[LAD] pixmap based knob widgets and theme integration.

[Patrick Shirkey]

On Tue, September 28, 2010 6:35 am, Olivier Guilyardi wrote:
> On 09/28/2010 01:59 PM, Patrick Shirkey wrote:
>
>> There is a couple of things about knobs that don't translate well to a
>> mouse and are still fairly cumbersome with multitouch.
>>
>> I can't get away from the feeling that knobs on a screen are as bad as
>> screws. They just don't translate intuitively.
>
> Well, I recently tried the TouchOSC iPhone app, which allows you to build
> custom
> UIs by assembling knobs, sliders, buttons, etc... and assign them to OSC
> messages.
>
> The knobs are just brilliant, it's very intuitive I think. It's touch
> though,
> not multi-touch.
>
>> Wouldn't it be more productive to find ways to make sliders more
>> visually
>> expressive?
>
> An interface full of sliders can be confusing and ugly. Knobs + sliders,
> that
> brings balance I believe.
>
>> They are perfectly suited to a single point cursor and multi touch.
>
>> For example instead of a knob why not have an inset light strip in the
>> shape of a half circle? ie. a curved slider. It will take up as much
>> space
>> as a knob but can be easily manipulated with mouse or finger.
>
> Isn't that what Thorwil's designs, already discussed, propose? They
> precisely
> are circular sliders *and* level meters. The exact same thing goes with
> TouchOSC.
>

I missed the earlier discussion, sorry.


>> With a 3d space sliders can be made to do some amazing things. In
>> addition
>> there are other control options that become available like pinch, tap,
>> swipe and shake gestures.
>
> Pinching... That's interesting. But pinching usually requires a large
> widget/element, such as a photo, web page. If the widget is too small, you
> won't
> get as much precision as a single-touch slider, be it circular or linear.
>

It doesn't have to be. You just need to start with at least one point on
the widget. In fact it could work well with a mouse too.

The widget could look something like a circle with a cross in it. When you
click and drag up the cross opens up and when you click and drag down the
cross closes. This would provide a circular image with a
rectangular/slider single axis movement.


>> Why constrain ourselves to a concept we know is a pain for the user if
>> it
>> is also gonna be a pain for the developer to implement? If we are going
>> to
>> go to all that trouble why not make it something the user will truly
>> appreciate and increase their productivity.
>
> Yes, but the productivity of a musician isn't only about tools efficiency.
> It's
> also about inspiration, which isn't necessary rational. That said I agree
> with
> you about innovation, a creative UI might exactly be what a creative
> person need.
>
> Actually, I work a lot on Android these days, and I reckon there's lot of
> new
> possibilities with touch interfaces. And that's right, do this with a 3D
> scene,
> and now you got something :)
>

Yes, I'm drooling at the possibilites ;-)


-- 
Patrick Shirkey
Boost Hardware Ltd.