Displaying 2D graphic content using depth wells

• US 20070113198A1
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Baudisch, Patrick, Czerwinski, Mary, Robbins, Daniel, Robertson, George, Tan, Desney, Agrawala, Maneesh, Ramos, Gonzalo, Hinckley, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 7,523,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/790
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/40 Hidden part removal

Abstract

Displaying the relative depth of 2D image objects while preserving the visual attributes of the objects is disclosed. After an object group is determined, the members of the object group are temporarily moved away from a center location while preserving the object group members'"'"' positions relative to each other in the X-Y plane. A depth well is displayed at the center location and each object group member is connected to a ring-beam in the depth well. In response to a control action indicating a relative depth adjustment of an object group member relative to the remaining object group members, the depth of the object relative to the remaining object group members is changed. In response to a control action indicating the depth adjustment is complete, object group members are returned to their original positions in the X-Y plane with the adjusted object displayed at the object'"'"'s new relative depth. Dragging object group member into the upper or lower part of another group member are control actions indicating a relative depth adjustment of an object group member.

Claims

1. A method of displaying the relative depth of objects in a 2D image while preserving the visual attributes of the objects, the method comprising:

in response to selecting an object, determining an object group;

temporarily moving members of the object group away from their original positions while preserving the relative positions of the members of the object group in the X-Y plane;

displaying a member relationship diagram;

connecting each member of the object group to the member relationship diagram such that the relationship of a parameter of each member of the object group is displayed;

in response to a control action indicating an adjustment of the parameter of a member of the object group relative to the remaining members of the object group, changing the parameter of the object group member relative to the remaining members of the object group; and

in response to a control action indicating that the adjustment is complete, returning members of the object group to their original positions in the X-Y plane and displaying the adjusted object group member with the adjusted object group member'"'"'s changed parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the member relationship diagram is a depth well and wherein the parameter is the relative depth of a member of the object group.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the depth well comprises a plurality of nested concentric elements and wherein said nested concentric elements are each connected to a member of the object group by a beam.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the visual attributes comprise one or more of shape, color, size, and X-Y position.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein an object group comprises a selected object and objects that overlap the selected object.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein a control action causing a relative depth adjustment of an object group member relative to the remaining object group members is dragging an object group member into the upper portion of another object group member.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein a control action causing a change in the depth of an object group member relative to the remaining object group members is dragging object group member into the lower portion of another object group member.

8. The method of claim 1 also comprising differentiating relative using colors.

9. The method of claim 2 also comprising indicating relative depth using transparency.

10. The method of claim 1 also comprising displaying ghost images of the members of the object group at the original positions of the members of the object group.

11. A computer-readable medium, including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to display the relative depth of 2D image objects by:

determining, in response to user input, a group of overlapping objects (“

an object group”

);

moving members of the object group into spaced apart positions;

displaying a depth well at the center of the spaced apart positions; and

connecting each member of the object group to the depth well in a manner such that the relative depth of each member of the object group is displayed.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the object group comprises a plurality of selected objects.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the object group comprises a plurality of objects.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the depth well comprises a plurality of nested concentric elements equal in number to the number of members of the object group.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the nested concentric elements are each connected to a related one of the members of the object group by a beam.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the nested concentric elements are rings.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the nested concentric rings are each connected to a related one of the members of the object group by a beam, thereby creating ring-beams.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein the ring-beams are differentiated by color.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein transparency is used to indicate the depth of the ring-beams.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 also comprising displaying ghost images of the members of the object group at the original positions of the members of the object group.