Record Navigator Interaction
The record navigator is based largely on window-based interaction models that are common on any modern operating system.
Records
Opening a Record
A record can be opened from any of the aesthetic layers – i.e. Map Explorer, Timeline, Node Visualizer.
Here is an example of opening a record from the Map Explorer.
Many records can be opened at the same time.
Move a Record
To move a record, a user can drag on it's title bar.
Launching a Related Record
To launch a related record, the user taps on the + icon in the top-right of the current window, then selects a related item.
NOTE: Lack of a + means that, in the database, the current record has no related items.
Opening Related Items
Tapping on an element in the related items list will close the list and open the selected record in its place.
Filtering Related Items
A user can filter related times by: images, organization, events, or artifacts.
Records fade away
After a record has sat idle for a while, it will fade away.
Scrolling Text
Users can scroll to see more text. If the down arrow is visible at the bottom of the window, they can also tap to automatically move the text downwards.
Flinging
Here's a fun thing you can do with records. You can fling them across the installation!
Offscreen Records
When a record goes off screen or, more specifically, when its header bar is offscreen and inaccessible, the record will be automatically closed.
Multiple People Opening
Multiple records can be opened by multiple people working with the installation the same time.
Images
The image viewer is a special window that allows a user to view a thumbnail in greater detail. It can have multiple pages, and images can be zoomed and panned.
Scrolling Through Images
If the record represents multiple documents, or images, it is possible to scroll through the thumbnails before tapping to open the media asset.
Opening a Single Image
To open an image, the user taps on a record's thumbnail. If the asset is a single-page document, the asset will take up the entire frame of the new window.
Opening a Multi-page Image
If the asset is a multi-page document, there will be a thumbnail list of pages on the left-hand side of the window.
Selecting an Image Page
In a multi-page document, tapping on a thumbnail will cause the associated image to appear in the main portion of the window.
Zooming an Image
Standard pinch gestures will zoom in or out of an image. Users can also zoom via a slider that appears at the bottom of the window.
Videos
Users can watch videos.
Opening a Video
If the asset of a record is a video, it will have a play icon over top of its thumbnail. Tapping on the thumbnail will open the video.
Since it already takes 4-5 taps to access a video, we opted for videos to autoplay when they're opened up.
Play / Pause
Videos can be played or paused by:
- Tapping on the play/pause icon in the control bar at the bottom of the video window.
- Tapping on the video.
The Volume Button
The audio level can be adjusted by tapping on the volume button in the control bar at the bottom of the video window.
Scrubbing a Video
Users can move to any point in a video by dragging / scrubbing the slider in the control bar at the bottom of the video window.
The End of a Video
When a video reaches its end, a small back arrow will appear. Tapping that arrow will jump the video back to very beginning.
PDFs
Working with PDFs is identical to working with images.
Opening a PDF
Tapping on the thumbnail of a record will open a PDF. There will be a thumbnail list of pages on the left-hand side of the window.
Changing Pages
Tapping on a thumbnail will cause the associated page to appear in the main portion of the window.
Zooming a PDF
Standard pinch gestures will zoom in or out of a PDF. Users can also zoom via a slider that appears at the bottom of the window.
Scrolling Through PDFs
If the record represents multiple documents it is possible to scroll through the thumbnails before tapping to open the media asset.
Open multiple pdfs
Opening multiple pdfs from the same record will stagger the window.