3D TRANSFORMATION OF OBJECTS USING 2D CONTROLS PROJECTED IN 3D SPACE AND CONTEXTUAL FACE SELECTIONS OF A THREE DIMENSIONAL BOUNDING BOX

• US 20140104266A1
• Filed: 10/11/2012
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Kopriva, Todd Michael Groner, Stone, William Aamir
• Granted Patent: US 9,075,933 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided that allow a user to intuitively and efficiently manipulate one or more three-dimensional (3D) objects in a 3D space by performing at least one of a rotation transformation, a translation transformation, and a scaling transformation. A bounding box is presented encompassing the one or more 3D objects, as well as an anchor point. A user may select a face of the bounding box to establish a plane of transformation. Based upon the established plane of transformation, the dimensionality of possible transformations is automatically determined. Thereafter, a user may drag a handle or selected face of the bounding box, and the transformation is performed in accordance with the drag and relative to the location of the anchor point in the direction of the selected face.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first indication specifying a three-dimensional (3D) anchor point associated with at least one 3D object;

receiving a second indication specifying a selected face associated with the 3D object;

automatically determining dimensionality of possible transformations based on a plane defined by the selected face;

receiving, from an input mechanism, information indicative of a two-dimensional (2D) transformation associated with a 2D visual projection of the 3D object displayed on a screen; and

performing a 3D transformation in accordance with the information, the automatically determined dimensionality, and the 3D anchor point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first indication specifying the 3D anchor point indicates that the 3D anchor point is either tied to one of a plane or edge of a 2D visual projection of a bounding box about the 3D object, or remotely located away from the 3D object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance of the transformation comprises rotating the 3D object about the 3D anchor point in at least one direction commensurate with the automatically determined dimensionality.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance of the 3D transformation comprises increasing or diminishing the scale of the 3D object about the 3D anchor point in at least one direction commensurate with the automatically determined dimensionality.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance of the 3D transformation comprises translating the 3D object relative to the 3D anchor point in at least one direction commensurate with the automatically determined dimensionality.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a drag handle is located at a center point of each border and at each corner of a 2D visual projection of a bounding box about the 3D object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the received information indicative of the transformation comprises a drag amount associated with a distance one of the drag handle or the selected face has been moved.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein movement of each of the drag handles is capable of effectuating the translation in multiple dimensionalities depending on the plane defined by the selected face;

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically determined dimensionality comprises either a single defined axis or two defined axes, the either single defined axis or two defined axes being determined by executing at least one of dot product and cross product algorithms.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected face comprises a face of a 2D visual projection of a bounding box about the 3D object or a mesh overlay covering the 3D object.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plane defined by the selected face comprises a plane of transformation upon which movement of a control mechanism is projected to effectuate the transformation.

12. A computer program product, embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

computer code for receiving a first indication specifying a three-dimensional (3D) anchor point associated with at least one 3D object;

computer code for receiving a second indication specifying a selected face of the associated with the 3D object;

computer code for automatically determining dimensionality of possible transformations based on a plane defined by the selected face;

computer code for receiving, from an input mechanism, information indicative of a two-dimensional (2D) transformation associated with a 2D visual projection of the 3D object displayed on a screen; and

computer code for performing a 3D transformation in accordance with the information, the automatically determined dimensionality, and the 3D anchor point.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer code for performing the 3D transformation further comprises computer code for rotating the 3D object about the 3D anchor point in at least one direction commensurate with the automatically determined dimensionality.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer code for performing the 3D transformation further comprises computer code for increasing or diminishing the scale of the 3D object about the 3D anchor point in at least one direction commensurate with the automatically determined dimensionality.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer code for performing the 3D transformation further comprises computer code for translating the 3D object relative to the 3D anchor point in at least one direction commensurate with the automatically determined dimensionality.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the automatically determined dimensionality comprises either a single defined axis or two defined axes.

17. A method, comprising:

setting an anchor point relative to at least one three-dimensional (3D) graphical object;

defining a two-dimensional (2D) drag operation performed by a user relative to a two-dimensional (2D) visual projection of a bounding box surrounding the 3D graphical object; and

depending on a selected plane, determined from the defined drag operation, in which a 3D transformation is to be performed, performing the 3D transformation relative to the selected plane and the anchor point.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the defining of the drag operation further comprises automatically determining dimensionalities associated with possible transformations including the 3D transformation to be performed.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the defining of the drag operation further comprises determining an amount of rotation, translation, or scaling associated with the 3D transformation to be performed by determining a distance that one of a drag handle on the bounding box or the selected face is moved relative to the anchor point.

20. A computer program product, embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

computer code for setting an anchor point relative to at least one three-dimensional (3D) graphical object;

computer code for defining a two-dimensional (2D) drag operation performed by a user relative to a 2D visual projection of a bounding box surrounding the 3D graphical object; and

computer code for performing a 3D transformation operation relative to the selected plane and the anchor point depending on a selected plane, determined from the defined drag operation, in which the 3D transformation is to be performed.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer code for defining the drag operation further comprises computer code for automatically determining dimensionalities associated with possible transformations including the 3D transformation to be performed.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer code for defining the drag operation further comprises computer code for determining an amount of rotation, translation, or scaling associated with the 3D transformation to be performed by determining a distance that one of a drag handle on the bounding box or the selected face is moved relative to the anchor point.

23. A system, comprising:

an input mechanism through which an anchor point is set relative to at least one three-dimensional (3D) graphical object; and

a processor operatively connected to the input mechanism and configured to;

define a two-dimensional (2D) drag operation performed by a user via the input mechanism and relative to a 2D visual projection of a bounding box surrounding the 3D graphical object; and

perform a 3D transformation relative to the anchor point depending on a selected plane, determined from the defined drag operation, in which the 3D transformation is to be performed.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically determine dimensionalities associated with possible transformations including the 3D transformation to be performed during the defining of the drag operation.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured to determine an amount of rotation, translation, or scaling associated with the 3D transformation to be performed by determining a distance that one of a drag handle on the bounding box or the selected face is moved, via the input mechanism, relative to the anchor point.