Translucent patches—dissolving windows

ABSTRACT

This paper presents motivation, design, and algorithms for using and implementing translucent, non-rectangular patches as a substitute for rectangular opaque windows. The underlying metaphor is closer to a mix between the architects yellow paper and the usage of white boards, than to rectangular opaque paper in piles and folders on a desktop.Translucent patches lead to a unified view of windows, sub-windows and selections, and provide a base from which the tight connection between windows, their content, and applications can be dissolved. It forms one aspect of on-going work to support design activities that involve “marking” media, like paper and white boards, with computers. The central idea of that research is to allow the user to associate structure and meaning dynamically and smoothly to marks on a display surface.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Interaction styles (e.g., commands, menus, forms, direct manipulation)

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Windowing systems; Input devices and strategies (e.g., mouse, touchscreen)

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design, Documentation

Keywords:
interaction techniques, interface metaphors, irregular shapes, pen based interfaces, translucency