User Interface for Controlling Animation of an Object

• US 20100194763A1
• Filed: 03/23/2010
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hücking, Guido, Niles, Gregory E., Sheeler, Stephen M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,542,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/474
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2213/12 Rule based animation

Abstract

A user can control the animation of an object via an interface that includes a control area and a user-manipulable control element. In one embodiment, the control area includes an ellipse, and the user-manipulable control element includes an arrow. In yet another embodiment, the control area includes an ellipse, and the user-manipulable control element includes two points on the circumference of the ellipse. In yet another embodiment, the control area includes a first rectangle, and the user-manipulable control element includes a second rectangle. In yet another embodiment, the user-manipulable control element includes two triangular regions, and the control area includes an area separating the two regions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for animating an object according to a speed with which the object rotates and a direction in which the object rotates, the method comprising:

presenting a user interface comprising;

a control area comprising an ellipse;

a user-manipulable control element located within the control area, wherein the user-manipulable control element comprises an arrow having a curved body and a variable length and a variable direction, and wherein the length of the arrow specifies the speed, and wherein the direction of the arrow specifies the direction, and wherein the curved body of the arrow comprises an arc of the circumference of the ellipse, and wherein the tail and the head of the arrow are located on the circumference of the ellipse, the arrow pointing along the circumference of the ellipse; and

a multiplier that indicates a number of revolutions when the length of the arrow is larger than the circumference of the ellipse;

receiving user input via the user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging a head of the arrow in order to set the arrow'"'"'s length and the arrow'"'"'s direction; and

animating the object based on the received input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein animating the object further comprises rotating the object about an anchor point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is animated using a Spin behavior.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the Spin behavior includes an additional parameter that cannot be set using the user-manipulable control element.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the Spin behavior includes an Increment parameter that indicates how the Spin behavior'"'"'s effect progresses over the Spin behavior'"'"'s duration.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the Increment parameter has a value of Continuous Rate, and wherein animating the object further comprises rotating the object at a steady rate.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the steady rate is indicated by a Spin Rate parameter.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the steady rate is measured in degrees per second.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the Increment parameter has a value of Ramp to Final Value, and wherein animating the object further comprises rotating the object a particular amount over a duration of the Spin behavior.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the particular amount is indicated by a Spin To parameter.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the particular amount is measured in degrees.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the user interface is semi-transparent.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is non-modal.

14. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon data representing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

presenting a user interface comprising;

a control area comprising an ellipse;

a user-manipulable control element located within the control area, wherein the user-manipulable control element comprises an arrow having a curved body and a variable length and a variable direction, and wherein the length of the arrow specifies a speed with which an object rotates, and wherein the direction of the arrow specifies a direction in which the object rotates, and wherein the curved body of the arrow comprises an arc of the circumference of the ellipse, and wherein the tail and the head of the arrow are located on the circumference of the ellipse, the arrow pointing along the circumference of the ellipse; and

a multiplier that indicates a number of revolutions when the length of the arrow is larger than the circumference of the ellipse;

receiving user input via the user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging a head of the arrow in order to set the arrow'"'"'s length and the arrow'"'"'s direction; and

animating the object based on the received input.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein animating the object further comprises rotating the object about an anchor point.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the object is animated using a Spin behavior.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the Spin behavior includes an Increment parameter that indicates how the Spin behavior'"'"'s effect progresses over the Spin behavior'"'"'s duration.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the Increment parameter has a value of Continuous Rate, and wherein animating the object further comprises rotating the object at a steady rate.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the Increment parameter has a value of Ramp to Final Value, and wherein animating the object further comprises rotating the object a particular amount over a duration of the Spin behavior.

20. A system for animating an object according to a speed with which the object rotates and a direction in which the object rotates, the system comprising a processor configured to perform a method, the method comprising:

presenting a user interface comprising;

a control area comprising an ellipse;

a user-manipulable control element located within the control area, wherein the user-manipulable control element comprises an arrow having a curved body and a variable length and a variable direction, and wherein the length of the arrow specifies the speed, and wherein the direction of the arrow specifies the direction, and wherein the curved body of the arrow comprises an arc of the circumference of the ellipse, and wherein the tail and the head of the arrow are located on the circumference of the ellipse, the arrow pointing along the circumference of the ellipse; and

a multiplier that indicates a number of revolutions when the length of the arrow is larger than the circumference of the ellipse;

receiving user input via the user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging a head of the arrow in order to set the arrow'"'"'s length and the arrow'"'"'s direction; and

animating the object based on the received input.