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Give me Multi-Touch or Give me Death (or really bad carpal tunnel)!
- Thread starter lookoverthere
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Wow, that's some really impressive work OP! How long did the video renderings take you?!?! Blender seems like a very complex app, just wondering what your motivation was to spend all that time creating that.
Blender is about as complicated as any other 3D modeling software... Yes it's confusing but the other ones are as well. I used to be a blenderhead myself
In the beginning
On my 2 year old MacBook Pro it took between 10 to 15 minutes to render 4 seconds of video (if I wasn't doing anything else). So in all, you're looking at several hours of rendering. Like liptonlover said above, Blender isn't any more complicated to use than many of the other 3D animation software out there. But, it has some niceties (like being FREE). These videos were rather simple (compared to other Blender projects) to make. It's really just a bunch of 2D images moving around in space. A nice Python Script was developed by another Blender user to make importing the hundreds of images I used easier.
I really want to see a fully functional Multi-Touch computer hit the market. I'm a little worried because I see many people get so caught up by these amazing handheld Multi-Touch devices that they think that's all Multi-Touch can do. The level of Multi-Touch we see on the iPhone and iPod Touch doesn't begin to compare the what Multi-Touch is capable of.
As I state on my first post (and on my blog) I became really frustrated with the keyboard and mouse setup because it prevented me from using my computer as my only source of notes in my BioChem class. BioChem notes are a collection of text and figures, and cannot be easily replicated with a mouse. I paid over $2000 to buy my Mac two years ago, and I feel I'm only using about $500 of it. That frustration caused me to daydream about what I would want in a Multi-Touch computer. Because I'm naturally obsessive, that daydreaming caused me to study Multi-Touch interface design. And after a year of research and dreaming here I am.
I have a past with studying interface design. My undergrad was in Research Psychology. Part of my interest back then was the Psychology of Computer Use. It's actually what led me to switch to Mac. So, I was already very picky about GUI interface design.
I honestly don't know what will come of all this. I got tired of sitting at home making videos, so I decided to share them with everyone. (but don't worry I'm finishing up four more videos now)
Thanks
On my 2 year old MacBook Pro it took between 10 to 15 minutes to render 4 seconds of video (if I wasn't doing anything else). So in all, you're looking at several hours of rendering. Like liptonlover said above, Blender isn't any more complicated to use than many of the other 3D animation software out there. But, it has some niceties (like being FREE). These videos were rather simple (compared to other Blender projects) to make. It's really just a bunch of 2D images moving around in space. A nice Python Script was developed by another Blender user to make importing the hundreds of images I used easier.
I really want to see a fully functional Multi-Touch computer hit the market. I'm a little worried because I see many people get so caught up by these amazing handheld Multi-Touch devices that they think that's all Multi-Touch can do. The level of Multi-Touch we see on the iPhone and iPod Touch doesn't begin to compare the what Multi-Touch is capable of.
As I state on my first post (and on my blog) I became really frustrated with the keyboard and mouse setup because it prevented me from using my computer as my only source of notes in my BioChem class. BioChem notes are a collection of text and figures, and cannot be easily replicated with a mouse. I paid over $2000 to buy my Mac two years ago, and I feel I'm only using about $500 of it. That frustration caused me to daydream about what I would want in a Multi-Touch computer. Because I'm naturally obsessive, that daydreaming caused me to study Multi-Touch interface design. And after a year of research and dreaming here I am.
I have a past with studying interface design. My undergrad was in Research Psychology. Part of my interest back then was the Psychology of Computer Use. It's actually what led me to switch to Mac. So, I was already very picky about GUI interface design.
I honestly don't know what will come of all this. I got tired of sitting at home making videos, so I decided to share them with everyone. (but don't worry I'm finishing up four more videos now)
Thanks
wow. it's nice to know a little about what motivated you to do this, and a little about your background. thanks for sharing! and i do hope that something becomes of this!
I could actually care less for a full multitouch tablet type of device, but I would like to see Apple (or Logitech) ship a desktop keyboard with the multitouch pad from the Macbook's in place of the standard D-pad arrows.
Upside down???
Over the past two days I had over 1000 hits on one of my YouTube videos. I was curious about this so I check the stats on my video. All those hits came from Brazil. I dug a little further and found that they where linked from a blog site registered in Rawalpindi, Pakistan (http://thegadgets.net/apple/macslate-apple-tablet-concept/).
It's amazing! A month spent on US-Europe focused sites and I can't get any major Mac News Site to pick up my idea. But two days from a Brazil blog registered in Pakistan and it gets over 1000 hits. LOL
Please feel free to submit my site ( http://macslate.blogspot.com ) to your favorite blogs and Mac news sites.
Oh! I'll FINALLY have three more videos up by Saturday night! Two on Slate gaming and one on Slate's Tabletop environments.
lol
Over the past two days I had over 1000 hits on one of my YouTube videos. I was curious about this so I check the stats on my video. All those hits came from Brazil. I dug a little further and found that they where linked from a blog site registered in Rawalpindi, Pakistan (http://thegadgets.net/apple/macslate-apple-tablet-concept/).
It's amazing! A month spent on US-Europe focused sites and I can't get any major Mac News Site to pick up my idea. But two days from a Brazil blog registered in Pakistan and it gets over 1000 hits. LOL
Please feel free to submit my site ( http://macslate.blogspot.com ) to your favorite blogs and Mac news sites.
Oh! I'll FINALLY have three more videos up by Saturday night! Two on Slate gaming and one on Slate's Tabletop environments.
lol
Finally!
Ok, sorry it took so long. Here are three more videos:
Tabletops
Games and Slate
Now with the gaming videos. I'm not too pleased with them. I had such a hard time trying to make the First Person Shooter video that I had to leave it out. But, you can get the gist of how it would work from the other videos. Here's a quote from the blog post:
Not only did I post more videos but I also made several other post summarizing my concept. You can find the blog here:
MacSlate.blogspot.com
Let me know what you think
Ok, sorry it took so long. Here are three more videos:
Tabletops
Games and Slate
Now with the gaming videos. I'm not too pleased with them. I had such a hard time trying to make the First Person Shooter video that I had to leave it out. But, you can get the gist of how it would work from the other videos. Here's a quote from the blog post:
Not only did I post more videos but I also made several other post summarizing my concept. You can find the blog here:
MacSlate.blogspot.com
Let me know what you think
Not bad they're both fairly creative, the second more so. I think the twisting to turn idea is good as long as the software is smart enough to handle it right.
I really am curious to see how this would look with an fps now, which has many more physical buttons than an rts, rpg, etc. which are typically more point and click based. You have crouching/prone, weapon switching, firing, reloading, chatting, running, walking, looking, leaning, extra things that various fps's ad, etc.
Nate
they're both fairly creative, the second more so. I think the twisting to turn idea is good as long as the software is smart enough to handle it right.I really am curious to see how this would look with an fps now, which has many more physical buttons than an rts, rpg, etc. which are typically more point and click based. You have crouching/prone, weapon switching, firing, reloading, chatting, running, walking, looking, leaning, extra things that various fps's ad, etc.
Nate
Fps
I really wanted to get a FPS video out there, but my hand model isn't that robust. Some of the gestures I want to show with a FPS that hand model can't be posed in. Sad
Even though I did get a video done for FPSs these are things I had in mind...
Running or walking:
To walk you tap your fingers on the screen and push just a little bit up. To run push further up.
Aiming:
Use that 1 finger tap and drag gesture to aim your gun.
looking:
This is a cool one. Let's say you want to peek into a room without exposing yourself to the mobs inside. Just position your character near to doorframe or corner and use a two finger tap and drag gesture to cause your character to poke his head around the door/corner.
Jumping:
While standing still or running quickly release and tap with the fingers you're using to move your character and he will jump.
Crouching:
While standing still or running quickly release and double tap with the fingers you're using to move your character and he will crouch. Repeat the gesture to stand up straight.
Firing:
With the finger you're using to aim with, tap with another finger (thumb is best) to fire the gun.
Zooming with Sniper:
You could use a two finger pinch and spread gesture to zoom, or you could use a two finger rotate gesture. I like the rotate gestures because it simulates actually turing the lenses of a scope.
Reloading:
OK so I came up with two ideas for this: 1) double tap on the gun in your character's hand to cause a reload. 2) for a more challenging experience, tap and drag your characters hand up to the middle of the screen, then you have to tap and drag the old clip out of the gun and drag a new clip (from a clip icon at the bottom of the screen) into the gun, and finally, chamber the first bullet, then pull the hand back into place.
Weapon Switching:
At a corner of the screen you'll have an icon of your gun. Tap on it to activate weapon switching, then simply flip through the inventory of weapons (like using cover flow) in that corner. Double tap on the one you want.
Grenade Tossing:
There will be a grenade icon on your screen. Tap on that icon and flick. The grenade will go flying. The harder you flick the farther it goes. If you want to you can lightly flick to quietly roll it into the next room.
Chatting:
For text chatting you would have to double-tap on a text box and bring up a small keyboard. For voice chatting you would have a small button in the corner of the screen that you could quickly tap on to chat to your team.
I really wanted to get a FPS video out there, but my hand model isn't that robust. Some of the gestures I want to show with a FPS that hand model can't be posed in. Sad
Even though I did get a video done for FPSs these are things I had in mind...
Running or walking:
To walk you tap your fingers on the screen and push just a little bit up. To run push further up.
Aiming:
Use that 1 finger tap and drag gesture to aim your gun.
looking:
This is a cool one. Let's say you want to peek into a room without exposing yourself to the mobs inside. Just position your character near to doorframe or corner and use a two finger tap and drag gesture to cause your character to poke his head around the door/corner.
Jumping:
While standing still or running quickly release and tap with the fingers you're using to move your character and he will jump.
Crouching:
While standing still or running quickly release and double tap with the fingers you're using to move your character and he will crouch. Repeat the gesture to stand up straight.
Firing:
With the finger you're using to aim with, tap with another finger (thumb is best) to fire the gun.
Zooming with Sniper:
You could use a two finger pinch and spread gesture to zoom, or you could use a two finger rotate gesture. I like the rotate gestures because it simulates actually turing the lenses of a scope.
Reloading:
OK so I came up with two ideas for this: 1) double tap on the gun in your character's hand to cause a reload. 2) for a more challenging experience, tap and drag your characters hand up to the middle of the screen, then you have to tap and drag the old clip out of the gun and drag a new clip (from a clip icon at the bottom of the screen) into the gun, and finally, chamber the first bullet, then pull the hand back into place.
Weapon Switching:
At a corner of the screen you'll have an icon of your gun. Tap on it to activate weapon switching, then simply flip through the inventory of weapons (like using cover flow) in that corner. Double tap on the one you want.
Grenade Tossing:
There will be a grenade icon on your screen. Tap on that icon and flick. The grenade will go flying. The harder you flick the farther it goes. If you want to you can lightly flick to quietly roll it into the next room.
Chatting:
For text chatting you would have to double-tap on a text box and bring up a small keyboard. For voice chatting you would have a small button in the corner of the screen that you could quickly tap on to chat to your team.
I'm sorry I can't really think through it enough to figure this out... have you thought about how doing multiple things at once is going to work? In a real FPS people are doing a LOT of multitasking, in terms of reloading/aiming and shooting while running, swapping weapons, etc.
If this is the next big thing (comes every 5-10 years like iPod and iPhone) I would buy it in a heartbeat!
multitask
The main activities you could do at the same time (like move, aim, jump, and fire the weapon). Other activities you would have to momentarily stop aiming/firing (or if need be stop moving) to switch weapons, reload, toss a grenade, or chat.
The main activities you could do at the same time (like move, aim, jump, and fire the weapon). Other activities you would have to momentarily stop aiming/firing (or if need be stop moving) to switch weapons, reload, toss a grenade, or chat.
If this is the next big thing (comes every 5-10 years like iPod and iPhone) I would buy it in a heartbeat!
Well thanks. I hope Apple make a Multi-Touch computer soon
Congratulations!
Congratulations, this has (finally) been picked up by a major site- Cult of Mac. It is obvious that a lot of time, work and creative thinking have been put into this concept.
http://www.cultofmac.com/gallery-how-apples-tablet-will-be-a-paradigm-shift/14784
Next stop Cupertino for you m'boy!
Congratulations, this has (finally) been picked up by a major site- Cult of Mac. It is obvious that a lot of time, work and creative thinking have been put into this concept.
http://www.cultofmac.com/gallery-how-apples-tablet-will-be-a-paradigm-shift/14784
Next stop Cupertino for you m'boy!