CLIM: An Interactive Tabletop for Landscape Modeling

Abstract

In this paper we describe our development of an interactive touch tabletop user interface for a landscape design tool. The user interface provides a view of the data, which combines the affordances of a multi-touch tabletop display with a vertical screen for real-time feedback. While the table metaphor fits well with the concepts of a top down view of land-scape, approachable from any direction, the board metaphor provides a clear, shared orientation for reading output charts. We also present a data model for landscape projects, which provides a knowledge-based approach to design decision making. We discuss the sourcing of the datasets that drive our landscape model.