Scott currently resides in Seattle where he works for the USGS so we meet via Google Hangouts so we can talk and share files on screen. In our last meeting we outlined the project which will be a large touchscreen table that can be interacted with like a giant iPad. Navigation will guide you through 5 separate vignettes. Animations can be controlled manually by sliding a finger, rotated or zoomed, and points of interest tabs will appear that will open up additional infographics/photos in relation to the timeline.
The 'App' will involve 5 vignettes:
- Main animation of the creation of the Sea of Cortez from 11 million years ago to the present.
- A version of the main animation that highlights the movement of faultlines during that time period.
- A "WebGL" section of the area's layered strata. Users can rotate the 'brick' to examine the layers.
- A "How do we know?" section that will explain how geologists can track rock through time. IE rocks have a magnetism in relationship to the poles when they are born.
- A "What do geologists do all day" section that explains a geologist's career as well as everyday tasks.
Below are rough mockups of the main animation, the side-drawer menu, and an example of draggable popup info windows: