TouchFLO 3D

TouchFLO 3D is a graphical user interface designed by HTC. It is used in the HTC Touch Family of Pocket PCs and was preceded by TouchFLO. TouchFLO 3D has been ported to Windows Mobile and Android, and is used in the HTC Touch Diamond, HTC Touch Pro, HTC Touch HD, HTC MAX 4G, HTC Touch Diamond2 and HTC Touch Pro2. The HTC Touch Viva, HTC Touch 3G and HTC Touch2 have a simpler version entitled TouchFLO 2D, where they have the same scrolling tab on the bottom of the screen, however they do not have any 3D visual effects. From the HTC Hero and HTC HD2 onwards, TouchFLO 3D has been heavily extended and is now being referred to, along with other usability improvements, as HTC Sense. The HTC Touch2 runs a version of TouchFLO 2D that is similar in style to HTC Sense.
Main Elements.
Today Screen Plugin.
The Today screen plugin is the main aspect of TouchFLO 3D, and consists of several tabs, which can be viewed by sliding a finger along the bottom bar or touching one of the visible icons. The tabs to the immediate right and left of the current tab can be accessed by swiping in the relevant direction. The tabs are:
Each tab has two soft keys which provide access to functions associated with a tab or tab customisation.
System Status Screen.
Instead of requiring users to touch the small status icons at the top of the screen (battery, volume, signal, etc.), the System Status Screen appears when the system status area is pressed, providing larger, finger-friendly buttons.
Revisions.
TouchFLO 3D debuted in 2008 on the HTC Touch Diamond. Early updates removed many of the animations to increase the perception of speed. Since then, it has been altered several times:
HTC Touch Pro.
The Tasks screen is only available on the HTC Touch Pro. It may be accessed by opening the keyboard while viewing TouchFLO 3D.
HTC Touch HD.
The HTC Touch HD added the Stock tab and the ability to rearrange or hide tabs. Also, from the Touch HD onwards, TouchFLO 3D was designed for WVGA screens rather than VGA screens.
HTC Touch Diamond2/HTC Touch Pro2/HTC Tilt 2 (AT&T).
At the 2009 Mobile World Congress, more extensive changes were revealed. A Calendar tab, featuring month and day views, was introduced. The Stock tab was revised; it no longer displays graphs, but instead displays the quote and whether it has increased or decreased. The contacts tab was also changed: tapping on a contact displays a subscreen with several new tabs: a contact details tab, and tabs which display text messages, emails, and the call history associated with that contact. The Settings tab has been expanded to include more aspects such as G-sensor and contact card. In addition, a replacement for the Tasks Screen has been devised: all tabs now have an arrangement in landscape format. To give extra screen space, the slider will shrink to a small button on the bottom left, which when pressed will expand to reveal the entire slider. Alternatively, in both portrait and landscape modes, a quick swipe left or right can flip tabs one at a time.
Third Party Interest.
There have been several third-party add-on tabs created. These include:
Also, a 3rd party TouchFLO 3D clone, called ThrottleLauncher , is available for many other devices.