The technical manual user experience can be enhanced when the technical graphics are interactive. The concept of hyperlinks on text and images in a web environment is very familiar, therefore, this is a very natural expectation in an Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM).
The hotspot capability seems to be very straightforward, but when we investigate further, there is a level of complexity not envisaged. In Part 1 of the blog post we discuss where the addition hotspots can be beneficial. The most likely place to find hotspots is on a spare parts illustration, in the Figure 1 below the callout numbers have been hotspotted. The hotspot can contain various metadata, see the dialog box below for the possible options. The hotspot alone has little functionality apart from the tooltip, ‘Grommet’, in this instance.
However, when the hotspot is linked to a textual element, for example, a row in a parts list, the benefit to the user becomes more compelling. The example below, Figure 2, shows the potential when the cursor hovers over the hotspot, the applicable row highlights. The user can immediately identify part numbers and other relevant information. There is also potential to order the selected part using a shopping basket system.
A hotspot can also be used as a navigational aid, for example from one portion of the graphic to another, or a link to another graphic. The example below, Figure 3, shows the overall aircraft, and where Detail A is located.
Clicking on the A above and next to the aircraft, links to a zoomed in view of detail on the right, see below.
The B’s then link to the Detail B in lower left of the overall view.
The final link is to Detail C, another zoomed in view.
The callouts could also link to a spare parts list, making the illustration fully interactive.
In conclusion, hotspots can substantially enhance the user experience, making the user tasks more accurate and productive. In Part 2, we will discuss in more detail how hotspots are created, and the graphic file formats that support hotspot information.
