Inspiration QuickTips

How to Use the RapidFire™ ToolRapid fire allows you to quickly enter multiple subtopics.

Double-click on the first circle or “symbol.” Type in your main idea. (Use summer as an example.)

Click on the RapidFire Tool at the top of the toolbar.

Begin typing some subtopics to link to your main idea. Be sure to press return between each subtopic.

How to Add Notes The note tool allows you to include more detail to your diagram.

Select any symbol, and then click the Note button at the top of the toolbar.

The new note will appear below your symbol.

Click inside the note and begin typing the text.

How Do I Make a Symbol a Web Page Link?Inspiration allows you to link symbols to web pages, files, and new Inspiration documents. Select the symbol you want to be

linked. Click on the Hyperlink button. Make sure the button for Web

Page is selected. Enter any web address in the Link To box. Click OK.

How do I Link a Symbol to Other Files? Select the symbol you want to be linked. Click on the Hyperlink button. Select the File button. Click on Select File… Navigate to the file you’d like to link and click

Open. The file you selected with appear beneath

Link To and then click OK.

To close the note, click the box in the left-hand corner.

Working in Outline View is another way to organize and manipulate information.

Adding Topics and Subtopics When adding a new topic or subtopic to an

existing outline, highlight one part of the outline.

Click on the Topic or Subtopic button.

The new topic or subtopic will appear below the highlighted portion of the outline.

Changing the hierarchy of a topic To make a topic a subtopic, select the topic and click the Right

button. To take a topic back up one level, select the topic and click

the Left button. Note: You can also drag the topics to rearrange them.

Using the Checklist command Go under the Tools menu and select Show Checklist. Checklist boxes will appear next to each line of your outline.

Using the Topic Default tool Click the Topic Default tool and the Topic Default window will

appear. Change the font, size, color, and style for the

different levels of your outline. Click OK. Note: You can change the font of the

information in your outline by highlighting the information and selecting the font from the bottom right corner of your screen. Hold the shift key to select more than one topic at a time.

Using the Prefix tool Click the Prefix tool that can be found beside the Topic Default tool

at the bottom of your screen. Select the prefix style from the menu.

Inspiration allows you to organize ideas in the diagram.

Arrange Tool Click the Arrange tool.

At the next dialog box, there are various diagram types and link options available.

Click a radio button to choose a diagram type, and use the drop down menu to select a link option.

Click OK.

Zoom Tools Once you’ve used the Arrange tool, your diagram may not fit inside the window. Click on the Zoom Level tool, located in the bottom left corner of your screen, to

adjust the size of your diagram or to fit your diagram to the window.

You can also press Apple + E (Mac) or Ctrl + E (PC) to fit your diagram to the window.

Use these tools to zoom in or out.

Inserting Graphics Go under the Edit menu and select Insert Graphic. Navigate to select the file you’d like to insert and click Open.

Note: You can also drag and drop a graphic into your Inspiration document

Adding a New Symbol Library Click on New Symbol Library under the

Utility menu. Select the category for your new symbol

library, and give you new library a name. Click OK.

Editing Symbol Libraries Go under the Utility menu and select Edit

Symbols Library. Click on Import Graphic and navigate to

the file you want to import.

Inspiration allows you to add clip art, images, and digital pictures to your document. You can also save clip art and images to your symbol library

for later use.

At the next dialog box, make sure the Standard Symbol Size is chosen and click OK.

Your symbol will now appear in the Custom Library. Select your newly imported graphic. Type in a name for your graphic in the Label field and click OK.Note: You can also drag and drop a graphic directly into the symbol palette

Talking Interface Select Application Properties under the Utility Menu. Check the box for Talking Interface under Audio.

Once this is selected, whenever you hold your cursor (arrow) over text it will be read to you by one of the prerecorded voices. You can select different voices under the Tools menu > Sound > Voices. Select your voice from the list.

Recording your Voice Select Application Properties under the Utility Menu. Check the box for Record Sound under Audio.

Making a Template using Wizard Open Inspiration to a new document. Select Template Wizard From the Utility Menu. You have a choice as to how you want your template to open - either as it is

currently viewed OR diagram centered with main link active.

Symbol Defaults: See screen shot below for available options.

Link Defaults: See screen shot below for available options.

Note Defaults: See screen shot below for available options.

Outline Defaults: See screen shot below for available options.

Printing Defaults: See screen shot below for options available

Click finish and a save window will appear

Print it - Regular size for handout up to POSTER SIZED File–Page Setup - Select fit to one page OR scale to fit as many pages as

needed, the grid will show you how the pages will be set up

Print Preview – Always a good idea to see what you are going to print and to be sure the page breaks are where you want them

Print will bring up the printing dialog box. From here you can add headers/footers and adjust the margins, as needed. (See tabs across top of dialog box.)

Embed itWith Inspiration you can embed your file in a word processing or other document

Under the file menu – Transfer to Word Processor will embed the web/graphic organizer as a picture. (It cannot be manipulated and hyperlinks DO NOT WORK). In addition to the graphic, the outline will also be embedded.

You can also copy the graphic and paste into another document.

Export itWith Inspiration you can export your file to many different formats. Under the file menu the Export function will allow you to export the document

into a variety of word processing documents. (Similar to the “Transfer to Word Processor” function, it will be a graphic and outline ONLY that CANNOT be manipulated and the hyperlinks DO NOT WORK.)

Export as an HTML file for web – you have the option of exporting the diagram with functional hyperlinks or you can export a site skeleton that puts Inspiration in a multiple link web site format. These options are very versatile, especially for linking to teacher web pages.

Show it Depending on the equipment at your school, you can display your Inspiration file. Use a video beam and show your project on a screen. If you are showing it on a

white board, the students can write on the image of the web on the board. You can also record your voice or music to go along with the text.

Use a TV monitor and show your project on a screen.