NoteBook Discussion Forums: Special Interest Communities - NoteBook in Education

diagrams (commented by Eric)

Eric — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:55:42 +0000

Sure, you can do that with NoteBook’s drawing tools. This section from NoteBook’s video tour shows what you can do:

http://www.circusponies.com/notebook-videotour/diagrams

diagrams (by eyecat4)

eyecat4 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:20:48 +0000

Is there any way to create basic diagrams on Notebook?

Maintaining Outline Format/Numbering Through Out Entire Notebook (by bls13)

bls13 — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:06:57 +0000

I use notebook for my law school notes

I do them all on outline format on a note page and like to have the levels numbered a specific way. I use a different page for every day and the problem is, I have to start the new page and re-do the numbering every single morning before class. It is kind of annoying. Is there a way to just maintain the numbering through out the notebook so that I dont have to re-number every page when I start a new one? I would like it to just to carry over through out the notebook

Pasting chemistry and mathematical formulas (commented by DeepYogurt)

DeepYogurt — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:28:23 +0000

You can also use MathMagic to do complex math equations, but not sure how easy it will do chemical equations, but guess that it would as it’s a lot of subscripts and superscripts which is the same as many math equations.

You create the equation in MathMagic or MathType and then a simple copy/paste creates an “image” of the equation which you can then put in any other app that allows image or MathML insertion or TeX or several others depending on which app is used to create the equations.

They can also export MathML and TeX and other formats.

After using MathMagic for a bit I don’t recommend it as it has problems with importing and exporting MathML formulas to Mathematica and probably other apps as well, but the copying of equation images seems to work fine. I tried to do a fairly simple quadratic root formula for both and only MathType was able to copy/paste MathML code back and forth between itself and Mathematica. MathMagic had problems both giving and accepting MathML code to/from Mathematica.

So watch out if this is important to you. They both have free trial versions of their software if you wish to try em out. Highly recommended to do this first. Wish I had done it and save wasting the cash!

-Bob

Sketching on PDFs (by munchkinon2)

munchkinon2 — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 07:09:35 +0000

I just downloaded the new update for Notebook and was wondering if anyone else was having troubles with the sketching on PDFs annotations. I’m using a Bamboo tablet and I’m underlining and writing on my class PDF notes like I normally do, but when i reopen the notebook on a different day all my markings are distorted and my underlines are moved to different locations. It’s to the point where I can’t even understand my sketches. I’ve never had this problem with the old version. Is there something I can do to fix that or is it just a bug in the new update? If it’s not possible to fix, is there a way I can go back to the old version of notebook?

Thanks for your help in advance!

sympodium (commented by Eric)

Eric — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:01:15 +0000

I’m not sure. If it technically behaves the same way as a writing tablet (such as Wacom tablets), then it may work. We’ve not had any other customers write in who have used this as far as I know. I’d suggest contacting the maker of Sympodium to find out more.

sympodium (by bec)

bec — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:38:08 +0000

Hi
Is it possible to use a sympodium monitor as a tablet for lecture delivery of notebooks?
Thanks

PhD (commented by shanshuprophecy)

shanshuprophecy — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:13:01 +0000

Are there any current/regular PhD students on the forums? I am trying to integrate CPN with my research/reading/writing workflow & would love to hear how others have (successfully) approached this.

i have done quite a bit of research online & have some good links if anyone would like to engage in some collaboration on the logistics of using CPN?

At the moment I am trial-ing Sente, Scrivener & CPN. As they all do different things very well, I think there is room for all 3 (I also use DevonThink Pro as a ‘catchall’ but I am not sure if I can sustain such a disparity of locations. My intention/current practice is to reference & take notes in Sente – I then have a script that exports all notes into DTPO (where I keep an a-z for authors & each Sente note becomes it’s own entity within a labelled folder for the author/ref – this is scripted so it’s not a big deal to do this).

My intention is to make ‘citable notes’ as per Peg Single’s ‘Demystifying Dissertation Writing’ into CPN where I paste all notes I intend to use into 1 page (author-ref) within an a-z structure which is then linked to themes/theories etc … within the notebook – so it’s a living thing that grows as my outline/structure grows. This will then get copied into Scrivener for writing/detailed outlining. (DTPO remains a ‘catchall’ while Sente stays as a stable reference manager with all PDF’s & full notes.

I am wondering if I am complicating things too much – I am cutting & pasting notes from DTPO into CPN so there isn’t too much to this but I am open to other workflows if anyone is using this all in a more efficient way?

One option I have hoped for is to find a script that allows me to transfer Sente notes into CPN & so cut out the DTPO step – DTPO would then be more of a repository for web clips, video, pictures etc ..

Any/all comments are welcome – I can see that this is a slow thread but perhaps there are a few grad students around who are trying to fine-tune their workflow? I find I am prone to procrastination if I am not happy with the way I am managing my research so it’s actually really important for me to have this all running efficiently :)

writing with bamboo tablet (commented by Myles Anderson)

Myles Anderson — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:13:16 +0000

“Bamboo” tablet reminds me of that laptop computer made of bamboo casing I saw on TV, though they are two different eggs from different baskets.

PhD (commented by ptram)

ptram — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:24:54 +0000

I (a theatre and music scholar) use a mixed approach.

- NoteBook was used for collecting research materials for papers. Indexing made retrieving information very easy.

- I replaced it, as an information collector, with DevonThink Pro Office, whose AI features make it a better tool at finding information in very large archives. The user interface is, however, really not as pleasant as NB.

- Presentations are made in NoteBook, as it allows me to create multimedia presentations not tied to the usual, limited slide sequence. I can have longer pages, links, an easily accessible table of content.

- Drafts are written in Scrivener. I would say that this changed my way of writing. I believe that NB can be used for the same approach to writing, but it depends on how you feel with the different UIs.

- Final versions are touched up (and very often furtherly developed) with Nisus Writer Pro.

I should also cite MindNode Pro, in case you are inclined to use mindmaps. NB has a cute diagramming function, but I think it is still in its early shape. If I don’t have to do complex maps, however, I like to use it to create simple diagrams.

Paolo

PhD (commented by jshadow007)

jshadow007 — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:46:12 +0000

I think NoteBook could be a winner for you. If nothing else, you absolutely must demo the software to make sure it works for you. There’s plenty of great software out there, and you want to use what’s easiest for YOU.

Another vote for Dropbox—it’s pretty painless file-sync so long as you remember a few ground rules:

1. When you quit NoteBook on your MacBook, wait 5-10 seconds before putting it to sleep (assuming you’re connected to the internet!), so that the files inside the NoteBook can fully upload to the cloud.

1a. If you don’t have internet when using NB on your laptop, once you do, make sure it fully syncs.

2. Before you open NoteBook on your iMac, make sure that dropbox isn’t syncing at the moment (you can tell by the menu bar icon).

3. Keep. Regular. Backups. Dropbox can rarely mangle a package file (which is what NB Notebooks are).

Bulleting and Outlining (commented by jshadow007)

jshadow007 — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:36:45 +0000

I’m not certain what you’re asking, but if anything, outlining should be the easiest thing to do in NB. (It’s in a few other areas I find that NB gets a bit complex to use)

Command + L will put you in list mode if you’re not already there.

In list mode (and while on a note page, rather than a divider or writing page), simply hit return, and you’ll have a new bullet point. type something—anything—and hit return. You should have a new bullet point at the same level. You can hit tab to indent and make that new cell a child of the first cell. If you hit return, you’ll make another new child. Shift + Return will put the child ABOVE the one you just wrote.

Want to make an un-indented new cell below everything? Hit return, then shfit + tab and you’ll be back to the left margin (the top “level” of your outline)

Bulleting and Outlining (commented by Silky)

Silky — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:55:31 +0000

i think what you are trying to say is, “how do i make a list without all the things being listed under the parent cell?”

(I am not sure if i made it clearer)..:D

I would use “paragraph mode” or a writing page, simply to take notes in lectures.

Hope this helps

Pasting chemistry and mathematical formulas (commented by Non-Trad Grad Student)

Non-Trad Grad Student — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:56:20 +0000

Edken:

Have you tried MathType equation editor (Design Science)? I use it for my science and mathematics classes. It works with Circus Ponies Notebook or any desktop publishing program, such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, etc. Individual custom equations (B&W and color) can be inserted into Notebook as PDF, jpg, eps, or pict. You can try it for free (30-day trial) and if you decide to purchase the program, there’s an academic discount. Here’s the URL:

MathType 6.7
http://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathtype/

For the past few years, I’ve been using Circus Ponies Notebook on my Mac to organize my premedical coursework. However, in lecture and lab, I prefer to use Notability (Ginger Labs) for taking notes on my iPad because it has features not present in the current iPad version of Notebook. For example, I can insert a figure (hand-drawn chemical formulae, chemical/math equations, etc.) into my notes—on the fly—and the text automatically wraps around the graphic.

Although I much prefer Circus Ponies Notebook overall, the text wrap-around feature sold me on Notability (Notes Plus by Viet Tran is also an excellent app). I export my Notability notes (via email, iTunes, DropBox, iDisk, Print, etc.), save them as PDFs, and add them to the Circus Ponies Notebooks on my Mac.

I hope this information is helpful. :)

Pasting chemistry and mathematical formulas (by Edken)

Edken — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:56:18 +0000

Hi,

I am a chemist and an college instructor; I therefore work with a lot of formulas when making notes and tests (subscripts, superscripts, equations, formulas, etc.). I have tried everything I can think of, but cannot get those to paste into NoteBook in a usable way if I need to retrieve them and transfer them back in to a new Word document. I’ve tried using the clipping service, and all of the available options under the paste menu, but pasting it as a pic (jpeg, tiff, etc.) doesn’t give me what I need, as I may only need to transfer one of the equations. Other paste options don’t paste anything (if it is a formula made from the methods in the subject line). Thanks to anyone that has an answer :)

Bulleting and Outlining (commented by ptram)

ptram — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 22:20:10 +0000

It seems indeed a bit confused. You might try rewording, by breaking your procedure in single steps. I.e., make an outline of your actions!

Cheers, Paolo

Bulleting and Outlining (by philliesphanx26)

philliesphanx26 — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 01:50:37 +0000

I’m fairly new to NoteBook and I’m have some difficulty. I like to out line my notes in class lectures but it will not let me make a new point when using the outline feature. How can I make a new point without it having it revert to the very first point on the page? Sorry if this is confusing, it’s kind of hard to explain.

writing with bamboo tablet (commented by Eric)

Eric — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 10:08:08 +0000

There is an Ink icon that you can add to NoteBook’s toolbar. Once you’ve done that, click and hold the icon to see its contextual menu. This will allow you to select various drawing modes. It sounds like you want to select Sketch mode to do what you want. If you have further specific questions, feel free to contact technical support here.

Zotero (commented by RokiaNY)

RokiaNY — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 10:10:56 +0000

I LOVE YOU!!!!

I’d never heard of Zotero before, and just went and checked it out. They have Bluebook citations!!! I’m in the middle of writing my law school note, and this program is probably going to save me about 4 days of work. I love you Mactra!

writing with bamboo tablet (commented by The Amazing Mumford)

The Amazing Mumford — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 07:51:38 +0000

Hi I only can guess, because I dont have a tablet. If you have connected the tablet to your mac, you should have system pref called “ink”, where you can set up the settings of your handwriting.

How is the bamboo tablet working? Do you like it? Is it difficult to write thick lines or does the pen behave like a normal pen?

Best Matze