Post 9vSSckPfXmchxBJP4i by philipwhite@functional.cafe
(DIR) More posts by philipwhite@functional.cafe
(DIR) Post #9vSMrDECbjCveQSk9Q by sir@cmpwn.com
2020-05-27T01:29:26Z
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What if interactive UI elements had 'gravity' that attracted your mouse pointer to them and made it easier to aim for them from a distance? #a11y
(DIR) Post #9vSNKkxuFiiMgOvb60 by _@abolish.social
2020-05-27T01:34:19Z
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@sir ive heard this is a feature of the new ipad trackpad cursor. i would love to see it implemented in a freer software ecosystem
(DIR) Post #9vSNT4aLBqSjqjs40G by bootie_fringe@queer.party
2020-05-27T01:35:57Z
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@sir this would annoy me to no end, as it would mess up my spatial memory. How about making bigger buttons instead?
(DIR) Post #9vSNZbUJlrHxdLATLM by sir@cmpwn.com
2020-05-27T01:36:20Z
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@bootie_fringe not on by default obviously
(DIR) Post #9vSOFtlgCF7gUTSMQi by bootie_fringe@queer.party
2020-05-27T01:44:42Z
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@sir Fair – I just think it is a workaround for a problem that would not exist if buttons were big anough.
(DIR) Post #9vSONf7GYVBxMiFtM8 by sir@cmpwn.com
2020-05-27T01:45:49Z
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@bootie_fringe I agree that buttons should be bigger, but not all solutions work for all people. Consider the ease of use improvement if a user with Parkinson's could increase the gravity substantially
(DIR) Post #9vSOj757m9k2BDTxfU by lanodan@queer.hacktivis.me
2020-05-27T01:51:14.379311Z
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@sir @bootie_fringe Or trying to point at buttons with a wiimote/tv remote. (Tizen goes more on a tabindex-switching but that's quite inefficient to actually use when you could point)
(DIR) Post #9vSOtsSaTjpU18acLI by bootie_fringe@queer.party
2020-05-27T01:50:54Z
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@sir I do not know how people with Parkinson's struggle with computers, but I understand your point. Now, how would you implement it? Surely the compositor can not do it alone?
(DIR) Post #9vSP1Jghe42SUPjtqa by sir@cmpwn.com
2020-05-27T01:51:11Z
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@bootie_fringe no, it would require help from the application
(DIR) Post #9vSPMkKJnUnlBqUHy4 by jbauer@social.paritybit.ca
2020-05-27T01:56:32Z
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@sir I could see that backfiring if gravities of different elements clash or the user accidentally moves their mouse close to something they don't want to click on. It could then make it more difficult for them to actually click the thing they want.
(DIR) Post #9vSSckPfXmchxBJP4i by philipwhite@functional.cafe
2020-05-27T02:33:37Z
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@sir makes me think of the wayfire fisheye effect, although that doesn't actually change anything about the movement of the cursor.
(DIR) Post #9vSTvX9DBkieGf8ULY by khm@mastodon.sdf.org
2020-05-27T02:45:39Z
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would you need gravity if, for instance, when you approached the 'gravity well' of a given UI element, that UI element visually/audibly indicated it would be the target of a click? this way you're not manipulating mouse movements themselves, but implementing the effect, and in a way that could be cancelable (i.e. right-click to decline). you could even draw a line from the pointer to the ui element that would receive the click -- like aim assist in first-person shooters
(DIR) Post #9vSmAUWj0s0hesPrSC by wolf480pl@mstdn.io
2020-05-27T06:13:51Z
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@sirCalling it gravity would be.confusing for anyone who.has ever worked with X11 :/
(DIR) Post #9vSnCVInCYAyb1QHGy by temporal@mastodon.technology
2020-05-27T06:24:17Z
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@sir Pretty sure Windows had this feature as accessibility option back in the days; I distinctively remember playing with something like it as a kid, and not liking it much.I might be misremembering, though. I've found this paper on "Gravity Controls" from ICCHP 2012:https://sci-hub.se/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-31534-3_24(pages 157-163)It would've mentioned if this ever was a built-in feature, or so I would think.
(DIR) Post #9vSnLftzA1QG4rC06S by wasamasa@lonely.town
2020-05-27T06:24:57Z
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@sir Like snapping in image manipulation software? Or a magnetic force like in the Enigma game?
(DIR) Post #9vSxoowjc0gW4F0zZY by s_ol@merveilles.town
2020-05-27T08:23:05Z
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@sirI was going to build multiple different controls like this for my BA (before I pulled a break changed topic).I did prototypr one where you would "flick" a virtual ball controlled via a Leapmotion sitting between the two split halves of my keyboard. The ball would roll through essentially a forcefield like you describe.
(DIR) Post #9vTJmt5pQDTzLAkg4G by gws@mastodon.host
2020-05-27T12:28:48Z
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@sir NO nonononononononononononolego_batman_nonono.movBecause there's always going to be a button that can't be unclicked and I was aiming for something else but my cursor got yoinked. I shouldn't have to solve the three-body problem every time there's a choice of buttons.See also: Software with "smart" in its name... never is.
(DIR) Post #9vTOIN4CQiAr61G3G4 by gws@mastodon.host
2020-05-27T12:33:28Z
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@sir @gws Instead, let clickables glow in proportion to proximity when the pointer comes near them. Instant feedback about what wants to be touched (Is this an "affordance"?) and whether you're on track to touch it.
(DIR) Post #9vTOINE7po77antyjI by sir@cmpwn.com
2020-05-27T13:19:47Z
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@gws it's not about identifying them, it's about aiming for them. And it wouldn't be for you, it would be optional and only helpful for those with mobility issues
(DIR) Post #9vTU8ES0D0hNCdwLcO by bmp@mastodon.social
2020-05-27T14:25:15Z
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@sir This is *exactly* how touchpads and mice work on iOS/iPadOS. I was dubious until I used it, but now it’s my other computers that feel weird.
(DIR) Post #9vTnJQw61jqYEx4Soa by dredmorbius@mastodon.cloud
2020-05-27T17:59:19Z
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@sir That's a feature of some old Linux WMs. Windowmaker has an edge attraction / edge resistance for moving / resizing windows. It especially help when trying to place to windows directly adjacent (attraction), or to try to put a window at the edge of a workspace without rolling into the next one (resistance).Dating to at least the 1990s, if not 1980s NextStep.