WebEQ™ Equation Editor for Macintosh


About the WebEQ Equation Editor | Top

Note: Depending on administrator settings, this feature may not be available.

The WebEQ Equation Editor allows you and your students to create, view, and edit complex mathematical equations and include them in WebCT content. The equations are encoded in a mark-up language known as MathML (.mml) which can be displayed on the Web. As a designer, you can also import and export equations. The WebEQ Equation Editor is available from Content Module, Discussions, Mail, Manage Files, and Quiz. You can

  • create an equation in Content Module, Discussions, Mail, Manage Files, or Quiz.
  • edit a file, content page or a Quiz question containing an equation.
  • forward a Mail or Discussions message containing an equation.
  • quote a Mail or Discussions message containing an equation.

Each equation is assigned an ID reference, such as {Equation:id=1, title=}.

Important: To improve response time when using the WebEQ Equation Editor, we recommend that you and your students download the WebEQ Equation Editor plug-in. For more information on the WebEQ Equation Editor, go to the Design Science, Inc. website.

What do you want to do?

Creating equations | Top

You can create an equation and insert it into the following: a content page in a Content Module, a Discussions message, a Mail message, a file created in Manage Files, or a Quiz question. Each equation is assigned an ID reference, such as {Equation:id=1, title=}. On the WebCT tool screen, the equation is displayed as its ID reference.

  1. In the WebCT tool, click Equation editor. The Equation Editor screen appears.
  2. Create an equation by clicking the icons on the toolbar and entering numerals and operators from your keyboard. Important: To advance the cursor, use the Tab key or your mouse. Do not use the spacebar.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and, in the Title text box, enter a title for the equation.
  4. Click Submit. The Equation Viewer screen appears, displaying the equation.
  5. Click Insert. The WebCT tool screen appears, displaying the equation as its ID reference.

The following is an explanation of the Equation Editor icons:

Icon Explanation
division or fractions
square root
general root
subscript
superscript
sub superscript
underscript
overscript
underoverscript
sum notation
product notation
integral
2x2 matrix
parentheses
cut
copy
paste
undo last action
zoom in
zoom out
insert special characters
WebEQ help

Editing equations | Top

You can edit a previously created equation if you are

  • editing a content page containing an equation in Content Module.
  • editing a file containing an equation in Manage Files.
  • forwarding a Mail or Discussions message containing an equation.
  • quoting a Mail or Discussions message containing an equation.
  • editing a Quiz question containing an equation.

Each time you edit an equation, the Equation Editor creates a new equation and assigns it an ID reference, such as {Equation:id=2, title=}. On the WebCT tool screen, the equation is displayed as its ID reference.

  1. From the Equation drop-down list, select the ID reference of the equation you want to edit, such as, Edit equation:[title](id=1)
  2. Click Equation editor. The Equation Editor screen appears, displaying the equation.
  3. Edit the equation by clicking the icons on the toolbar and entering numerals and operators from your keyboard. Important: To advance the cursor, use the Tab key or your mouse. Do not use the spacebar.
  4. When you have finished editing the equation, scroll to the bottom of the screen and, in the Title text box, enter a title for the equation.
  5. Click Submit. The Equation Viewer screen appears, displaying the edited equation.
  6. Click Insert. The WebCT tool screen appears, displaying the ID references for both the original and edited equations.
  7. If you want to display the edited equation only, you must delete the original equation:
    1. From the WebCT tool screen, locate and select the ID reference for the original equation.
    2. On your keyboard, press Delete. The original equation is deleted.

Deleting equations | Top

You can delete an existing equation if you are

  • editing a content page containing an equation in Content Module.
  • editing a file containing an equation in Manage Files.
  • forwarding a Mail or Discussions message containing an equation.
  • quoting a Mail or Discussions message containing an equation.
  • editing a Quiz question containing an equation.
  1. In the WebCT content, locate and select the ID reference for the equation, such as, {Equation:id=1, title=}
  2. On your keyboard, press Delete. The equation is deleted.

Importing equations | Top

Note: This feature is available to designers only.

If you have an equation encoded in MathML (Mml) and want to use it in your course, you can upload it from your computer and import it into a content page in a Content Module, a file created in Manage Files, or a Quiz question. You can also import an equation to be included in a Mail or Discussions message but only if you are forwarding or quoting the message.

  1. From the Equation drop-down list, select Create equation.
  2. Click Equation editor. The Equation Editor screen appears.
  3. Click Import MathML. The Import MathML screen appears.
  4. To import an equation, do one of the following:
    • If the equation has already been uploaded to the WebCT File Browser, you can import it:
      1. In the Filename text box, either enter the filename of the equation to be imported or click Browse to search for it.
      2. From the WebCT File Browser, select the file and click Add selected. The Import MathML screen appears with the filename of the equation entered in the Filename text box.
      3. Click Import. The Equation Editor screen appears, displaying the equation that was imported.
      4. Click Submit. The Equation Viewer screen appears, displaying the equation.
      5. Click Insert. The WebCT tool screen appears, displaying the ID reference of the equation.
    • If the equation has not already been uploaded to the WebCT File Browser, you must upload it first:
      1. Click Browse. The File Browser screen appears.
      2. Under Upload File, click Browse. Your computer's file manager appears.
      3. Locate and select the file on your computer. The File Browser screen appears with the name of the file entered in the Filename text box.
      4. From the Upload to drop-down list, select a destination folder for the file and click Upload. The equation is uploaded to the WebCT File Browser.
      5. From the WebCT File Browser, select the file and click Add selected. The Import MathML screen appears with the filename of the equation entered in the Filename text box.
      6. Click Import. The Equation Editor screen appears, displaying the equation that was imported.
      7. Click Submit. The Equation Viewer screen appears, displaying the equation.
      8. Click Insert. The WebCT tool screen appears, displaying the ID reference of the equation.
  5. If the equation is in a Mail or Discussions message, you can view the equation by clicking Preview from the Mail or Discussions screen.

Exporting equations | Top

Note: This feature is available to designers only.

You can export a new equation or a previously created equation contained in a content page in a Content Module, a file created in Manage Files,or a Quiz question. You can also export an equation from a Mail or Discussions message but only if you are forwarding or quoting the message. The exported equation is encoded in MathML (Mml).

  1. From the Equation drop-down list, select the ID reference of the equation you want to export, such as, Edit equation:[title](id=1).
  2. Click Equation editor. The Equation Editor screen appears, displaying the equation.
  3. Click Submit. The Equation Viewer screen appears.
  4. Click Export MathML. The Export MathML screen appears.
  5. In the Filename text box, enter a filename for the equation you want to export. Note: The default filename is untitled.mml.
  6. From the Destination folder drop-down list, select the destination folder and click Export. The equation is exported. If you want to download the equation to your computer, see Downloading Files.

Viewing equations | Top

  1. From the Equation drop-down list, select the ID reference of the equation you want to view, such as, Edit equation:[title](id=1)
  2. Click Equation editor. The Equation Editor screen appears, displaying the equation.

Note: If the equation is in a Mail or Discussions message, you can view the equation by clicking Preview from the Mail or Discussions screen.

Changing the equation font size | Top

You can change the font size of an equation. Each time you change the font size of an equation, the Equation Editor creates a new equation and assigns it an ID reference.

  1. From the Equation drop-down list, select the ID reference of the original equation, such as, Edit equation:[title](id=1)
  2. Click Equation editor. The Equation Editor screen appears, displaying the equation.
  3. Click Submit. The Equation Viewer screen appears.
  4. From the Font size drop-down list, select the new font size.
  5. Click Preview. A preview of the equation in the new font size appears.
  6. If you are satisfied with the new font size, click Insert. The WebCT tool screen appears, displaying the the ID reference of the equation.
  7. If you want to display only the equation in the new font size, delete the original equation:
    1. From the WebCT tool screen, locate and select the ID reference for the original equation.
    2. On your keyboard, press Delete. The original equation is deleted.

Changing the Equation Editor size | Top

  1. Click Equation editor. The Equation Editor screen appears.
  2. Click Submit. The Equation Viewer screen appears.
  3. Click either Increase editor size or Decrease editor size.

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