Bitpaper has lots of great features which are essential for online tutors. This article details some of them, and provides links to further resources that you can use to help you learn more about Bitpaper. Bear in mind that if you need to use handwriting then you will need a graphics tablet or similar device.
Note: Usage of Bitpaper is governed by Bitpaper's terms and privacy policy. By using Bitpaper, you agree to and are bound by these terms.
Creating a test whiteboard
It is highly recommended that you create a test whiteboard, which will allow you to experiment with Bitpaper and learn more about its features. This step is essential for anyone preparing to interview with Spires.
To make a test whiteboard, simply go to bitpaper.io and create a free account. Once you have signed up, verified your email, and clicked on the option to create a free/student account, you will be able to click "Create Paper" in the top right hand corner. This will prompt you to enter the name:
You will only be allowed to create one whiteboard per month as a free Bitpaper user
A short introduction
The following is a very quick introduction to Bitpaper. There are far too many features for us to describe here, and Bitpaper has its own guide. More information is given below.
When opening a Bitpaper you will see an empty page:
Most functions have keyboard shortcuts, push the "k" button on your keyboard to see the list. The main functions are described here:
At the bottom of the page, in the middle, the main drawing tools are present. 1 is the pen, 2 changes the colour and thickness of the pen, 3 is the eraser, 4 is the select tool. There are more shortcuts which you can explore through the shortcut list.
At the top right corner of the page the page numbers are visible. Clicking the down arrow will move forward a page, if no page exists then a new page will be created. The ">" key is the shortcut to the down arrow.
Each Bitpaper can only accommodate a maximum of 100 pages. The recommended action is to create a new whiteboard after you reach 100 pages.
Bitpaper supports copying and pasting. Any text or pictures can be copied, and then pasted using your computer's default paste command into Bitpaper.
To take a screenshot use CTRL SHIFT CMD 4 on Macs and SHIFT WINDOWS S on PCs. Screenshots can be pasted into Bitpaper using the default paste command for your computer.
If you make a mistake, the easiest way to undo it is by pushing Z on your keyboard. Pushing X is the redo shortcut.
Pressing P allows you download a copy of the pages as a PDF.
The full guide
Bitpaper has an extensive user guide. We highly recommend you read their guide as there are many features Bitpaper has to offer. There is also a video which explains how to use Bitpaper there. It's a cool piece of software for online tutoring!
Opening the user guide link, or clicking guide in the navigation bar will bring up the page shown above with three tabs:
Course is a video based course which will teach you all the tips and tricks of Bitpaper, as well as elaborate on the features such as drawing lines, grids, shapes, or using the formula editor.
Manual is the the complete manual or guide of Bitpaper, including all the features, the system requirements and steps on contacting Bitpaper should you experience bugs.
Troubleshooting contains information about fixing issues which you may come across when using Bitpaper.
You can learn more about Bitpaper by having a play with it and exploring the different features, there is also a Facebook group where you can ask questions and professional online tutors share information on advanced features.
To learn more about creating and managing whiteboards through Spires, see our article