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

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e

f

c

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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

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f

c

h

g

frameacceleration

• distance between cursor images as cue for mouse speed

designs alternativesa

b

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f

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