Tuesday, October 16, 2018

[qqcrkfga] Scrolling around a floating figure

We imagine an electronic document consisting of text and figures which you scroll through.

Text, text, text, a diagram appears.  Once the diagram fully appears and scrolls to the desired position on the screen, it stays put.  Then text referring to the diagram scrolls around the diagram, reflowing to squeeze in between the margins made narrower because of the diagram (especially useful in landscape displays).  As long as the text keeps referring to the diagram -- as long as the diagram remains useful -- it stays on the page with text scrolling by like water flowing around a rock in a stream.  Once the diagram is no longer being useful, the rock rejoins the flow and scrolls away.  The author of the document has marked bounds in text during which the diagram should remain visible.

Other features:

Multiple diagrams entering and exiting at different times.

Two scrolling columns with a diagram positioned between columns, biting halfway into each column.

A computational challenge: text reflowing for every scroll event.  Not difficult if the diagram spans entire horizontal width.  Not too difficult for monospace font.

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