Comparisons: Scratch V eToys

Comparisons: Scratch V eToys

Partners: control-tech-sama.blogspot.com & asian-bruce-lee.blogspot.com

Asian-bruce-lee and I, decided to make two activities using the same outline but on totally different programs and different operating systems. The activity consisted of us making an object chase after another, both having different velocity and the ability to bounce off walls. Doing this, we could later compare the two programs and conclude which one gave better results.

I did the activity on Windows XP using the scratch program and asian-bruce-lee did it on the Sugar operating system using the eToys program.

Control-tech-sama:
Using the Scratch program, I made use of its control, motion, looks, variables and sound features. These features gave me the freedom to manipulate my objects’ shape and the ability to give them sound or appearance effects depending on my code-scripts/scripts.

I used the control function and created scripts that enabled one object to chase after the other; one object with a faster velocity. I then used both the motion and looks function to enable the objects to produce special effects when the two objects meet.
After doing so, I then created a score variable, setting that each time the objects would meet; the score variable would go up by one. I also made that the variables reset back to its default number, zero, each time the activity was restarted.

Following that I used the control function to make the objects bounce off the walls using a series of control scripts from the control function. To finish my activity, I then decided to add bonus effects in the activity to make it more entertaining to people. The bonus effects involved making the objects speak and also making them say different sentences/phrases.

Asian-bruce-lee:
eToys seemed harder than Scratch because the layout of all the scripts were very hard to find and they were named differently than they were in Scratch

For my script, I had to make one of the balls keep moving randomly and bouncing off the wall at a random angle. The other ball had to chase the first one at a slower speed. I made the second ball move forward at a slower random speed and head to the direction of the other ball it’s chasing.

For my chasing ball, I made it point to the other ball forever. Whenever the other ball was moving at a different direction, the chasing ball would follow it wherever it went.

With scripts:


Control-tech-sama&Asian-bruce-lee:
Throughout the two activities on the two different programs, we found that Scratch was far easier to use and manipulate. It has an overall better and flexible layout allowing users to find scripts more efficiently. Scratch also benefits in its special effects, such as, changing an objects colour, size and adding background music.

However, eToys gives the user a variety of tools to draw and shape objects which can be used for activities or animations. It has advance scripts, which, are very detailed and can be manipulated to perform fantastic operations given by the user.

In terms of eToys and Scratch, the two programs are very adequate at performing the tasks given by the user. Taking into consideration the special effects of Scratch and the freedom of eToys drawing abilities, the two programs are quite on par with each other even though they specialise in different areas.

In conclusion, Scratch with its special effects and easy layout won against eToys. Although eToys has freedom in its drawing functions and advance scripting, it still wasn’t enough to win against Scratch. The two programs specialise in their own respective areas of scripting but even so, many people would choose Scratch over eToys due to its effects and layout.