Some important touch interface considerations for V3

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CajunAzn
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Some important touch interface considerations for V3

Post by CajunAzn »

As many people may have noticed, touch panel interfaces on laptops and other mobile devices have taken the world by storm. So far, the touch optimized features for PDF-X Viewer are quite lacking, so I would like to make the following suggestions for V3, in order of what I consider to be essential for a good touch-based reader experience:

1) Momentum scrolling / panning
a) Customizable momentum scrolling speed, after touch is released
b) Customizable touch panning speed, while touch is held
*The basic feature is already implemented in windowed mode of V2, but not functioning in fullscreen mode. However, there is no customizability of momentum / panning speed.

2) Pinch to zoom / twist to rotate multi-touch gesture support
a) instead of jumping between each zoom level, make zooming continuous as the user gradually pinches/spreads
b) likewise, rotation should follow the user's fingers, then (optionally) settle at a 90 degree position on release

3) Double tap to toggle zoom in / zoom out on a point on the page
a) magnification should be customizable
b) magnification should default to 'zoom fit' the focused element

4) Touch sensitive screen edges in full screen mode. Many readers have the edges of the screen activate a particular function when touched. For example, a common setup is:
  • right edge - previous page;
    left edge - next page;
    bottom edge - show thumbnailed page slider;
    top edge - show menu/toolbar.
    (touching elsewhere on the screen re-hides the thumbnail slider or menu/toolbar)
a) allow the width of the touch sensitive edges to be set
b) make the corner areas (overlapped edge areas) be mappable to their own functions

5) Fluid page turn effect (a la iPad) (in single and facing mode) when using back/forward flicks
a) allow for the iBooks style 'leafing', where the page turn effect will move and halt with the touch point. A flick (or touch release past 50% of the page width) fully turns the page over.

6) 'Column-based' reading mode - Many documents use a two column layout on each page. In this new reading mode, the application should automatically zoom fit to the width of one column then, as the user scrolled down to the end of that column, it should automatically move to the start of the next column. (This is actually very useful behavior for desktop users as well.)
a) make the reader be sensitive to the column's margins, so it can always center the column text on the screen

7) Various minor eye-candy enhancements:
a) user-customizable page background textures/colors (checkout ComicRack to get an idea of how this can really enhance the 'look and feel' of the page)
b) simulated page gutter shadow (in single and facing mode)
c) simulated book-ends (in an open book, this is the slope of partially visible page edges and book cover to the left/right of the current page)
d) Inverted color mode for ebooks

Implementing the numbered criteria, will make PDF-X Viewer an excellent tablet PDF reader. Implementing the lettered criteria will make PDF-X Viewer the ultimate tablet PDF reader.

So far, there is no other reader out there with PDF-X Viewer's rendering speed. There also does not yet exist a touch optimized PDF reader for the PC. Why not grab this opportunity to take both crowns? Make PDF-X Viewer V3 become the #1 reader of choice for growing number of touch-based PCs and perhaps, pave the way for PDF-X on platforms in the future!
Last edited by CajunAzn on Mon Apr 11, 2011 4:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Stefan - PDF-XChange
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Re: Some important touch interface considerations for V3

Post by Stefan - PDF-XChange »

Hello CajunAzn,

And many thanks for the detailed list and for the suggestions.
While I myself can not tell how easy/hard each of your points is I made a ticket for our devs:
#985: Viewer V3+: Touch Interface Suggestions

So that they can review and consider them.

Please note that this is a long term ticket and there is no promise that we will manage to implement any/all of the things you listed, but a commitment to review them.

Best,
Stefan
CajunAzn
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Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 12:41 am

Re: Some important touch interface considerations for V3

Post by CajunAzn »

Thanks for making that ticket Stephan, I appreciate you passing this on the devs. If the team needs any clarification on any of the points please feel free to post here or contact me.

I've been a long time use of PDF-X Viewer, so I wanted to give my feedback. In fact, if there are any touch based features you would like me to test out, I would be happy to beta-test them.
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Paul - PDF-XChange
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Re: Some important touch interface considerations for V3

Post by Paul - PDF-XChange »

HI CajunAzn,

you are most welcome, regards adding the feature request. We also thank you for your enthusiastic support and desire to make the Viewer even better!
Best regards

Paul O'Rorke
PDF-XChange Support
http://www.pdf-xchange.com