more UI refining

I'm working my way through my sample frames / storyboards so I don't waste time when it comes to development. Here are some samples from tonight.

Final hardware design?

Here's the final lid design --- it includes the button icons, as well as the surface etching. Those gray swirls are going to be laser etched into the glossy black acrylic -- hopefully it will create a subtle specularity effect.

If all goes well I'll get the lid cut this week, and will post photos.

More work on the config utility visuals

I took lunch break today to hammer out some more of the details -- these three shots show a progression concept within the software. My main goal is simplicity.

Updated look for the config utility

I've been hard at work learning AS3 for the past couple weeks - but decided to take a break to work on the visual concepts. This new snapshot removes a bunch of the clutter, and should make for a better user experience. The black box with the action list is still a bit harsh, and the "enter title here" thing needs some attention. I'm working on blending those in a bit more. Stay tuned.

Also, I finished the prototype hardware -- it's ugly, but functions perfectly! The only thing it lacks are the rotary encoders, but I'm still waiting on a part in the mail.

Configuration utility - menu flow

I got a chance to think more about the menu flow today. These steps would be if the user selected "new" from the splash screen.

Change of plans -- More software!

(Configuration Utility concept)

I've decided to add a second portion to the software. In the spirit of being artist-friendly, the software will now come bundled with a configuration applet. It's likely to be Adobe Air or a web-based flash applet, and will allow the user to easily set up their own hotkeys and macros. It will be great when it's ready - but certainly adds a chunk of time into the development cycle.

Chiptunes band Fighter X likes the brush blaster, and one of their tracks will be featured in the upcoming promotional video. More to come. As part of their association with the project, I'm modifying the overall graphic design for the blog, front-end applet, and the in-progress website. We'll see where it ends up. It will probably involve robots blasting things.

The software is up and running!

(Images of the brushBlaster software up and running! Shown are the copy/paste and selection radial buttons in action)

current goals of the software portion of brushblaster:

1) Reduce cursor movement.
2) Reduce eye movement -- keep everything focused on the area that you are painting.
3) Further eliminate the need to dig through menus.
4) Extend the visual style of the hardware onto the screen.

What started as a relatively straightforward plan (on the software side) quickly spiraled out of control. Within the AutoHotkey software, you can do more than simply remap keys. The open source software allows you to draw GUI on the screen!

Others have already used AutoHotkey to create on-screen hotkey buttons, though none were quite what I need for the brushBlaster. This radial menu script Was by far the best example of the concept, though it was way more than I needed. With some guidance from it's creator Boris Mudrinić, I was off and running. Working from an obsolete version of the Radial menu that he created in 2008 I was able to craft what I needed. Along the way there was a lot of learning, though I can safely say this will not be the last time I find a use for Autohotkey.

Though it's not ready yet, I plan to release a free version of the software for anyone to use. It will work in any software, and can be totally re-skinned. It will require a text-editor to customize, though there are many free and open-source text editors.

Icons

I'm altering the direction slightly -- reducing the number of buttons on the controller to 22 (and 3 knobs) --- and integrating on-screen radial menus to expand the functionality of each button. This way when I press the "copy/paste" button, I'll have 5 icons that pop up on screen near my cursor. This solution seems like the best of both worlds, though it will probably take more time in AutoHotkey.

Here are the icons and potential logo for the device.

blueprint and color options

I worked a little more on the body style -- working out the specific shape. I'm getting close to the final design, though am still unclear about my color scheme. I'll be ordering the parts soon, so i need to get a move on. also, on Wednesday I'll be taking my course on the laser engraver, so I'll be able to cut the top panel out of acrylic.

Yellow body?

Here's another thought for the housing. This one will have a clear acrylic top (the underside painted black) and a yellow wooden body. The entire thing will have rounded corners and be held together with exposed, inset hardware.

The shape is a bit different as well - it's extended to make more space for resting my wrist and forearm. Also, the entire body is a low wedge, creating a more ergonomic layout.

The brush blaster project....

To build a better keyboard.

I'm a concept artist in the video game industry and spend a great deal of time working in Photoshop. It's a fantastic tool - but sometimes it gets in the way of creativity and workflow. Though photoshop provides a fair amount of customization in the user interface, I want to augment my physical workstation. Pulling inspiration from video editing and DJ equipment, I'm designing and building a new controller to optimize my painting process.

This blog will keep a record of my process. There's a lot that I need to learn in order to get this machine built, but I'm off to an energetic start.

Below is a drawing I did (in photoshop) of current plan. It's got 26 buttons and 3 rotary encoders -- though I'm still fussing with the layout. I'm using a piece of opensource software called AutoHotkey to drive the button mapping.

Stay tuned for updates!