Spatula: Exploring On-Demand In-Situ Interfaces and Interaction for Attribute Control
Boyu Li, Linjie Qiu, Lin-Ping Yuan, Duotun Wang, Yue Jiang, Zeyu Wang, Hongbo Fu
Abstract
Controlling attributes is a critical step toward achieving the final creative outcome, yet current approaches fall short in supporting users in the iterative refinement of generative content. We propose Spatula, a proof-of-concept system that generates on-demand, in-situ attribute control interfaces and interactions for creating motion graphics. Building on a technical probe that automatically analyzes animation context and generates corresponding attributes and UI, we frame attribute control as an explorable landscape and explore the attribute control space along four key dimensions: Discoverability, Resolution, Scope, and Expandability. Findings from a user study (N=12) show that our system provides intuitive and convenient interactions while supporting diverse needs for fine-grained parameter control. Furthermore, our applications demonstrate that the plug-and-play design generalizes to other domains, such as web design and 3D modeling.
Topics
Classified with taxonomy v2 on Sat, 5 Sept 2026.