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Scratch Notes                        Drawings                        BlockNotes

Doodles and Drawings

If you are familiar with BugMe!...another popular reminder application...then you'll recognize that BlockNotes offers something new. If you are new to digital ink memo makers...then your in for some fun.   

BlockNotes provides a diverse means of creating memos and reminders that you can set to alarms. Freehand it if you like with simple scratch notes...or be really creative if you like to draw. Composite imaging however is the key to creating a variety of  graphically enticing memos in fractions of the time it would take to "draw" them. However at it's core BlockNotes is a graphic editing tool.

 

Scratch Notes

You can freehand a scratch note using the basic editing tools

 

The pen tool provides 3 pen sizes, an eraser, and an erase all feature.
   
  When you select a pen size you will be also be asked to choose a pen color..
   
The paint bucket tool sets the pen color or fills the background with the color of your choice. 
   
  Note that the background must be white for the background fill option to work. 
   
To undo errors or review edits you have made tap the frame selector arrow icon. See Frame Selector
   

  

 

BlockNotes

 

Okay, lets make your first BlockNote! First thing we are going to do is load a new note blank.

 

First tap the globe on your welcome screen. This will launch the navigation bar.
   
Now tap the Image Blanks Database Icon.
   
  From the table select an image to work with. In this case I have selected Decadence 10 from the Decadence Image Pack I have previously loaded into my PDA. See more about installing background images..

 

Selecting an Image for Editing

You are now in the Image Blanks Database Viewer. From here you can view information about the image you are viewing or view other images within the category.

 

Tap the Note Editor Icon to pass the image to the editing screen. 
   

  

  

Now you are ready to begin editing your note.

 

Tap on the Composite Image Menu Icon.
   
To undo an action tap this icon. See more in BlockNotes Editor section.
   

 

First let's select a title for our note.

Make note of which orientation your image is in...vertical or horizontal. Tap the appropriate menu item when prompted.

  

Tap the pencil icon next to the title you want to use.

 

 

Next repeat the process and select an icon for your note.

Icons are only available in vertical orientation.

 

And now a border.....

Note that accents are only available in horizontal orientation. They employ the same selection screen as borders.

 

       

Next let's add some text to you note.

There are two basic options for adding text to your BlockNote. You can add text right to the note or you can use the the text form editor. For now we'll add our text to the note directly using a standard text field.  From the editing menu select text, then "vertical" when prompted for text options.

Note that the text curser is now active with in the text entry field. You can enter text into this field using graffiti or the palm keyboard. Generally I will enter my text using graffiti then align it using the keyboard.

A note about entering text using graffiti:

1) When setting curser focus in the field using your stylus a mark often appears on the image where the curser is set. As long as you tapped your stylus in the field and not adjacent to it the mark will disappear when writing.

I find it the most efficient to rough in my text with graffiti then use the keyboard to align text and insert line breaks.

2) For common text entries such as "Pick up Billy after school" or any other entry you make often it is most efficient to use the text form editor.    

 

Voila! Your first BlockNote!

Next experiment with back ground colors.

 

To fill the background tap the bucket fill icon to pick a background color.
   

 

Now lets save your note.

 

Tap the save icon and you have three options for saving your work:
   
  1) Save as a new BlockNote
   
  2) Save as a new background image
   
  3) Save your session files. One session at a time can be saved for reloading. See BlockNote Editor.
   
   

 

Setting an Alarm

 

Tap the globe to bring up the navigation bar. 
   
Tap the alarm button and select Set Alarm. More on Setting alarms