Microsoft Surface 1.0 SP1: Getting creating real connections—whether it's connecting customers with information and each other, or connecting a device made for Surface to other devices. Using only their fingers or objects, such as loyalty cards or game pieces like checkers, users interact with a high-end graphical display that can be used as a table, on the wall, or embedded in other fixtures or furniture.
The following documentation provides more information about core administration tasks that you can perform with Surface software.
Tagged Objects
Microsoft Surface units can also respond to objects that are marked with a specific arrangement of dots called a tag. The tag consists of a geometric arrangement of infrared reflective and absorbing areas.
Microsoft Surface recognizes two types of tags:
Microsoft Surface units recognize the unique dot arrangement on the tag and run whatever action or series of actions that the application has programmed for that tag.
For example, a Microsoft Surface application might use tagged objects in the following ways:
- Recognize objects. An application can use the tags to recognize an object or distinguish among a collection of objects. For example, a board game might use different tags to represent the players and trace their positions on the Microsoft Surface screen. Similarly, a chess application might use eight instances of one tag to represent the white pawns, two instances of another tag for the two rooks, two instances of another tag for the knights, two instances of another tag for the bishops, one tag for the queen, and another tag for the king. Therefore, the application would use six unique tags for the white pieces, and another set of six unique tags for the black pieces.
- Point and orient applications. Microsoft Surface applications can enable users to move and rotate an object with their fingers. However, applications might require precise movement with absolute orientation. For example, an application might enable a user to move in sequence through a series of video clips, turn the pages in a virtual book, or adjust the volume of a video or audio clip. To adjust the volume, the application might enable the user to turn a tagged object in a circular motion, like the dial on a radio or television. Tags also provide a more precise absolute location than fingers, so applications can use tagged objects as pointing devices.
- Start or display an application. Applications can register a particular byte tag value or identity tag series. When a user puts the relevant tag on the Microsoft Surface screen, it displays a menu that enables the user to start or display any application that has registered the tag. If a user selects an application by using a tagged object, the application designer can use that tag contact as the starting point for the user's experience with that application. This feature is called object routing.
Microsoft Surface applications can also use a tag to start a command or action. For example, a tagged object might identify a cardholder so purchases can be charged properly.
Or, a tag might open information and option cards that are specific to a type of wine that is being sampled.
For more information about how to create tagged objects, see Creating Tagged Objects.
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