high-density cursorhelps users keep track of fast-moving mouse cursors
patrick baudischedward cutrell, george robertson
microsoft researchvisualization and interaction research
goals
• with today’s large screens and multimonusers lose track of the cursor
• high-density cursor solves this problemby filling in additional cursor images
• high-density cursor makes users fasterwhile having virtually no side-effects
• general insight: display frame rate is not a hard limit
large screens and multimon
[Jon Peddie ResearchDec, 2002 N=6652]
No Multimon30%
Plan to Use Multimon
38%
Use Multimon32%
• information mural[Guimbretière, Winograd]
• on large screens optical flow helps navigation [Tan 2001]
• large screens help productivity tasks [Czerwinski 2003]
• focus-plus-context screens faster than overviews [Baudisch 2001]
• multi-monitor setups: access palette windows in Photoshop, CAD… [Grudin 2001]
challenge:keeping the mouse working
• longer distances higher mouse acceleration
• temporal aliasing: 500 pixels jumps
• lack of visual continuity users lose track of the cursor
the problem will get worse
• “yes, but won’t faster computers make this problem go away?”
NO: cursor update is limited by screen refresh rate
• screen refresh rate has actually decreased (LCDs)• larger screens + lower refresh rate status quo• future: even larger screens problem will get worse
demo…
previous cursorposition
current cursorposition
mouse
motion fill-in cursors
current framefill-in cursors
previous frame
inserts cursor image between actual cursor positions the mouse cursor appear more continuous
this is not the mouse trailthe windows
mouse trail…• makes mouse
trail last longer• drawback: cursor
images lag behind
...is not high-density cursor
• hd cursor makes mouse trail denser
• lag-free: mouse stops => cursor stops
video
benefitsprevious cursor position
mouse
motion
current cursor position
fill-in cursors
current framefill-in cursors
previous frame
mouse
motion
1. mouse cursor appear more continuous easier to track the cursor
2. higher “visual weight” easier to re-acquire the cursor
related work• acquiring distant targets
• move cursor with eye gaze (Sibert and Jacob, 2000), Magic pointing (Zhai et al., 1999)• flick snaps cursor to target (Dulberg et al. (1999)• sticky icons capture cursor (Swaminathan and Sato, 1997)• throwing gets across long distances (Geißler, 1998) • expanding targets save space on screen (McGuffin and Balakrishnan, 2002)• drag-and-pop (baudisch et al 2003)
• enhance detectability of the mouse cursor• <ctrl> for radar animation (Microsoft, Steve Bathiche)• cursor growth (Kensington Mouseworks 2001)• mouse trail for slow response LCDs (e.g. MS Windows)• liveCursor points in the direction of its motion (Ben Bederson)
• motion blur and temporal supersampling• reduce temporal aliasing, such as stroboscope, e.g. wheel spokes• rendering a scene multiple times (Dachille and Kaufman, 2000)• improve the perceived responsiveness of graphics apps (Conner and Holden, 1997)• help users anticipate motion (Chang, 1993; Thomas & Calder, 2001)
design
design goals
• for users who track the cursorenhance the predictability of the cursor path• enhanced trail density/continuous blur• smooth interpolation of the cursor path• preservation of trail density as a cue for cursor speed.
• for users who reacquire the cursorincrease the detectability of the cursor (visual weight)• enhanced trail density• enhanced cursor opacity• and cursor scaling.
• preserve responsiveness
designs alternatives
acceleration
• reference: exponential acceleration
a
b
d
e
f
c
h
g
frame
designs alternativesa
b
d
e
f
c
h
g
frame acceleration
• motion blur with higher weight
designs alternativesa
b
d
e
f
c
h
g
frame acceleration
• temporal super-sampling vs. motion blur
chose discreet version1. latest cursor position is always shown blur-free and in full opacity2. appearance that users are familiar with today3. computationally less expensive
chose discreet version1. latest cursor position is always shown blur-free and in full opacity2. appearance that users are familiar with today3. computationally less expensive
designs alternativesa
b
d
e
f
c
h
g
frameacceleration
• density = detectability vs. intrusiveness
designs alternativesa
b
d
e
f
c
h
g
frameacceleration
• distance between cursor images as cue for mouse speed
designs alternativesa
b
d
e
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c
h
g
frameacceleration
• smooth interpolation
transfer function
mouse speed
distancebetweencursorimages
onset threshold(configurable)
cursor trail provides no speed cues
hd c
urso
r has
no
effe
ct
transfer function(configurable)
designs alternativesa
b
d
e
f
c
h
g
frameacceleration
• optional cursor growth
bezier interpolation
cursor position
1. linear interpolation
2. attraction point
3. interpolate
user study
pre-study
goal: define interfaces for user study participants: 14 coworkers
informal procedure– try out high-density cursor– try out different settings (density, onset…)– choose “favorite” setting
resulting interface parameters– 12-17 pixels/frame vs. 35 pixels/frame– distance = sqrt(n)– cursor growth on or off
user study
• interfaces: control vs.high-density cursor (conservative, tripleDensity, plusScaling)
• fitts’ law task• triple-mon: button located at 5” to 40” distance• participants: 7 external participants, 5 coworkers
• hypotheses• high-density cursor faster• the greater the distance the
greater the effect• tripleDensity and plusScaling
faster than conservative
resultsti
me %
rela
tive t
o r
eg
ula
r cu
rsor
90
92
94
96
98
100
102
target distance (mm)125 250 500 750 1000
regular mouse cursor
high-density cursors
speedupup to 7%
conservative
+ scale
+3-dense
short distance
subjective satisfaction
Condition Liked Most Liked Least
control 0 7
HD_conservative 2 3
HD_tripleDensity 2 0
HD_plusScaling 6 0
• most participants did not notice that cursor was different!“did that condition use a different mouse acceleration?”…
goals revisited - conclusions with today’s large screens and multimon
users lose track of the cursor
high-density cursor solves this problemby filling in additional cursor images
high-density cursor makes users fasterwhile having virtually no side-effects
general insight: display frame rate is not a hard limit
thank you!try it out: Google high-density cursor
more about motion blur and animationdrag-and-pop talk tomorrow 4:30pm
thanks to: eric horvitz, dan robbinsbrian meyers, pravin santiagosteve bathiche, colin anthonyjohn pruitt, mary czerwinskigreg smith, and desney tan
paid advertisement
(a) mouse trail
t
t
(b) high-density cursor
mousemotion
mousemotion