high-density cursor helps users keep track of fast-moving mouse cursors

1. high-densitycursorhelps users keep track of fast-moving mouse cursors patrick baudisch edward cutrell, george robertson microsoft research visualization and interaction research

2. 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

3. Use Multimon No Multimon 32% 30% Plan to Use Multimon 38% large screens and multimon • 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] [Jon Peddie ResearchDec, 2002 N=6652]

4. challenge:keeping the mouse working • longer distances à higher mouse acceleration • temporal aliasing: 500 pixels jumps • lack of visual continuity àusers lose track of the cursor

5. the problem will get worse • “yes, but won’t faster computers make this problem go away?” • àNO: cursor update is limited by screen refresh rate • screen refresh rate has actually decreased (LCDs) • larger screens + lower refresh rate à status quo • future: even larger screens à problem will get worse

6. fill-in cursorscurrent frame fill-in cursorsprevious frame inserts cursor image between actual cursor positions  the mouse cursor appear more continuous demo… previous cursorposition current cursorposition mouse motion

7. this is not the mouse trail video • the 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

8. benefits previous cursor position current cursor position mouse motion fill-in cursorscurrent frame mouse motion fill-in cursorsprevious frame • 1. mouse cursor appear more continuous • à easier to track the cursor • 2. higher “visual weight” • à easier to re-acquire the cursor

9. 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)

10. design

11. 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

12. designs alternatives a b c d e f g h frame acceleration • reference: exponential acceleration

13. designs alternatives a b c d e f g h frame acceleration • motion blur with higher weight

14. designs alternatives a b c d chose discreet version 1. latest cursor position is always shown blur-free and in full opacity 2. appearance that users are familiar with today 3. computationally less expensive e f g h frame acceleration • temporal super-sampling vs. motion blur

15. a b c d e f g h frame acceleration designs alternatives • density = detectability vs. intrusiveness

16. a b c d e f g h frame acceleration designs alternatives • distance between cursor images as cue for mouse speed

17. a b c d e f g h frame acceleration designs alternatives • smooth interpolation

18. transfer function distancebetweencursor images hd cursor has no effect transfer function(configurable) cursor trail provides no speed cues onset threshold (configurable) mouse speed

19. a b c d e f g h frame acceleration designs alternatives • optional cursor growth

20. 2. attraction point 3. interpolate bezier interpolation cursor position 1. linear interpolation

21. user study

22. 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

23. 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 thegreater the effect • tripleDensity and plusScalingfaster than conservative

24. 102 100 98 short distance conservative speedupup to 7% 96 + scale +3-dense 94 92 90 results regular mouse cursor time % relative to regular cursor high-density cursors 125 250 500 750 1000 target distance (mm)

25. subjective satisfaction • most participants did not notice that cursor was different!“did that condition use a different mouse acceleration?”…

26. goals revisited - conclusions • 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

27. 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

28. (a) mouse trail t mouse motion (b) high-density cursor t mouse motion