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by: sibcode
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Software usability evolves at a previously unseen pace, becoming increasingly more user-interactive. Hot-tracking is one of the latest additions to the GUI interactivity. Hot-tracking is a concept of user interface design providing a visual effect where elements of user interface such as buttons, toolbars etc., react to user interaction. Typically, the effect works by highlighting elements of user interface when the mouse is hovering over, allowing the user to get a better idea on what control is active at the moment.

First introduced with Microsoft Internet Explorer 3, hot-tracking toolbars quickly found their place in software from Web browsers to CAD products. While flat toolbars with hot-tracking enabled definitely look more impressive than the older, traditional ones, the effect of hot-tracking on usability is more than just looks. Software with hot-tracking feel more responsive and provide better feedback to the user, providing a better usage experience.

Historically, first hot-tracking enabled products used monochrome toolbars as 'normal', only displaying a single 'hot' button in color when the mouse cursor was over it. Since then, a more vivid approach to user interfaces prevailed, displaying all toolbar buttons in color, and highlighting a 'hot' button in a slightly different way.

From the designer perspective, there are several types of icons to be drawn for each image to represent the various states of user interface elements. There are normal, disabled and 'hot' versions of each icon to be created.

When designing software, it is important to supply all versions of icons for best usability. But what if your project has hundreds of icons? Does one have to design every single one of them in all the three states? In a word, yes; but you don't have to do it by hand. There are special design tools aimed at producing all three versions out of a single 'normal' original.

The newest release of IconLover recognizes the need, and makes it possible to automate the process of creating 'hot' versions of icons. IconLover makes 'hot' versions of icons for hot-tracking completely automatically by applying the Hot visual effect, thus making it possible for designers to concentrate on designing unique images instead of drowning in technicalities. The effect, as implemented in IconLover, is more realistic and nice-looking than any 'hot' version of an icon than the default Windows implementation of hot-tracked items.

A free evaluation version of IconLover is available for download at www.aha-soft.com.

About the Author

Since SibCode's founding in 2005 and as of 2007, Dmitry Costenco develops web sites. He works for quality web interface, which will help to web surfers.

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