C.a.R (Compass and Ruler)
I’ve been looking for Geometry software. I think I’ve found one that’s worth a look. It’s called C.a.R (Compass and Ruler). It’s open source freeware created in java so it can run from the Web or hard drive (as long as your browser / system supports recent versions of Java). I installed the software (easy) and tried to give it an intuitive play, but it wasn’t until I watched a Flash tutorial that the power of the software came across.
If you want to install it (might need teacher privileges)…
- Go to this page for the Java version
- Download the Java Web Start application (begins download)
- To make it easier to access C.a.R. on your computer, use the Start menu to search for “javaws.exe”. When you find it, open the containing folder and right mouse click to Pin it to the Start Menu.
Here is a site that uses CaR and presents Geometry problems with it. Also the author of the program, Rene Grothmann, has an online magazine called CARzine where he shares applications of it.