Widgetational Software
Dashboard Widget based on The TRIGger
Download (0.4 MB) for Mac OS X 10.4+» [4.5 mice] TRIGger mini is intuitive, attractive, and informative [...] what more could you ask for in a study aid? — MacWorld.com Widgets of the Week (9 September, 2005)
» "Featured Widget" — Apple.com Dashboard Widgets page
TRIGger mini is a widgetized adaptation of The TRIGger (coming soon!).
The widget displays the "Complete Triangle" figure, whose segments represent the six trigonometric functions —sine, tangent, secant, cosine, cotangent, cosecant— associated with an angle.
As a simple diagram, the Complete Triangle provides a wealth of information about relationships among the trigonometric functions. Indeed, it is called the Complete Triangle because it encodes every basic formula (and then some) that a student should(!) remember from a Trig course. (A detailed list of these formulas will accompany The TRIGger when it becomes available.) TRIGger mini enhances the diagram by adding the aspect of motion.
Dragging the mouse within the TRIGger mini window changes the angle, and consequently the shape of the Complete Triangle, helping build an intuitive understanding of the nature of the trig functions.
Checkboxes on the widget's flip side toggle the display of individual segments. If only sine and cosine are visible, they're drawn at a larger scale.
TRIGger mini optionally displays the angle measure in radians and/or as "pieces of π" (radian measure expressed as a multiple of π).
Other Features:
- Shift-dragging snaps angle to nearest multiple of 15 degrees.
- Double-clicking the TRIGger mini window initiates "auto-spin mode".
- Command-clicking the window hides or shows the numerical values.
Version History
- (1.2.3) Minor tweaks for Mac OS X 10.5 ("Leopard") compatibility
- (1.2.2) Minor interface adjustment.
- (1.2.1) Minor interface adjustment.
- (1.2) New Feature: Shift-drag snaps to multiples of 15 degrees.
- (1.2) New Feature: Command-click to hide values.
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(1.2) Double-click (instead of shift-click) now toggles auto-spin mode.
- (1.1.3) Minor changes
Widget Installation Instructions
Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger is required.
If you're using Safari and have set Safari to open "Safe" files after downloading, click the "Download" link. When the widget download is complete, show Dashboard, click the Plus sign to display the Widget Bar, and click the widget's icon in the Widget Bar to open it.
If you're using a browser other than Safari, or have set Safari not to open "Safe" files, click the "Download" link. When the widget download is complete, unarchive it, and place it in /Library/Widgets/ in your home folder. Then show Dashboard, click the Plus sign to display the Widget Bar, and click the widget's icon in the Widget Bar to open it.