Touch Screen Computers and ArchiCAD

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I was wondering if anybody has used the new touch screen computers with ArchiCAD. Some say touching a screen and moving the arms more is a more natural way of working rather than using a mouse. It would be good in my opinion to be able to a computer standing up like the old drawing board and moving the body more would assist with ones health.

Anybody tried touch screen with ArchiCAD?

Thanks,

[Anonymous]

Interesting question!

I've never had the chance to use a proper multi-touch display, but a couple of thoughts immediately spring to mind.

A large proportion of the physical input into ArchiCAD is keyboard based - typing distances being the main, but also adding text into various dialog boxes - how would this be dealt with? Is an on-screen keyboard usable enough for this purpose or would it get in the way? I wonder how large the screen would have to be to not obscure important stuff underneath?

Another concern would be the accuracy of a finger tip. In order to correctly select or snap to objects close together, there would have to be even more zooming in and out than we do now. I wonder if a stylus would be better suited rather than a chubby finger? (A general question I've always wanted to know is do your fingertips slowly wear away over time with extended use? )

I don't think the user interface as it stands would work terribly well with touch screens. I suspect it would need a substantial rewrite to work efficiently, possibly with a built-in numerical keyboard on the pet pallet/tracker, and better organised larger icons, but I reckon it could be done! I'd love to see some concepts!

I bet Dwight would go for it. Finally he'd be able to wave his arms around and actually produce work directly!

[Rick Thompson]

I would not want to go back to the ergonomics of looking down at a drafting board... and oh those neck cramps, and shoulder issues... etc. My body was much better off after eliminating the drafting board after 25 years. While the computer has it's own set of issues, I find them much easier to manage, and it's really bad when you spill your beer (or coffee) on the board.

[Dwight]

Peter wrote:
I bet Dwight would go for it. Finally he'd be able to wave his arms around and actually produce work directly!

I admit that I am a sucker for a gimmick, but it won't be until we have Anderton's Gesticulate-O-Matic [with stooges] from Minority Report that I'll be satisfied.

[Anonymous]

Ha Dwight - do you think the <<gesticulate-o-matic>> engine can pick up that frustrated waving fist when AC crashes, slows to a crawl or just plain displays some random buggy behaviour....??!!
Maybe if you get too frustrated the <<emotion control>> engine kicks in and locks you out of archicad - and plays piped music with slideshows of windowsesque countryside*, while you are in the "time out" room...


*-sorry, it would have to be Hungarian landscapes.....

[Dwight]

By the time the Gesticulator arrives, all software bugs will be eliminated. AND we will able to predict Taste Crime.

[Anonymous]

<<Taste Crime>>

parametric technology sounds so - passe....

[Barry Kelly]

Rick wrote:
and it's really bad when you spill your beer (or coffee) on the board.

It doesn't do your keyboard much good either.

Barry.

[Dwight]

solved:

clearguard