Mouse Indicator - AppleTV app

1

As you know (and if you don’t I’ll tell you)… Apps on an AppleTV do not have a tradtional type mouse. They usually work by moving the focus from object to object. I have a slightly different need and can’t decide how I want to display it.

The user is presented with a grid (think chess board). Each cell is either empty or has an object in it.
Some of those object can be moved, and some cannot.

The cursor will be in one of two states (move or drag)…

Current idea is the cursor is an border around the cell in

  • RED the desired action cannot be performed at this cell
  • GREEN the desired action can be performed

If in “Move” mode, no object has been selected, and the “cursor” can be moved over any cell.

  • if cell is EMPTY, turn the cursor RED
  • if object in the cell cannot be moved, turn the cursor RED
  • if the object CAN be moved, turn the cursor GREEN
  • if the BUTTON is pressed and the object can be moved, change to DRAG mode

If in “Drag” move , an object has been selected, and the cursor AND object can be moved

  • if the cell is NOT empty turn the cursor RED
  • if the cell is EMPTY, turn the cursor GREEN
  • if the BUTTON is pressed and the cell is EMPTY, move the object, and change to MOVE mode

The problem with this is it is difficult to tell if the status is “MOVE” or “DRAG”

Also, pressing the “BUTTON” while over a movable object, should also mark that as the current “SELECTED” object , and the user may not actually wish to move it , just select it

Bear in mind, while this all sounds like “MOUSEDOWN”, “MOUSEMOVE” and “MOUSEDRAG”… there IS NO MOUSE… it is all a matter of tracking the cell under the cursor.

This is using a GAMEPAD, with the d-Pad moving the cursor, and the (A) button either picking up or dropping an object

Hopefully one of you will have a better approach

here are the two cursor images I currently have in mind
ATVcursor@2x ERRcursor@2x

2

selecting & moving icons around the ATV is about the same kind of usage pattern - except you cant do a long press on an empty cell to select and item

3

Its more about conveying what is going on back to the user
during MOVE mode, I’d like to indicate IF the user could pick up the object in the cell
If they do, and go to DRAG mode then I need to indicate if the user could drop the object or not

MOVE is moving the cursor only, DRAG is moving the cursor AND the selected object

4

drag mode sounds a lo like the mode you get when you long press on an icon on the main ATV screen
once you do that you are in drag mode (the icon jiggles)
and once you move it where you want and press the siri touch pad to drop it it switches back to move mode and focus moves about

IF your targeting using that remote you dont have lots of choices as there are so few buttons so you need to use press vs long press vs double tap (maybe?)

5

Yeah… not targeting the Siri Remote, as you said too few buttons… This game will only work with a real game pad… It uses the D-Pad, 3 of the four letter buttons (A) (X) and (Y) as well as the left and right “shoulder” buttons… so that is 9 buttons (D-Pad = 4)

The plan is to get the logic to work… and see what “feels” right… .I’d let you play with it, but you don’t have a game pad (or do you?)

6

I mostly dont play games so no game controllers here

7

No worries… :slight_smile: Thanks