and select between three different delete options: Delete Current Page, Delete All Pages, and Delete All Except Current Page.

Delete Current Page—Delete the Whiteboard page being displayed

Delete All Pages—Delete all the pages of the Whiteboard

Delete All Except Current Page—Delete all the pages of the Whiteboard with the exception of the page being displayed

After the page has been deleted from the Whiteboard, the page numbers in the bottom right hand corner of the Whiteboard will adjust accordingly.

Options

With the Options menu you can set your preferences for many of the other tools.

There are options for:

Choosing a Fill Style

To choose your drawing tool Fill Style from the Options menu:

1. Pull down the Options menu and choose the Fill Solid or Fill Clear options to toggle the Fill Style option.

The drawing tools will draw with the current Fill Pattern (discussed earlier) and Fill Style. With the Clear Fill Style, you will be able to see the image under your markups as if you were drawing with a highlighter. You will not be able to see through markups when the Solid Fill Style is selected.

You can also choose your drawing tool Fill Style from the status bar at the bottom of the Whiteboard.

To choose your drawing tool Fill Style from the Status Bar:

Double-click on the word Solid or Clear on the status bar at the bottom of the Whiteboard.

You will see the option toggle its setting.

Selecting an Erase Style

To choose your Erase Style from the Options menu:

1. Pull down the Options menu and select Erase Image or Erase Markups to toggle the Erase Style option.

The eraser tool in the toolbox will erase with the current Erase Style. With Image Erase Style, you will be able to erase both the image under your markups and your markups. The Markups Erase Style will only erase the markups and will not change the underlying image.

You can also choose your Erase Style from the status bar at the bottom of the Whiteboard.

To choose your Erase Style from the Status Bar:

Double-click on the word Image or Markups on the status bar at the bottom of the Whiteboard.

You will see the option toggle its setting.

Using the Video for Windows Option

This option is selected by default. The purpose of this setting is to speed up the zooming process in the Whiteboard.

To set the Video for Windows on or off:

Pull down the Options menu and select the Use Video for Windows option. A check mark will appear next to it indicating that the Video for Windows has been set on. Clicking the mouse one more time will turn the parameter off.

Choosing a Floating Toolbox

You can drag the toolbox around the desktop regardless of the Canvas area if you use the floating Toolbox option.

To enable the floating Toolbox, pull down the Options menu and select Floating Toolbox. You can also activate the floating Toolbox by double-clicking the left mouse button on the word Tools at the top of the Toolbox.

To return the toolbox to its default position on the Whiteboard, select the floating Toolbox option in the Options menu again. You can also double-click the left mouse button on the word Tools at the top of the Toolbox.

Hide on Capture

The Hide on Capture option, when chosen, makes the Whiteboard disappear temporarily when you use one of the Capture commands.

To toggle Hide on Capture, pull down the Options menu and select Hide on Capture.

Fast Capture

With this option enabled, Capture operations off the desktop will grab the image using optimized color selection routines. When disabled, Capture operations will select colors more carefully.

Disabling Fast Capture mode will guarantee you accurate colors, especially when dealing with true color images, but will result in longer capture processing times. For quick response time, this option is enabled by default and should be left on unless you experience problems capturing images of a particular application or window.

To toggle Fast Capture, pull down the Options menu and select Fast Capture.

Whiteboard Compression

By default, the content of the Whiteboard is compressed before being sent to other conference members.

To toggle Compress, pull down the Options menu and select Compress.

Automatic Pop Up

The Pop Up on Receive option, when chosen, makes the Whiteboard window automatically open on your desktop when a conference member loads a new image or new markups.

To toggle Pop Up on Receive, pull down the Options menu and select Pop Up on Receive.

Setting Canvas Size Attributes

Use the Canvas Size menu to change the total size of the Canvas. The default size is 800x600.

To specify your Canvas Size:

1. Pull down the Options menu and select Canvas Size...

You will see the Canvas Size submenu.

2. Specify the width and height of the Canvas.

3. Click OK to apply the size changes. Click Cancel to leave the submenu without changing the Canvas size.

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