BumpTop 3D Desktop Prototype
Fun with physics on your desktop
Wednesday, June 21, 2006 by CariElf | Discussion: WinCustomize News
The concept behind BumpTop 3D Desktop is that people organize (or disorganize) items on their desk to convey information by how and where they are placed, and that this could be simulated on the computer desktop using a 3D physics engine. For example, let's say that you keep piles of papers that have to be processed by the end of the week on one part of your desk, say an IN box, and you move them to an OUT box as you deal with each one. With BumpTop 3D Desktop, you could do the same thing with icons of files because the icons become 3D stackable objects. You can even change the orientation of the file so that certain files stick out visually from the rest.
The physics engine is used to make the items act like real items on the desk, and you use circular motions like the ones you use with a Pocket PC to manipulate the objects. The prototype video mentions a pen, but it's not clear to me whether a stylus or other pen-like pointing device will be required for this to work. If they got the physics engine working as well as it appears in the video, it would be easy for them to make a fun casual game. However, I don't know that I'd want to do it to organize my files on a regular basis. I do like the concept of being able to arrange my desktop in 3D space, but I'll reserve judgement on the interface until (if) they come out with a working demo.
You really have to watch the video to appreciate what these people propose to do, so check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0ODskdEPnQ
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Reply #22 Monday, June 26, 2006 10:59 AM
Now, i thought this prototype was a very cool system. I don't keep a lot of icons on my desktop as it is - but if i could interact with my data in this way, i might start letting them accumulate. Simply for that ability of moving items, the intermediary step of crumpeling up a document, and the sorting and stacking of information; for me, this is a nice segway in to what the naysayer developers crave - the 'blackcomb' next generation of computer interaction. I'm for it, because if they get this running it will open up a lot of eyes and get people thinking about that next generation desktop.
Reply #23 Monday, June 26, 2006 11:21 AM
I have a few piles on my real desk. They act as reminders of tasks. In, fact most pile has an associated item on a paper to-do list. I update it every evening when I leave the office.
If I could add a label to each stack of files . . . I might use this. But . .I used MS Office Binder too . . . not too many folks did that though.
BumpTop's worth watching though . . . and it WILL be cool to have on the TabletPC as eye-candy.Â
Reply #24 Monday, June 26, 2006 11:38 PM
I have a pile on my desk, too.. they're all envelopes.. they're called "bills".. i wish i could just crumple them up and throw them on a shelf for storage, too
Reply #25 Wednesday, July 12, 2006 3:44 PM
http://www.novell.com/video/bs_06/monday_press_demo.mpg
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Reply #21 Saturday, June 24, 2006 1:10 PM
I've signed up for the beta. The thing about these things is that you really can't know for sure how well they worked until it's been tried amoung the public.