Gridmagic is a graphics package aimed at the educational market, with an emphasis on the links between maths and art. It helps children create stunning patterns and hopefully learn some maths on the way, under the slogan, “Where Maths meets Art”. It has elements of Paintshop, Paintbrush, Photo Editor and the Windows wallpaper editing utility, but pulls these functions into a simple interface that children can master.
Installation from CD was quick and simple via the standard Installshield interface. The helpful opening screen offers a colourful array of resources so you can begin tessellating pre-designed tiles before moving on to draw your own.
A nine-year-old created the tile shown after 10 barely supervised minutes, having never seen this software before. (And, yes, she is my nine-year-old, as no such review would be complete without a modicum of paternal pride.)
The starting point, as the name suggests, is a graphical grid, on which you can create simple tiles and replicate them in a mosaic. Behind this simple interface hides a powerful graphics-processing engine. You can import photographs and distort the colours, add swirling vortices or create stippled effects. Even a novice can soon imitate the works of Mondrian, Warhol, Seurat, or even William Morris.
Yes, but is it Maths? This is my only reservation – is there enough mathematical content to justify it as a boost to the maths curriculum? Certainly, the children will have to use symmetry, pattern and even numerical angles (e.g. rotate 270 degrees), but wouldn’t they need that with Paintbrush too? Yes, but ultimately, Gridmagic succeeds because it is so easy to use. The results are so visually rewarding that the user can scarcely fail to swallow the sugared mathematical pill.
I would recommend any teacher or PTA treasurer to seriously consider buying this software.
|
BETT Contacts and costs
Q4 Technologies Stand SW80
Tel: 01949 830 850
www.gridmagic.com
Costs (excluding VAT): £50 for 1 licence; £200 for 10 licences; £600 for 60 licences; £1,000 for a site licence
System Requirements: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP; 800 MHz1 processor or more (the review copy ran OK on a 400 MHz Celeron machine); 64 MB RAM or more; 800x600 True Colour graphics or better
|
