[linux-audio-dev] Sliders

[Mike Rawes]

On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 19:03:35 +0200
Thorsten Wilms <t_w_ at freenet.de> wrote:

> Hello again!
> 
> The discussion about linear or radial mouse movement for 
> knobs finaly got me to mockup an idea i had in my mind 
> for sometime already.
> 
> For now I call it fan sliders:
> http://wrstud.urz.uni-wuppertal.de/~ka0394/forum/04-06-10_fan_slider_01.png
> 
> It's all about concept, not style.
> 
> The idea is to allow rather small sliders, but on mouse-down lines
> from top and button appear on one side (important for making the
> feature discoverable). Outside of the inital slider the pointer
> position is indicated by the crossing middle and vertical line. The
> straight horizontal extension is only meant to make reading easier. So
> up/down is value change, outwards increases precision (can of course
> be turned for stuff like pan).
> 
> If the graphics do not fit on the screen, it still can work because
> the value is indicated by the initial slider and inclination of the
> center line (well, at least I hope so).
> 
> Default expansion direction should be reading direction, but moving
> the pointer out on the other side could make it turn over. Close to
> the right screen edge the behaviour could be as known from menus.
> 
> The first mockup has a slider where the dragable part is clearly
> defined. The second gives a stronger sense of value, but is not clear
> about where  to click (I propose everywhere on the slider area, always
> grabbing the  actual value. No special behaviour like known from
> scrollbars). It's also more space efficient, because the whole are can
> be used (with the other one a half button must be spared on both ends
> each.)
> 
> For those concerned about precision of pointer movement /
> inadvertently changes to precision while adjusting value:
> Instead of linear spreading out, it could be stepped (lines looking
> like stairs). But that would be much less elegant.
> 
> 
> Comments, please!

I really like it. Utilises the two degrees of freedom very effectively.
It wouldn't even strictly be necessary to display the fanned bit - just
have the behaviour.

Incidentally, it does have an exact parallel to radial knob control,
just 'straightened out', and thus more ergonomic!

- 
Myk