wwp@yahoogroups.com:
Re: spinControl
cheathamlane_360 2005-Apr-02 19:18:00
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I couldn't help noticing the spinControl movie that controls the Fullscreen
panoramas, it seems very useful, and I was just wondering if this is something we
can take away for our own use. It clearly says in the Movie properties copyright
"Patrick Cheatham". Just thought I would ask this question.
Bill
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Hi Bill, et al.:
Please use spinControl however you see fit!, and I'm happy you think it useful.
You can read about it, and download it from:
http://spincontrol.cheathamlane.net
Enjoy!
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Please take this criticism constructively. This is my opinion and suggestion.
The Full-Screen icons are visually distracting.
In stark black and white, they draw the eye away from the panorama. I don't use
them. But if users like them, they should be muted and discrete. They should not be
the most visually arresting items on the page. A panorama is a photograph and a
work of art. Give it the full screen it deserves.
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Visually, the icons should recede and not call attention to themselves.
If you don't get my point, ask designers of art presentation sites.
Here's an example from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. On this page:
http://www.sfmoma.org/bechtle/index.html
Caroling
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Hi Caroling:
What, somebody with an opinion on this list? :)
I agree that the main focus is, of course, the panoramas.
Originally, I designed this controller to tie in with the WWP's existing CSS/Markup
(white on black, with that funky blue highlight for links). In that respect, then, it
carries out the WWP theme nicely.
In the spirit of the World Wide Collaboration going on, I've made the controller freely
available to anyone. :)
...Now, I also created an "hextended" version, which will let anyone who uses it *
define* the colors for the buttons and background (using standard HTML
hexadecimal). So, you or anyone else can make it as muted, understated, or garish
as you like! :)
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Personally, I think the WWP fullscreen pages should *not* use the standard QT
controller at all (and, in my opinion, I find the standard QT buttons fairly useless
anyway).
I also think that the pages would scan better if the panoramas went 100% edge-to-
edge, had no margin at the top, and the bottom edge went all the way flush with the
top of the text bar. BUT, I understand it's the WWP site, not mine -- and there are
issues with some browsers displaying scroll bars and such when presenting things
that are "100%".
All that said, the site rocks and the pages look just fine. :)
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I've actually done some tech work for SFMOMA, and seen that online gallery. It
uses QT to display the video, and Flash does the rest. It's a really nice looking site -
- SFMOMA has an awesome *team* of designers on staff.
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Your points are well taken, duly noted, and will be considered, Caroling. :)
[Although, if the entire world subscribed to Jakob Nielsen's proscriptions, the Wild
Wooly Web would be a boring place indeed].
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As a general my opinion is that a QTVR should be moved by dragging. That's
interactive. Clicking on a link to move it is kind of stupid.
The new PleinPot has a similar controller but it also includes an auto rotation option
and the panning control is smoother.
Hans Nyberg
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WHAT? Hans, *you* have an opinion?! :)
I absolutely agree that the beauty of QTVR is the interactivity -- clicking, moving,
zooming, directly from the image.
I was an Apple consultant for several years in San Francisco -- Our clients ranged
from tech-savvy to tech-illiterate. Much of my time was spent not only in educating
my clients in how to use their machines best, but also in what their machines were
capable of. One of my frequent calls for support was "My Internet's broken!" (sigh)
I learned from that experience to NEVER overestimate the computer prowess of a
client. *Underestimating* the potential ineptitude of someone when placed in front of
a computer -- even an Apple machine -- got me into trouble more than once. :)
(present company excepted of course)
I mention all this because my experience with clients, potential clients, friends, and
many VR "newbies" is that many people get placed in front of a (QT)VR and say
"That's beautiful! But, what does it do?"
I've had to educate more people than I have fingers and toes in how to "click-and-
drag". And, as a rule, I've found that Joe Computer User does not grasp using the
shift/control buttons for zooming.
All of us here understand QuickTime and the power of QuickTime -- we're
developers and enthusiasts -- but, again in my experience, I find that the general
public *doesn't* understand it and doesn't really care. They just want it to work.
So last year, in an effort to make my client's fullscreen experience a more intuitive
and pleasurable one, I created a "controller" for the VRs at my site (it does a lot
more than the spincontrol does). Since I put the controller up I've had only one
person ask me what to do.
Now, once folks *DO* understand how to click-and-drag, I think they *never* go back
to my controller. And that's great! :)
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Pleinpot is cute -- I actually talked with Francis about including a controller with
Pleinpot, just before he came out with the new version. Great minds think alike! :)
Thanks for the comment on the panning -- I'm curious as to what machine you're
viewing it on. Looks smooth here. I can tweak the pan settings very easily.
Anyone else think the panning is herky-jerky?
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I have in the works a version of the spinControl:Hextended that will autopan, plus
other things. I'll keep everyone posted!
Cheers, and thanks,
Patrick
http://spincontrol.cheathamlane.net