Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!helios.ee.lbl.gov!nosc!ucsd!nprdc!trejo From: trejo@nprdc.arpa (Leonard J. Trejo) Newsgroups: comp.cog-eng Subject: Re: The Window Focus Problem Keywords: feedback windowing interfaces Message-ID: <1168@arctic.nprdc.arpa> Date: 13 Dec 88 19:10:27 GMT References: <318@aratar.UUCP> <651@sdics.ucsd.EDU> <1073@arctic.nprdc.arpa> <663@sdics.ucsd.EDU> Sender: news@nprdc.arpa Reply-To: trejo@nprdc.arpa (Leonard J. Trejo) Organization: Navy Personnel R & D Center Lines: 37 In article johnm@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com (John Murray) writes: >Given the subject line of this discussion, I find it odd that no-one >has mentioned the possibility of actually de-focussing the non-active >windows. I envision making them fuzzy enough to be difficult to read, >but not so much that changes and incoming messages could not be noticed. >For many terminal displays, the resolution may not be good enough to >achieve the right effect, but I haven't heard of anyone trying the idea. In my second contribution to this discussion I suggested that lowering the contrast in unselected portions of the display might be an effective way of perceptually segregating those portions from the selected area, which would remain at normal contrast. Lowering contrast would be easier to achieve than simulated blurring on most displays since only moderate gray-scale resoution--not high spatial resolution--is required. I think physical blurring of selected display areas under software control is not technologically possible now. Nor do I think it ought to be, since all blurring would do is lower contrast at critical spatial frequencies anyway. Finally, blurring might affect visual performance more adversely than a direct contrast adjustment if it selectively attenuates contrast at spatial frequencies that serve as cues for accomodation--but this is probably an empirical issue. Overall, I've found the discussions very interesting. I'd like to comment soon about the issue of differential effects of wavelength on physiological measures. However, I'm afraid I'll have to wait until I have a bit more disposable time. L. J. T. ============================================================================ ARPANET: trejo@nprdc.arpa UUCP: ucsd!nprdc!trejo Phone: (619) 553-7981 Postal Address: Leonard J. Trejo, Ph. D. (AV) 553-7981 NPRDC Code 141 San Diego, CA 92152-6800