Thinking Of Developing A New Frontend

[TLJRyan]

I just got done playing Beyond Good & Evil for my PS2, and the alphanumeric character selection GUI they use is brilliant:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efs6uk3VF7g#t=02m02s

I want to use this design in the Pandora as a means to select an object, or application (or folder...), using the Pandora's left analog, just like in the video. The right Pandora analog, maybe to bring up a radial selection where you choose between special functions like execute, delete, move, rename, sort, select, view properties . . . .

It would be quite similar to an ipod scrollwheel. Except instead of objects being displayed as a linear list, they are displayed in two dimensions as a spiral. Just like in that video.

The d-pad, maybe to choose different sections. Emulators, Applications, Games, Utilities, Settings . . . .

The triggers, one as a click button. The other to scroll ~10 objects at a time.

A B C D, special function shortcut buttons (skipping the need to use the right analog stick). Can be re-mapped on-the-fly.

Let me know if this isn't clear. I don't even know if it's worth pursuing or doing a mockup yet, and I don't know when I'll be getting a Pandora. But it sounds like fun, and I got really excited about the BG&E alphanumeric character selection GUI.

What do you guys think? Worth it?

*E: Edited for more clarity.

 

[Sphinxter]

Maybe, Beyond Good & Evil on the PS2 really rocks but on the other hand mine has no touchscreen or keyboard.

 

[TLJRyan]

Maybe, Beyond Good & Evil on the PS2 really rocks but on the other hand mine has no touchscreen or keyboard.

There's an argument to be made that an interface/gui like this could be more intuitive than an interface that's simply been translated from the standard desktop gui onto the Pandora.

I don't have a problem with the touchscreen, but its use should not be required for navigating the topmost gui.

Selecting items on handhelds has always been tedious, especially when you have a lot of items. Lets say you have 55 items to navigate through before you find the item you're interested in. That means you'd need to hit the down arrow 55 times, or page down 5 times (if n items on screen is 10) then another 5 regular button presses. That doesn't even take into account errors from over shooting. Say you page down 7 times instead of 5 . . . .

This seems like a really good way of getting to the application you want with the least amount of effort and button presses. Seems like this is more suitable for a handheld and may be more accurate and less frustrating. Just think about how awesome Geometry Wars is because of its accurate, intuitive, and responsive control with the firing stick.

There is no problem incorporating the keyboard into this gui as some sort of quickfind.

And yes, Beyond Good & Evil really rocked.

 

[lulzfish]

Or you could use the keyboard to type what you're looking for, that's always worked for me.

 

[TLJRyan]

Or you could use the keyboard to type what you're looking for, that's always worked for me.

It's hard out there for a pimp . . . .

Typing with a keyboard has always worked well for me as well(???).

I guess I didn't make myself clear. The BG&E alphanumeric character selection gui would be used, with the Pandora's left analog, to select an object, or application (or folder...). When I said "just like in the video," I didn't mean you'd be using the gui, within Pandora, to select alphanumeric characters. I meant "just like in the video" as in the means of selecting objects would be the same as in the video; rotating the analog stick to select objects. Alphanumeric characters = objects = application = folders.

Imagine. Watch the video again and imagine that instead of rotating the analog stick to select A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0, you're using the analog stick to select PicoDrive, MegaDrive, SNES, NES, GameBoy, and so on (sorry, I can't recall the names of the emulator's themselves). If the emulators allow you to run from parameters, use the analog to select roms.

I guess I should have put up a mock-up.

 

[Masterfurbix]

I get what you're saying, and I think it would be quite nice looking.


I'm not entirely sure how you would go about doing something like that, but if you need assistance in the graphics or design department, feel free to give me a shout.

 

[TLJRyan]

I get what you're saying, and I think it would be quite nice looking.


I'm not entirely sure how you would go about doing something like that, but if you need assistance in the graphics or design department, feel free to give me a shout.

Thank you, I would love assistance. But I have to warn you, it may be a while.

 

[Prometheus]

Goodness, that made me feel a bit queasy. :lol: Ignoring that, this reminds me a bit of the character selection method used in Doubutsu no Mori for the Nintendo 64, though the one there is a bit more minimalist. (You can see it here, between about 1:26 and 1:42. What isn't immediately obvious without seeing the controller is the use of controller buttons to shift between sets of characters, but that's there, too. It works nicely.)

I've never really considered such a setup being used to select applications and suchlike (I guess I'm just more used to seeing it used for selecting powers or text in video games) - but now I've thought about it, it sounds interesting. I would very much like to see what you come up with.

 

[grasshoppir]

this comes to mind

 

[Butterman]

Prototype it. If it feels right, continue, if it doesn't, stop.

It would take you a decent day to prototype this with fixed function OGL. Mathematically it's just a few sine calculations.

 

[AquaAnalogue]

I'd love to see something like this. It'd be quick, functional, and minimalistic yet good-looking.

 

[Masterfurbix]

Thank you, I would love assistance. But I have to warn you, it may be a while.

Man, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.

Just buzz me when you need me.

 

[Kramy]

Hehe. I think that kind of input system is neat. Probably not practical for desktop icon commands, but perhaps a crescent of icon options would work.

Just don't do the input like Mass Effect. Talk about blowing the radial system!

P.S. Psychonauts is on sale on Steam for $2 today.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/3830/

 

[DasFool]

Strange, in the USA, Psychonauts is on sale for $2.

 

[TLJRyan]

Strange, in the USA, Psychonauts is on sale for $2.

Psychonauts is great. But please, for the love of god, don't play it on the PS2 !

The last boss is so damn glitchy, you're not fighting the boss. You're fighting the damn glitches.
(Actually, if I remember correctly, you aren't fighting the last boss directly in any case. But you know what I mean.)

Anyway, thanks for the interest. We'll see what happens.

I'll probably wait until I, at least, get a Pandora, though if that takes forever I can just use my Eee PC to test, and have someone else test on an actual Pandora.

 

[b1llygo4t]

this would be cool if it was integrated into the desktop mode as a quick way to find stuff (press a hotkey for spiral navigation mode)

 

[Kramy]

Strange, in the USA, Psychonauts is on sale for $2.

Ahh, sorry, I'm a moron.

Never write two posts on two different forums at the same time.

 

[dflemstr]

I can make a theme like this for Panorama in no-time, but I will have to wait for the Pandora to come out so that I can create a nub input layer and do some testing.

 

[TLJRyan]

I can make a theme like this for Panorama in no-time, but I will have to wait for the Pandora to come out so that I can create a nub input layer and do some testing.

I don't mind if someone else develops this and I'd be happy to help, in any capacity, whoever takes the initiative. Though, independent of whoever ends up developing it, please keep in mind that Amigo Bandito Crujiente offered to work on the graphic design.

We'll see what happens, since development is still a little ways off.

 

[TLJRyan]

Whoops, just realized you said Panorama and not Pandora. I didn't realize you were the man behind that project. It actually makes a lot more sense to include this in that, instead of building from the ground up.