These answers are about the web IDE, which runs in your browser. Launch it here. If you use the downloadable app, see the desktop app at the end.
No, not to start. Without signing in you can write and run Logo, use the Blocks and Text editors, open the Examples and Published projects, and download your work (File > Download… > Project, or as an image, STL model, movie or GIF). Your current workspace is also kept in your browser, so it survives a page reload.
You need to sign in for:
Use the Sign In menu to log in or create an account.
To remix someone else’s work, open it from the Gallery or the Examples and press Remix (inside the IDE the button says Open). It loads into your workspace; press Save to keep your own copy. Each project also has Play, for the full-screen player, and Share, for an embeddable player.
Either, and you can swap between them. The Blocks and Text tabs sit above the editor and edit the same code.
Edits in the Text editor don’t take effect until you press Update, above the editor. Update applies your code, and if it works the cursor goes back to the console, ready for you to run it. If there is a mistake, the cursor stays in the editor so you can fix it. Revert throws away your edits since the last Update.
Some other things to check:
?lang=fr (or ja, es, pl, en) opens it in that language for that visit only.Sign in, then choose Classroom from the user menu and press ＋ New Group. The first time you create a group, you’ll be asked to confirm your email address with a six-digit code.
Press Manage on a group to:
See For teachers for more on using turtleSpaces in a class.
Use Examples > Browse Examples… in the IDE, or browse the examples from here. Pick one and press Open (or Remix) to load it into your workspace. Many examples start by themselves; if one doesn’t, look in the editor for the main procedure and type its name at the console.
You can also type pots at the console to list all the procedures in the workspace.
Use the mouse in the 3D view:
View > Camera Controls in the IDE lists these too.
The default camera is a turtle named Snappy! You can switch to Snappy by typing:
setturtle "snappy
Then command Snappy as you would Myrtle (fd 20, rt 90 and so on). Type setturtle "myrtle to switch back. If you only want Snappy to do one or two things, put Snappy’s name and a colon in front of the instruction instead. This works for any turtle:
snappy:fd 20
Type it in the Text editor and press Update, or type it at the console:
to square :size
repeat 4 [fd :size rt 90]
end
Unlike some other Logos, you can call a procedure whatever you like. Be warned, though: if you use a name that a primitive already has, your procedure replaces that primitive (which can be very useful!). To use the built-in primitive inside your replacement, put @ in front of it:
to square :size
@square :size
print |This is my square!|
end
Once you know a little Logo, it’s worth reading through the examples. Much of the syntax and language will become crystal clear once you do.
The downloadable app is the same IDE running on your own computer, so most of the answers above apply to it too. The differences:
turtlespaces folder inside your Documents folder.