Scenarios/Storytelling

[Mark Constable]

On 2008-06-09, Aaron J. Seigo wrote:
> one thing in your mockups that isn't on the current plan is multiple zoom 
> levels: in one mockup you show an activity zoomed in enough to see the 
> plasmoids in it, but all the rest zoomed out fully. perhaps that could be done 
> on mouse over in the largest zoom factor, but may also prove to be unecessary 
> and even disorienting to the user: we'd have to either move other items out of 
> the way to give the zoomed activity room, or cover other activities (really 
> not an option i don't think). there are some nice algorithms out there for 
> moving nodes "out of the way" that are pretty simple, but i'm not sure it's 
> worth it given a decent pan-and-zoom system.

Please don't forget the almighty compiz-like transparent and
rotating cube which provides almost-all-at-once view of up
to six activities.

Other 3D scapes could also be useful like "rooms" with "doors"
and "windows" providing natural transitions between activities.
It might sound childishly silly but it would also be incredibly
intuitive to put ones finger on a "door" and go from the office
den to the entertainment lounge. Touch dragging the results of
activities, or an email message, to a remote coworkers "home"
would also be very rtfm-free. Think ultra-zoomed Marble perhaps.

--markc