{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/phone-magnetometer--family-08","type":"mechanic","id":"phone-magnetometer--family-08","lang":"en","title":"Objects and physical tokens","summary":"A physical overlay maps magnet position to a command. In the MagBoard prototype, a printed grid defines keys for a phone application.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/phone-magnetometer--family-08/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/phone-magnetometer--family-08.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/phone-magnetometer--family-08.md","aliases":["Objects and tangible media"],"tags":["Phone magnetometer interactions","Mechanics catalog"],"sourceIds":["source-ee9f12adfc1daf72"],"sources":[{"id":"source-ee9f12adfc1daf72","title":"MagBoard prototype / Calculator","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1605.00284","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"Prepared objects receive distinguishable magnetic characteristics; recognition depends on location and calibration."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants and applications\n\n<a id=\"family-08-variants\"></a>\n\n- Inserting a physical key. Action: Insert a magnetic object into the only prepared slot. Application: Open the door, start the plot, activate the artifact. Limitations: A familiar field configuration is detected; copy protection is not provided. Equipment: Magnetic props with a given geometry. Preparation: Needs setup. Type: Game rule. <a id=\"variant-m057\"></a>\n- Selecting an item by signature. Action: Insert prepared objects with different magnetic templates into one slot one by one. Application: Character figures, physical inventory, tool selection. Limitations: Classes may overlap; you need a small proven set and exact position. Equipment: Magnetic props with a given geometry. Preparation: Experimental. Type: Input method. <a id=\"variant-m058\"></a>\n- Side or orientation of the token. Action: Flip or rotate one token in a fixed location. Application: Selecting the face of the card, the state of the hero, the direction of action. Limitations: Distinction of orientations must be checked on a specific design. Equipment: Magnetic props with a given geometry. Preparation: Needs setup. Type: Input method. <a id=\"variant-m059\"></a>\n- A chip on a marked path. Action: Move one magnetic chip along known points or cells. Application: Tabletop labyrinth, route, local tactical task. Limitations: One sensor does not provide a reliable complete picture of several chips on a large field. Equipment: Magnetic props with a given geometry. Preparation: Experimental. Type: Input method. <a id=\"variant-m060\"></a>\n- Sequence of presentations. Action: Apply prepared items one at a time in a given order. Application: Potion recipe, story from cards, assembling a team. Limitations: The application stores the order; it does not detect all objects lying nearby at once. Equipment: Magnetic props with a given geometry. Preparation: Experimental. Type: Game rule. <a id=\"variant-m061\"></a>\n- Magnetic code scanning. Action: Guide media with large magnetic marks through the guide. Application: Physics program, toy command, code page. Limitations: Special slow code; reading banking magnetic stripes is not expected. Equipment: Magnetic details with a given geometry. Preparation: Experimental. Type: Input method. <a id=\"variant-m062\"></a>\n- Opening a page or flap. Action: Move a magnet along with a known fold or a separate page. Application: Interactive book, box, drop-down object. Limitations: Many magnets give a total field; start with one moving part. Equipment: Magnetic props with a given geometry. Preparation: Needs setup. Type: Input method. <a id=\"variant-m063\"></a>\n- Assembly step control. Action: Bring the next module to a single reading zone before installation. Application: Educational constructor, sequential assembly of the device, repair in a quest. Limitations: The presentation of the module is confirmed, and not the correctness of the entire structure. Equipment: Magnetic props with a given geometry. Preparation: Experimental. Type: Game rule. <a id=\"variant-m064\"></a>"},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"Author's working classification for designing games and interactions. Options can overlap and combine; the list is not a generally accepted standard or proven exhaustive list. Application examples are conditional unless a specific verifiable observation is indicated nearby. Sources support individual techniques and technical limitations."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"phone-magnetometer","id":"family-08","title":"Phone magnetometer interactions","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/phone-magnetometer/#family-08","categoryIds":["section-1"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Objects and tangible media","description":"A physical overlay maps magnet position to a command. In the MagBoard prototype, a printed grid defines keys for a phone application.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/sensor-magboard-photo.webp","width":709,"height":651,"game":"MagBoard prototype / Calculator","sourceUrl":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1605.00284","originalUrl":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/1605.00284","credit":"Heba Abdelnasser, Moustafa Youssef and Khaled A. Harras","rights":"Photo from the authors’ MagBoard paper, arXiv:1605.00284, PDF page 2. Third-party application imagery retains its own rights. All rights reserved; excluded from portal MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"MagBoard: a printed overlay and the resulting calculator input","alt":"MagBoard: a printed overlay and the resulting calculator input","markers":[{"x":54,"y":57,"label":"A magnet over a cell selects the corresponding command"}]},"tips":["Register overlay placement and do not promise unique recognition of arbitrary objects."],"examples":[{"title":"MagBoard prototype / Calculator","url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/1605.00284"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/phone-magnetometer"}}