text: # Function Art Tutorial
  
  ### Start Function Art
  
  First things first: Start Function Art by clicking the button below.
  
  ### Getting Started
  
  When you first start Function Art, the screen will look like this.
  
  ### Graphing Functions
  
  The Function Art program allows you to plot functions, as you can with your graphing calculator.  To graph a function, enter it in the box beside "f(x) =" and click the New Function button.
  
  Try it out.  Plot the following functions.  (Note: If you have trouble, carefully examine the screenshots below to ensure you entered the function properly.)
  
  The Function Art program requires that you enter functions in the same way as for spreadsheets:
  
  • You must always signify multiplication with the * symbol.  For example, where you would normally write 2x + 7, in the Function Art program you must write 2*x + 7
  • The way to signify an exponent is with the ^ symbol.  For example, where you would normally write 3(x - 2)2 - 5, in the Function Art program you must write 3*(x-2)^2 - 5
  • On some computers, you must press particular keys twice in a row before any character appears.  These keys are: * ^ ( ) +
  
  The following table shows functions in the form you would normally write them, and in the form that you must use with the Function Art program.
  
   Normal Function Art x - 2 x - 2 2x + 4.5 2*x + 4.5 3x2 - 5x + 17 3*x^2 - 5*x + 17 1.5(x+2)2 - 3 1.5*(x+2)^2 - 3
  
  As with graphing calculators, the Function Art program has "window settings".  The window settings can be changed in any of the following ways:
  
  ### Changing the Domain
  
  Unlike many graphing calculators, the Function Art program allows you to easily specify the domain to be plotted.  This is done by either moving the Domain Min and Domain Max scrollbars, or by entering numbers for "Domain Min" and "Domain Max".
  
  Try it with the function f(x) = sin(x).  Notice how changing Domain Min changes the smallest x value for which the function is plotted, and changing the Domain Max changes the largest x value for which the function is plotted.
  
  ### Plotting More than One Function
  
  Up until now we've just been plotting one function.  Once you have decided which functions you would like to plot and the domain for each of these functions, you can enter this information in the multiple functions box.  The format for this box is:
  
  function ; DomainMin ; DomainMax
  
  For example, the following functions can be used to create an interesting design:
  
   Function Domain Minimum Domain Maximum f(x)=-10/1*x + 10 0 1 f(x)=-9/2*x + 9 0 2 f(x)=-8/3*x + 8 0 3 f(x)=-7/4*x + 7 0 4 f(x)=-6/5*x + 6 0 5 f(x)=-5/6*x + 5 0 6 f(x)=-4/7*x + 4 0 7 f(x)=-3/8*x + 3 0 8 f(x)=-2/9*x + 2 0 9 f(x)=-1/10*x + 1 0 10
  
  These would be entered in the Multiple Functions box in this format:
  
  -10/1*x + 10 ; 0 ; 1
  -9/2*x + 9 ; 0 ; 2
  -8/3*x + 8 ; 0 ; 3
  -7/4*x + 7 ; 0 ; 4
  -6/5*x + 6 ; 0 ; 5
  -5/6*x + 5 ; 0 ; 6
  -4/7*x + 4 ; 0 ; 7
  -3/8*x + 3 ; 0 ; 8
  -2/9*x + 2 ; 0 ; 9
  -1/10*x + 1 ; 0 ; 10
  
  When you finish, click the Load button.
  
  The Function Art program currently does not have the ability to save your list of functions directly--you must use copy and paste instead.  To save your functions, perform the following steps:
  
  • Use the mouse to highlight all of your functions in the Multiple Functions Box.
  • Right-click your list of functions in order to get a menu of options.
  • Select the copy option.
  • Open a text document using your favorite editor (for example, Notepad or Microsoft Word).
  • Select Paste from the Edit menu. Your list of functions will now be in the text document.
  • Save this document so you can retrieve your functions later.
  
  Perform the following steps to load a list of functions you saved earlier:
  
  • Open the document containing your functions.
  • Use the mouse to highlight all of the functions.
  • Select Copy from the Edit menu.
  • Right-click in the Multiple Functions Box of the Function Art program, and select Paste from the menu of options.
  • Your functions will now be in the Multiple Functions Box.
  • Click the Load button in order to plot them.