CS110 - Introduction to Computers and Applications

SPRING 2008 - Software Extra-Credit Assignment
Due Date:   To Sakai by Monday, May 5
Evaluation: 10 points (extra-credit)

NOTES:

1. If your extra-credit file is more than one page (i.e., PhotoShop, Quicken), you must send the file as a compressed (zipped) file. Click here for instructions on how to prepare and send a zipped file.
2. File size is limited to 10MB; if your file is larger than this, you will have to modify it to take up less memory.
3. Do not wait until the last minute to complete this assignment!   Sakai will most likely be experiencing heavy usage, and you may have difficulty with access and submission.   Do your work well before the deadline.
   

PhotoShop
Adobe PhotoShop CS is on the Dock on the Macintosh.  On the PCs select Start Menu, All Programs, Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe PhotoShop CS.

Note:
Use the Import feature of PhotoShop to scan your original image.
Pictures and images take up a lot of space.  Have your USB flash drive with you as you work, and decide how much space you want to allot to your images and where you want to save them before beginning the assignment. 

• Before using Photoshop software, select an image or photo to copy and alter.  Complete this assignment in one of the computer labs (Loree,Tillett, CAC, ARC) where scanners are available.  Some labs may have scanners for both Macintosh and PC platforms -- ask at the lab where you usually work to see what options are available.
• Note: To use a scanner in the computer lab, you may have to sign up for a special time; check this before you plan to be in the lab to complete the assignment.  PhotoShop has built-in commands to scan an image.  There may be directions on how to scan an image posted on the flap of the scanner; if not, ask the consultants on duty for help.
• Place the photo or image you want to scan in the scanner and select Preview to see the scanned image.   You can save an image in various formats.  As long as you continue to work with the image in PhotoShop, saving in PhotoShop format (.psd) is wise.  Later, if you prefer to use the image in other software applications, you can save the final image in TIFF format (a common, uncompressed format) or the two common format for use on the internet, JPEG or GIF.
  
• PhotoShop is used to manipulate scanned images.  For example, it can be used to add or delete items from am image, incorporate special effects into the image (blurring, distort, etc.), make the image appear fractured into crystals, or turn the image into a watermark.  There is a vast amount of effects you can incorporate into the image.
•  PhotoShop is a very powerful application but fairly easy to use; however, there are some aspects of PhotoShop you will want to become faimilar with.  First, you need to become comfortable with the ways in which PhotoShop selects a portion of the picture, using the lasso or dotted marquee.  You need to use this feature to remove or change a section of the image or select a particular effect for a region within the image.
  
• You also should be able to add or remove layers from the image.  Think of the image as an onion, with the graphics on each slice completely or only partially obscuring the image from the layers below.  With PhotoShop it's possible to cut and paste or import a number of images from different places and place each on its own layer.  Thus, in effect, you create one overall image by combining a number of individual pieces.
• Finally, you should experiment with the special effects in PhotoShop.  To do this, select a region of a test image and see what effects you can produce.  For example, try the Adjustment submenu of the Image menu.  And you will especially want to try the numerous commands on the Filter menu.   Remember to first use a selection tool and select a region of the image before attempting to use any of the special effects.

• Quicken is financial software.  It is used to track and budget money through various accounts and investments.  It is powerful enough to be used by individuals for their own home use and by businesses to handle more complex income and expenses. 
  
• When you start up Quicken, if it asks you to register, click Remind Later.   When you use Quicken, it will ordinarily refer to one Master Data File, which is normally accessed from the your own hard drive.  Since this is not the case in the computing labs, when Quicken asks for the location of the data file, select Cancel in the dialog box.
  
• The first thing you will do in Quicken is create a New File from the File menu.   A dialog box will open; select Home category, Name and Save the file to your USB flash drive, and on the next screen that opens click on This account is not held at a financial institution.
  
• Next, Quicken will expect you to have at least one account where you can take money from or place money into, so you need to set up at least one account.   Select either Checking account or  Cash account, enter a Name for the account and click on the Create button.  You will now be looking at the screen that tracks the amount in that acccount. 
• Ignore the account part of the package while you make a budget.  To make the budget, use the Planning component of Quicken (the tab choice located in the middle portion at the top of the screen), select the Budget icon on the Toolbar, and you should now proceed rather easily from here in creating a budget.   Refer to the Quicken 2005 Help option from the Help menu as you create your budget. 
  

• Maple is an application for symbolic mathematics.  It can do quite an extensive variety of sophisticated mathematical procedures.  Some of the simpler tasks performed by Maple include solving algebraic equations, graphing functions, doing derivatives, and solving integrals.  However, its capabilities far exceed these functions.  Maple can probably do just about any required in a college mathematics courses.
  
• Maple is not a spreadsheet.  Although it deals directly with values, more importantly, it can manipulate the actual symbols that make up mathematical expressions.  It is very easy to use if you are already somewhat comfortable with math.
  
• For this assignment, start Maple and close the Tip window if it appears.   If you are next given a choice of two steps, select the first choice that reads Document.  When you have made this choice, a small Quick Help window may become visible on the screen.  To learn everything you will need for this assignment, try Maple Tour from the Quick Help menu.  (If Maple Tour does not appear, select Take a Tour of Maple from the Help menu.)  When the list of options opens, you can view any of the tours, but Ten Minute Tour seems the most useful for now.
• After the Tour, return to the Main Window (first tab), type in any equation (i.e., 2 + 3), and press Return.  The answer should appear midway on the next line.
•  Note:  All equations and operations in Maple must end with a semicolon (;) and be triggered by hitting Return.  When Maple calculates something, it will usually display the result in another color (blue?) which it shows towards the middle of the next line in the window.
  
The best way to explore the available options in Maple is to select Introduction from the Help menu and click Quick New Users Tour.  Spending ten minutes on the dozen or so help screens, using  >=  on the bottom, will provide you with all the basics for this assignment.

Google Earth
Google Earth is available as part of Google Pack.  Use the Google search box or enter the URL http://pack.google.com to locate and download Google Earth to your computer.  Do not download the entire package; select only Google Earth from the list.

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