Pinball - Curve Ball

Curveball relies on technology no longer supported by bbc.co.uk.
The other five Pinball tools are still available, however.

We've left the notes below online as a record.

About Curve Ball

Curve Ball generates new and unexpected ideas and sets you off on all sorts of creative tangents. Use it to find words and images to inspire any creative project, from poetry to product design, by going on a journey of connections and randomness, picking up ideas along the way.

Step by step guide for Curve Ball
  1. Step 1
    Type a word into the ideas box and click the tick. To begin with an image, click the 'Image' tab and select an image of your own, then name it when prompted. For a random idea, click 'Lucky Dip' and select something.
  2. Step 2
    The 'Curve Factor' represents the amount of tangent between ideas. Curve factor 1 often produces words and images with stronger, more obvious connections. Curve Factor 3 produces the least connected, most random ideas.
  3. Step 3
    To save an idea, click its heart. The number saved will appear above the 'Finish' button.
  4. Step 4
    Click into an idea to move it into the centre position and to produce new ideas from it. All previous ideas will be lost, unless you save them first by clicking their hearts.
  5. Step 5
    When you want to review the ideas you've saved, click 'Finish'. You can then 'Print' them, 'Save' them as a jpg, or 'Flip' them to another Pinball tool. Click the X in the corner to go back.
Keyboard Controls

TAB around the screen and press ENTER to select an action or activate a button.

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