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Animation Control Interface

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About This MicroSim

Explore and identify the essential controls needed for educational animations.

Learning Objectives

  1. Identify the essential controls of an animation interface
  2. Understand the purpose of each control element
  3. Recognize best practices for animation UX design

How to Use

  1. Hover Controls: Move mouse over buttons to see descriptions
  2. Try Controls: Click Play, Pause, Restart, Step buttons
  3. Drag Scrubber: Jump to any point in the animation
  4. Adjust Speed: Drag the speed slider (0.25x to 2x)
  5. Toggle Loop: Turn looping on or off

Essential Controls

Control Purpose
Play/Pause Start and stop animation
Restart Return to beginning
Step Back/Forward Advance frame-by-frame
Scrubber Jump to any point
Speed Slow for detail, fast for overview
Loop Repeat continuously or play once

Lesson Plan

Grade Level: Undergraduate Duration: 10-15 minutes Bloom's Level: Remember (L1)

Activities

  1. Exploration (5 min): Try each control and observe its effect
  2. Identification (5 min): List all controls and their purposes
  3. Discussion (5 min): Which controls are essential vs. optional?

Assessment

Students demonstrate mastery by:

  • Naming all standard animation controls
  • Explaining when to use slow motion vs. normal speed
  • Describing appropriate use cases for looping

References