Dimian - Direct Manipulation and Interaction in Pen Based Mind Mapping

摘要

The dimian project was started to investigate how new interfaces affect the usage of applications. We used the freely available freemind mind mapping software and extended it to suit the special affordances of pen based interfaces. Adapting the interface for pen based interaction devices ranging from tablet PCs to smart wall displays we provide a easy to use and comprehend interface even to novice users. Dimain provides a direct manipulation interface with zoomable panes in combination with abstract gestures and traditional menu interfaces adapted to pen interaction using pie menus. It provides the user with an interaction metaphor borrowed from pen and paper interaction combined with the benefits of digital editing and graph creation. To investigate the effects of our interface we conducted user trials with a total of 29 persons.