Whiteboard

[Marielle Lange]

Hi Ryno,

> Has anybody here developed a whiteboard application

I have, for a client. And I went to BETT as well. I came back with  
loads of demo CD, information, and contacts of distributors of  
whiteboard software interested in having freelance developers  
contributing software for them.

In fact, a whiteboard application is very simply put a normal  
application. The only difference is that mouse movements don't work.  
Well, you use a pen and only mousedown and mouseup movements get  
detected. You can't detect the movement when the pen is, well, not in  
contact with the whiteboard. You also have to have zones of detection  
that are larger than in normal applications (I can give you the  
precise information, but something that corresponds to about 5cm on  
the whiteboard).

For the rest, you don't really have to take care of the annotation,  
draw shaping, etc. This is taken care of by the software sold with  
the whiteboard. What this software does is make a toolbar available  
to the end user, that appears comes on top of the application you write.

Two popular products in the UK are :
Promethean <http://www.prometheanworld.com/uk/>
Smart Board <http://smarttech.com/>

What I was told at BETT is that in the UK, 50% of the schools now  
have whiteboards. 25% in each single class. 25% in some classes.  
Often, they mix the two products above. To "project" on the  
whiteboard, teachers use a laptop (PC) connected in permanence to the  
web. Web connectivity in schools is now said to be highly reliable in  
schools.

Do list members know about the situation in other countries?

Marielle

> Has anybody here developed a whiteboard application? Is anybody  
> keen to
> do so? Or willing to guide me through the process? I can get
> schoolchildren involved.
>
> What I am thinking of is something like this:
>
> A chat application PLUS a window in which, to start with, the various
> members of the chat can draw in black line and type in text, in  
> turn or
> simultaneously.
>
> (If simultaneously a split-screen window would be an option, "click
> here to save this board").
>
> It would be wonderful for collaborative work, such as building a
> whiteboard application: )
>
> Ryno.
>
------------------------------------------------
Marielle Lange (PhD),  http://widged.com
Bite-size Applications for Education