[sugar] Finding cursors. Ripples in a puddle?

[Bert Freudenberg]

On 25.11.2008, at 02:27, Ken Ritchie wrote:

> Does anyone else recall recurring debates about cursor size and the  
> effect on one's ability to visually discover the location of a  
> cursor?   Yes, there are tradeoffs between simply making cursors  
> larger (easier to discover location) or making cursors smaller  
> (easier to place precisely, eclipses fewer pixels)...especially when  
> the pointing devices are other than by directly touching the display  
> screen. Such is the case with the present XO laptops.
>
> To sidestep those debates, I imagine a different way -- one in which  
> cursors could be of any size, color, shape, etc.  -- and yet still  
> draw my eye quickly to the locus of the current cursor.
>
>
> VISION:  Each time my finger tip lands on the touch pad I see a  
> circular wavefront (on the display, of course) briefly emanating  
> from the point of the cursor. The wave gently fades as it grows and  
> dissipates.  Thus, it appears as if the screen is overlaid with a  
> clear puddle and I have lightly touched its surface.  The effect  
> could be simulated with a simple ring; probably a simpler and  
> cheaper computation than a "wave" effect. A bitblt series would do.
>
>
> Like ripples in a puddle, the visual effect and conceptual metaphor  
> would seem to draw on nearly universal human experience from early  
> childhood. Of course, the HCI labs around the world could experiment  
> with such effects (if not already) to understand the human factors  
> and optimize the man-machine interface. Meanwhile, it seems worth  
> trying, pragmatically.
> ;-)


That is an interesting idea (though I would have to see it first to  
find out if I like it or not).

How would I get an event from the XO touchpad when it is touched? (I  
wanted to figure this out before replying to your Etoys list msg ...)

- Bert -