This page describes a DeepaMehta export add on and it's corresponding multimedial touch interface. This interface helps you to view informations in an associative and stable context, like in DeepaMehta.
If you feel like being a "software surfer", you may want to help with improving this page. I would be very thankful.
To work collaboratively on new scenarios or add information to existent scenario, you just have to open the topic map from the shared workspaces. Like the "Social Actions" workspace and you can start adding content through publishing with a signed applet, after the quickstart or login.
You can just browse through some texts of the scenario without an account through opening the DeepaMehta topic map at deepamehta.de.
Here is a demo applet of the currently published content map linked in.
Info Touch Add on
Helps you to create a topic map of type DefaultView for exporting this "SemKingPeng" app.
Installation from source
- You may download the sources from here infoTouch-1.0-src.tar.gz
- Unpack the archive
- Run DeepaMehta build system from your command line
e.g. ./run.sh build -f ../infoTouch/build.xml
- Embed the fresh infoTouch.jar file in your DeepaMehta apps path. In the build.xml file of your DeepaMehta Home Dir. Like described a bit more detailed Addon: Latex Topic#Installation here.
- Start the DeepaMehta Server and place the Custom Implementatio Class for your new TopicType DefaultView in the Property Panel. Like seen in the screenshot on the left you can paste de.infoTouch.deepamehta.topics.DefaultViewTopic.
After that, a restart of the DeepaMehta Server is safe.
Configure your scenario
Since there is no applicable patch written yet, you have to configure the Workspace manually.
Learn how to use the TypeBuilder Workspace
1) Build up your model
Important is, that all content types has to be derived form TopicType Document. So you have to create 4 subtypes of TopicType Document for creating Image, Video, Text and Audio content. You have to get to know the resp. TopicType Id's for appropriate configuriation of the info touch skin. Those Id's have to be placed in the config.xml file. Their are also additional visualization tweakings for each topictype possible. Radius, BorderSize and BorderColor for example.
For creating on your own scenario you have to run your own deepamehta instance to read the logfiles for later configuration.
Export & Deployment
With each content scenario it's visual represenation is loaded.
You can manage the colour and the loaded icons for your topics. This is done through filling in the filenames and other properties into the TopicType Topic within DeepaMehta. Each type (content or category type) can have it's own colour and icon. By creating associations in DeepaMehta you have to color each asscation(edge) through typing it, otherwise it will look gray later in the scenario. The type of the Associations is not respected for navigation through the scenarios yet, but that's 'the' way.
Further on there is now a config file which enables you additionally to adjust border colour, border Size and overall Size of all topics from a type. Additionally you can configure more than one scenario at a time and enable the user to switch between different scenarios immediately.
About the Info Touch Skin
The user can load a views on a topic map.
When loading new views the application bootstrap it's visual representation from a formerly associated topic map, here called content map.
Every user explores upon a default view which is provided as a start view, the content along it's underlying structure.
One can navigate by media type or along up to category types. As an author you may make it easier for a user to step into the topics by providing some nice starting points in the default view.
All topics are connected trough simple associations and the handling of the gui elements within the graph-visualization is yet limited (but fun :) ). At the moment handling of nodes/topics is restricted to revealing, consuming and rearranging them. Hiding of elements is not implemented yet and also the movement of clusters is missing. Associations have event handling in the sources but we didn't had the time for this feature yet.
Vector Graphics for Symbols
The icons should be, at it's best a .swf file with transparency. PNG's are also supported.
Our original Inkscape files for build upon our symbol set is available here.
- Inkscape File with first draft icons
- Inkscape File with final icons
- Default Control Symbol Set just .png
And one for Ingmar ;) i called it a pinne
Most Recent Features
- Added configuration file for additional size, border colour and border size and switch pulsing of the icon on and off is adjustable per TopicType
- Meta Types can have icons, too.
- You are now able to define three meta topic types
- Maps can have a background image (property of the Content Map) and
- each view has a background color (property of the DefaultView)
A Place for Opportunities
Easy
- Saving Views
- Switch between different map scenarios on the fly [done]
- Introducing a ProgressBar for accessing heavy content over the wire
- Toggle Fullscreen for Videos, Images and Text and resize detail views according to client's display resolution
Moderate
- Hiding Nodes / Edges
- Cluster Moves
- User Management
- RSS Media Feed
Background
The working title was "SemKingPeng" and it was developed as a student project at the TFH Berlin, within the interdisciplinary R&D BAER project. In this project it was part of the IT-Components and was originally designed to run in the house of penguins at the Berlin ZOO.
Until we didn't packaged the Info Touch Client, you may write me for getting your personal dist. We still have to test it before we can provide a beta package here.
Many thanks, also to our Professors who asked for our contribution of the final publication of the BAER Project.
The book was just published and our article is available in German with an english abstract over here.
Artikel zum Download (.pdf) 336 KB
And special thanks to Matthias and Micha!
Online Resources
some available scenarios with which you may encounter problems while using the internet explorer and also if you have small bandwidth (sorry for that)
Malte 02-Dec-2008 00:57 GMT