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TI-Nspire Lua Scripting HQ

Texas Instruments TI-Nspire Scripting Support Page

   

If you are interested to really get the most out of your TI-Nspire documents, then Lua scripting adds a whole new dimension. Feel free to work through the lessons provided here to get you started with Lua on TI-Nspire - drop me an email if you have any questions, comments or suggestions! Below you will find some documents created using the same skills that you will learn in the tutorials.

In addition to the scripted documents gathered below, feel free to browse some of the amazing sampler documents developed by TI to give a taste of what is possible with Lua.

The lessons that follow are designed as a very gentle introduction to Lua on the TI-Nspire platform. Even those without a programming background should be well able to follow these lessons and finish with a moderate level of competence in creating interactive Lua documents. (Some familiarity with creating interactive documents using TI-Nspire's native tools would be helpful - so you may want to go back to the Online Authoring Classroom and work through some of the introductory tutorials there on using scatterplots, Notes and programs.)

NEW: If you would like a taste of Lua without leaving your browser, feel free to visit and explore the Lua JavaScript page. This offers a sampler of documents that you can try by clicking the "run your code" button. You can even try out your own code using the OnLine Lua Script Editor. This work, based on the great efforts of Jim Bauwens from Belgium, is still very much a work in progress... but it does work (mostly) on iOS (iPads and iPhones) and Android tablets, as well as the more usual platforms! You may also wish to do some Lua scripting on your TI-Nspire handheld. In addition to the excellent Oclua (On-Calculator LUA), developed by Olivier Armand, we now have another option that promises great things: TIDE (TI-Integrated Development Environment), currently in development by Nadrieril Feneanar . This offers a scripting page and a Lua page, which automatically picks up the script as you write it. Many of the tutorials that follow support these options.

Click anywhere on this image for a video demonstration

And where to from here? Once you finish these lessons and want to go further, head across to the wonderful Nspired Lua website for their tutorials, documentation and wiki.

     

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Getting Started with Lua and TI-Nspire: Introductory Tutorials

• Lesson 1: First Steps with Lua and TI-Nspire

  on.paint, gc (graphics context), drawString, setFont, setColorRGB, platform.window:width, platform.window:height

• Lesson 2: Creating a Dynamic Table

  tables, for loops, getStringWidth, getStringHeight, concatenation (..), displaying multiple lines, var.recall

• Lesson 3: Varying the Table Contents

  if..then..else..end, equality (==) vs assignment (=), more on var.recall

• Lesson 4: Capturing Input in your Lua Page

  on.charIn, var.store, on.backspaceKey, string.usub, platform.window:invalidate, setPen, drawPolyLine, drawRect, on.enterKey

• Lesson 5: Putting it all together: Some Applications

  page setup template, simple quiz document

           

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• Lesson 6: Quick Start: Controlling a Point on a Graph page

  on.arrowUp, on.arrowDown, on.arrowLeft, on.arrowRight, on.construction, timer.start, on.timer

• Lesson 7: Quick Start: Working with Images in Lua

  image.new, drawImage, image.width, image.height, image.copy, on.resize

• Lesson 8: Quick Start: Getting Started with Graphics in Lua

  drawLine, fillRect, fillPolygon, drawArc, fillArc, isColorDisplay, setAlpha

• Lesson 9: Graphical Shape Numbers

  Drawing an array, and varying the grid pattern

• Lesson 10: Taking Shape Numbers Further

  Putting it all together, on.escapeKey, on.tabKey

           

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• Lesson 11: Introducing Classes

  class, init, contains, paint, selected, color table, unpack

• Lesson 12: Mouse Controls with Classes

  on.mouseDown, on.mouseUp, on.mouseMove

• Lesson 13: Keyboard Controls with Classes

  Using arrowKeys, enterKey, tabKey and escapeKey with classes

• Lesson 14: Keyboard Controls with Multiple Classes

  Using a table to define multiple classes, #Objects (dimension of table Objects)

• Lesson 15: Mouse Controls with Multiple Classes

  TrackOffset variables, table.remove, table.insert, cloning selected class objects

           

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• Lesson 16: Further Useful Tips and Tricks I

  Useful string commands: find, replace (gsub), split: applied to pretty print function for algebra

• Lesson 17: Further Useful Tips and Tricks II

  math.eval (and all applied to fraction function along with a template for multiple keyPads)

• Lesson 18: Further Useful Tips and Tricks III

  Adding your own custom menus.

• Lesson 19: Guidelines for Lua Nspired Authoring I

  WORKING ACROSS PLATFORMS (Create Once Play Everywhere)

  1. Display Considerations: Looking Good Everywhere!

• Lesson 20: Guidelines for Lua Nspired Authoring II

  WORKING ACROSS PLATFORMS (Create Once Play Everywhere)

  2. Control Considerations: Working Well Everywhere!

           

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The lessons in this next section require OS 3.2 functionality or higher.

• Lesson 21: (3.2) Text Boxes and Rich Text Input

  The new and better way to enter and work with text as the user inputs it: Rich Text boxes come alive!

• Lesson 22: (3.2) Create Your Own Math and Chem Boxes

  Displaying and evaluating mathematics has never been easier now that we can let TI-Nspire MathBoxes take care of the heavy lifting!

• Lesson 23: (3.2) Welcome to the Physics Engine! (I)

  Based upon the open-source Chipmunk Physics Engine, this powerful new feature adds amazing possibilities to your Nspire scripting and is the perfect tool for creating simulations of all sorts.

• Lesson 24: (3.2) Welcome to the Physics Engine! (II)

  Bouncing a ball around the screen maybe a very simple simulation, but it can be the start of something much bigger.

• Lesson 25: (3.2) Welcome to the Physics Engine! (III)

  Bouncing multiple coloured balls around the screen is much more fun.

• Lesson 26: (3.2) Welcome to the Physics Engine! (IV)

  Adding Segments as Shapes and using these as walls.

• Lesson 27: (3.2) Welcome to the Physics Engine! (V)

  Polygons as Physics Objects.

           

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• Lesson 28: (3.4) Welcome to the iPad!

  Scripting for Touch-Enabled Devices.

           

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Video Demonstration	Title	Author	Description	Download TNS/Lua Document
	Lua Document Template (Simple)	Steve Arnold	Want to quickly and easily replace a Notes page or window with a Lua window that displays the same content? Just use the setup program provided to create your own page. Choose colors, styles, sizes and alignment, and know that students cannot get into the page to change anything. You do NOT need any Lua knowledge at all - no coding required! Want to replace dynamic math boxes? Just define the contents in a (hidden) Notes window as line1, line2, etc, and these will appear in your Lua page.
	Lua Document Template	Steve Arnold	What if you want to replace multiple pages in your document - or if you want to create an interactive quiz document using Lua - without the need for any coding at all? This document allows you to enter the contents of each page into a spreadsheet which can then be thrown away (if all pages are static) or hidden if you wish to use variables. To turn a page into a quiz page, just enter "?" for one of the lines, and then whatever is typed will be shown on the screen at that line. Enter the correct answer into the "answers" column of the spreadsheet and you can even type specific feedback for that question using the "feedback" column. Easy.
	Lua Controls Template	Steve Arnold	The addition of classes to your Lua scripting opens up amazing possibilities. Perhaps one of the simplest of these is the addition of mouse controls to complement the keyboard actions, allowing our documents to be used on any of the TI-Nspire platforms. This template makes it easy to add and to customize arrows and circles which can be used effectively as sliders. Adjust the settings from the spreadsheet page provided or from the code itself. This document has been optimized for handheld, computer and Player.
	Diffusion through a SemiPermeable Membrane	Steve Arnold, Arun Arya and Ankur Thakkar	Explore the effects of changes to the permeability of a membrane on the movement of random particles. This document has been optimized for both handheld (using keyboard control - just press arrow keys to control the action - no need to grab anything!) and also for computer and Player (using mouse control - just grab and drag the control point - horizontally to increase and decrease the permeability, up and down to change the number of particles).
	Lua Ferris Wheel	Steve Arnold	Drag the slider to make the ferris wheel turn, and see the values for height above the ground along the way. This document is a nice exemplar for creating your own axes and graph using Lua graphics. This document has been optimized for both handheld (using keyboard control - just press arrow keys to control the action - no need to grab anything!) and also for computer and Player (using mouse control - just grab and drag the control point or click the arrows to turn the ferris wheel.)
	Centripetal Motion and the Hammer Throw	Steve Arnold, Arun Arya and Ankur Thakkar	Compete in the hammer throw! Press enter at the right point to release the hammer so that it passes through the target. Use arrow keys to increase or decrease the level of difficulty, and to slow down or speed up the turn. This document has been optimized for both handheld (using keyboard control - just press arrow keys to control the action - no need to grab anything!) and also for computer and Player (using mouse control - just grab and drag the control point - horizontally to increase and decrease the speed of the turn, up and down to change the size of the target).
	Lua Hundreds Chart	Steve Arnold	Use left and right arrows to move horizontally and up and down to move in jumps of 10 - study the patterns of factors formed by the different numbers on the hundreds chart. This document has been optimized for both handheld (using keyboard control - just press arrow keys to control the action - no need to grab anything!) and also for computer and Player (using mouse control - just grab and drag the control points or click the arrows to change the values.)
	Operations with Exponents	Jharna De and Steve Arnold	Learn to multiply and divide numbers with exponents using the patterns in this interactive table. This document has been optimized for both handheld (using keyboard control - just press arrow keys to control the action - no need to grab anything!) and also for computer and Player (using mouse control - just grab and drag the control points - horizontally to increase and decrease the base number, up and down to change the index values).
	String Art Explorer	Steve Arnold and Jharna De	Explore the creative side of mathematics with this string art explorer - create your own patterns, and then research the Bezier Curves that underly this. This document has been optimized for both handheld (using keyboard control - just press arrow keys to control the action - no need to grab anything!) and also for computer and Player (using mouse control - just grab and drag the control points - horizontally to increase and decrease the vertex number, up and down to change the number of strings).
	Irrational Numbers: Spiderweb	Jharna De, Bikash Jain, Steve Arnold, Arun Arya and Ankur Thakkar	Build a spiderweb using successive triangles to build the irrational square roots of numbers. See these positioned on the number line. This document has been optimized for both handheld (using keyboard control - just press arrow keys to control the action - no need to grab anything!) and also for computer and Player (using mouse control - just grab and drag the control point - horizontally to increase and decrease the number value, up and down to change the scale).
	Factor Display	Steve Arnold	Visually explore the factors of counting numbers. This document has been optimized for both handheld (using keyboard control - just press arrow keys to control the action - no need to grab anything!) and also for computer and Player (using mouse control - just grab and drag the control points - horizontally to change the number value).
	Shape Numbers	Steve Arnold	Build number patterns using shape numbers: square, rectangular and triangular numbers to give the sums of odd, even and counting numbers. This document has been optimized for both handheld (using keyboard control - just press arrow keys to control the action - no need to grab anything!) and also for computer and Player (using mouse control - just grab and drag the control point - horizontally to increase and decrease the number value, up and down to build the pattern).
	Gravity Explorer (Physics)	Steve Arnold, Arun Arya and Ankur Thakkar	Vary mass and distance between planetary objects, then use data on the planets to calculate the gravitational attraction between each and the Earth. This document has been optimized for both handheld (using keyboard control - just press arrow keys to control the action - no need to grab anything!) and also for computer and Player (using mouse control - just grab and drag the control point - horizontally to increase and decrease the number value, up and down to build the pattern).
	Exploring our Solar System	Steve Arnold	What would it be like to live on Mars? Or Jupiter? Explore information about the planets of our solar system, and compare their conditions with those of our own planet. This document has been optimized for both handheld (using keyboard control - just press arrow keys to control the action - no need to grab anything!) and also for computer and Player (using mouse control - just grab and drag the control points - horizontally to change the page, up and down to change planets).
	Our World	Steve Arnold	Explore information about all 254 nations of the world (as at 2010) Study population, geographic and lifestyle data, compare nations, and search using a wide variety of criteria. This document has been optimized for both handheld (using keyboard control - just press arrow keys to control the action - no need to grab anything!) and also for computer and Player (using mouse control - just grab and drag the control points - horizontally to change the comparison country, up and down to set the focus nation).
	3D Solids Explorer	Loic Pujet and Steve Arnold	Explore common 3D solids, from the Platonic Solids to the hypercube! There are five Platonic solids - regular convex polyhedra. Four of them have a "dual" - a close relationship with another. Which ones? Euler's Theorem relates the number of vertices, faces and edges. Can you find it? Rotate just by moving the mouse in the central region of the screen. This document has been optimized for handheld, computer and Player.
	Graphing Utility: Shade between Curves	John Powers and Steve Arnold	A simple utility supporting shading between two curves. Enter and control using either keyboard or keyPad. This document has been optimized for handheld, computer and Player.
	Linear Motion Explorer	Steve Arnold	Build deep understanding of slope and y-intercept as students control the motion of objects - in this case, the runners in a race. Drag the function graphs around to control the motion of the runners - change y-intercepts to set the race up. Then change the slope of the functions and see the immediate change in the speed of the runners. Add up to four runners. This document has been optimized for handheld, computer and Player.
	Rational Number Line	Steve Arnold	Drag the rational number blocks to their correct positions on the number line. Watch for the feedback to indicate that you have it right. Use the spreadsheet to enter your own rational numbers (as "strings") or press "New" to generate random ones. A record is kept of the interactions. Switch to "test mode" and delete the test mode window and the spreadsheet page (ctrl-k) and you now have a suitable assessment document. This document has been optimized for handheld, computer and Player.
	Exploring Like and Unlike Terms	Steve Arnold	A key stumbling block for students learning algebra often may be found in their ability to recognise like and unlike terms in an algebraic expression or equation. In this dynamic exploration environment, students may enter their own expressions (polynomials in x) or simply click the "Go!" button to generate random expressions of mixed terms. Like terms may be grouped by dragging, and then simplified by clicking the "+" sign between them. This document has been optimized for handheld, computer and Player.
	Visual Algebra	Steve Arnold	An essential part of building strong foundations for algebra in the early years of high school is effective use of concrete manipulatives. Carefully introduced, algebra tiles serve to give students a referent which helps them to make sense of the symbols and manipulations which otherwise may well remain meaningless. Virtual manipulatives until now have been slow and difficult to use, but Lua offers the chance for students to use these tools easily. Click and drag with the mouse, or press "s", "x", "1" or even "-x", "-1" etc to select, then watch the selected tile jump to the mouse position, easily building algebraic expressions. Rotate the x-tiles by clicking on either end, or by pressing "r". The algebraic object is then picked up on the work page and appropriate actions become available, including a step-by-step checker. This document has been optimized for handheld, computer and Player.
	Exploring Quadrilaterals: Technology Enhanced Assessment Note: Please be patient - this one may take up to two minutes to load.	Steve Arnold	Exploring Quadrilaterals offers students opportunities to build solid links between the visual shape and the properties for each of the common quadrilateral types. This Technology Enhanced Assessment document further provides a toolkit for teachers to customize and create their own exploration and/or assessment documents for their students. Teachers control question type, initial placement, grid type and scale, whether feedback is provided and which points are movable or locked. A complete record is kept of student interactions, available for the teacher to access on collecting the students document. This document has been optimized for handheld, computer and Player.

           

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