Pointing devices are essential tools for interacting with digital devices, especially when keyboards are impractical. They serve six main types of interaction tasks:
- Select: Users pick an item from a list, like choosing an option from a menu, identifying a file in a folder, or marking a specific part in a design.
- Position: Users determine a point in one, two, or three-dimensional space. This is used for tasks like drawing, placing windows, or dragging elements on a screen.
- Orient: Users select a direction in two, three, or higher-dimensional space. This can involve rotating a symbol, indicating motion direction, or controlling a robot arm.
- Path: Users quickly perform a series of positioning and orientation actions. This could be seen as drawing a curved line, recognizing characters, or providing instructions for a machine.
- Quantify: Users specify a numeric value, often in a one-dimensional selection. This is used for setting parameters like page numbers, ship velocity, or sound amplitude.
- Text: Users input, move, and edit text in a two-dimensional space. Pointing devices help indicate where text should be inserted, deleted, or changed. This is crucial for tasks like formatting, setting margins, changing font sizes, and overall page layout.