Custom Built applications
It was decided that the applications I was loading into previous versions of The Monolith Launcher all had their own design styles and not all worked with the style and design of the launcher.
More confusing was that the design of some the applications by other open source programmers did not align with the locations where I wanted to place my loading panels.
It was decided that in the long term the monolith launcher would fulfil it’s design specification better if the external applications were created specifically for this program (The Monolith Launcher) and each of them followed the same design rules. For instance:
· The apps must use the basic gray circular gradient for the background.
· The apps must leave room for and consider the location of the launcher panel at the top of the page
· If the app needs an additional panel it must be situated at the right hand side of the screen and be retractable.
· The additional side panel must follow the same colour scheme (gray gradient)
· The application must be named on the background at the left hand lower corner.
These rules were to ensure continuity throughout the operation of the launcher. It also would create continued interface themes within every app.
The four or five apps?
There were four applications developed for the monolith launcher
· The Photo App
· Moving Jigsaw App
· Drinks Ordering System App
· Maps App
Each of these, I believe show at least an element of the different possibilities available through multi touch.
The launcher however has an information based application element within the launcher which could count towards a fifth application. When the details button is pressed at the centre of the main screen, info cards spill out onto the surface. Each card can be scaled and rotated and contain details of the creator of The Monolith multi touch surface and The Monolith launcher– Mr Russell Foxton. It also has a card with details of the IOCT and Phoenix Square. Each of which offered support and funding to make the project a success. A card which details gesture which can be used in the interface and loaded apps is also displayed.
Then finally out spills a copy of this document which can be scrolled through and resized and rotated to suit the user.
This is the fifth hidden app.
The Photo App
The photo app is a simple multi touch application with a sliding side panel. From the side panel photos can be selected and added to the stage. Once the photo is added to the stage - they utilise the rotatablescalable.as class which allows the photos to be rotated scaled and moved by the user’s fingers.
The Moving Jigsaw App
The Moving Jigsaw app is the same in principal to the photo app with the rotatableScalable.as class being used to manipulate the objects on the stage but in this case the objects in question are nine segments of a video which can be pieced back together to reform the whole.
The Drinks Order System App
The drinks order app again uses the RotatableScalable.as class to move, resize and scale the objects. The cards on this application have an order button to order the drink of choice. At this point the button just traces an output to the output panel in flash but it would not take too much programming to extend this to send out XML packets or OSC back out via FLOSC.
The other button is the “details” button this flips the card over in 3D and reveals the details of the drink. This might be details of the ingredients, the provenance or brand history.
The Maps App
The Maps app is exactly the same as the photo application in terms of programming. The only difference is there is a restriction to one map at a time on the stage. The “remove all” button calls a function to remove any photo/map item on the stage. This is called on every new map load, ensuring one map at a time is displayed. There is no system level reason for this, it is purely a decision made by myself believing it would be a better user experience. This is easily changed if users call for more maps at a time.