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I've got a page that has a narrow panel on the left containing thumbnails. When
the user clicks a thumbnail, the large panel to the right is populated with that
thumbnail's picture.

Works ok, except the user has to mouse-click each thumbnail they want to see.

Seems like they ought TB able to walk the thumbnail list via UpArrow/DownArrow
while I populate the large panel with the currently-selected thumbnail's parent.

Can this be done in plain old HTML? Or is is something that could be done in
Java? Or have I been drinking too much coffee again?
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PeteCresswell

In alt.html (Pete Cresswell) said:

> I've got a page that has a narrow panel on the left containing thumbnails. When
> the user clicks a thumbnail, the large panel to the right is populated with that
> thumbnail's picture.

heres a variation on that:
http://butterflies.usenetshit.info/

> Works ok, except the user has to mouse-click each thumbnail they want to see.

this is good. they click the pic they want to see and they get to see
it. this is an excellent UI design that shouldn't be screwed around with
without careful consideration.

> Seems like they ought TB able to walk the thumbnail list via UpArrow/DownArrow
> while I populate the large panel with the currently-selected thumbnail's parent.

how do you know they want to see them in the order you have them? in
only a limited set of circumstances should you try to present images in
a given order.

will the visitor be comfortable using your unfamiliar UI. will it cause
unexpected behavior confusing or annoying the visitor?

another issue is time/bandwidth downloading every image. is there enough
time to download the image before the visitor has moved onto the next?
is the visitor happy having to download every image? what is this doing
to you and your visitors bandwidth costs?

does the visitor even have a keyboard to use your UI?

overall i think what you want to do is more icky poo than not. i don't
recommend implementing it.

sit back, relax, consume some drugs and rethink how best to serve the
images to your visitor.

> Or have I been drinking too much coffee again?

you can never have enough coffee


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v o i c e s

RE/

>> Seems like they ought TB able to walk the thumbnail list via UpArrow/DownArrow
>> while I populate the large panel with the currently-selected thumbnail's parent.
>
>how do you know they want to see them in the order you have them? in
>only a limited set of circumstances should you try to present images in
>a given order.
>
>will the visitor be comfortable using your unfamiliar UI. will it cause
>unexpected behavior confusing or annoying the visitor?
>
>another issue is time/bandwidth downloading every image. is there enough
>time to download the image before the visitor has moved onto the next?
>is the visitor happy having to download every image? what is this doing
>to you and your visitors bandwidth costs?
>
>does the visitor even have a keyboard to use your UI?
>
>overall i think what you want to do is more icky poo than not. i don't
>recommend implementing it.
>
>sit back, relax, consume some drugs and rethink how best to serve the
>images to your visitor.

Nice reply. Thanks.

I think I'll just chill and leave it as-is per your recommendation.

Download time is not an issue because the presentation is on CD.

Sequence is, of course arbitrary...but I just figured that somebody who wanted
to browse though all the pix would have an easier time of it via up/down
arrows...but I also note that no other web-based nav list I've seen does
this...so your observation about possible confusion may be on target.
--
PeteCresswell