13/06/00 - complete (Netscape 4.x only!):

start

The complete interface is now finished. All content has been added and everything works as it should. The project is now complete, all that's left is maybe some debugging here and there.

09/06/00 - refining (Netscape 4.x only!):

start

I've added more information to the interface, and i've also added links back to the tutorial and the PDF version in the 3D navigation.

07/06/00 - adding information (Netscape 4.x only!):

start

This version of INTER!FACE has a full intro and tutorial, and the first row of blocks in the final frameset has accessible content, which you can access by clicking them. The summaries are also present. The blocks are all in the correct positions, too, and more or less have the correct size. I've also refined the 3D navigation a bit, there is now visual feedback when the user hovers over the top of the blocks.

01/06/00 - HTML layout:

frameset

This newer version of the HTML has no screenshot, since it looks very similar to the 18/05 one. It basically solves some minor navigation issues and has a 'print' button.

23/05/00 - interface tutorial:

flash

I'm working on the intro files now, and this is a tutorial that will be added after a first introductory text. The tutorial explains how the interface works, with clickable areas and rollovers everywhere.

18/05/00 - refined HTML layout - Netscape 4.x only:

frameset

I've refined the layout more, and i've added my own custom scrollbars. The problem is they use <LAYER> tags and only work in NS 4.x. I'm working on a cross-browser version, but that's not exactly top-priority now.

04/05/00 - another HTML layout:

frameset

Now *this* is a beta version. I'm pretty happy with it, it even has an intro already (a quicktime 4 movie). The layout looks clean and crisp, a lot better than the previous version. There are some minor cross-browser issues, but they'll be resolved eventually.
This layout also has an updated version of the Flash navigation

26/04/00 - first HTML layout:

frameset

This is a pre-beta version of the frameset layout. I tried to make it look good on 800*600, but that's hopeless. It looks great on 1024*786 and 1280*1024, but if i want to provide an 800*600 solution too, i'll have to make two sites.
This frameset has the 3D and 2D navigation in the top left corner, the summary to the right and the content at the bottom. The displayed pages are purely random, and their layout is also still in a testing phase.

10/04/00 - fine-tuning buttons and navigation:

flash 4 movie

I've redesigned most of the buttons to make them more coherent, and i've resized the movie to accomodate 800*600 resolutions. This navigation will have to fit in a larger frameset, which means it can't take up the entire screen. And it's quite a task to build a site that looks good on resolutions from 800*600 up to 1280*1024. I might build different versions for different resolutions (especially the size of the typography is tricky).
Using multiple windows might provide a solutions, but i'm reluctant to clutter the user's screen and to dissect my interface. I'd like to keep everything organised and consistent, within one browser window. I'll upload a full layout very shortly.

07/04/00 - 2D navigation added:

flash 4 movie

2D navigation has been added (except for the summaries), along with some more functionality. The 2D and 3D navigation already interact with eachother, which works out pretty well. I think navigation is more or less finished now, and i'll start fitting it into the larger interface.

06/04/00 - full 3D navigation:

flash 4 movie

A fully functioning version of the 3D navigation. I've added buttons for lowering and raising all the elements of the 'cityscape' in as flexible a manner as possible. I've changed the way the titles are rendered and i've redesigned some of the buttons (some are still a bit sloppy and need some more work). This is a pretty good impression of how the final 3D bit will look. The final navigation will also have a 2D map, which will sit to the right of the 3D map. I'll make one Flash 4 movie out of the entire navigation, so the 3D and 2D view can interact more easily.

03/04/00 - desktop:

desktop jpg (1280*1024)

I bought myself a copy of Vecta3D, a tool to convert .3DS files to Flash movies, because i thought it might come in handy for my project. Unfortunately, this 1.0 version still has a few bugs, especially when importing an swf rendered in 'shaded' mode by Vecta3D. A lot of faces of the 3D object disappear, which renders it virtually useless... except for creating cool desktops ;) Click the image to download the 1280*1024 jpg.

03/04/00 - refining navigation:

flash 4 movie (lines) | flash 4 movie (no lines)

Ive been trying to tackle more Action Script lately, and i've had a lot of help from the Flash-L mailinglist. Nonetheless, this Flash movie took quite a lot of debugging and rewriting. The first row of block/sphere pairs have titles (when you rollover them, a title pops up at the top of the screen). These titles are stored in a separate movie clip in the main timeline, for more flexibility (i'll probably have to change the titles etc. later on). This also allows me to experiment a bit with different ways of displaying the titles, without having to rebuild the entire movie.
I've put up two different versions here, one where lines 'grow' out of the blocks towards the titles, and one where the titles just pop up. Imho, the second one is a bit cleaner (no lines all over the screen), but i'm still working on it. There'll be more on this, i guess :)

27/02/00 - even more Flash:

flash 4 movie

A field of blocks that can be lowered and raised individually or as a row at once. The Flash 4 movie checks for variables that indicate whether a block/sphere is 'up' or 'down' and then determines its actions. It's the most complex thing i've ever done in Flash, and i have a feeling there'll be more.

20/02/00 - Flash:

flash 4 movie

In this Flash version of the block i've refined the function of the 'both' button so the user has more intuitive and flexible control over the block and its summary. I've fooled around with variables a bit, and found out i could make it much more intelligent, see the difference for yourself!

03/02/00 - Fine-tuning 3D Flash:

flash 4 movie

In this Flash version of the block i examine different ways of controlling the different parts of it, so the user can lower/rise both the block and it summary in the most flexible way possible. Quite a challenge :)

26/01/00 - More Flash:

flash 4 movie

A more elaborate Flash experiment for the 3D navigation. This version is already quite complete and should be a good indicator of how the final version will look.

20/01/00 - First interactive Flash:

flash 4 movie

The first experiment in Flash with some interactivity. You can make the block rise and lower again. In the final version, every block will be like this, and additional (textual) information will be displayed when the user clicks it/hovers over it.

18/01/00 - 3D overview:

Hopefully the final 3D overview design. I've decided to stick loosely to a city metaphor for the 3D representation. The yellow guide blocks have been changed back to square blocks instead of cylinders or cones, to make them less abstract and more associative with buildings. The summary spheres have been given antennas that connect them to the block beneath them, for better clarity.

13/01/00 - 3D represenations:

summaries top | summaries bottom | one colour | guide cones | animated (Flash)

A few different 3D representations of my thesis. The first four designs are basically variations on a theme, with only minor changes. The last one is a Flash-animation, just to see what it looks like. In the final version, this will probably be a GIF.

december - screen layout version two:

layout jpeg | VRML file | detail:3D overview | detail:navigation: version 1, version 2, version 3, version 3b

november - screen layout version one:

big jpeg | small jpeg