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February 19, 2007

software

Can developers be trusted with Core Animation?

Posted Feb. 19, ’07, 12:00 PM PT by Pat Nakajima
Category | Software

Core AnimationI was perusing the Apple Developer Connection site, and I began reading about Core Animation, the new graphics framework being made available to developers in the next version of OS X. It’s intended to make adding animations to user interfaces as easy as adding vermouth to a martini (which I would imagine to be not very difficult at all). Adding tools to help developers do things easier is always a good thing. Right? Maybe.

While I’m not concerned about most of the Mac developers around today (I can’t imagine NetNewsWire 4.0 incorporating a view where your feeds are shown in outer space Time Machine style), part of me worries that making animations too easy will increase tempations to abuse them. I’m concerned we might see the kind of animation overloads that we saw with the explosion of flash interfaces online. Fortunately, those have been on the decline recently, but I imagine the possibility of interface annoyances rising with this new tool.

Can you think of any new design patterns that core animation will bring on us that we’d really rather it not? I’m curious to hear your responses.


7 Comments

Larry V said:

I share your concerns. New tools are always initially abused by developers and designers who lack discipline and only wish to make their applications flashy or use the latest "cool thing." Previously, animation was difficult; therefore, you really had to want that animation to get it into your program, and you'd think way more about whether it was useful, necessary, and worth it. With Core Animation, I think we'll see an increase in pointless animation, just for the hell of it (e.g., the Disco smoke effect).

On the other hand, I do feel that disciplined developers will use Core Animation to quickly deal with the animations they deem necessary, so they can spend more time on writing quality applications.

February 19, 2007 12:26 PM
jackfrost Author Profile Page said:

I don't think it'll be abused - developers got something similar with Core Image, and nothing bad happened.

February 19, 2007 12:34 PM
pos said:

Nah, Apple users tend to be good people on the whole. We're talking about people who enjoy their lives and have a good time, whilst working hard and doing things propperly. If it wasn't for our love of doing things propperly then we wouldn't be using macs now would we?

Core Animation could potentially create a more vibrant user interface, but not extensively, as you were saying. I think that likc 'Jackfrost' said, as in previous versions of OS 10, there have been no silly over worked UI tweaks, and I see no reason for them to start appearing in Leopard.

February 19, 2007 12:55 PM
Joel said:

Woa! Who doesn't like crazy flash animations?!

February 19, 2007 2:10 PM
Paul said:

Wrong you are about Vermouth to a Martini. That's the part that can make or spoil the drink. It's much like animation to a classy User Interface. There are some who say that even the shadow of animation falling on a user interface can convert pure chilled NIBs to a Martini.

February 19, 2007 4:30 PM
alej744 said:

I'm actually excited to see all these over-the-top effects from devs. :D

February 19, 2007 7:11 PM
pos said:

After a good nights sleep and a fresh mind, I'm just hoping that they keep Leopard along the same lines as Tiger: clean, simple and responsive. Maybe some of the pinstripe can be replaced by the modern iTunes 7 look, but keeping some of it as well as the brushed aluminium / steel is very important. Time Machine for example looks shocking in my oppinion. It's just not mac.

February 19, 2007 11:21 PM

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