I am beta testing new input technology from Motin4U called Xaelander. It allows you to control channels of an object in Maya, 3dsMax, or After Effects using a streamlined 3D motion capture of your hands in space. See their web site http://www.3dmotion4u.com/ .
Computer graphics have always struggled with the person/machine interface. From keyboards, light pens, data tablets, gloves, 3D tracking, to mice, the challenge has always been to provide the most “natural”, or “intuitive” way to control in computer space from the real world. What that way is varies from person to person, depending on what their individual understanding, training, and experience has been.
An efficient and effective Man/Machine Interface (MMI) will have four qualities.
1. GOOD METAPHOR
Almost all user interface development guides state the first main rule: “Choose good metaphor”. Sometimes metaphor comes from subject area. So, when you develop graphic editor it makes sense to use metaphor that includes paper, pen, rubber, i.e. the concepts the user faced with before in real life and has an idea of their behavior and functions. In the 3D computer Animation world, sculpting, dance, or Martial arts may be better metaphors. Usability specialists state that right metaphor is a key factor that determines application success, as it can extremely reduce evaluation and training time.
2. SPEED OF PERCEPTION
Speed of information perception is one of unquestionable merits of analog gauges. Reaction to pointer moving towards the red zone or blinking indicator can be much faster then reaction to changing numeric indicator.
That is why the super modern fighters use out-of-date dashboards with a lot of pointers and indicators. What have fighters to do with it? We talked about Digital content creation, not about war. It is not matter of milliseconds; you can relax and have a cup of coffee before you make important decision, can’t you?
IBM measured that any computer response that took greater than a half second was noticed by the human operator as an intrusion to and interruption of the workflow. The most expensive segment of time in any DCC project is the time it takes for that human operator to arrive at a suitable result. The faster a result can be achieved, the more efficient for the human operator and his/her employer.
3. VISUALIZATION
It is often difficult to make right decision based on raw data. Our brain operates by visual images and not by mathematical abstractions. Learning a tool set is largely developing visualizations of that raw data. A properly designed MMI allows visual evaluation of the extent the displayed value and how close it is to the desired result.
4. AESTHETICS
Applications should be attractive as well as any other things we use. As human beings we like using nice things no matter useful they are. Why strain your eyes observing neat rows of figures or channel data that merge into solid mass by the end of working day to find necessary data. If the interface is more attractive and many routine operations will become less tedious.
Software manufacturers provide as many choices as they can to suit as many types of users as possible – to sell as many copies of their software as possible. This is why Maya has keyboard for numerical input, mouse for sliders, brush based inputs like Artisan, as well as interactive handles; to accommodate that diversity of what’s “intuitive”.
Some tasks are better suited by numerical input precision, others are better done “by eye”.
Xaelander is a input device that allows the user to connect channels of data in Maya, 3dsMax or After Effects to objects in front of you so you can control them “by hand”.
I will be blogging about my experiences in Beta testing the usability of the Xaelander system to control Cameras, lights ans shaders in Maya2010.
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