[kepler-dev] New Kepler Menus

Wed Feb 1 09:58:55 PST 2006

Incidently, the current 'animation' feature does not work with all 
directors. (maybe only SDF). So it we want a general purpose version, 
there is probably a lot of work to do. And I am not convinced that we 
can ever predict how long a workflow will take to run, other than by 
collecting data for previouis runs.

Dan

Laura L. Downey wrote:

>Just as a point of clarification -- I'm not necessarily advocating the
>"animation" feature as it is currently implemented in the code.  I just want
>to provide the feedback to the user about which actor is executing during a
>workflow that is running.  Kevin's last post reminded me of that -- thanks
>Kevin.
>
>Laura L. Downey
>Senior Usability Engineer
>LTER Network Office
>Department of Biology, MSC03 2020
>1 University of New Mexico
>Albuquerque, NM  87131-0001
>505.277.3157 office
>505.610.9657 mobile
>505.277-2541 fax
>ldowney at lternet.edu
> 
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Kevin Ruland [mailto:kruland at ku.edu] 
>Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 9:53 AM
>To: Matthew Brooke
>Cc: Laura L. Downey; 'Kepler-Dev'
>Subject: Re: [kepler-dev] New Kepler Menus
>
>Matthew Brooke wrote:
>  
>
>>Laura L. Downey wrote:
>> > I'm proposing to make that the default
>> > (checked) option so that running with feedback is the default.
>>
>>There is a potential drawback to enabling the feedback by default: the 
>>"Run with feedback" option has a user-editable "delay time", needed to 
>>make the animation visible, or at least slow enough to follow by eye.
>>
>>Therefore, we would have to create a default value for the delay, which 
>>would, in turn, slow down the execution of all workflows. Probably not 
>>an issue with some of the simpler example WFs, but may be a problem with 
>>bigger/more intensive WFs, especially if users don't realize this is the 
>>case.
>>
>>m
>>  
>>    
>>
>
>How is the animation implemented?  Would it be possible to have a 
>seperate thread poll the workflow to determine which actor is executing, 
>highlight the appropriate actor, then sleep for some period of time?  
>This would enable the workflow to run at full speed, with the down side 
>that the actor highlighting would possibly be a little chaotic.
>
>Kevin
>  
>
>>Laura L. Downey wrote:
>>  
>>    
>>
>>>Matthew has already commented on the toggling issue so there is a way to
>>>turn on/off the highlighting during workflow execution.
>>>
>>>In terms of the phraseology, I kept "Run" in the "Run with Feedback" item
>>>      
>>>
>to
>  
>
>>>keep all the "run" items associated.  We have Run and Run Window and
>>>      
>>>
>users
>  
>
>>>in some of the early testing really liked the "animation" where they
>>>      
>>>
>could
>  
>
>>>see which actor was executing so I'm proposing to make that the default
>>>(checked) option so that running with feedback is the default.  Because I
>>>wanted to keep the "Run" association, I suggested Run with Feedback
>>>      
>>>
>because
>  
>
>>>Run with Animation just didn't sound right to me.
>>>
>>>We can certainly adjust the phraseology if it proves to be problematic.
>>>Although I suspect that if someone turns it off and sees they don't get
>>>      
>>>
>the
>  
>
>>>highlighting during execution they will easily understand what Run with
>>>Feedback means.  The use of the term feedback may be a bit human factors
>>>centric on my part since that is so often used in my field to mean
>>>communicating with the user -- giving them appropriate visual and textual
>>>feedback etc. And of course feedback does mean different things in
>>>      
>>>
>different
>  
>
>>>contexts, just as Edward pointed out from his perspective.  But feedback
>>>      
>>>
>is
>  
>
>>>also a very general term that just means give me some indication on what
>>>      
>>>
>is
>  
>
>>>happening.
>>>
>>>Laura L. Downey
>>>Senior Usability Engineer
>>>LTER Network Office
>>>Department of Biology, MSC03 2020
>>>1 University of New Mexico
>>>Albuquerque, NM  87131-0001
>>>505.277.3157 office
>>>505.610.9657 mobile
>>>505.277-2541 fax
>>>ldowney at lternet.edu
>>> 
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: Matthew Brooke [mailto:brooke at nceas.ucsb.edu] 
>>>Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2006 8:43 PM
>>>To: Dan Higgins
>>>Cc: Laura L. Downey; Kepler-Dev
>>>Subject: Re: New Kepler Menus
>>>
>>>
>>>Dan -
>>>
>>>thanks - i know about that one. Laura's redesign has a checkbox menu 
>>>item - click once for on; click again to toggle off - but i have not yet 
>>>had chance to implement it like that.
>>>
>>>m
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Dan Higgins wrote:
>>>    
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Hi Matthew (and Laura)
>>>>
>>>>   In using the new Kepler menu system, I can across a problem. In the 
>>>>old menus (aka Ptolemy menu) there is a menu item named 'Animate 
>>>>Execution' under the 'Debug' menu. Immediately below the 'Animate 
>>>>Execution' is a 'Stop Animating' meny item.
>>>>
>>>>   'Animate Execution' shows when actors are executing when a workflow 
>>>>runs by 'hilighting' the actor for a use-set period of time (for some 
>>>>Directors). 'Stop Animating' turns off the animation
>>>>
>>>>   In the new menus, this item has apparently been replaced by the menu 
>>>>item 'Run with Feedback' under the 'Tools' menu. The problem is that 
>>>>there is no 'Stop Feedback' menu item. So once the user starts showing 
>>>>which icon is firing, there is no way to turn off the effect with the 
>>>>new menus!  Rather that having a seperate 'Stop' menu, perhaps the menu 
>>>>should toggle from 'Run with Feedback' to 'Stop Feedback' and back?
>>>>
>>>>   Incidently. in my opinion, the original menu text of 'Animate 
>>>>Execution' seems more descriptive than 'Run with Feedback'. Feedback 
>>>>seems like a term that can have many meanings and is not very helpful to
>>>>        
>>>>
>
>  
>
>>>>a new Kepler user.. 'Feedback' could just be some text summary at the 
>>>>end of workflow execution.
>>>>
>>>>Dan
>>>>
>>>>      
>>>>        
>>>>
>>  
>>    
>>
>
>
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>  
>

-- 
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Dan Higgins                                  higgins at nceas.ucsb.edu
http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/    Ph: 805-893-5127
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