InterWrite Release Notes

Interwrite Workspace Release Notes

Release 4.40 April 2009

Contents

General Information
Supported Devices
System Requirements
Known Issues
Installation Information
Release Notes

General Information

Interwrite Workspaceis an integrated classroom training system designed for use in an interactive training environment. The system enhances instructor productivity by enabling instructors to focus their time on improving student learning and performance. Interwrite Workspace has built-in functionality, including:

Annotation tools for use in adding comments and drawing notations on the page

Multimedia Tools to add multimedia to lessons, or while instructing

Focus tools to highlight components of the lesson

Handwriting Recognition that converts handwritten text

Integration with Microsoft Office

Downloadable lessons and image gallery

Record and playback for creating multimedia content

Multiple User input

Ability to save, email, and print lessons

Integration with Student Assessment Tools CPS (Classroom Performance System), and Interwrite Response

Localized to a large number of languages

Enabled interaction with a variety of hardware:

Interwrite Mobi – Mobile Tablet Hardware

Interwrite DualBoard – Interactive Whiteboards

Interwrite Panel – Touch screen monitor with input-output capability

Student Assessment Tool hardware, such as CPS and Response clickers

Workspace operates in the following modes:

Lesson Mode Allowed the user to interact with his or her computer with the Interwrite DualBoard, from Interwrite Mobi tablets, and from an Interwrite Panel.

Mouse Mode Allowed the user to select and run applications and perform all the functions performed with a computer mouse and keyboard.

Supported Devices

The following devices are supported by the Device Manager, which is installed as part of Interwrite Workspace:

Interwrite DualBoard
Interwrite Mobi
Interwrite Board
Interwrite Pad
Interwrite Panel
GTCO CalComp SchoolBoard
GTCO CalComp SchoolPad
GTCO CalComp MeetingBoard
GTCO CalComp MeetingPad
GTCO CalComp iPanel
Research Machines PLC (RM) ClassBoard
Research Machines PLC (RM) ClassPad

System Requirements

Mac:

Mac OS X 10.4 or greater
Java 1.5 or greater
"libUSB" (USB support)

Linux:

"libUSB" (USB support)
"bluez-libs" - libbluetooth1 (Bluetooth support)

The bluez packages can be installed using your specific Distribution's Package Manager. For more information on Linux Bluetooth support, please see http://www.bluez.org/

After confirming that the required bluez packages are installed, please make sure that the rfcomm service is running. See your distribution-specific documentation to determine how you can check this.

XDG compliant (Menus and file association)

"finger" utility
libstdc++5
"sudo" version 1.6.7p5 or greater

"sudo" must be installed to a location that is included in the system's default search path, otherwise it will not be found. The default search path on most systems includes '/usr/bin', but you should refer to your system's documentation for more details.

Known Issues

General Operation

On Mac OS X, the installation may fail with JAVA 1.5.0 (64-bit) installed and the system default language set to Turkish. A workaround is to change the system default language to something other than Turkish.

On the Mac, the "Ink" System Preferences Panel is activated only when a GTCO CalComp/Interwrite USB device, is plugged in. A bug in OS X that was introduced in OS X 10.4 prevents bluetooth devices from being able to activate Inkwell (handwriting recognition).

On the Mac, when operating in Whiteboard Mode, the cursor pointer on the computer screen remains where the system mouse last pointed. The electronic Interwrite Pen draws correctly on the whiteboard, but the Pen pointer does not follow it on the computer screen.

While installing on Linux, the application windows may display incorrectly or as a blank screen when using 3D Window Managers such as Beryl or Compiz. If you experience problems, please refer to your specific distribution's documentation on how to disable enhanced 3D effects. This issue may also affect the usability/operation of our Java applications.

Interwrite Workspace

No known issues

Device Manager

The SoftKeys on the Mobi Learner may not work properly after upgrading Device Manager 5.0 to version 5.1. Remove the Mobi Learner from Device Manager, then rediscover the device to solve the problem.

When you use the upper button on the side of the Pen (sometimes referred to as the right or top button) to perform a Ctrl-Click, depress and hold the button for a beat or two before releasing it. If you press this button two or more times in rapid succession, the system may enter a state in which it appears that no button presses were processed, either from the Pen, or from the mouse. The cursor will move, but no button presses/mouse clicks are processed. To get out of this state, hold the Pen close to the whiteboard or tablet and press the upper button on the Pen an additional one or two times. The system will return to normal.

Device Manager no longer supports plug-n-play for the Bluetooth adapter.
If the Bluetooth adapter is plugged into the computer after Device Manager is started, the user will have to click Discover Devices to get the Bluetooth adapter and devices connected.
If the Bluetooth adapter is plugged into the computer before Device Manager is started, it will be detected on startup.

If a Bluetooth device is turned on while Device Manager is attempting to connect to it, Device Manager might report that the device successfully connected, the device might beep to signal connection, and the user might even be able to manually beep the device, but mouse position input from the device will not be processed. In this case, the device should be manually disconnected and connected again.

If a Bluetooth USB adapter is disconnected from the computer while a Bluetooth device is connected, Bluetooth communications can be permanently disabled, and the computer has to be rebooted. Simply plugging the adapter back in will not fix the problem.

Programmable buttons can be programmed to perform Interwrite functions or launch applications. They cannot be programmed to launch files in the application associated with the file.

OS X 10.4 - On the “Select Bluetooth Service” dialog, a list of previously connected devices is maintained. If one of these devices fails to connect when it is selected, change the “Device Category” pop-up from the default setting of “All Categories” to “Discovered Devices.” Then, click on the Search button to scan for all currently available devices.

OS X 10.4 - In the “Select Bluetooth Service” dialog, there is no way of distinguishing between different devices of the same type. All whiteboards will display the same device name, as will all tablets of the same type. It is recommended that the “Local Name” option under the “Device Properties” button be used to give each device a unique name. Note: unique names will appear for the MeetingPad 400 and SchoolPad 400.

On SuSe 10.2, there is an issue with the Bluetooth service recognizing the Bluetooth USB Adapter when the system is booted with the adapter plugged in.

This is a SuSe 10.2 issue and can be resolved by:

Unplugging the Bluetooth USB Adapter, waiting a few seconds, and then plugging it back in.

Or, restarting the Bluetooth service by typing the following command as root user "/etc/init.d/bluetooth restart".

Installation Information

Installing the Interwrite Workspace software from the Interwrite Workspace CD

Insert the Interwrite Workspace CD. Double-click on the CD icon that appears on your desktop. Double click on the "Install Interwrite Workspace" icon to launch the installation.
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation of the Interwrite Workspace software.

Linux:

After a successful installation, a system administrator must add the following line to the /etc/sudoers file on the system:

ALL ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:/opt/eInstruction/DeviceManager/jreLinux/bin/java

On some SUSE based systems it may also be necessary to comment out the line "env_reset" in the /etc/sudoers file.

Release Notes

This section lists the corrections and enhancements made to the recent versions of the Interwrite Workspace software.

Release 4.40.0054 April 2009

Enhancements

Added Interwrite Mobi Learner support to Device Manager.
Added a "Clear Device Properties" option to Device Manager under the Help menu. This feature removes all connected devices and restores their device properties to their default settings.

Corrections

Fixed calibration problems in Device Manager
Fixed connection problems with Interwrite Mobi in Device Manager

Release 4.30.0125 December 2008

Enhancements

Added Interwrite DualBoard support

Added Interwrite Mobi support

Added RF Hub support for use with the Interwrite DualBoard and Interwrite Mobi

Release 4.20.0055 August 2008

Enhancements

Drag and Drop Toolbar Resizing - It’s easier than ever to configure the Workspace toolbar to the exact size and shape you require for use on your computer. Chose any number of rows or columns for your toolbar by simply dragging any edge of the toolbar.

Right-click Menus - Now you can choose to make changes to tools or objects using either our Properties Bar or Floating Menus. The Properties Bar makes all attributes for an object or tool available at the bottom of the page. The Floating Menus make these same attributes available with a simple right-click…anywhere on the Workspace page.

Drag and Drop Toolbar Customization - Changing the available tools in the Workspace toolbars has never been easier. Simply drag any tool you like into or out of the toolbar and it’s immediately available for use.

Email a Workspace File - There’s no need to use an external email program when you can simply email your lesson directly from Workspace software. You can choose to send the file in Workspace or PDF format.

Create Calendar Page - Calendar pages are a great tool for classroom management. Choose any month and year and a monthly calendar is instantly available on your Workspace page.

Workspace Help Localized

Release 4.11.0001 December 2007

Enhancements

Allowed on-screen keyboard to run without a device attached

Added more shapes to the Shapes entity

Added Interwrite Sims

Added online user registration

Added more foreign language support to Workspace

Updated GWB support to provide compatibility with Workspace Windows v7.0x

Allowed copy and paste from other applications into Workspace

Use one toolbar pen with options instead of multiple pen tools

Added options for toolbar icon size

Enabled rotation of all entities

Added the Property Bar for changing tool properties

Used new set of toolbar icons

Re-Enabled sizing of all polylines

Added HTML Help (English)

Added plus icon for Add Bluetooth device on the left side of the menu bar

Displays a green checkmark in the upper right corner of the device icon when connected

Updated Device Manager to support new Interwrite Panel types.

Updated Device Manager to allow user to control whether or not a connected Panel is Presenter

Installs X mouse module on distributions with Xorg >= 7.3

Added new Workspace features for SoftKeys

Added First Look window when Device Manager starts up

Added Auto Connect option for Bluetooth devices

Devices now beep during calibration

Added Search for Bluetooth Devices Option

Added option to let users set sleep timer for Pads

Added ability to assign URLs to SoftKeys

Corrections

Fixed problems with stretched lines (individually and while grouped)

Fixed problem with aborted/failed partial screen captures

Improved behavior of double-clicking GWB file to launch Workspace

Removed Warning Message from Clear Page tool

Fixed alignment problems with arrowheads

Allowed text rotation

Increased speed of screen capture

Increased speed of creating grid page

Fixed problem where Presenter device would draw a line across screen when taking control

Fixed problem where multiple Panels would fight for pointer control

Created Workspace User Directory automatically if it didn't already exist.

Fixed problem where Pads would not connect if a pen is in proximity

Fixed problem where right-click button didn't work when a device was first connected

Fixed problem where Pad would no longer respond if connected but idle

Fixed problem where pen would sometimes skip when writing

Changed icons to be more consistent with Workspace Windows

Fixed problem where connection status would not update when a device was disconnected

Fixed problem where calibration would not reset properly

Fixed problem where Uninstaller wasn't removing device preferences

Fixed problem where Pads would not stay connected

Release 4.00.0008 April 2007

Enhancements

Added "root password" dialog that givess users the ability to uninstall the software.

Added Suse 10.2 support for both serial and Bluetooth.

Added chorded-eraser functionality for Pens when in Interactive Mode. This functionality Allowed the user to erase on-the-fly (without selecting the Eraser tool) by holding down the lower button on the Pen and touching the Pen tip to the Board or Pad surface.

Added support for the 95" Interwrite Board.

Rebranded software to Interwrite Learning and Interwrite Workspace.

Added support for the Interwrite Panel.

Added electronic dry-erase eraser support.

Added Properties dialog to support settings for double-clicking.

Added new menu items and icons to the Applications Menu.

Added the ability to open a GWB file with Interwrite Workspace by double-clicking on it.

Added Tool-tips to the Find Bluetooth Devices dialog.

Added Transfer Focus Keys to Device Manager to make it more keyboard-friendly.

Added the ability in Device Manager to delete a device by typing the Delete key on the keyboard.

Corrections

Fixed the problem where the log text could not be selected.

Line smoothing is now disabled by default.

Fixed the problem where the Create Blank Page, Create Image Page, and Create Grid Page tools were not in the Toolbox.

Fixed the problem where the Window Capture was not working properly.
Fixed the problem where the Partial Capture and Screen Capture were failing.
Fixed the problem where Device Manager was not starting up properly.
Fixed the problem where the Workspace application was getting launched as root.
Fixed the problem where Interwrite devices were not working after the user logged out and then logged back in.

Release 3.03.003 January 2007

Enhancements

Added support for xFree86 version 4 systems.
Added Serial and Bluetooth support for linkat 1.0.
Added the Picture Gallery localized to Spanish

Corrections

Fixed a problem where the Interwrite Pads would not operate when a Serial or Bluetooth Interwrite Board was connected.

Fixed the problem where the pointer would skip across the screen.

Release 3.02.0012 January 2007

Enhancements

Added support for the Export to PDF function.

Added the ability to program SoftKeys.
Added support for Disconnected Device: Interwrite Device Manager will now attempt to connect known Bluetooth Devices either at startup, or when Discover Devices is selected.

Added support for Rotation of the Line Shape, polylines, and multiple-selected polylines.
Added Line Smoothing for freehand polylines.
Added support for the Pad Lock and Pad Unlock functions.
Added an Undo and a Redo button to the Toolbar.

Added Bluetooth support for Interwrite Boards and Interwrite Pads.
Added localized strings (German, Mexican Spanish, Iberian Spanish, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Portuguese) to the Interwrite Device Manager GUI and the Calibration screen.

Corrections

Fixed the problem with detecting when an Interwrite Pad unexpectedly powers off or disconnects.

Fixed the problem with the Picture Gallery not staying on top.

Fixed the problem where Interwrite and Interwrite Device Manager were launched multiple times.

Fixed the problem with creating a link on the desktop to the Launch_Interwrite file.

Fixed the problems with Device Properties and Real-time Log screens.

Fixed the problem where InterWrite was hanging when a PRS Session was running.

Fixed the problems with opening a GWB file that had a PRS question in it.

Release 3.01.0003 November 2006

Enhancements

Added a Graphical User Interface to the Device Manager.
Menu items have been added to the system's "Graphics" menu to launch both Interwrite Interactive Mode and the Device Manager GUI.
Added USB and Serial Support for Interwrite Whiteboards and Pads.
Added Real-time logging for both the Device Manager and individual devices.
Added double-click support.
Calibration data is saved for each recognized Device.
Added support for multiple devices.
Added a localized Onscreen Keyboard.
Added Partial Screen Capture.

Release 1.00.0000 October 2004

Initial Release