This version of KID PIX is FREE. It may be given away and distributed by electronic bulletin boards, etc.
If you are interested in an expanded version of this program please select "COMMERCIAL" in the Apple menu.
•Why KID PIX?
A few months ago I introduced my three year-old son Benjamin to a full featured Paint Program. I was surprised how quickly he learned to use it and how much he enjoyed it. But he regularly got into frustrating situations: he would inadvertently double click things, launch desk accessories, move windows, and make random menu selections. I decided to write a paint program for kids that would solve some of these problems, and here it is.
•KID PIX special characteristics.
1. All of KID PIX windows stay put. They can't be accidentally moved off the screen. (This creates problems when it is run under Multifinder, however.)
2. Each tool's options appear in a window at the bottom of the screen rather than in a menu or dialog box. The options change as the selected tool changes.
3. Tools perform their jobs with a minimum number of actions.
4. The entire picture area used by KID PIX is visible on the screen. Young children find the idea of scrolling around pictures with the hand or scroll bars confusing. It is also hard to develop a compositional sence when you can't see your entire picture at one time. With KID PIX "what you see is what you get."
5. Menus can be hidden to keep them from being accidentally selected (including desk accessories). An adult can hide the menus before the child starts to use the program with the "Hide/Show Menus" item in the Edit menu.
6. Text can be added to pictures without using the keyboard.
7. Children tend to be more interested in the process of making a picture than in the final product. KID PIX contains features that are fun to use but have little effect on the final picture. An example of this is the fire cracker in the Eraser options.
8. KID PIX saves pictures in the PICT file format. This allows them to be exported to most color paint programs, drawing programs, and page layout programs like PageMaker. In addition, this will allow file compatibility with the color version of KID PIX. (Pictures can be saved in the MacPaint format by selecting the MacPaint radio button in the "Save As..." dialog box.
• About the tools.
- Pencil
The pencil draws free-form lines. Line widths and line patterns can be selected in the options window at the bottom of the screen.
- Line
The line tool draws straight lines using various widths and patterns.
- Rectangle
The Rectangle tool draws rectangles in various patterns.
- Oval
The Oval tool draws ovals in various patterns.
- Wacky Pencil
The Wacky Pencil draws various kinds of special "wacky lines." Try them to find out what they do.
- Eraser
The Eraser erases things, and comes in various sizes. The fire cracker eraser is used to erase the entire screen (like double clicking the eraser in MacPaint).
- Text
When the text option is selected the first part of the alphabet appears in the options window at the bottom of the screen and the cursor turns into the currently selected letter. The currently selected letter can be stamped on screen by clicking the mouse button. The rest of the alphabet as well as numbers can be found by clicking on the plus sign on the right hand side of the screen.
- Rubber Stamps
The Rubber Stamp tool acts just like the text tool, except pictures appear instead of letters of the alphabet. The pictures created by the Rubber Stamp Tool are from Apple Computer's Cairo font.
- Truck
The Truck tool is used to move one area of the screen to another spot. Various sizes of rectangle are available.
-Undo
Pressing the button with the face on it will do the same thing as selecting Undo in the Edit menu.
• Menus
- New
New erases the current screen and gives the new picture the name "Untitled Kid's."
- Open
Open allows the user to edit an existing picture that has been saved on disk.
- Save
"Save" allows the user to save the current picture if it has already been named.
- Save As
"Save As..." allows a picture to be named and saved. Pictures are normally saved in the PICT file format but it is possible to save them in the MacPaint file format by checking the MacPaint radio button in the "Save As..." dialog box.
- Page Setup
This is the standard Macintosh Page Setup. For best results with the ImageWriter select "Tall Adjusted" in the "Page Setup..." menu.
- Print
Print allows the user to print the picture.
- Quit
Quit returns to the Finder.
- Cut
Cut does not currently function in KID PIX.
- Copy
Copy does not currently function in KID PIX.
-Paste
If there is a picture on the clipboard it will appear as the current cursor. The user can move the image to the desired position and click the mouse button to paste.
-Clear
Clear does not currently function in KID PIX.
- Hide/Show Menu Bar
Selecting this will hide the full menu bar and replace it with a menu bar that only has one selection. Selecting the single item in the small menu (Show Menu Bar) will make the full menu bar return. Hiding the full menu bar is a good way to prevent inadvertent selections. This should be done before the child starts to use the program.
