TrackStack mockup help request

[Michael Allan]

Hey C,

Stacking up multiple "tracklets" is an interesting idea.  I think
it'll work on a desktop, but I'm worried it'll chew up too much space
on a mobile device..  Imagine we have multiple tracks in the stack for
this account type [1]:

    +--------------------------------------------------------+
    |     | sacSelectionV |                           |      | toolbar
    +-------------+------------------------------------------+
    |            /|------------------------------------------| trackStack
    |          1 /|------------------------------------------|
    |          2 /+------------------------------------------+
    |          3  |                                          |
    |             |                                          |
    |             |                                          |
    |    feed     |                                          |
    |             |                  svg                     |
    |             |                                          |
    |             |                                          |
    |             |                                          |
    |             |                                          |
    |             |                                          |
    +-------------+------------------------------------------+

    [TS1].  Track stack has three tracks (1, 2, 3a), each a different
            tracking model or view. [2]


The track you're mocking up would have to sit at the bottom of the
stack ofc, because it expands downward.  So we could support only one
expanding track.  OK.


    +--------------------------------------------------------+
    |     | sacSelectionV |                           |      | toolbar
    +-------------+------------------------------------------+
    |            /|------------------------------------------| trackStack
    |          1 /|------------------------------------------|
    |          2 /+------------------------------------------+
    |          3a |  ----------------------------------------|\ tracklets
    |             |        ----------------------------------|\ b
    |             |             -----------------------------|\ c
    |    feed     |                      --------------------|\ d
    |             |                  svg                     |  e
    |             |                                          |
    |             |                                          |
    |             |                                          |
    |             |                                          |
    |             |                                          |
    +-------------+------------------------------------------+

    [TS2].  Climbing up four nodes in the SVG tree adds four tracklets
           (b, c, d, e).


The above exaggerates the track height (maybe by 4X), but it shows the
problem.  There might be enough room on a desktop, but it has to run
on small mobile screens too (maybe 1/4 or less space).  And three
tracks is probably not enough to cover all use cases, I think we want
to support at least five or six.  So even *un-expanded* tracks are
going to take up roughly half of votespace... 

What's the purpose of parent tracklets (3a-d)?  Is there a better
(less spacious) way of accomplishing the purpose?


 [1] The counting method is both of these (almost identical):
     http://zelea.com/w/Site:Quantitive_summation
     http://zelea.com/w/Site:Vote_count

 [2] http://zelea.com/project/votorola/_/javadoc/votorola/a/xf/vote/VotespaceV.html

-- 
Mike


conseo wrote:
> Hey,
> 
> I have done three mockups for browsing votespace from endcandidate to 2 levels 
> deep (1) (2) (3).
> 
> Some notes to the overall model:
> 
> When you click a node which has the resource not set (SAC not selected) it 
> always defaults to the Votes SAC. Selecting a new subnode, will always lead to 
> a shared view of the stack from the common point in the tree. This is 
> necessary to keep a constant view on the stack. Then we can allow to hide 
> tracks which are uninteresting for the session (e.g. the top level situation). 
> I have added a small cross in the corner to symbolize this action. That way we 
> can easily cover 10.000 users deep positions without getting the stack in the 
> way. In fact it allows any selected combination of views on the segments 
> inside a tree. I have made the colour of the selected segment on each level a 
> brighter white, I don't know if it is sufficient, until now I could leave 
> colouring out. (I thought about the possibility to colour familiar voters 
> (through communication or voting relationships) individually for each session 
> for example).
> 
> Possible Problems:
> 
> Overall design:
> 
> - The stack will align that way for all types of tracks, so we could model a 
> progress-meter like stack also. I don't think it is necessary, just imagining 
> it shows that the proposed model is the necessary social dimension to 
> visualize. The connectors allow all kind of path visualizations. That way the 
> trackstack shares a lot with votespace in its model, but by representing 
> segments or other single dimensional quantitives, it is perfectly fitted to 
> visualize resource information (in other future possible track types). 
> Probably I have missed some issues about resource management, any hints? Do we 
> need the trackstack for general statistical information (not path related) 
> also?
> 
> Visual:
> 
> - The dotted lines in the connectors are maybe to weak to visualize the zoom-
> like effect. It is subtle though. The connector visual is in another way 
> insufficient, it takes the same amount of vertical space as a track (hence the 
> idea to hide tracks), but less hasn't cut it for me. Is the current connector 
> visualize sound or can it be made smaller without loss of the visual?
> 
> - Votespace is just an idea and does not fit the numbers for segment sizes 
> (sorry too much work for a detail). The metroplan-like background circles are 
> thought to give a non-colour visual for which nodes are inbetween endcandidate 
> and selected position, representing the stack of tracks. It might be too 
> heavy, although I think it gives a better visual guidance. What do you think 
> Mike?
> 
> - Is the colouring still sufficient or are important details lost because of 
> the subtle differences in the shades of grey?
> 
> conseo
> 
> (1) http://whiletaker.homeip.net/mockups/5/5.ns.endcandidate.xht
> (2) http://whiletaker.homeip.net/mockups/5/5.ns.level1.xht
> (3) http://whiletaker.homeip.net/mockups/5/5.ns.level2.xht