Knob / slider animation: Difference between revisions

Do ''not'' refer to modifier-state or button-state properties in your bindings. This violates the control separation which is the aim of these animations. If you include such references in your bindings, you make it very likely your knobs/sliders will break for some future user with a different platform- or input- configuration. You can't assume how many mouse buttons they have, or how their modifier keys are mapped, so the only safe thing is not to make any assumptions at all.  

This might mean creating multiple in-cockpit animations for a single real-world knob in the worst case, in which case design with great care. For example the KLN-89B has a 'dual' knob (outer and inner rings) and the inner knob can be pulled out. (Some Airbus MCP panels have something similar, but the knob can be pushed ''or'' pulled). In the case of the KLN-89, the solution would be two separate knob animations, with the outer one probably having a large surrounding pick-proxy object to ensure it can be hit comfortably in a front-on view. Shifted mode on the inner knob then correspond to 'pulled out' mode in real-life.

Another option (which would also work for the Airbus) would be to make the centre of the knob pick-able separately, to drive pushing/pulling the knob, and then have the knob animation pick cover the outer circumference. This is not ideal but still much more usable than adding conditional bindings on alternate mouse buttons or modifiers! Good use of tooltips will also help here, i.e. the tooltip for the knob would include some text like 'click here to pull out'.