TouchIT Technologies

After installing the software and opening it, an activation window will appear.

Type the 16 character product key into the box and click OK.

If there is an active internet connection, the software will automatically activate. If the computer does not have an internet connection or is behind a proxy server, automatic activation may fail. In this case, click Next to either:

Activate via website

Choose this option to activate on another computer or device with internet connection. This option can also be used if automatic activation failed due to being behind a proxy server.

Activate via phone

Call our UK office and quote the serial number over the phone. We’ll supply the activation code. We’re open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Activate via email

Creates an email with the default mail client to activations@qwizdomoktopus.com.

A response from our UK support team with an activation code is normally sent within one working day.

When Oktopus is opened, the Oktopus toolbar appears on the left hand side. By default, Oktopus will start with a transparent background, called Glass Mode.

Glass Mode enables annotation and the use of other tools over the current display, whether it’s an application, a web browser, or simply the Desktop. The Glass Mode layer also supports click-through, so there is no need to minimize Oktopus to work with other programs.

 Creating a new lesson

When Oktopus opens, a new lesson file is automatically created. To create a new lesson at any point, select ‘File’, and choose ‘New’ from the dropdown.

A prompt will appear on-screen asking for the entry of a lesson name. Type a name for the lesson and select ‘OK’. The name can be changed later from the Slide Management tab.

Lesson Saving, Loading, and Printing

Select ‘Open’ to open an existing lesson. A file explorer window will appear to find and select the required lesson. Oktopus can open .wtzx files.

Select ‘Save’ to save the lesson. A file explorer window will appear and prompt where the file is to be saved in .wtzx format.

Select ‘Print’ to send the lesson slides to a printer.

The toolbar can be minimized by clicking or tapping the left arrows / minimise button. It will become greyed-out when the toolbar is in the minimized mode.

The toolbar can also be maximized by clicking the right arrows / maximise button. This will initialise Aerial View.

Aerial View gives the full range of tools available for selection at a glance.

Click or tap a tool to open it.

The Quick Tool Palette provides quick access to useful tools, and acts as a right-click context menu for editing commands such as cut, copy, paste, and delete. The palette can be moved around by clicking or pressing the centre button and dragging it to the desired location.

Click or tap the centre button to toggle between a minimized and maximised state.

To show the Quick Tool Palette at any location, right-click on any Oktopus object or directly on the slide background, if one has been applied. On a touchscreen device, a right-click command is normally initiated by a pressing and holding.

The Quick Tool Palette will stay on the screen permanently in a minimized state unless it is dragged to the trash can. To show it again, choose Quick Tool Palette from the Settings menu.

Customizing the Quick Tool Palette

The Quick Tool Palette can be customized by dragging favourite, frequently used, or otherwise useful tools onto it.

1. In the Tools section of the sidebar, tap and hold the tool for at least 1 second.
2. Drag it near or onto the Quick Tool Palette. A “+” icon will appear.
3. Release the tool, and it will now attach itself to the Quick Tool Palette

To remove a tool that was previously added to the Quick Tool Palette, press or click on the tool, and drag it to the Trash Can at the bottom right of the screen.

When Oktopus is opened, the Sidebar will show the Standard Tools toolset by default.

To change toolsets, click the current toolset title at the bottom of the Sidebar, and select from the list that appears.

To start using a tool, tap or click it once to activate.

Some tools are available in multiple locations if they are relevant to more than one subject area. For example, the Measurement Tools found under the Math toolset are also located under the Science toolset. In addition, the Cursor Tool and Pen Tool from the Standard Tools are available all the top of the list for all subject toolsets.

Hint: Consider adding frequently used tools to the Quick Tool Palette if toolsets are switched between often for specific tools.

The Slide Management area will show the name and thumbnails of the current lesson. To change the name of the lesson, select the current name, and edit as required. To load a slide directly, click on the corresponding thumbnail.

Slides can be re-ordered by pressing and holding a thumbnail for one second, and dragging to the required location. A glowing outline indicates that the slide is ready to be moved. A bar will appear to indicate where the slide will be inserted when released.

Additional tools to manipulate slides are located at the bottom of the Slide Management area:

The ability to navigate backwards and forwards through slides is available at the very bottom of the Sidebar. Tap < to navigate backwards, and > to navigate forwards.

Once the final slide has been reached, the icon will change to a “+” icon, to add a new slide.

By default, the Oktopus background is set to a transparent view called Glass Mode.

To select a new background, select the Backgrounds tab, and choose a background from the list. The selected background will appear over the Desktop and any open applications.

The selected background will be automatically applied for all new slides, until another background is chosen.

Backgrounds of existing slides can be changed at any point. Navigate to the required slide, and select a new background.

Select the cursor tool to enable a standard mouse pointer. In this mode, the cursor can select and manipulate items on-screen.

The cursor tool is available at the top of every toolset.

If a background has been applied, activating the selection tool is not necessary to select items. Clicking / tapping and dragging the cursor tool will automatically draw a selection box around any items in its path.

If Glass Mode is active, the cursor tool will interact with the desktop, therefore it is necessary to enable the selection tool to select multiple items.

Below: Two individual objects have been selected by using the selection tool, which enables them to be moved or resized as one object.

The pen tool can be used to annotate over Oktopus objects, backgrounds, and, when Glass Mode is active, even desktop applications.

The pen’s thickness, alpha, and colour can be adjusted before and after annotating. Prior to annotating, use the Pen Tool’s properties box to adjust:

After annotating, select the object, and the properties box will reappear with additional options. Adjust the properties as required.

Below: Annotating over an image from the Oktopus gallery.

See “Pen Tool”. Use the pen tool normally to write the desired word or sentence. When finished, tap or click the “enter” icon and it will convert into text.

Windows Users

Oktopus uses the Microsoft in-built handwriting recognition facility and therefore will convert into the language configured within your Windows Operating System.

For Windows 7 and above, refer to the Microsoft website for more information.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows7/download-a-language-pack-to-get-handwriting-recognition-for-another-language

There are three different types of line that can be drawn – dashed, arrow head, or solid. Select the line tool, and choose the type of line required. The tool will remember which line was previously used, and will enable it by default.

For each line type, thickness, alpha, and colour can be customized.

In addition, the dashed line supports custom dash length and dash spacing.

Once a line type has been selected, it will be highlighted to indicate it is active. Click or press and drag to draw the line.

Use the eraser tool to delete screen objects including pen and highlighter annotations, lines, and shapes. The eraser can be resized using the properties box.

When the text tool is initialized, the cursor will change to a crosshair to indicate that a text box is ready to be created.

Click or tap once for a text box to be automatically created with a default width, or hold and drag to create a custom width. The words “Start Typing…” will be generated.

Text font, colour, and size can be customized. The text box also supports bold, italics, underlining, strikethrough, superscript, subscript, and text align.

The width of the text box can be adjusted by dragging the bottom right corner. The height will adjust automatically as text is entered.

After text has been entered, click or tap away from the text box to hide the text controls. Alternatively, click the “eye” icon at the top right.

To move the location of the text box, click or tap and drag to the new location. To enter editing mode again, double click /tap.

There are three different shapes to choose from – circles, quadrilaterals, and triangles. In addition, it is possible to draw a free shape, or use shape recognition.

Select the shapes tool, and choose the type of shape required. The tool will then remember which shape was previously used, and will enable it by default.

Thickness, alpha, and colour can be customised.

Once a line type has been selected, the cursor will show as a crosshair. Click /press and drag to draw the shape.

Below: Using shape recognition, a triangle is drawn.

The highlighter tool can be used to annotate over Oktopus objects, backgrounds, and, when Glass Mode is active, even desktop applications. Thickness and alpha cannot be adjusted prior to drawing on the screen.

After annotating, select the object, and click or tap the settings icon to show the object properties box. Adjust the properties as required.

Below: Highlighting text over a web browser.

Oktopus comes with a built-in image gallery relating to various topic areas. To bring an image into the lesson, click or tap it. The image can be resized, and rotated.

Hint: For more options such as cut, copy, paste, and bring forward / send backward, right-click on the image to show the Quick Tool Palette.

Importing Images

To import existing media, click the import icon at the bottom left of the gallery.

JPG, PNG, BMP, FLV, SWF , and QWV media formats are supported.

In addition, images can be imported from an Internet Explorer, Chrome, or Firefox web browser. Enter Glass Mode, and drag the image over the Oktopus sidebar. A thumbnail of the image will appears with a plus icon. Release the image and it will appear as a Oktopus object. Note: The image type must be one of the supported file types.

Adding Hyperlinks to Images

1. Select the image to show to hyperlink icon.

2. Click the hyperlink icon and the hyperlink area will appear.

3. Type in the required web address, and tap the green tick icon to confirm.

The hyperlink has now been added. A new hyperlink icon will appear at the bottom left of the image. After selecting the image to show the hyperlink icons, click or tap this icon to launch the link in the default web browser.

Editing Hyperlinks

Use the hyperlink icon at the top left of the image to edit the link. Click the green tick to confirm the change.

The x in the white background will clear the text.

The x in the red background will remove the hyperlink.

The window shade is an adjustable “blind” to hide on-screen items. Multiple window shades can be used to hide multiple parts of the screen.

To adjust the shade, click or tap and drag the arrows on each side.

The colour of the shade can be adjusted using the colour palette.

To close, click or tap the X.

Enabling the flashlight will shroud the screen and will show a small visible area of the screen, similar to a flashlight being operated in a darkened room.

Click or tap and drag the flashlight to move it around the screen. Adjust the size of the flashlight area by dragging the resize button, and tap the X to close it.

The magnifying glass will magnify anything that appears on screen.

Click or press and drag the magnifying glass to move it around the screen. Adjust the size of the magnified area by dragging the resize button, and tap the X to close it.

The Undo button will undo any annotation. This can be repeated multiple times to undo further actions.

The redo button will redo any annotation. This can be repeated multiple times to redo further actions.

The Oktopus Keyboard will appear on-screen and can be used to type into an Oktopus textbox. In addition, when in Glass Mode, it can be used to type into any open application, such as an internet browser, office program, or other 3^rd party programs.

This will clear all objects that are currently on the slide. A prompt will appear to confirm that the screen should be cleared.

Display a live video feed from a built-in webcam, or an external source such as a visualiser or USB webcam.

Use the screenshot capture tool to save a snapshot image of the entire screen or of a specific area. After an image has been taken, a prompt will appear to ask where the image should be saved.

The screen record tool will record a video of all screen interactions. Click the icon to start recording. Once recording has begun, the tool will flash red to indicate recording is in progress.

To stop recording, click the icon again. A prompt to save the video will appear.

The audio tool has two functions – importing audio and recording audio. Opening the tool will show the following option:

 Import Audio

A prompt will appear to browse for the audio file to import. WAV and MP3 file types are supported. Once the file has been imported, click or tap the play icon to play the audio. To pause, click or tap the pause icon. Move the slider to seek.

The audio player can be closed by clicking the x, or by dragging to the trash can.

Record Audio

The audio recording tool uses the primary recording device of the operating system by default. To change the recording device, change the setting in the operating system.

There are two views: full and compact. To switch between them, use the minimise / maximise button at the top right of the tool.

To start recording audio, click or tap the red “REC” button.

The button will change to indicate how long the audio has been recording for, and it can be taped at any time to pause, and subsequently resume recording.

To save the audio recording, click or tap the green tick. An input box will appear to prompt for the name the recording should be given. Type the name and click or tap the green tick.

The recording will now appear in the audio tool’s archive area. To load the audio, drag it onto a background, or click the add “+” icon.

The archives window will automatically add links to previously recorded videos and images.

Click on the launch button to open the media.

Note: If the media has been deleted from the system, the link will need to be manually removed from the archive.

Click or tap and drag numbers out from the number tool.

Join numbers together by bringing them close to each other.

Expand the number tool to see smaller and larger numbers.

The symbols tool enables sums to be created when combined with the number tool.

1. To start, drag out a number. Join numbers together if a longer starting number is required.
2. Drag out a symbol and attach it to the number.
3. Drag out another number and attach it to the symbol. Again, numbers can be attached together first as a separate process if longer numbers are required.
4. Click or tap the ‘?’ to reveal the answer

It is possible to change the sum by replacing symbols or numbers by dragging them on top.

To delete a sum, drag it to the trash can.

The function machine enables sums to be made using an input/process/output method.

Set the number and symbols by using the arrows, or drag numbers and symbols into the relevant areas using the above tools. The function machine will find the missing item based on any three predefined items.

Generate a number grid by choosing a predefined option. Numbers can be removed from the grid, and dragged back into place.

Alternatively, select ‘Create a Grid’ and type in required values to generate a custom grid.

Generate a number line by choosing a predefined option. Numbers can be removed from the line and dragged back into place.

Alternatively, select “Create” and fill in the Start and End values to create a custom line with either 11 or 21 values.

An on-screen calculator with basic functions.

The fraction tool can be used to create sums, or to create pie charts and fraction bars.

Creating sums

1. To start, drag out a fraction from the existing list or create a custom fraction.
2. Drag out an operative from the symbols tool and attach it to the fraction.
3. Drag out another fraction or a number, and attach it to the operative.
4. Click or tap the ‘?’ to reveal the answer. The fraction will simplify until the simplest form has been reached.

Creating pie charts and fraction bars

1. To start, drag out a fraction from the existing list or create a custom fraction.
2. Click on the down arrow to expand the window to view fractions as a pie or fraction bar.

Drag the fraction into the pie chart or fraction bar area.

Use four rows of beads (representing units, tens, hundreds, and thousands), to count on the abacus.

Drag the beads to the right to represent numbers.

Drop a number from the number tools to show it on the abacus.

Extract any number from the abacus by clicking the “123” icon.

Use the ruler to make on-screen measurements or as a guide for straight lines between two points. The ruler can be rotated, resized, and moved to measure distances anywhere on-screen.

The Convertor tool can convert units of weight, volume, distance, temperature, time and area from one unit of measurement to another. For example: yards to metres, Celsius to Fahrenheit, and so forth.

Click or tap on the converted measurement to drag out an interactive number.

Click or tap the green button to start the timer. While the timer is active, the button will change colour to red. Click or tap the button again to pause the timer.

Tap “mode” to change from timer mode to countdown mode. Type a value to countdown from, and tap the green button to start.

Use the protractor to measure angles. The protractor has two modes: 180 and 360 degrees. Drag the angle measurement arm to measure, then click or tap it to show the angle value.

Use the compass tool to draw a circle with a specific radius and colour, then use the Circle Information screen to calculate diameter, circumference, and area.

1. Drag the pencil left or right to change the radius of the circle. Alternatively, use the arrows or type in a specific value.

2. Drag the pencil up or down to change the colour of the circle.

3. Release, and the circle will be drawn. Click the “i” to show information about the circle.

A calculator with scientific functions.

To set the time on the analogue clock, drag the hands to the required position. As one hand is moved, the other hand will move accordingly.

To open a digital clock, click or tap the digital clock icon. It will display the same time as the analogue clock when it is first opened.

Note: The clock does not keep time. Use it as a teaching tool.

Use the tape measure to measure the length of on-screen objects. Move the tape measure to the desired location, then drag the end of the tape to start measuring.

When the tape is released, the measurement will appear in the “Distance” box and will be reset when the next measurement begins.

Click or tap and drag to move the shape and the reflection. Add additional shapes to the grid by clicking or tapping the required shape at the top right. Only the co-ordinates of the selected shape will be shown.

The axis of reflection can be changed by tapping or clicking on the required button.

Note that it is not possible to enter custom values.

Drag the point of rotation (as depicted by the grey circle) to the desired coordinates. The coordinates will be displayed at the bottom right.

Then, drag the solid shape to change the angle of rotation. The reflected shape can be adjusted by dragging the red line or adjusted by typing in a value into the “Change Angle” box.

There are four dropdown menus available. For example, the first row depicts a triangular prism. The end shape, net, transparent 3D, and opaque 3D options can be opened and viewed.

Note: Cylinders and cones are not strictly prisms; however we have included them in this area in order to provide additional nets and 3D objects.

There are four dropdown menus available. For example, the first row depicts a triangular pyramid. The base shape, net, transparent 3D, and opaque 3D options can be opened and viewed.

See “Shapes” under Standard Tools

Create and alter shapes, then examine the angles using the Shapes and Angles tool.

Start by selecting a shape from the 6 defined presets:

The shape will appear, along with the number of angles and the angle measurements. By default, the measurements will appear as “?” and will display the correct values when taped or clicked.

Drag the points of the shape to edit them. If the angle is being shown, the value(s) will adjust automatically as the angle is being dragged.

Other tools can be used in conjunction with the Shapes and Angles tool, such as lines, annotations, and the protractor as below:

Select the “+” button to add tally marks.

To show the number of tally marks, click or tap the “?” icon.

Below, 7 tally marks have been added.

The graph tool can generate bar charts, pie charts, and line charts. Open multiple instances of the graph tool to utilize the multiple bar and multiple line graphs.

Input graph values:

1. Enter the name of the graph and the X and Y axis.
2. Type the first X-axis item into row 1, followed by the Y-axis value
3. Repeat for the number of required items.

Tap the + icon to remove rows. Use Enter or TAB to confirm values.

Tap the – icon to remove rows.

Generating Graphs:

1. Select the type of graph to generate from the top row
2. Select “Generate Graph”

Below, left to right: Graph creation window / two bar charts showing rainfall in mm over 2012 and 2013 / combined bar chart

Use the spinner to determine the probability of selecting a colour or sequence of colours on the wheel.

To start, click or tap one of the 5 spinners (from 3, 5, 8, or 16 segments).

Spin the wheel by clicking or tapping the spin icon.

Values are hidden by default. Click the “?” to show them.

Click or tap “Add to Sequence” to add the current fraction to the sequence. An additional window will pop up and will calculate the odds of the same sequence repeating again.

Calculations will appear at the bottom of the game screen, and will become progressively more difficult with every question. Click or tap the numbers in the grid to fill in the missing numbers in the calculation.

Calculate the answer as quickly as possible to receive maximum points. Click or tap the numbers to form an answer, or use a keyboard to type it in.

Aim the cannon and fire to destroy the balls by forming pairs that add up to 10.

Hint: Use one ball to destroy a group of same numbered balls.

Click or tap the coloured balls in ascending order to make them pop. Work quickly in order to receive maximum points.

Use the see-saws displayed to work out the heaviest item.

As the cards are displayed face-up, look out for the bomb(s).

When the cards turn face-down, click or tap a card to turn it over.

Don’t click on the bombs!

Fill in the squares with 1 to 9 according to the following rules:

1) The numbers in each row, column, or diagonal must not be repeated.

2) The numbers in each 3×3 square (surrounded by thicker borders) must not repeat.

Arrange the cards and arithmetic signs into a formula that yields 24.

Ace is 1, Jack is 11, Queen is 12, and King is 13.

See “Text Box” under Standard Tools

The word vault stores words from existing text boxes to create ‘fill in the blank’ scenarios.

To add a word, highlight it, and then click or tap the vault icon that appears above the text box.

Once words have been added to the vault, they can be dragged into the blank spaces in the text box. If the word is correct, it will slot into place.

In addition, it is possible to add custom words to the vault. Click the “…” to type the word, and then ‘+’ to add to the list. This function is useful for exercises where participants need to choose the correct word from a list.

Create text using letters, prefixes, middle clusters, end clusters, and suffixes.

Type in a word and the origins of that word, its constituent parts, and meanings will be displayed.

Use the Select Map tool to drill down to Continent and Country level. Click or tap a continent and then country to zoom in.

Search Google Maps online to find a live map of any location. Note: There must be an active internet connection for the Google Maps tool to work.

Using the search bar, enter a location and click or tap the search icon to search Google Maps for the desired location.

Create weather maps by dragging the symbols from the weather symbol tool onto any background or object.

For example, they can be dropped on to Google Maps or other map images to show the weather in these areas, as demonstrated below:

The thermometer compares temperatures in Fahrenheit and Celsius/Centigrade.

Type the temperature into either the Fahrenheit or Celsius measurement box at the bottom of the corresponding thermometer. The color bar on the right of the thermometer will indicate the temperature relative to the freezing point of water.

The ‘eye’ icon will reveal / hide the temperature.

See “Graphs” under MathTools

The circuit symbols tool contains a collection of 14 symbols and illustrations to aid in examining the elements of a circuit. Symbols include:

Battery, wire, bulb, buzzer, motor, ammeter, voltmeter, resistor, variable resistor, fuse, transistor, diode, and on/off switches.

Drag out a symbol and create a diagram as required. Switch between symbols using the arrow symbol on the right hand side.

Hint: Use the text tool to add labels to the circuit, such as battery voltage or resistance. Other annotation tools may also be useful to help create more detailed circuit diagrams.

See “Weather Symbols” under Geography Tools

See “Thermometer” under Geography Tools

See “Graphs” under Math Tools

A hierarchial pyramid can be created with up to 10 segments. It is possible to customize the name, color, and text color of each segment. The text area will expand to allow a larger amount of text to be shown.

Use the + and – buttons to add or delete segments.

Use the eye button to show / hide the segment information.

An example of use is the Waste Hierarchy, as shown:

The Periodic Table is organized by atomic structure and groups, and includes information on atomic number and the number of protons in an atom’s nucleus. Click on a group along the top of the tool, and all elements in that group will become highlighted.

Click or tap an element to reveal a visual of the atom and the outer electron shell as well as links to a wiki page.

The drop down menus provide information on reactions, compounds, state, structure, colour, melting point, boiling point, period, and group.

Using the Molecule Structure tool, create bonds between atoms and build molecules. There are four fixed-colour atoms to choose from. Select a colour to use, as shown:

To create a molecule, drag out the number of atoms required. Click inside each atom to label it. Finally, click the outer edge of an atom and drag to another. This will create a bond between them. A water molecule is shown below:

Once the atoms have been bonded, they will move as one. Click a bond to break it and move the atom independently again.