Getting to know the software!

Scratch is a programming language that codes for you, you just need to put scripts (chunks of code) together to make your own game, animation, music, art or so much more!

http://scratch.mit.edu/

So how do we use scratch?



This is the software. The left hand side of the program contains the scripts. These are dragged and dropped into the middle section to give each sprite (the image that will be used) an action. We will look into these scripts further later on. The right hand side consists of the stage (top right) and the sprite selection (bottom right).

The scripts are split into categories. These are seen in the tabs located on the top left corner of the application. Motion scripts for example are all of the scripts that make the sprite move. The sound scripts and under the category sound etc.

The scripts can be joined together. The combination of scripts tells the sprite what to do, when to do it, how to do it etc. An example piece of code would be making a sprite say "hello" when clicked. But we wont learn how to do that until we know how to use the layout.

To use the scripts, simple drag and drop them into the centre of the screen. You may notice that there are different tabs above this section:

Scripts,
Costumes,
Sounds.

You can add different sounds, appearances and actions to each sprite and you can adjust these by using each tab.

In the Sprites section there are three different buttons. The left will make a new sprite, centre will open a sprite and right will pick a random sprite.The sprites will appear underneath. The "stage" sprite will contain any backgrounds.

The stage is where the action happens. This is where you will see your project in action. You cannot see the project as a standalone application, it must be run through scratch.

To use the piece of software, you must know how to use each part of it. Combined these tools will make your project.