scottbez1
Add buttons to the rim for various actions
As I understand, SmartKnob currently doesn’t have a touchscreen and only has a single button (pressing the entire knob).
It would be great to have 4 buttons on the rim for various actions (menu navigation, etc.). See the image.
These wouldn’t have to be 4 physical buttons in the usual sense, but e.g. tilt detection.
This would turn SmartKnob into the perfect audio and video control device.
This is a great idea - because I came here to suggest it and saw someone else already had :-). I use a few different devices like midi keyboard controllers which have rotary encoders with up/down/left/right tilt. This allows one knob control to navigate an interface without having to constantly switch modes between selecting a parameter and setting its value. The tilt always moves the selection and rotation always changes value. Center press selects or sets. This is very fast and cognitively easy.
Another nice benefit is the option to set the new value by navigating away after changing it with rotation, this frees up the center press for other useful behaviors like instantly returning to the previously set value if the newly rotated value wasn't satisfactory or toggling between min/max/previous values. Alternatively, center press can toggle that control between active/inactive states (or, in audio, Mute/Solo).
Watching Scott's video, when he showed the four strain gauges I thought he was using those for directional tilt instead of just center press. The directional tilt knobs I currently have all use physical micro-buttons similar to gamepad D-Pads for tilt.
