![[EucliDraw Logo: Pappus theorem]](../index_fls/image001.gif)
Welcome to EucliDraw®
A program for dynamic Euclidean Geometry
What is it?
EucliDraw®, abbreviated EUC, is a program that draws figures of plane
Euclidean Geometry. It is the modern drawing instrument, simulating the paper surface,
the ruler, the compass and dozens of other specialized tools, that enable you to draw
complicated figures, instantly and with high precision. Apart from the ready-to-use tools,
it embodies an integrated programming environment in which you can script and compile tools
of your own invention. Thus, you can extend its possibilities, without limits, create collections
of specialized tools and, from time to time, construct precise figures that nobody has ever seen.
EucliDraw is the result of a long period of development, initiated in 1990 at the University
of Crete and continuing until today.
A first static version of the program was published and is available as freeware since 1998, under
the name Isoptikon.
The motivation for the development of the program, besides the natural inclination of its
creators to Geometry and Programming, was the desire to contribute to the relieving of Geometry.
All of Mathematics but especially Euclidean Geometry has the character of a play of exceptional
beauty. Besides it is also "unbounded". It can be developed in infinite directions and as far
as one is willing to explore unknown areas. It is the intention of this program to stay as close
as possible to these ideas: "play", "beauty" and "unboundedness". It is the privilege of the User
to judge if we had succeeded in this undertaken.
Our effort on these lines, though, will continue in the years to come.
What does it do?
EucliDraw replaces the paper with the screen-surface of your computer and the pencil with the mouse. To construct a shape, you first choose a tool and then click and drag the mouse. Sometimes a single click on the object adds instantly some other significant shape, for example the mid-point of a segment, or the circumcircle of a triangle. The word "dynamic" means that the relations between shapes are preserved if, after their construction, you modify them. Thus, for example the medians of a triangle are correctly redrawn if you change the position or the shape of a triangle. This feature opens new possibilities to discover theorems. For example whatever modifications you do to your triangle on the screen, you see that the three medians meet always at a point. Here are some of the features of the program:
- Ready to use elementary shapes such as points, segments, lines, triangles, quadrangles, regular polygons, circles, conic sections etc.
- Ready to use special shapes such as right-angled or iscosceli triangles, circular quadrangles, regular polygons, ellipses, hyperbolas, parabolas etc.
- Special, extendable, catalogue of triangle-center-tools
- Number-objects and formula-objects that interact with each other or operate on objects
- Function graphs, parametric curves, dynamic geometric loci and envelopes, Bezier curves
- Euclidean transformations: reflexions, translations, rotations. Also homothetic, Moebius, and homographic transformations
- Arbitrary transformations, using the programming environment
- Motors that generate animations and moving mechanisms (linkages)
- Automatic generation of scripts by pressing a button
- Integrated programming environment to create all kinds of tools and transformations
- Capability to save the constructions in various formats for example in "eps" to enable their inclusion in tex files, or "emf" for inclusion in "Word" documents
- Capability to save the document as html-page in order to upload it to your web-site
- Scheme-Sockets to combine and generate complicated schemes and fractals
- Bezier curves and possibility to handle them dynamically
- Automatic generation of Scheme-descriptions, explaining how a ready to use scheme was constructed
- Implicitly defined curves as dynamic geometric objects
- Drive Maxima from within EucliDraw and have access to a powerful Computer Algebra System (CAS).
The program works in the Windows platform. It is written in C++, is fast, efficient and
occupies little space (about 5.9 Mbytes) on the hard disk. Look at or download its
help (2.1 Mb), to obtain a better idea of the program's
extent. Of course this help is also contained entirely in the
Demo-version, which you can download and play with
for as long as you wish.
Why do I need it?
There are many reasons. Here are some of major importance.
- Because you have fun drawing nice geometric figures and discovering their laws
- Because you can do that very quickly and precisely
- Because, by watching your dynamically changing figure, you can arive at new theorems
- Because it is of great help in explaining a topic and you can apply it in your presentations
- Because its free available Demo is functional for unlimited time
- Because with the free available demo you can open any file of EucliDraw or a link to such a file
- Because you can extend its functionality without limit, by adding your own tools
- Because you participate in the evolution of a great project on interactive geometry and programming
- Because you can easily produce nice drawings, save them in html format and upload to your web-site
How do I get it?
Very easily and inexpensively. Aiming mainly at maintenance and further development of the project, the price is set as low as 100 euro (for a single user, licenses for schools, universities and other institutions after agreement). You can instantly buy it through your credit-card or per e-mail or per post (in CD form), by sending a payment-order. Of course, you can also download a fully functional Demo-version and have a taste of its possibilities, browsing in the abundance of included examples or/and experimenting with new constructions of your own.
We are eager to help you in every respect, regarding the program's features and functioning, as well as on problems and questions in Geometry. For questions regarding the program's functioning, please write to the address supportXYeuclidraw.com. For questions and problems on Geometry, please write to the address geometryXYeuclidraw.com. Please in typing the address above replace X with 2 and Y with @.