DEMAIS - Usage Notes


Introduction
Installation
Capabilities
Design Examples
Usage notes
DEMAIS is designed to work with either a mouse or stylus input device. If you use a mouse, then the software should work across different hardwarde and OS platforms without modification. However, for a stylus input device, I developed the software using a WACOM PL400 pen-light system. Hopefully, the stylus event processing within DEMAIS will function correctly for other stylus-based systems as well.

To switch between mouse and stylus input modes as well as script about 30 other properties of the DEMAIS application, you can modify the file:

d:\software\edu\uofminnesota\DEMAIS\main\properties

The properties file is a plain text file that is loaded at runtime. Any values that are modified in this file will overwrite the default values coded into the application. The name-value pairs are commented so you should be able to modify the file without further instruction.

A user interacts with DEMAIS using a stylus differently than when using a mouse. For example, when using a mouse, a user drags and drops an icon from the visual language icon panel to a behavioral ink stroke. However, when using a stylus, a user taps on an icon and then taps on the appropriate behavioral ink stroke. In the meantime, the chosen visual language icon flashes to remind the user which icon they are about to place. This is an interaction metaphor that I call tap and drop. Other differences exist as well, and they are described in related publications.