There are 24 icon buttons on the tool panel, as well as various menus and checkboxes. The best way to learn their functions is to play with them for awhile, just testing out what you can and cannot do, observing what the effect is on this or that, etc. The pictures on the buttons depict the function that the particular button serves. Sometimes the function is quite clear, other times it is harder to figure out, but the pictures serve as reminders as to what the buttons do.
The Create Panel: The create panel enables you to create basic geometric objects, select them, label them, and gain information about them. Each of the eight buttons within the create panel is enabled all the time. A point, circle, segment, line, or ray can be created anywhere on the canvas at any time. For example, in order to draw a line upon the canvas, you must first click on the "line" button in the "create" button group making the line tool the currently active tool. Then you can click, drag. and release on the canvas in order to place a line anywhere. For more details see the Create Panel help page.
The Construct Panel: The construct panel controls the construction of geometric objects which depend upon simpler objects. For example suppose that you have already constructed a segment (with the segment tool) and a point somewhere off the segment. Then, you could construct a perpendicular to the segment through the point by:
2) clicking the "perpendicular" button in the Construct Panel. This button, as well as the "parallel" button, should be active (black rather than gray), since both of these constructions are valid once a linear object and a point are selected. By clicking on the perpendicular button we construct the desired perpendicular.
The Transform Panel: The transform panel enables you to perform four different transformations on various geometric objects or figures. Each transformation requires you to select the object or figure that you would like transformed along with some other information that is specific to the particular transformation. One can also define compound transformations that are built from simple transformations. For specific information, see the Transform Panel help page.
The Color Panel: The color panel enables you to put color on the canvas. Each item created or constructed will automatically be drawn in black on the canvas until the item is selected and then deliberately changed. This enables you to keep various geometric figures (and therefore concepts and theories) separate on the canvas.
To Change the Color: Select all objects that you desire to be a particular color. Then click the mouse on the appropriate color. All of the selected objects will change color and remain selected (so you can look at as many colors as you would like before deciding).