Navigation Concept: SpiderWebPanel (1 Viewer)

[tomtom21000]

Looks good, but controlling it with the arrow keys is currently unpredictable

that, plus the irregular layout is somewhat confusing to me.

How about using your spider web for submenues?
What I mean is a circle of the core features, like your inner spider web ring with tv, music, pictures
after choosing one of the core features a submenu with another web around this core feature pops up like music surrounded by mp3, last.fm, radio etc.
these would only pop up when you navigate to the music item.
(You can imagine this also like a firework).

tomtom

 

[offbyone]

That would require every plugin (think about 3rd party ones) to be able to go under one of those categories.
One thing I'd like to achieve with this concept (which I also like from a user's point of view): See all available choices (plugins) with once glance, without the need to touch the keyboard.

 

[hardcorehire]

I was trying to layout something like this with the myworld concept where every plugin would "fit" under a category (refer to MyWorld skin post). I was thinking for navigation of a new concept as well. I like the windows 8 concept in some aspects I like the idea of not seeing switched screen when bringing up apps but more sliding screens. What does everyone think of a tile concept with updated. This is a great thread to get some fresh perspectives on new layouts for MP2 then the typical list layout. After hearing everyone's thoughts I'll see what I can put together.

 

[Mike Lowrey]

How about a line drawn as spiral? (edit: in reference of how to connect each item)

Edit2:

hardcorehire
I would live a live tile based skin or at least one that implements some of the Metro UI ideas.

 

[offbyone]

I have also thought about a spiral, might be a valid try as well

Here's a new exe to see the animation on the SpiderWebPanel:

 

[offbyone]

I went ahead and have now implemented the RadialPanel in MP2.
Here are some screenshots of Reflexion skin's Home screen using the new Panel instead of the horizontal StackPanel:

 

[SpudR]

Hmm...
How about dropping the entire menu horizontally on to the 3d Z plane giving a perspective style, and using the up button to enter a menu (step out a ring) and the down button to go back a level (step in a ring)?
Left and right would then be used to select the options at that level.
You could also use the Z plane to show all the options at once in that way - visible but not at the front of the menu.

So for instance I would see the menu laid out as the first 'info' ring with options like 'Movies', 'TV', 'Music' etc. Pushing left/right would choose the next option round the ring, animated with a nice rotation.
Pushing 'up' on the 'TV' option would take me to the TV ring showing 'TV Guide', 'Live TV', 'Recordings' etc...
Pushing 'down' from there takes me back to the first info ring.

Clever use of fading, focus, colour and sizing would make this visually stunning.

 

[Quarter]

I had an Idea of having a 3d view of say an alley way where you have stores on the left and right, pressing up would make you walk forward as you get to the store (menu) you want you press left or right depending what side its on. Once you enter say the music store you have a shelf stacked with all the cds or songs you have. Just an Idea, don't mean to hijack the thread.

 

[Kermit1974]

Don't know why I haven't seen this thread before, but I think it is a very important discussion, because it deals with the most basic and important experience for mediaportal.
Today my own setup is fairly simple: I use MP for Live TV, Videos, Movies, Music and to some extent pictures.
The important thing for me is to be able to go to the basic functions using as few taps on the remote as possible.
Yes! I could use shortcuts and coded buttons, but I would really like the overview, as offbyone suggests.
I've been using Windows 8 for a while now for testing purpose, and the more I work in the Metro enviroment, the more I like it.
It's simple in the expression, easy to navigate in (you a one-click access to app's you use all the time) and the live tiles are great, as long as you don't let the ever changing test distract you.
I don't know how it will work with a remote, though, but it made me think of slightly different approach to the spider web nav:
4 square tiles arranged in a square, representing 4 areas of MP. These tiles have different colors.
If you make these tiles large enough, you could fit 6 smaller tiles on each of the large ones - 3 on the outer sides of the large square.
This way all major functions is no more than 3 clicks away, and if you need more advanced menus, you can get to these by clicking the large square.
I'm imagining the tiles being a bit like the tiles in metro, and preferrebly live tiles.

Furthermore I think the menu should be an overlay that pulls down/fades in or whatever, when you press The Green Button.
The menu should ofcourse reflect the area you're in at the moment, for example if you're waching live tv the menu should relate to this.
Clicking THB again will bring you back to the main menu - live TV still in the background.

Hope this makes sense. I'm a lousy programmer, but could try to make a moch up in flash to show you what I mean.

 

[Pat Clark]

Don't forget mouse usage. For arbitrary GUI elements, a mouse can't be beat -- not by a finger, and certainly not by a remote. Some pretty thorough user-interface research has been done over the years that we should capitalize on.

I've assumed people like remotes (here at MP) because they have other equipment that requires a remote. But I think we seldom need to use any other equipment's remote functions. I, for example have a DVD remote that I "never" use, an amplifier remote that I "never" mess with, a TV remote that I "never" deal with. Every routine function is handled by the PC, and therefore by the mouse. About the only remote function I use for this equipment is on/off.