Positioning objects in three-dimensional graphical space

• US 10,019,851 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Cullum, Alexander Charles, Ptak, Barry John
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, Ryan M
• Application Number:
  US15/428,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20180114370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/60 Shadow generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2004 Aligning objects, relative positioning of parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling

Abstract

Aspects of the technology described herein provide a control interface for manipulating a 3-D graphical object within a virtual drawing space. The control can automatically group objects together for common manipulation. The control can take the form of a scaled representation of a group of objects located outside of the primary drawing space. Moving the representation then moves the objects.

Claims

1. A method of positioning a three-dimensional (3-D) graphical objects displayed in a virtual 3-D drawing space, the method comprising:

outputting for display, the virtual 3-D drawing space comprising a plurality of 3-D graphical objects;

receiving a user request to activate a z-layer view;

outputting for display within the virtual 3-D drawing space an object control interface that controls movement of a group of 3-D graphical objects, the object control comprising a scaled representation of the group of 3-D graphical objects;

receiving a control input to move the object control along a z-axis in a direction; and

in response to the control input, moving the group of 3-D graphical objects along the z-axis in the direction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object control is located below the group of 3-D graphical objects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the object control is located to a side of the group of 3-D graphical objects, wherein the side is closest to a virtual camera showing the 3-D drawing space.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the object control is located at the same z-depth as the group of 3-D graphical objects.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises displaying a shadow of the group of objects underneath the group of objects.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises outputting for display a line running between the object control and the shadow of the group of objects.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

outputting for display within the virtual 3-D drawing space a second object control that controls movement of a single 3-D graphical objects, the second object control comprising a scaled representation of the 3-D graphical object;

receiving a second control input to move the second object control along the z-axis in the direction; and

in response to the second control input, moving the 3-D graphical object along the z-axis in the direction.

8. One or more computer-storage media comprising computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, that when executed by a computing device, perform a method of positioning three-dimensional (3-D) graphical objects displayed in a virtual 3-D drawing space, the method comprising:

outputting for display, the virtual 3-D drawing space comprising a plurality of 3-D graphical objects;

receiving a user request to activate a z-layer view;

changing a camera position on the virtual 3-D drawing space to a side view of the z-axis, thereby emphasizing a z-location of the plurality of 3-D graphical objects in the virtual 3-D drawing space;

outputting for display within the virtual 3-D drawing space an object control interface that controls movement of a group of 3-D graphical objects, the object control comprising a scaled representation of the group of 3-D graphical objects;

receiving a control input to move the object control along a z-axis in a distance in a direction; and

in response to the control input, moving the group of 3-D graphical objects along the z-axis in the direction.

9. The media of claim 8, wherein the object control is located below the group of 3-D graphical objects.

10. The media of claim 8, wherein the object control is located to a side of the group of 3-D graphical objects, wherein the side is closest to a virtual camera showing the 3-D drawing space.

11. The media of claim 8, wherein the object control is located at the same z-depth as the group of 3-D graphical objects.

12. The media of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises displaying a line from the scaled representation to a shadow underneath the group of objects.

13. The media of claim 8, wherein the group of 3-D graphical objects is moved the distance.

14. The media of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

outputting for display within the virtual 3-D drawing space a second object control that controls movement of a single 3-D graphical objects, the second object control comprising a scaled representation of the 3-D graphical object;

receiving a second control input to move the second object control along a z-axis in a second direction; and

in response to the second control input, moving the 3-D graphical object along the z-axis in the second direction.

15. One or more computer-storage media comprising computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, that when executed by a computing device, perform a method of positioning three-dimensional (3-D) graphical objects displayed in a virtual 3-D drawing space, the method comprising:

outputting for display, the virtual 3-D drawing space comprising a plurality of 3-D graphical objects;

outputting for display within the virtual 3-D drawing space an object control interface that controls movement of a 3-D graphical object, the object control comprising a scaled representation of the 3-D graphical object;

receiving a control input to move the object control along the z-axis in a distance in a direction; and

in response to the control input, moving the 3-D graphical object along the z-axis in the direction.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the object control is located below the 3-D graphical object.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein the object control is located to a side of the 3-D graphical object, wherein the side is closest to a virtual camera showing the 3-D drawing space.

18. The media of claim 15, wherein the object control is located at the same z-depth as the 3-D graphical object.

19. The media of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises displaying a line from the scaled representation to a shadow underneath the 3-D graphical object.

20. The media of claim 15, wherein the 3-D graphical object is moved the distance.