Visuals without uploading images

TeachForge rich blocks can show counting, geometry, charts, and diagrams using text, code, and Workshop stations — no image file upload required. Use this guide when building question types manually (stem, hints, solution, active learning).

Overview

When you do not need an uploaded image

Step-by-step — what to click and paste

Follow these steps in order. You do not need to understand code — copy the examples exactly, then change words or numbers to suit your question.

WHERE YOU WORK (same for every recipe in this guide)
1. Open your question type → choose **Manual build** lane.
2. Scroll to **Build sections** (Stem, Answer, Hints, Solution).
3. Click **+ Add block** on the section you want (usually **Stem** first).
4. Open the **Format** dropdown on the new block — this is where you pick Plain Text, Mermaid Diagram, Chart, etc.
5. Click inside the large text box and type or paste.
6. Scroll down to **Preview** on the same page to check the visual appears.

TIP — Workshop button
If a block shows **Open in Workshop**, you can click it instead of typing code. A popup opens; when finished click **Apply & close** and the content returns automatically.

TIP — Copy and paste
Highlight an example below → Ctrl+C (Windows) or Cmd+C (Mac) → click the TeachForge text box → Ctrl+V / Cmd+V.

In Manual build you add **rich blocks** to each section (stem, hints, solution, active learning). Each block has a **format** — plain text, Markdown, LaTeX, SVG, TikZ, Mermaid, Chart, D3, table, and more.

Formats that need a file upload: **Image**, **GIF**, and **media library refs**. Everything else in this guide is self-contained text or code that TeachForge renders for you.

**Workflow**
1. Add a block and choose a format from the dropdown.
2. Type content directly, or click **Open in Workshop** (available for Markdown, LaTeX, SVG, TikZ, Mermaid, Chart, D3) to author visually and return to the question type.
3. Insert dynamic variables with the parameter chips (<<<<param:a>>>> etc.) — never type token syntax by hand.

Pick the simplest format that fits: emoji counting in Plain/Markdown; precise maths in LaTeX; custom shapes in SVG; flowcharts in Mermaid; data charts in Chart; number lines and coordinate grids in D3.

Learn more — optional deep dives

Use these only after the step-by-step recipe above. They open in a new tab for syntax lookup or extra examples.

Plain text & Markdown

Block formats: Plain · Markdown · Callout

Step-by-step — what to click and paste

Follow these steps in order. You do not need to understand code — copy the examples exactly, then change words or numbers to suit your question.

RECIPE A — Emoji counting (easiest)
1. Build sections → **Stem** → **+ Add block**.
2. Format dropdown → **Plain Text**.
3. Click in the text box. Type your question on line 1.
4. Open https://emojipedia.org in another browser tab.
5. Search for a word (e.g. apple, star, car). Click the emoji you want.
6. Click **Copy** on Emojipedia. Return to TeachForge. Click in the text box again.
7. Press **Ctrl+V** (Windows) or **Cmd+V** (Mac) — one emoji appears.
8. Paste again for each object you need. Type spaces and + between groups.
9. Check **Preview** — students see the emoji picture, no image upload.

COPY THIS WHOLE BLOCK INTO A PLAIN TEXT BLOCK:
How many apples in total?

🍎🍎🍎 + 🍎🍎 = ?

RECIPE B — Markdown with bold heading
1. Format dropdown → **Markdown** (not Plain Text).
2. Paste the example below. ** means bold in Markdown.

COPY THIS:
**Count the shapes**

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

How many stars do you see?

RECIPE C — Block counting with # symbols
1. Format dropdown → **Code** (keeps letters evenly spaced).
2. Paste the grid below. Change [#] to any character you like.

COPY THIS:
Row 1:  [#] [#] [#] [#]
Row 2:  [#] [#] [#]
Row 3:  [#] [#] [#] [#] [#]

How many blocks altogether?

**Best for:** quick counting, word problems, simple layouts, mixed text and inline math.

**Unicode & emoji (zero setup)**
Works in Plain or Markdown blocks. Appearance varies slightly by device — fine for primary counting.

Example stem (Plain block):
How many apples in total?

🍎🍎🍎  +  🍎🍎  =  ❓

**Markdown**
Supports headings, lists, bold, and inline LaTeX with $…$ when you enable math in the block. Good for short structured prompts.

**ASCII / text grids (monospace)**
Use a **Code** or **Code (highlighted)** block, or a Plain block with fixed spacing:

Row 1:  [#] [#] [#] [#]
Row 2:  [#] [#] [#]
Row 3:  [#] [#] [#] [#] [#]

**Pros:** instant, works everywhere, lightweight.
**Cons:** emoji styling is OS-dependent; ASCII alignment needs monospaced formats.

Learn more — optional deep dives

Use these only after the step-by-step recipe above. They open in a new tab for syntax lookup or extra examples.

LaTeX (display & inline)

Block formats: LaTeX (display) · LaTeX (inline) · Markdown with $…$

Step-by-step — what to click and paste

Follow these steps in order. You do not need to understand code — copy the examples exactly, then change words or numbers to suit your question.

RECIPE — Ten-frame (7 dots out of 10)
1. Build sections → **Stem** → **+ Add block**.
2. Format dropdown → **LaTeX (Display)** — centred maths block.
3. Click in the text box. Select all (Ctrl+A / Cmd+A) and delete.
4. Copy the entire grey box below — every line, including \begin and \end.
5. Paste into the text box. Check **Preview** — you should see a grid of filled and empty dots.

COPY THIS ENTIRE BLOCK:
\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|}
\hline
\bullet & \bullet & \bullet & \bullet & \bullet \\
\hline
\bullet & \bullet & \circ & \circ & \circ \\
\hline
\end{array}

6. Add a second block above or below: Format **Plain Text**, type: How many dots are filled in?

RECIPE — Simple fraction
1. Format → **LaTeX (Display)**.
2. Paste: \frac{3}{4}
3. Preview shows a proper fraction — no image needed.

RECIPE — Easier option: Workshop
1. Format → **Markdown** → click **Open in Workshop**.
2. In the left panel type: $\frac{3}{4}$ of the shape is shaded.
3. Click **Apply & close**.

**Best for:** ten-frames, dot arrays, fractions, equations, geometry notation, publication-quality maths.

TeachForge renders LaTeX with KaTeX. Use **LaTeX (display)** for centred equations and arrays; **LaTeX (inline)** or Markdown for short expressions in running text.

**Ten-frame / dot array (display LaTeX)**
\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|}
\hline
\bullet & \bullet & \bullet & \bullet & \bullet \\
\hline
\bullet & \bullet & \circ & \circ & \circ \\
\hline
\end{array}

(Filled \bullet vs empty \circ shows 7 of 10.)

**Inline example (LaTeX inline block)**
There are $\<<<<param:a>>>>$ groups of $\<<<<param:b>>>>$ stars.

**Open in Workshop:** Markdown & LaTeX blocks open the **Markdown & LaTeX** station for a split-pane editor with live KaTeX preview.

**Pros:** crisp at any zoom, ideal for secondary maths.
**Cons:** syntax learning curve for complex diagrams (consider TikZ or SVG instead).

Learn more — optional deep dives

Use these only after the step-by-step recipe above. They open in a new tab for syntax lookup or extra examples.

Inline SVG

Block format: SVG Graphic

Step-by-step — what to click and paste

Follow these steps in order. You do not need to understand code — copy the examples exactly, then change words or numbers to suit your question.

RECIPE — Three coloured counters (copy exactly)
1. Build sections → **Stem** → **+ Add block**.
2. Format dropdown → **SVG Graphic** (under Media — not Image).
3. Click in the text box. Delete any placeholder.
4. Copy everything from <svg to </svg> below and paste.
5. Preview shows two gold circles and one empty circle.

COPY FROM HERE ↓
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 120 40" width="120" height="40">
  <circle cx="20" cy="20" r="14" fill="#D89F39"/>
  <circle cx="60" cy="20" r="14" fill="#D89F39"/>
  <circle cx="100" cy="20" r="14" fill="#E8E8E8" stroke="#999"/>
</svg>
↑ COPY TO HERE

6. Add a Plain Text block above: How many counters are filled?

TO CHANGE COLOURS
Find fill="#D89F39" — that is the gold. Change the six characters after # to any web colour (e.g. #ff0000 for red).

EASIER PATH — draw then paste
1. Open https://boxy-svg.com/app (free, in browser).
2. Draw circles or rectangles. File → Export → copy SVG code.
3. Paste into the **SVG Graphic** block in TeachForge.

**Best for:** custom coloured shapes, counters arranged in space, simple diagrams you fully control.

Paste SVG markup into an **SVG Graphic** block — TeachForge sanitises and embeds it inline (no external file). Or click **Open in Workshop** to author visually in the **SVG Editor** station and return sanitised markup + alt text.

Minimal example (three counters):
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 120 40" width="120" height="40">
  <circle cx="20" cy="20" r="14" fill="#D89F39"/>
  <circle cx="60" cy="20" r="14" fill="#D89F39"/>
  <circle cx="100" cy="20" r="14" fill="#E8E8E8" stroke="#999"/>
</svg>

Combine with parametric tokens in surrounding Plain/Markdown text, or duplicate SVG patterns per variant in the type template.

**Pros:** full colour control, sharp on all screens, no upload.
**Cons:** you write XML tags (or generate SVG in an external editor and paste).

Learn more — optional deep dives

Use these only after the step-by-step recipe above. They open in a new tab for syntax lookup or extra examples.

TikZ, Mermaid & charts

Block formats: TikZ · Mermaid Diagram · Chart · Data table

Step-by-step — what to click and paste

Follow these steps in order. You do not need to understand code — copy the examples exactly, then change words or numbers to suit your question.

RECIPE A — Mermaid flowchart (process diagram)
1. Build sections → **Stem** → **+ Add block**.
2. Format dropdown → **Mermaid Diagram** (not Image — no file upload).
3. Click in the text box. Select all and delete.
4. Copy every line below — the first line MUST be flowchart TD.
5. Paste. Preview draws boxes and arrows automatically.

COPY THIS MERMAID CODE:
flowchart TD
    A[Plant a seed] --> B[Water daily]
    B --> C{Sprouted?}
    C -->|Yes| D[Put in sunlight]
    C -->|No| E[Check soil]

6. To change words: edit only the text inside [square brackets] and {curly brackets}.

EASIER — Mermaid via Workshop
1. On the same block, click **Open in Workshop**.
2. A Mermaid editor opens with live preview.
3. Edit the diagram visually or paste the code above into the left panel.
4. Click **Apply & close** — code fills the block for you.

Or: open https://mermaid.live → paste code → edit → copy all text → paste into TeachForge.

RECIPE B — Bar chart (JSON)
1. Format dropdown → **Chart**.
2. Paste this JSON exactly (curly brackets matter):

{
  "type": "bar",
  "data": {
    "labels": ["Mon", "Tue", "Wed"],
    "datasets": [{
      "label": "Books read",
      "data": [3, 5, 2]
    }]
  }
}

3. Change labels and data numbers to match your question.
4. Or click **Open in Workshop** → Chart Builder → build bars with mouse → **Apply & close**.

RECIPE C — Data table
1. Format dropdown → **Data Table**.
2. Paste:

{
  "headers": ["Animal", "Legs"],
  "rows": [
    ["Dog", "4"],
    ["Bird", "2"],
    ["Spider", "8"]
  ]
}

3. Preview shows a proper table — edit headers and rows for your topic.

RECIPE D — TikZ geometry (advanced text diagram)
1. Format → **TikZ Diagram**.
2. Paste a simple shape, or click **Open in Workshop** → TikZ Editor.
3. Example to paste:

\draw (0,0) circle (1cm);
\draw (3,0) circle (1cm);
\node at (1.5,-1.5) {Compare the two circles};

**Best for:** geometric diagrams, flowcharts, bar/line/pie charts, structured tables.

| Format | Workshop station | Typical use |
|--------|------------------|-------------|
| TikZ | TikZ Editor | Precise geometry, angles, labeled diagrams |
| Mermaid Diagram | Mermaid | Flowcharts, sequences, timelines, class diagrams |
| Chart | Chart Builder | Bar, line, pie, scatter — CSV or JSON data |
| Data table | (inline JSON) | Frequency tables, truth tables, small datasets |

Click **Open in Workshop** on the block to edit visually, then **Apply & close** — content returns to your question type automatically.

**Chart block tip:** paste Chart.js-style JSON, or build in Chart Builder and return. Use <<<<param:n>>>> in labels when the type is parametric.

**Table block tip:** JSON with headers + rows — good for matrix-style classification questions without drawing cells by hand.

Learn more — optional deep dives

Use these only after the step-by-step recipe above. They open in a new tab for syntax lookup or extra examples.

D3 interactive visuals

Block format: D3 Interactive

Step-by-step — what to click and paste

Follow these steps in order. You do not need to understand code — copy the examples exactly, then change words or numbers to suit your question.

RECIPE — D3 visual (Manual build)
Build sections → **Stem** → **+ Add block**.
Format dropdown → **D3 Interactive** (empty script — no template picker).
Click **Open in Workshop** → D3 Visualizer opens in a new tab.
Author your visual freely (number line, grid, counters, charts — whatever you need).
Use **Insert** tokens or Workshop bindings for `<<<<param:a>>>>` dynamic values.
Click **Apply & close** — the script returns to your question block.
Add a **Plain Text** block describing what the diagram shows (accessibility).
Check **Preview**.

PASTE SCRIPT (optional)
You can paste D3 script directly into the block textarea instead of Workshop — same token syntax applies.

DYNAMIC COUNTS (with parameters)
Set up **Dynamic variables** (e.g. integer a = 3).
In Workshop or the script, reference `<<<<param:a>>>>` for counts, positions, labels.
Each generated question gets different numbers — still no image upload.

**Best for:** number lines, coordinate grids, bar models, dot plots, **dynamic** counts driven by parametric variables.

D3 blocks store a script rendered in a sandboxed iframe. In **Manual build**, use **Open in Workshop → D3 Visualizer** — there are no built-in template pickers; you author freely and apply the script back.

**Parametric counting:** declare parameters (e.g. integer `a`, `b`) in Dynamic variables, then reference them in D3 with TeachForge token syntax (`<<<<param:a>>>>`, etc.) in the script or via Workshop variable bindings. Each generated question instance samples new values — the visual updates without new uploads.

**Pros:** dynamic per instance, interactive pan/zoom where configured, ideal for math visualisation.
**Cons:** requires D3/JavaScript — use Workshop as your editor; use parameter tokens rather than hard-coded numbers.

After every D3 block, add a sibling Plain or Markdown line describing what the diagram shows (accessibility and student clarity).

Learn more — optional deep dives

Use these only after the step-by-step recipe above. They open in a new tab for syntax lookup or extra examples.

Tables, code & HTML

Block formats: Data table · Code · HTML

Step-by-step — what to click and paste

Follow these steps in order. You do not need to understand code — copy the examples exactly, then change words or numbers to suit your question.

RECIPE A — Data table (copy JSON)
1. Format dropdown → **Data Table**.
2. Paste:

{"headers": ["Day", "Temperature"], "rows": [["Mon", "12°C"], ["Tue", "15°C"], ["Wed", "9°C"]]}

3. Change column names and cell text. Preview shows a table.

RECIPE B — ASCII counting grid
1. Format dropdown → **Code**.
2. Paste:

* * * *
* * *
* * * * *

How many stars?

RECIPE C — Simple HTML layout
1. Format dropdown → **HTML**.
2. Paste:

<p><strong>Look at the pattern:</strong></p>
<ul>
  <li>Red</li>
  <li>Blue</li>
  <li>Green</li>
</ul>

RECIPE D — Embed GeoGebra or Desmos (live tool, not an image)
1. Format dropdown → **Embed (iframe)**.
2. On geogebra.org or desmos.com, open the activity you want.
3. Use the site’s **Share** or **Embed** button → copy the **https://…** URL.
4. Paste only the URL into the TeachForge box (one line, starting with https).
5. Preview shows the live tool inside the question.

**Data table** — structured headers and rows in JSON. Use for timetables, classification grids, and numeric tables.

**Code / Code (highlighted)** — monospaced text for ASCII layouts, pseudocode, or fixed-width counting patterns.

**HTML** — sanitised subset for simple layout when Markdown is not enough. Prefer Markdown or SVG when possible.

**Iframe embed** — links to external tools (GeoGebra, Desmos, PhET) without hosting an image file. The visual lives on the external site; you only store the embed URL.

Learn more — optional deep dives

Use these only after the step-by-step recipe above. They open in a new tab for syntax lookup or extra examples.

Workshop return in Manual build

Open in Workshop

Step-by-step — what to click and paste

Follow these steps in order. You do not need to understand code — copy the examples exactly, then change words or numbers to suit your question.

CLICK-BY-CLICK — Return from Workshop (e.g. Mermaid)
1. On your question type page, scroll to **Build sections** → **Stem**.
2. **+ Add block** → Format **Mermaid Diagram**.
3. Click once inside the block so it is focused (cursor blinking).
4. Click the **Open in Workshop** button on that block.
5. A new popup window opens — the Mermaid station.
6. Type or paste diagram code in the left panel; the picture appears on the right.
7. When happy, click **Apply & close** (top of popup).
8. The popup closes. Your TeachForge block now contains the Mermaid text automatically.
9. Scroll to **Preview** — same diagram, no upload.

PRACTISE FIRST
• Main menu → **Workshop** → **Mermaid Diagrams** (or Chart Builder, etc.).
• Experiment without saving a question type.
• When you know what you want, use **Open in Workshop** from the question block so content returns to the right place.

WHICH STATION FOR WHICH BLOCK?
• Markdown / LaTeX block → Markdown & LaTeX station
• Mermaid Diagram block → Mermaid station
• Chart block → Chart Builder
• D3 Interactive block → D3 Visualiser
• TikZ Diagram block → TikZ Editor

These block formats include **Open in Workshop** in Manual build:

• Markdown & LaTeX → `/workshop/markdown-latex`
• SVG → `/workshop/svg-editor`
• TikZ → `/workshop/tikz`
• Mermaid Diagram → `/workshop/mermaid`
• Chart → `/workshop/chart-builder`
• D3 Interactive → `/workshop/d3-visualiser`

Steps:
1. Focus the block you are editing.
2. Click **Open in Workshop** (opens a popup).
3. Author or refine the visual.
4. Click **Apply & close** — content patches back into the same block.

You can open Workshop stations directly from the main menu to experiment, then paste or return content into your question type.

Learn more — optional deep dives

Use these only after the step-by-step recipe above. They open in a new tab for syntax lookup or extra examples.

Comparison at a glance

Step-by-step — what to click and paste

Follow these steps in order. You do not need to understand code — copy the examples exactly, then change words or numbers to suit your question.

START HERE IF YOU ARE NEW
Counting with apples or stars → **Plain text & Markdown** section → Recipe A (emoji).
Math dots or ten-frames → **LaTeX** section → copy the array block.
Flowchart or process diagram → **TikZ, Mermaid & charts** → Recipe A (Mermaid) — paste flowchart TD code OR use Open in Workshop.
Bar chart from data → same section → Recipe B (Chart JSON) OR Chart Builder Workshop.
Number line → **D3** section → Open in Workshop only.
Not sure which button to press → **Overview** section → “Where you work”.

Remember: choose the format from the dropdown first, then paste into that block’s text box. Preview is always on the same question type page.

| Method | Block format(s) | Best use | Setup |
|--------|-----------------|----------|-------|
| Unicode / emoji | Plain, Markdown | Early counting, quick objects | None |
| LaTeX / KaTeX | LaTeX, Markdown | Ten-frames, arrays, equations | Low–medium |
| Inline SVG | SVG Graphic | Custom shapes & colors | Medium |
| TikZ / Mermaid / Chart | tikz, diagram, chart | Geometry, flows, data charts | Workshop |
| D3 | d3 | Number lines, dynamic grids | Workshop + tokens |
| ASCII / code | code, plain | Block counting, text grids | None |
| Data table | table | Matrices, frequency tables | Low |
| Uploaded image | image, gif | Photos, scanned assets | File upload |

**Rule of thumb:** start with Plain/Markdown or LaTeX; escalate to SVG, Workshop diagrams, or D3 when you need layout control or dynamic variables.

Learn more — optional deep dives

Use these only after the step-by-step recipe above. They open in a new tab for syntax lookup or extra examples.