New "Ultimate" Front End Being Developed: Looking For User Input

**UnusuallyGenius** · 07-10-2009, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by NSFW

With Powermate:

1. Glance at screen, see which button is highlighted
2. Move hand from steering wheel to powermate
3. Twist Powermate
4. Glance at screen, confirm correct button is highlighted
5. If correct button, press powermate; if not, go to 3.

With touch screen:

1. Take hand off steering wheel, move toward screen.
2. Glance at hand and screen.
3. Press button on screen.

You can see why I'd rather navigate the UI with a touch screen with big buttons on it.

The Interface will not be optimized for touch screen use, it will support it, and some aspects of the screen will be very easy to use with the touch screen, but the FE will not be designed specifically for touchscreens.

Another feature I am working on is voice confirmation. Using a bluetooth headset, as you rotate the controller, in your ear will be a vocal confirmation of what button you are on.

**Bxsteez** · 07-10-2009, 11:52 AM

Wow this will not be optimized for a touchscreen? Well there goes the idea of the ultimate front end.

**NSFW** · 07-10-2009, 12:13 PM

This screen would be more usable if it zoomed in on the little buttons in the middle so they grow to be about as big as the outer buttons are. It'll be easier to press with a touch screen, and easier to see what's highlighted when using the Powermate.

Since the outer buttons are disabled, much of the screen real-estate is going to waste. Consider keeping the outer buttons them right where they are, and just have the inner buttons slide over them and expand to cover them.

**NSFW** · 07-10-2009, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by Bxsteez

Wow this will not be optimized for a touchscreen? Well there goes the idea of the ultimate front end.

I think he's planning to create the ultimate front end for people who don't have touch screens.

As long as it's still usable with a touch screen, I'm still interested in how it turns out.

**soundman98** · 07-10-2009, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by NSFW

With Powermate:

1. Glance at screen, see which button is highlighted
2. Move hand from steering wheel to powermate
3. Twist Powermate
4. Glance at screen, confirm correct button is highlighted
5. If correct button, press powermate; if not, go to 3.

With touch screen:

1. Take hand off steering wheel, move toward screen.
2. Glance at hand and screen.
3. Press button on screen.

You can see why I'd rather navigate the UI with a touch screen with big buttons on it.

i agree that a powermate is not the safest way to navigate any screen options, but i think that the powermate has some options that lend itself highly to a car environment.

if you were to limit powermate functions to play/pause, vol+/-, and next/last track, it would take car of most of the playback options, and allow a setup that the user doesn't neccesarily need to be looking at the screen for.

choosing to not allow for touchscreen sized icons means that you will lose alot of people that have interest in a different front end.

if you are truly interested in creating a FE that will be availible for the general public, the first(included) skin will need to be easy to navigate using a touchscreen, if it is not, i am afraid to say that most will pass over it like old cheese.

**Bxsteez** · 07-10-2009, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by soundman98

i agree that a powermate is not the safest way to navigate any screen options, but i think that the powermate has some options that lend itself highly to a car environment.

if you were to limit powermate functions to play/pause, vol+/-, and next/last track, it would take car of most of the playback options, and allow a setup that the user doesn't neccesarily need to be looking at the screen for.

choosing to not allow for touchscreen sized icons means that you will lose alot of people that have interest in a different front end.

if you are truly interested in creating a FE that will be availible for the general public, the first(included) skin will need to be easy to navigate using a touchscreen, if it is not, i am afraid to say that most will pass over it like old cheese.

what he said.

**Bugbyte** · 07-10-2009, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by NSFW

With Powermate:

1. Glance at screen, see which button is highlighted
2. Move hand from steering wheel to powermate
3. Twist Powermate
4. Glance at screen, confirm correct button is highlighted
5. If correct button, press powermate; if not, go to 3.

With touch screen:

1. Take hand off steering wheel, move toward screen.
2. Glance at hand and screen.
3. Press button on screen.

You can see why I'd rather navigate the UI with a touch screen with big buttons on it.

Disagree. With touch screen:

1. Take hand off steering wheel, move toward screen.
2. Glance at hand and screen to coordinate location to touch.
3. Glance at road
4. Press button or re-coordinate location for hand to touch because of bump or accel/decel.
5. Press button.

Powermate is not the ultimate method, but it is very good because you do not have to perform hand/eye coordination while driving. It's location does not require you to look at it. You can find it easily, the same as the gearshift or radio knob.

It's true that you have to look at the screen to tell what is highlighted, but that's a good opportunity for the voice control to speak up and tell you, so you don't have to look at it.

Messier stuff like search is incredibly difficult to do with either touch or Powermate.

**UnusuallyGenius** · 07-10-2009, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by Bugbyte

Powermate is not the ultimate method, but it is very good because you do not have to perform hand/eye coordination while driving. It's location does not require you to look at it. You can find it easily, the same as the gearshift or radio knob.

It's true that you have to look at the screen to tell what is highlighted, but that's a good opportunity for the voice control to speak up and tell you, so you don't have to look at it.

Messier stuff like search is incredibly difficult to do with either touch or Powermate.

As much as i would like to use the 3Dconnexion SpaceNavigator for this project, honestly how many people have the money for those awesome devices. Sitting at or around $50 the powermate is cheap, cheaper if you get it on ebay.

I am designing this FE based on a few common pieces of equipment: 7"-8" screen, bluetooth headset(who honestly doesnt have one as cheap as they are), and the Powermate. Other than that, bring whatever hardware you want. Oh, for my Sync program, a wifi card will be needed, but that is also kindof a given.

**UnusuallyGenius** · 07-10-2009, 07:53 PM

The more time I spend on this FE, the more i am enjoying it, and the better it begins to look. I have nothing functional yet, just some really good looking images of what it will look like.
This is the first:

More To Come

**DarquePervert** · 07-10-2009, 10:28 PM

I'll be impressed when there's more than just concept art.

Don't get me wrong. I think your project is a great one. But until there's functioning executable, it's just pretty pictures.

Good luck.