Skip to main content

✋ Touch Interactions & FABs

Master AppStruct's touch-optimized interaction system and Floating Action Buttons (FABs) designed specifically for mobile app development. These features provide quick, intuitive access to element controls and actions.

Touch Interaction System Overview​

AppStruct's mobile interface is built around natural touch gestures and interactions that feel familiar to mobile users. The system provides precise control while maintaining the speed and efficiency needed for mobile app development.

Core Touch Principles:​

  • Natural Gestures - Use familiar touch patterns from mobile OS
  • Immediate Feedback - Visual and haptic responses to all touches
  • Precision Control - Accurate selection and manipulation
  • One-Handed Operation - Optimized for thumb-based navigation
  • Context Awareness - Different gestures for different contexts

Basic Touch Interactions​

Element Selection​

Single Tap:

  • Function: Select individual elements
  • Visual Feedback: Element highlights with selection border
  • Haptic Response: Light vibration (15ms)
  • Follow-up: Shows FAB for quick element actions

Long Press:

  • Function: Access element context menu
  • Duration: 500ms hold
  • Visual Feedback: Element pulses during hold
  • Haptic Response: Medium vibration (50ms)
  • Result: Context menu appears with element options

Canvas Navigation​

Single Tap (Empty Area):

  • Function: Deselect all elements
  • Result: Clears selection and hides FABs
  • Context: Returns to general editing mode

Two-Finger Pan:

  • Function: Move around the canvas
  • Sensitivity: Responsive to finger movement
  • Boundaries: Respects canvas bounds
  • Smoothing: Momentum-based scrolling

Pinch to Zoom:

  • Function: Zoom in/out on canvas
  • Range: 25% to 400% zoom levels
  • Center Point: Zooms toward pinch center
  • Smoothing: Gradual zoom with momentum

Advanced Touch Gestures​

Element Manipulation​

Drag Movement:

  • Initiation: Touch and hold element for 200ms
  • Visual Feedback: Element follows finger with slight offset
  • Haptic: Vibration at drag start
  • Precision: Enhanced accuracy with touch offset
  • Boundaries: Snap to edges and guides

Resize Gestures:

  • Corner Handles: Tap and drag resize corners
  • Touch Targets: Large, easy-to-hit resize areas
  • Proportional: Maintain aspect ratio option
  • Live Preview: Real-time size display

Rotation (Advanced):

  • Two-Finger Rotation: Rotate elements with two fingers
  • Snap Angles: Automatic snapping to 0°, 45°, 90° intervals
  • Visual Guide: Rotation angle indicator
  • Smooth Operation: Continuous rotation feedback

Multi-Touch Operations​

Multi-Element Selection:

  • Sequence: Tap first element, then tap others while holding first
  • Visual: Multiple selection indicators
  • Limit: Up to 10 elements simultaneously
  • Actions: Group operations available

Gesture Combinations:

  • Zoom + Select: Pinch to zoom while maintaining selection
  • Pan + Drag: Move canvas while dragging elements
  • Hold + Tap: Add to selection while holding primary element

Floating Action Buttons (FABs)​

FAB System Overview​

FABs provide quick access to the most common actions for selected elements. They appear contextually and position themselves for optimal thumb access.

FAB Characteristics:

  • Circular Design - Consistent 56dp diameter
  • Material Elevation - Raised appearance with shadow
  • Contextual Positioning - Appears near selected elements
  • Auto-Positioning - Avoids screen edges and other UI
  • Accessibility - Large touch target with proper contrast

Primary Element FAB​

Appearance Conditions:

  • Element is selected
  • Not in multi-select mode
  • Element supports editing
  • Screen has available space

Position Logic:

  • Default: Bottom-right of selected element
  • Edge Avoidance: Moves to avoid screen edges
  • UI Avoidance: Repositions to avoid navigation bars
  • Multi-Element: Positioned near selection center

FAB Content:

  • Settings Icon - Gear or cog icon
  • Quick Access - Tapping opens element settings panel
  • Badge Indicators - Shows if element has actions/animations

Multi-Select FAB​

Activation:

  • Appears when an element is selected
  • Positioned adjacent to primary settings FAB
  • Shows group selection icon (four squares)

Functions:

  • Toggle Multi-Select Mode: Tap to enter/exit mode
  • Visual State Change: Icon changes to "X" when in mode
  • Mode Indicator: Color change to indicate active state

Multi-Select Actions:

  • Group Elements: Create groups from selection
  • Duplicate Elements: Copy all selected elements
  • Delete Elements: Remove all selected elements
  • Apply Styles: Bulk style changes

Touch Interaction Contexts​

Normal Editing Mode​

Available Interactions:

  • Single element selection
  • Canvas navigation (zoom, pan)
  • Element manipulation (move, resize)
  • Context menus (long press)
  • FAB actions (quick settings)

Touch Targets:

  • Elements: Entire element area
  • Handles: Resize corners and edges
  • FABs: 56dp circular targets
  • Navigation: Bottom navigation bar

Multi-Select Mode​

Modified Interactions:

  • Tap: Toggle element in/out of selection
  • Visual Feedback: Different selection styling
  • FAB Changes: Multi-select context menu appears
  • Canvas Navigation: Still available with two-finger gestures

Restricted Actions:

  • Individual element settings disabled
  • Resize handles hidden
  • Focus on bulk operations

Panel Open Mode​

Interaction Changes:

  • Background Taps: Close panel (if not modal)
  • Panel Content: Full touch interaction within panel
  • Canvas: Limited interaction (view-only in most cases)
  • FABs: Hidden while panels are open

Haptic Feedback System​

Feedback Patterns​

Selection Feedback:

  • Light Tap: 15ms vibration for element selection
  • Success: Double pulse (15ms, pause, 10ms) for successful actions
  • Error: Triple short pulse for invalid actions
  • Mode Change: Single medium pulse (30ms) for mode switches

Interaction Feedback:

  • Drag Start: Short pulse when element drag begins
  • Snap: Tiny pulse when elements snap to guides
  • Drop: Soft pulse when element placement completes
  • Long Press: Medium pulse when context menu activates

Accessibility Considerations​

User Preferences:

  • Haptic Disable: Respect system haptic settings
  • Intensity Levels: Support system intensity preferences
  • Pattern Recognition: Consistent patterns for similar actions
  • Battery Awareness: Reduce haptic use on low battery

Visual Touch Feedback​

Touch States​

Button States:

  • Normal: Default appearance
  • Pressed: Darker shade or scale effect
  • Disabled: Reduced opacity and no interaction
  • Active: Highlight color for current selections

Element States:

  • Normal: Standard appearance
  • Hover Equivalent: Slight highlight on near-touch
  • Selected: Selection border and handles
  • Multi-Selected: Different border style for group selection

Animation Feedback​

Touch Animations:

  • Ripple Effect: Material Design ripples on tap
  • Scale Feedback: Slight scale on button press
  • Color Transitions: Smooth color changes for states
  • Loading States: Spinner or progress indicators

Gesture Animations:

  • Drag Preview: Element follows finger with smoothing
  • Snap Animation: Smooth movement to snap positions
  • Zoom Smoothing: Gradual zoom transitions
  • Panel Transitions: Smooth slide animations

Performance Optimization​

Touch Responsiveness​

Optimization Techniques:

  • Fast Touch Response: < 16ms touch-to-visual feedback
  • Gesture Recognition: Efficient gesture processing
  • Throttling: Limit update frequency for smooth performance
  • Priority Systems: Prioritize touch events over other processing

Memory Management:

  • Event Cleanup: Proper removal of touch event listeners
  • State Management: Efficient tracking of touch states
  • Animation Optimization: GPU-accelerated animations where possible

Battery Efficiency​

Power Management:

  • Minimal Haptic Use: Strategic vibration usage
  • Efficient Rendering: Reduce unnecessary redraws
  • Background Processing: Minimize CPU usage during touch
  • Screen Management: Optimize display updates

Accessibility Features​

Motor Accessibility​

Touch Assistance:

  • Large Touch Targets: Minimum 44pt tap areas
  • Touch Tolerance: Generous hit areas for precise elements
  • Gesture Alternatives: Multiple ways to perform actions
  • Hold Duration: Adjustable long-press timing

Visual Accessibility​

High Contrast Support:

  • Selection Indicators: High contrast selection borders
  • FAB Visibility: Strong color contrast for FABs
  • Focus States: Clear visual focus indicators
  • Size Options: Support for larger touch targets

Cognitive Accessibility​

Predictable Interactions:

  • Consistent Gestures: Same gestures work everywhere
  • Clear Feedback: Obvious results from all interactions
  • Error Recovery: Easy undo for all touch actions
  • Progressive Disclosure: Show complexity gradually

Touch Interaction Best Practices​

Design Guidelines​

Touch Target Sizing:

  • Minimum Size: 44pt × 44pt for all interactive elements
  • Optimal Size: 48pt × 48pt for primary actions
  • Spacing: 8pt minimum between adjacent touch targets
  • Edge Margins: 16pt minimum margin from screen edges

Gesture Design:

  • Natural Mapping: Gestures match physical metaphors
  • Discoverability: Important gestures are discoverable
  • Consistency: Same gestures work across the app
  • Feedback: All gestures provide immediate feedback

User Experience​

Touch Flow:

  • Logical Progression: Touch interactions follow natural flow
  • Error Prevention: Confirm destructive actions
  • Quick Access: Common actions easily reachable
  • Context Switching: Smooth transitions between contexts

Troubleshooting Touch Issues​

Common Problems​

Unresponsive Touch:

  • Check for JavaScript errors
  • Verify touch event handlers
  • Clear browser cache
  • Restart browser application

Inaccurate Selection:

  • Zoom in for better precision
  • Check element z-index layering
  • Verify touch target sizes
  • Update browser if needed

Missing Haptic Feedback:

  • Check device haptic settings
  • Verify browser haptic support
  • Check battery saving modes
  • Test on different devices

Performance Issues​

Slow Touch Response:

  • Close other applications
  • Check available device memory
  • Clear browser cache
  • Reduce animation complexity

Next Steps​

Explore related mobile interface features:

👉 Mobile Multi-Select Mode →

👉 Mobile Panels & Navigation →

👉 Mobile Settings & Styles →

Touch interactions and FABs make AppStruct's mobile interface feel native and responsive, providing professional-grade editing capabilities optimized for touch devices.