{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/trackpad--family-06","type":"mechanic","id":"trackpad--family-06","lang":"en","title":"Directions and trajectories","summary":"A motion trace defines path geometry. Pointer dragging lets a trackpad draw the lines that form a course in Line Rider.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/trackpad--family-06/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/trackpad--family-06.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/trackpad--family-06.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Trackpad interactions","Mechanics catalog"],"sourceIds":["source-27c6b989daeb79c9","source-8303b0f3aad42806","source-238be6df8e4ca216"],"sources":[{"id":"source-27c6b989daeb79c9","title":"libinput: swipe, pinch, hold","url":"https://wayland.freedesktop.org/libinput/doc/latest/gestures.html","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-8303b0f3aad42806","title":"W3C: Pointer Events","url":"https://www.w3.org/TR/pointerevents/","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-238be6df8e4ca216","title":"Line Rider","url":"https://www.linerider.com/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"The direction, shape and order of the trajectory sections become a recognizable command or condition of the game action."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants and applications\n\n<a id=\"family-06-variants\"></a>\n\n- Directional swipe. Gesture: Perform a recognizable move up, down, left or right. In the interface: Flip, close the card, move. In the game: Dodge, slash, quick order. Access level: Ready gesture; You need a gesture transmitted by the OS or framework: scroll, zoom, rotate, swipe or hold. The set varies. Conditions: The number of fingers and swipe availability are determined by the platform. Alternative: recognize drag via P. <a id=\"variant-51\"></a>\n- Diagonal stroke. Gesture: Make a short drag in one of eight sectors. In the interface: Expanded menu of directional commands. In the game: Eight directions of impact or roll. Access level: Cursor and buttons; The application gets the usual pointer and buttons. The physical fingers and their separation may be unknown to him. Conditions: Without holding the button and with reference to physical movement, T. is needed. <a id=\"variant-52\"></a>\n- A quick stroke. Gesture: Take into account the speed and direction of a short drag. In the interface: Quickly delete, send, shift an element. In the game: Swing, parry, sharp push. Access level: Cursor and buttons; The application gets the usual pointer and buttons. The physical fingers and their separation may be unknown to him. Conditions: The speed threshold must be distinguished from the length threshold and checked with different cursor sensitivity. <a id=\"variant-53\"></a>\n- Gesture back and forth. Gesture: Change direction within one trajectory. In the interface: Cancel, return, confirm by sequence. In the game: Cocking the mechanism, jerking the shutter, working with a saw. Access level: Cursor and buttons; The application gets the usual pointer and buttons. The physical fingers and their separation may be unknown to him. Conditions: The movement is recognized by the application; This is not a standard touchpad event. <a id=\"variant-54\"></a>\n- Circle. Gesture: Draw a closed circle while holding the button. In the interface: Rotate the knob or select a cyclic parameter. In the game: Start the mechanism, mix, draw a spell circle. Access level: Cursor and buttons; The application gets the usual pointer and buttons. The physical fingers and their separation may be unknown to him. Conditions: Requires tolerance for incomplete closure and shape. Contact option without click requires T. <a id=\"variant-55\"></a>\n- Arc. Gesture: Draw part of a circle. In the interface: Rotate, angle adjustment, fan selection. In the game: Sword swing, arc shield, valve control. Access level: Cursor and buttons; The application gets the usual pointer and buttons. Physical fingers and their separation may be unknown to him. Conditions: Distinguish the desired arc from a random curvature of movement. <a id=\"variant-56\"></a>\n- Zigzag. Gesture: Perform a sequence of turns. In the interface: Form command, graphic code. In the game: Lightning, cut, pattern hacking. Access level: Cursor and buttons; The application gets the usual pointer and buttons. Physical fingers and their separation may be unknown to him. Conditions: Long gesture passwords are difficult to detect without a hint. <a id=\"variant-57\"></a>\n- Trituration. Gesture: Move back and forth repeatedly in a small area. In the interface: Erasing, clearing a mask, developing a layer. In the game: Wipe off dirt, light a fire, sharpen an object. Access level: Cursor and buttons; The application gets the usual pointer and buttons. Physical fingers and their separation may be unknown to him. Conditions: Limit the required number of repetitions; movement alone does not measure the friction of a material. <a id=\"variant-58\"></a>\n- Drawing a symbol. Gesture: Draw a letter, number or symbol. In the interface: Handwriting, annotation, symbol command. In the game: Runes, spells, signature, graphic lock. Access level: Cursor and buttons; The application gets the usual pointer and buttons. The physical fingers and their separation may be unknown to him. Conditions: A recognizer and error checking are needed. The standard trackpad API does not recognize runes automatically. <a id=\"variant-59\"></a>\n- Following the contour. Gesture: Continuously move the cursor along a given path. In the interface: Stroke, precision trainer, manual mask. In the game: Guiding through a labyrinth, surgery, connecting paths. Access level: Cursor and buttons; The application gets the usual pointer and buttons. The physical fingers and their separation may be unknown to him. Conditions: Tolerance, visibility of the cursor and the ability to rearrange the finger must be taken into account. <a id=\"variant-60\"></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":"trackpad","id":"family-06","title":"Trackpad interactions","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/trackpad/#family-06","categoryIds":["section-1"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Directions and trajectories","description":"A motion trace defines path geometry. Pointer dragging lets a trackpad draw the lines that form a course in Line Rider.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/interface-line-rider.webp","width":1280,"height":720,"crop":{"x":530,"y":300,"width":540,"height":250},"game":"Line Rider","sourceUrl":"https://www.linerider.com/","originalUrl":"https://www.linerider.com/","credit":"Boštjan Čadež; original browser capture, 2026-10-22","rights":"© Boštjan Čadež. Actual unsigned Line Rider session, version 2250.0. The route was drawn through normal controls and the simulation paused at frame 28. All rights reserved; excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"Line Rider: the rider travels along a drawn slope","alt":"Line Rider: the rider travels along a drawn slope","markers":[{"x":55,"y":57,"label":"The drawn line determines the sled’s riding surface"}]},"tips":["For stroke gestures, consider shape and direction rather than distance alone."],"examples":[{"title":"Line Rider","url":"https://www.linerider.com/"}]}},"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/trackpad"}}