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Dragon T · May 14, 2004, 04:51 AM

Hey guys... check this out.
This is an online demo of a java script 3d Thesaurus:
http://www.visualthesaurus.com/index.jsp
enter a word in the top left corner where it says '<LOOK IT UP'
(it takes a wee while to load)
click or drag on the screen...

Just imagine, a new Mac OS Z Finder based on this 3d interactive design...
now wouldn't that be radical!
=)

Dragon T · May 14, 2004, 05:09 AM

Ooops...
beware of Java script crashes. =/
make sure that U don't have anything important open when U go there!

tis worth it though.
=)

phillryu · May 14, 2004, 05:14 AM

Ever try this before?

http://www.acm.uiuc.edu/macwarriors/projects/3dosx/

It's kinda neat..

But predictably, feature weak and a bit clunky. Ah well.

mac15 · May 14, 2004, 06:03 AM

3DOSX is pure crap, Its not even fun as a novelty.

kwyjiboy · May 14, 2004, 08:02 AM

Originally posted by phillryu:
Ever try this before?

http://www.acm.uiuc.edu/macwarriors/projects/3dosx/

It's kinda neat..
But predictably, feature weak and a bit clunky. Ah well.

MY EYES!

G0Ducks · May 14, 2004, 11:10 AM

Originally posted by kwyjiboy:
MY EYES!

Not to mention, the idea of actually "physically" navigating your hd is an exrtreme time waster!
I have tried to the above and let me tell you, that it was slow, felt like I was actually swimming on the moon.

And really, if you have QE, you really are in part working from your 3D accelerated vcard.

Try it out for yourself. Most people I talk to who have tried these things feel pretty much the same as I do.

R

NetworkShadow · May 14, 2004, 01:09 PM

Originally posted by mac15:
3DOSX is pure crap, Its not even fun as a novelty.

I have to agree. And the newest version is worse than the first.

lenox · May 14, 2004, 01:51 PM

When I was young I remember dreaming about a file browsing interface inside of a FPS game...later on, they did that whole PID-killing DOOM idea (which was nuts imho)

I dunno, it'd be a terrible time-waster, but somewhat cool. By the way, that thesaurus thing rocked!

eyevaan · May 14, 2004, 02:15 PM

read about this project when I was still trapped on OS 9.2.2 . . . a little disappointed actually trying it.

too clunky even with a 1.8Ghz DP . . . too bad . . .

Did anyone ever play on ActiveWorlds.com when they were completely free?
You needed a PC and it was silly but on broadband; the water, air and ambient musics and sound were outrageous.

Perhaps someday PhotoShop will be completely goggled in . . . to the effect of "What Dreams May Come" - that would me a happy day at work everyday.

NetworkShadow · May 14, 2004, 02:45 PM

That's the other thing, 3DOSX ran better at earlier versions than the newest. I was able to run the old versions quite well on my 450MHz G3 iMac, now the new version runs almost bad even on my new 1.25GHz G4.

cgc · May 14, 2004, 02:50 PM

So tell us what the benefits are of this evil 3-d "thing?" If I was an optometrist, I'd promote this thing, however...

spatterson · May 17, 2004, 06:57 AM

Originally posted by mac15:
3DOSX is pure crap, Its not even fun as a novelty.

I have to agree... though atleast its a step in a new direction away from the norm. If it had thousands of programmers cleaning it up, and working on it, it would prob be real neat.

eyevaan · May 17, 2004, 08:25 AM

isn't the problem with 3D work environments the 2D screen?

In Farenheit 451, they have these TVs that are on four sides of the room (the protaganist can only afford three...) In order to make 3D work, it has to be 3D,

an empty room, a wired motion capture suit, goggles...

maybe too much Dance Dance Revolution for me.
lol

They have to start somewhere - - - feverishly typing BASIC in 1983 on a C64 is in no way a sign of what was going to become what I look at everyday. I can be patient.

deej5871 · May 17, 2004, 03:46 PM

Originally posted by eyevaan:
In Farenheit 451, they have these TVs that are on four sides of the room (the protaganist can only afford three...) In order to make 3D work, it has to be 3D,

That always confused me in that if all 4 walls are TVs, then where is the door?

I suppose they could have a spot on one of the walls but I think that would kind of ruin the experience if you had 4 TVs.

JoE950 · May 18, 2004, 01:40 AM

i could see everything being 3d. but it would still be 2d working something like as windows get farther and farther back they start to fade away into the desktop, and get smaller, untill you hit an expose button that brings them all to the front scaled to fit. and of course theming would be shot since youd have to reshape elements and thats just not worth anyones time... at least for a long time..

cgc · May 18, 2004, 04:14 PM

I still don't see any benefits to 3d. Just the wow-factor may be all they are looking for. Will it make me work faster, or will I get vertigo?

Link · May 20, 2004, 11:59 PM

3D on a 2D monitor is partially silly. It's like watching TV on a TV... it doesn't really work.

If there was a way for you to touch, or at least see the objects in their 3dness, that would be a different story.

On the other hand, using a 3d metaphor would be good, but dragging the desktop (kicking and screaming) into 3D isn't going to be any more useful than a car with a bunch of neon lights all over it. THIS does not mean that a 3d desktop would be a bad thing, just that a different metaphor would make more sense.

Instead of a desk metaphor, you want a room metaphor.. the wallpaper is literally wallpaper (a pattern), and your windows have pretty views.. all your applications are simply objects and your creations (not files) are objects either hung on the walls or in the bin. You search the bin by pressing the bin key and typing in (quicksilver/launchbar style) until either it's the only item left or one of the few.

Granted that, as long as we're still using a unix base I'd leave a terminal app available, and as apple did with OS X, keep the GUI as one part of the system (/users, /system, /library, /applications), and the actual OS the other part (/usr, /lib, /bin, etc).

When I first started getting the hang of the unix environment I REALLY hated how OS X did that but then realized why it works so well. You keep your important stuff in one place AND it keeps idiots from messing up stuff as easily.

In addition, I'd make a 'rule' that prohibits programs writing to filse unless they're keychained to do so by themselves. Much like how word asks you if you want to save a file

As for the actual user interface -- windows still work extremely well. HOWEVER, adding to it, perhaps giving you the ability to attach windows to objects, throw them at things, hide them like in OS X or even coming up with different types of objects for things such as itunes, well you get the idea.

A file map-esque system like in jurrasic park, and 3dosx style interfaces would make good manual text browsers. Personally I'd make OS X have multiple ways of browsing:

Text based
2D spacial
2D browser
3D search
3D spatial (similar to search but allowing you to get into the tree)
3D browser (jurrasic park style/3Dosx style)

This could definately be interesting

eyevaan · May 22, 2004, 01:30 PM

Originally posted by Link:
When I first started getting the hang of the unix environment I REALLY hated how OS X did that but then realized why it works so well. You keep your important stuff in one place AND it keeps idiots from messing up stuff as easily.

In addition, I'd make a 'rule' that prohibits programs writing to filse unless they're keychained to do so by themselves. Much like how word asks you if you want to save a file

As for the actual user interface -- windows still work extremely well. HOWEVER, adding to it, perhaps giving you the ability to attach windows to objects, throw them at things, hide them like in OS X or even coming up with different types of objects for things such as itunes, well you get the idea.

Imagine accidentally adding a period at the front of the file name

"POOF" - its gone . . .

standing there in a placid scene, furiously rummaging through columns of windows directories like some comic strip from the Wall Street Crash of '39...

well it amusing to me.