Multiple users without a SUR40 device

Question

If you use a non Sur40 product that allows multiple touch points do you still have the multiple person ability?   Can say 4 people be around a table and have objects orient to them or is this feature for multiple users only available when using the Samsung SUR40 device?  Is using the SDK with a Windows 7 machine really only for a single user?

Thanks,

 

Answer 1

Multi-user scenarios will work within a single application, assuming your device supports a sufficiently large number of contacts in a nice way.  If you try to use multiple applications simultaneously you'll hit input focus issues.

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Answer 2

Does this mean someone may be looking at pictures in one corner and if someone else tries to run a app in the other corner that does something else the system becomes confused? In other words they all have to look at pictures and then all agree to switch to another application?

Answer 3

Sorry, I read your question too quickly. 

If all of the apps in question are using the Surface runtime's input stack, you should be fine.  Apps that use the Windows input stack (ex. standard Windows apps) will have issues around activation and input focus.

You can verify this by experimenting with two instances of DataVisualizer side-by-side in Simulator.  Then try the same thing with something like mspaint.exe.

Btw, in your original question you asked about objects orienting to the users.  Note that contact orientation (i.e. rotation) will only be accessible by your app if you're running on an SUR40 or using InputSimulator.exe.

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This post is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.