I have been testing Scratch 3, and found that pen has been removed from the base scratch. However, it hasn't been completely removed, because it is still present as an extension.


Why is this? Is it only for testing, or has ST decided pen should not be part of the base Scratch?

That might be a good thing; that means extensions'll be able to do as much as what pen can do, and maybe more (eg a PTE extension). Since projects'll auto-load extensions, it opens up a wider range of possibilities.

Pen is not used a lot by new Scratchers, so the ST made it an extension to reduce the number of blocks that new Scratchers will feel they have to master. However, any extensions used in projects will automatically load with the project, so no compatibility will be broken.

infinitytec wrote:

Pen is not used a lot by new Scratchers, so the ST made it an extension to reduce the number of blocks that new Scratchers will feel they have to master. However, any extensions used in projects will automatically load with the project, so no compatibility will be broken.

Makes sense.

The best part will be if they allow community created extensions. Think of the possibilities you'll have being able to mess with the renderer and the vm. Maybe we could make

<((1)+(2))=[4]>// true

finally.

Note and drum blocks are now in an extension.

That seems a bit confusing, though for Scratchers used to 2.0 and new scratchers, since it's a bit more difficult to get to.

when backdrop switches to [ Mcmurdo Station]
say [I'm home!!] for (pi) secs

Yes, unfortunately it is.

somebody who makes pen projects for a living wrote:

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! I DON'T WANNA SPEND AN EXTRA 10 SECONDS MAKING PEN PROJECTS!!!!!!!!

(lol) That will be everyone who makes pen projects for a living in Scratch 3.0. (not)

Moving on…

infinitytec wrote:

Pen is not used a lot by new Scratchers, so the ST made it an extension to reduce the number of blocks that new Scratchers will feel they have to master. However, any extensions used in projects will automatically load with the project, so no compatibility will be broken.

I agree with this.

290Scratcher wrote:

Yes, unfortunately it is.

somebody who makes pen projects for a living wrote:

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! I DON'T WANNA SPEND AN EXTRA 10 SECONDS MAKING PEN PROJECTS!!!!!!!!

(lol) That will be everyone who makes pen projects for a living in Scratch 3.0. (not)

It would take 2 minutes write a tampermonkey script to auto load pen

Pen is not used a lot by new Scratchers, so the ST made it an extension to reduce the number of blocks that new Scratchers will feel they have to master.

A couple of points

I actually use Pen with Year 3 (7 yr olds) to draw squares,hexagons etc to learn looping

The concept of pens has been fundamental ever since Logo and I'd be very surprised that MIT think it doesn't deserve a place at the top table anymore

I'm hoping this is just being used as an example of how extensions can be loaded and Pen category is fully restored in final version

I would rather having pen as it is now, but I rarely use it. I was thinking maybe in some toy stores in the electronics isle, or maybe in Best Buy or things like that they would have a Scratch Pen. The pen would be like a SmartBoard pen except it would be white and have rainbow stripes on it. There would be an adapter to hook up to your computer and on IPADS or kindle fires, or tablets, there would be a free app called ScratchPEN. You would download it and it would pop up. It would have to sense the pen, then you would have to hit a button, where the pen would move on its tip, and every time you moved your cursor, if the pen detects it, it will do what the cursor does. It is only a suggestion. But the blocks could be like this:

when green flag clicked
turn on pen::pen

when cursor is [(45) and (14)] ::pen hat
set pen color to [#1b56dc]
if <[45] < [14]> then 
forever
pen up
turn off pen ::pen cap
end
  

else
stop [this script v]
end

As someone who who helps teachers use Scratch to build mathematical understandings in their students, we use the pen tool a lot (using many ideas from LOGO).

I am concerned that using the pen as an extension adds one more complexity that then makes the math less accessible.

tepylodi wrote:

As someone who who helps teachers use Scratch to build mathematical understandings in their students, we use the pen tool a lot (using many ideas from LOGO).

I am concerned that using the pen as an extension adds one more complexity that then makes the math less accessible.

From what I’ve played around with, the pen blocks aren’t any more complicated than 2.0. And it only takes about 5 seconds to add to a project.

EPICPIKAGUY wrote:

tepylodi wrote:

As someone who who helps teachers use Scratch to build mathematical understandings in their students, we use the pen tool a lot (using many ideas from LOGO).

I am concerned that using the pen as an extension adds one more complexity that then makes the math less accessible.

From what I’ve played around with, the pen blocks aren’t any more complicated than 2.0. And it only takes about 5 seconds to add to a project.

Once I discovered the Extension button (bottom left- looks like waves), the pen is easy.

Bought a great beginners book to teach my kids Scratch, and most projects use “pen”, which no longer exists. Great.

I tried to create my own button, hoping it would pull it up, since it still exists… but it asked us to define the button, and we are literally on the very first project at the very beginning of learning anything. The kids are frustrated, and this thread about the problem to try and find the answer just talks about how literally easy it is to fix, and offers no fix.

Just an observation to point out two things: The pen is a very established part of learning the program, and such an easy no brainer of a fix is not so obvious to those kids still on the first page.

Unfortunately, all books that use step by step instructions can become out of date - especially when a new version of Scratch is launched

The pen blocks have not gone away - it just takes is two mouse clicks to make them available.

But I agree that using the a pen is a very established part of learning to program and was disappointed to see them being relegated to being an extension

mymultiextruder wrote:

Bought a great beginners book to teach my kids Scratch, and most projects use “pen”, which no longer exists. Great.

I tried to create my own button, hoping it would pull it up, since it still exists… but it asked us to define the button, and we are literally on the very first project at the very beginning of learning anything. The kids are frustrated, and this thread about the problem to try and find the answer just talks about how literally easy it is to fix, and offers no fix.

Just an observation to point out two things: The pen is a very established part of learning the program, and such an easy no brainer of a fix is not so obvious to those kids still on the first page.

Hi. I understand your frustration.

Click on the button in the bottom left (it looks like a couple of blocks stacked on top of each other, with a plus icon beside them). This will bring up a menu of different ‘extensions’. Find ‘Pen’ and select it. This will bring up the Pen blocks into the palette.

Drove me crazy a couple of nights ago when I came back to Scratch to knock up a quick pen-based test program. First time I'd used the new interface, and I'd written half the code and then looked for the “move to” block and ?!$%&!!

I'm not sure how I discovered the place to load pen extensions, it was many hours later and completely by accident.

Not too impressed. But I guess I'm not the target demographic so shouldn't complain. Just glad it's not gone altogether.

A related question: where are the extension blocks for accessing Raspberry Pi GPIOs? I can't see them there at all. Is there somewhere else I should be looking? Are the changes in this new Scratch 3 summarized anywhere for Scratch 2 users?


Graham

gtoal wrote:

A related question: where are the extension blocks for accessing Raspberry Pi GPIOs? I can't see them there at all. Is there somewhere else I should be looking? Are the changes in this new Scratch 3 summarized anywhere for Scratch 2 users?

I don't think it exists at the moment. GPIO cannot be accessed directly by the web browser, but apparently they are planning to make a Raspberry Pi version of Scratch 3 (https://scratch.mit.edu/users/thisandagain/#comments-52560393) which will presumably include them.

Jonathan50 wrote:

gtoal wrote:

A related question: where are the extension blocks for accessing Raspberry Pi GPIOs? I can't see them there at all. Is there somewhere else I should be looking? Are the changes in this new Scratch 3 summarized anywhere for Scratch 2 users?

I don't think it exists at the moment. GPIO cannot be accessed directly by the web browser, but apparently they are planning to make a Raspberry Pi version of Scratch 3 (https://scratch.mit.edu/users/thisandagain/#comments-52560393) which will presumably include them.

But someone actually did connect raspberry PI to Scratch 3 making a controller! (Sorry I forgot where I found it… since its kinda 6weeks ago)