We are surrounded by graphics and user interfaces, starting from electronic devices and continuing with software.
Operating systems have support for interesting user interfaces features, but none of them seem to be used.

We often face applications having static user interfaces. The interesting thing is that companies have everything needed to build up dynamic user interactive applications. There may be several reasons why they are not doing this, though this is not my concern.

As a counter-attack to this, I have done a little demonstration application. It has a dynamic user interface and demonstrates in a simple fashion that user interfaces can be more attractive than the good old rectangular windows that we see each day.

You can view a demonstration at the following link

Rotating Circles Form

I hope that my work will light ideas in people's minds.


Moderiert von UGrohne: Topic aus Multimedia / Grafik verschoben am Sa 22.09.2007 um 22:52

Hi and welcome,

do you have a specific problem or want to post a tutorial? Or do you just want to present your work?

It would be great, if you write a tutorial about what you did and post it in our library, so that everyone can take advantage of your work.

Your post, as it is now, is better off in the Off-Topic-Forum.

Hello there,

I am sorry for not posting this on Off Topic from the start. I am new to forums.
This is a little demonstration of mine and I also have heavy commented source code which is stored on CodeCentral at the following link:

cc.codegear.com/Item/24977

I will also put the source code on sourceforge.net/projects/rot-circls-form.

Along with the source code I have done a video tutorial about Windows Regions and the implied trigonometry.

I hope there will be many that will enjoy my work and as I previously said,

I hope my work will light ideas in people's minds.

Looks nice, although I don't know how this could be put to (real) use...

This is not imperative to be put in use.
It may point out to others that animation would be a nice thing in their interfaces.
Of course, the interface should also remain useful.

I think it is a tricky part in creating animated user interfaces that preserve the usefulness of rectangular windows (which sometimes fails to have utility in particular applications because of the great GUI designers).

Well, the animation itself looks nice and is really something different, but I doubt, there are many animations that can help to introduce real advantages over non-animated, rectangular, grey boxes.

First off, there are two main reasons that might recommend the use of "old-fashioned" layouts:
First is the compatibility for disabled people the require special accessibility software for interaction. Special UI types would require those new interfaces to be compatible with existing accessibility software, which is far more complex than one could think.
A second reason for mostly rectangular interfaces is that most people are used to them. Every new interface kind would somewhat require "special learning" for some (if not all) users. If you're first-time user of a special device class like a mobile phone or a router you might have seen something like it before (or maybe not) and your first information to look up will be "How to interact with it?". And something simular goes for new kinds of (G)UI structures.

Well, it would really be funny, if you just lay in the bed, asking your microwave to cooksome meal while telling your robot to grab it for you when it's done. Or as it's shown on some Microsoft ad for Microsoft Surface where you could just tip on a table to play movies. It's all just a matter of time when we will be used to such devices and aare required to think behind old-fashioned the patterns of known software design. But for this to become reality it will also require developers and customers to change - The question is which ones first.

But regarding other UI ideas: What about doing UI in third dimension, like 3D desktops (known from Linux world and SphereXP)? What about better integrating such possibilities into the development tools to work with?

It's simply not easy to rewrite full UI functionality each time an app is to be written. As such, manufacturers for such tools are asked, but also developers to request for such options.

But at the contrary: If visual interfaces are(?) that much better, why are many people (doctors, opticians, ...) still using mostly text-only based UIs?

In fact: I'd reject working with an UI consisting of circles moving around all the time It'ss funny-looking, but not suited for real work.

Anyone who is capable of being elected president should on no account be allowed to do the job.
Ich code EdgeMonkey - In dubio pro Setting.

I like your point of view BenBe.

The 3D interface is a very good idea and I think user interfaces go towards this.
Spinning the circles is just a demo to illustrate something (somehow to some of us) impressive to the eye.
Sometimes simple animations are welcomed. For multimedia applications this would be something nice indeed; BUT ONLY if done using brains. Many applications have almost stupid user interfaces, although they are fully loaded with graphics and stuff.
It is the same thing as with the game industry. Long ago, games had nice stories because there was no hardware power. Things changed upside down todays.
I really agree with you that it would be a bit of too science-fiction for an important applications to have spinning rectangles and floating labels around all the desktop.
But a little bit of soft, smooth, tiny non-boring and non-annoying animation would be welcomed.
I saw some applications that had animations and got the nerves out of me. Those animation effects just slowed me down from my work because I had to wait for them to finish. This is not acceptable!

Ideas should not be limited and I have noticed that most of the guys just want to stick to the "fashion". Well, it's better some times to try to innovate.
Like you have just said: "Who will be the first to do it!" sounds to me like:

"Come on boys, WHO HAS THE ***GUTS***?"