METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR GRAPHICAL OBJECT IMPLEMENTATION

• US 20090288009A1
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Dulaney, Marissa H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,069,421 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

A system displays a graphical element in a graphical user interface, and receives a command to display the at least one graphical sub-element associated with the graphical element. The system replaces the display of the graphical element with a display of at least one graphical sub-element associated with the graphical element, and implements the graphical sub-element such that execution of the graphical element invokes execution of the graphical sub-element associated with the graphical element.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying an expanded display region within a storyboard rendered on a display screen associated with at least one computer system, the expanded display region concurrently displaying a first image thumbnail, at least one graphical sub-element associated with the first image thumbnail and at least one element identifier, the at least one element identifier representing a selectable functionality for minimizing a size of the expanded display region;

receiving a selection of the at least one element identifier; and

upon receiving the selection of the at least one element identifier;

(i) terminating display of the at least one graphical sub-element;

(ii) terminating display of the at least one element identifier;

(iii) reducing the size of the expanded display region to create a minimized display region; and

(iv) displaying the first image thumbnail within the minimized display region in the storyboard.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first image thumbnail within the minimized display region includes:

displaying at least one sub-element identifier within the minimized display region, the at least one sub-element identifier representing a selectable functionality for expanding the minimized display region to initiate display of the at least one graphical sub-element and the at least one element identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the expanded display region includes:

displaying an indication of a transition effect between the expanded display region and a second image thumbnail, the first image thumbnail representing a first video clip, the second image thumbnail representing a second video clip.

4. The method claim 3, wherein displaying the first image thumbnail within the minimized display region includes:

upon reducing the size of the expanded display region to display the minimized display region in the storyboard, displaying the indication of the transition effect between the minimized display region and the second image thumbnail.

5. The method as in claim 1, comprising:

wherein displaying the expanded display region includes;

displaying the expanded display region as visually distinct from background content of the storyboard; and

wherein displaying the first image thumbnail within the minimized display region includes;

upon reducing the size of the expanded display region to display the minimized display region in the storyboard, displaying the minimized display region as visually distinct from the background content of the storyboard.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein displaying the at least one graphical sub-element within the expanded display region includes:

displaying at least one description of an attribute of a video clip represented by the first image thumbnail.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein displaying the at least one graphical sub-element associated with the first image thumbnail includes:

displaying a timeline associated with a video clip represented by the first image thumbnail.

8. The method as in claim 7, wherein displaying the timeline associated with the video clip represented by the first image thumbnail includes:

displaying a listing of multiple images included in the video clip;

displaying an indication of a presentation duration for each of the multiple images; and

displaying an indication of a presentation sequence of the multiple images.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein displaying the expanded display region includes:

displaying a first graphical sub-element as an area demarcated within the first image thumbnail; and

displaying a second graphical sub-element as an area demarcated within a copy of the first image thumbnail, the copy of the first image thumbnail displayed within the expanded display region, the first graphical sub-element and the second sub-element each indicative of a pan-and-zoom effect whereby, upon receiving a selection to execute the pan-and-zoom effect, the area demarcated within the first image thumbnail expands followed by expansion of the area demarcated within the copy of the first image thumbnail.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions for displaying the at least one graphical sub-element within the expanded display region include:

instruction for displaying at least one description of an attribute of a video clip represented by the first image thumbnail.

10. A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions encoded thereon operable on a computerized device to perform processing comprising:

instructions for displaying an expanded display region within a storyboard;

the expanded display region concurrently displaying a first image thumbnail, at least one graphical sub-element associated with the first image thumbnail and at least one element identifier, the at least one element identifier representing a selectable functionality for minimizing a size of the expanded display region;

instructions for receiving a selection of the at least one element identifier; and

upon receiving the selection of the at least one element identifier;

(i) instructions for terminating display of the at least one graphical sub-element;

(ii) instructions for terminating display of the at least one element identifier;

(iii) instructions for reducing the size of the expanded display region to create a minimized display region; and

(iv) instructions for displaying the first image thumbnail within the minimized display region in the storyboard.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions for displaying the first image thumbnail within the minimized display region include:

instructions for displaying at least one sub-element identifier within the minimized display region, the at least one sub-element identifier representing a selectable functionality for expanding the minimized display region to initiate display of the at least one graphical sub-element and the at least one element identifier.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions for displaying the expanded display region include:

instructions for displaying an indication of a transition effect between the expanded display region and a second image thumbnail, the first image thumbnail representing a first video clip, the second image thumbnail representing a second video clip.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions for displaying the first image thumbnail within the minimized display region include:

instructions for displaying the indication of the transition effect between the minimized display region and the second image thumbnail upon reducing the size of the expanded display region to display the minimized display region in the storyboard,

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10, comprising:

wherein the instructions for displaying the expanded display region include;

instructions for displaying the expanded display region as visually distinct from background content of the storyboard; and

wherein the instructions for displaying the first image thumbnail within the minimized display region include;

instructions for displaying the minimized display region as visually distinct from the background content of the storyboard upon reducing the size of the expanded display region to display the minimized display region in the storyboard.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions for displaying the at least one graphical sub-element associated with the first image thumbnail include:

instructions for displaying a timeline associated with a video clip represented by the first image thumbnail.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions for displaying the timeline associated with the video clip represented by the first image thumbnail include:

instructions for displaying a listing of multiple images included in the video clip;

instructions for displaying an indication of a presentation duration for each of the multiple images; and

instructions for displaying an indication of a presentation sequence of the multiple images.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions for displaying the expanded display region include:

instructions for displaying a first graphical sub-element as an area demarcated within the first image thumbnail; and

instructions for displaying a second graphical sub-element as an area demarcated within a copy of the first image thumbnail, the copy of the first image thumbnail displayed within the expanded display region, the first graphical sub-element and the second sub-element each indicative of a pan-and-zoom effect whereby, upon receiving a selection to execute the pan-and-zoom effect, the area demarcated within the first image thumbnail expands followed by expansion of the area demarcated within the copy of the first image thumbnail.

19. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory unit that stores instructions associated with an application executed by the processor; and

an interconnect coupling the processor and the memory unit, enabling the computer system to execute the application and perform operations of;

displaying an expanded display region within a storyboard rendered on a display screen associated with at least one computer system, the expanded display region concurrently displaying a first image thumbnail, at least one graphical sub-element associated with the first image thumbnail and at least one element identifier, the at least one element identifier representing a selectable functionality for minimizing a size of the expanded display region;

receiving a selection of the at least one element identifier; and

upon receiving the selection of the at least one element identifier;

(i) terminating display of the at least one graphical sub-element;

(ii) terminating display of the at least one element identifier;

(iii) reducing the size of the expanded display region to create a minimized display region; and

(iv) displaying the first image thumbnail within the minimized display region in the storyboard.

20. The computer system as in claim 19, wherein displaying the expanded display region includes:

displaying a first graphical sub-element as an area demarcated within the first image thumbnail; and

displaying a second graphical sub-element as an area demarcated within a copy of the first image thumbnail, the copy of the first image thumbnail displayed within the expanded display region, the first graphical sub-element and the second sub-element each indicative of a pan-and-zoom effect whereby, upon receiving a selection to execute the pan-and-zoom effect, the area demarcated within the first image thumbnail expands followed by expansion of the area demarcated within the copy of the first image thumbnail.