Posted on 05/01/2005 4:51:55 PM PDT by rdb3
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IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS THE COMMAND LINE.... The interaction human-computer has gone a long way since the invention of personal computers. In the beginning there was only a simple command-line interface (CLI), which was not a very intuitive interface. The only widely used device that you could use to interact with the computer was the keyboard. People needed a lot of skills to operate computers. New ways have been opened with the evolution of hardware and software. Inventions such as mouse or graphical user interface (GUI) changed the way we interact with the computer and allowed massive spread of computers. Working with the computer got easier, faster and more effective. The two-dimensional graphical user system is now established as the preferred interface for most users. It can be found in any of the major operating systems like Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and the X Window System. There has been made only a little progress since its invention. Declining hardware prices and increasing hardware capabilities allow us to make the next step and make interfaces more intuitive and more effective. A core part in creating any new environment is to provide a metaphor for intergrating visual elements into a recognizable and copmprehensive framework. The name of the application is "The Sphere". This name encapsulates the main idea behind the project. I'm not trying to simulate reality. The main inspiration comes from the way we recognize reality. My design is based on the human perception of the world.
THE CONCEPT The Sphere is theory of an 3D workspace. The SphereXP is an example of the theory. The environment is user-centered. It is represented by a sphere. The user is exactly in the middle of it. All objects are situated around the user. He can easily turn around and manipulate with the objects. All the objects that users are used to having on their regular desktop are now integrated in a three-dimensional environment. . There are icons and applications. They can be move around according to some rules. You can bring them closer to the view port or send them back.
THE APP Too much freedom of movement may cause disorientation. Therefore I chose to apply strict rules for moving in the environment. The user cannot go outside the designated area – the sphere. I call this type of navigation spherical. The view port is always facing apart from the sphere center. Once the user sets the distance from the center, the view port can be only rotated around it. This makes the navigation easier and prevents the user to get to an angle where he cannot see anything. A simple tool is used to ensure effective navigation and to prevent the user to get lost. It is a minimized version of the sphere situated in the right bottom corner. It provides an overview of where the view port is pointing and where all the objects are. Limited control of the layout The only thing that the user is allowed to change is the background image. This ensures that this environment will have the same functionality and layout on every computer. Users have to get used only to one environment. Use of the mouse A key to taking advantage of any new interactive environment is providing an effective way to navigate in the system. The mouse has become a standard way of communication with the OS. It is a quick and effective way to navigate in a 2D workspace. I wanted to give the users a feel they are working with something they have known for years. Therefore I chose the mouse as the only device for navigation. I took the basic functions like moving of objects (left mouse button) and context menu (right mouse button) as they are in Windows and added extra features for navigation. This enables the user to work with my application without any new skills and does also not require changing the habits drastically.
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Well, as someone who has taught lowly end-users, I can see where they might have problems. (Remember, there are lots if users who still don't understand the concept of folders/subfolders...)
For example, users will forget where they put stuff on that huge desktop. They'll spend lots of time scrolling hither and yon trying to find an app or file. What navigation/find features will this desktop have for those users?
Does it have to be 3D? Why not just a 2D scrollable desktop?
Pretty wild. Trying it now.
Nauseating!!
Very cool. Thanks.
Until computer environments are fully immersive, 3D desktops just aren't going to catch on. There really isn't much point.
There's a freeware Macintosh app (the name of which I cannot remember at this moment) that was a 2D-scroller. You could make the desktop as big as you wanted and use the arrow keys to slew 1/2-screen or whole-screen in any direction you wanted. One of the function keys zoomed you out to see the 'whole world' and you could click on a spot to zoom back in on it. Ran in OS9, never bothered to see if it ran in OSX. Pretty neat though!
Hmm. Interesting for power users. The average joe won't see the full functionality of this.
I will say, though, that Linux has had this same functionality (kinda) for quite a while, as I have multiple desktops, and can go from one to another just by moving the mouse to the edge of the screen--much like what was being shown on the video.
Microsoft put out a power toy that does the same thing. Its more of a resource hog than useful though (big suprise)
the whole demonstration is pointless on dialup.
Dialup doesn't really matter--the whole demonstration didn't show much anyway, other than a virtual screen larger than the physical screen.
Whatever. Sounds like a total waste of time.
Well, that's nifty!
There was something similar for OS/2 but I don't remember the name. I think it might have been an IBM Internal Use Only tool.
Interesting, but only useful for a few things, if someone has a computer that they just use to do word processing and surf the interent, then it's just going to make it more confusing, but I can see how for some people it coulr be pretty helpful.
Nice, but very amateurly done (compare to any screen effects on a Mac). I can already think of something they should add: importing a QuickTime VR file for your desktop.
The whole point of a 3D desktop just doesn't make sense. People don't need to layout things in 3 dimensions. It's like dropping clothes all over your room -- and then hunting for them by rotating around in circles.
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