INTERACTOR FOR A GRAPHICAL OBJECT

• US 20140258900A1
• Filed: 02/24/2014
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DARDAILLER, PASCALE, DUROCHER, MARC, GARBARINO, DAMIEN A. F., KAPLAN, PHILLIPPE
• Granted Patent: US 10,114,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A interactor tool, method and/or computer program for changing the properties of a graphical object comprises: an edge property detector for identifying a property controlled by a moveable edge of a selected graphical object, wherein the property adjustment may be constrained if the movement of the edge is constrained by boundary conditions; and an additional graphical control that is created and displayed for the identified property and allows adjustment of the property based on user interaction of the additional graphical control, wherein the property is no longer constrained by the boundary conditions and graphical object edge.

Claims

1. A method for changing a graphical object property in a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a selection of a graphical object;

identifying, by one or more processors, a property adjusted by a moveable edge of the graphical object, wherein a property adjustment of the property adjusted is initially constrained by the graphical user interface;

creating and displaying, by one or more processors, an additional graphical control for the identified property; and

adjusting, by one or more processors, the identified property based on a user interaction with the additional graphical control, wherein the identified property is no longer constrained by the graphical user interface.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the method is initiated by a user selecting an interactor edit mode option from a context menu associated with the graphical object.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein feedback for the identified property is displayed in association with the additional graphical control.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the feedback for the identified property and the additional graphical control are displayed within an interaction widget.

5. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

removing, by one or more processors, the additional graphical control in response to a user confirming a value of the adjusted identified property.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the additional graphical control is created in response to a user selecting a constrained edge and requesting an associated additional graphical control.

7. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

creating, by one or more processors, a first additional graphical control and a second additional graphical control;

associating, by one or more processors, the first additional graphical control with a constrained edge on the graphical object, wherein movement of the constrained edge on the graphical object is constrained by boundary conditions of the graphical user interface; and

associating, by one or more processors, the second additional graphical control with an edge opposite to the constrained edge on the graphical object.

8. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

creating, by one or more processors, additional graphical controls for every edge of the graphical object.

9. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

resetting, by one or more processors, the identified property in response to a user cancelling the additional graphical control.

10. A computer program product for changing a graphical object property in a graphical user interface, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a selection of a graphical object;

identifying a property adjusted by a moveable edge of the graphical object, wherein a property adjustment of the property adjusted is initially constrained by the graphical user interface;

creating and displaying an additional graphical control for the identified property; and

adjusting the identified property based on a user interaction with the additional graphical control, wherein the identified property is no longer constrained by the graphical user interface.

11. The computer program product as in claim 10, wherein feedback for the identified property is displayed in association with the additional graphical control.

12. The computer program product as in claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

removing the additional graphical control in response to a user confirming a value of the adjusted identified property.

13. The computer program product as in claim 10, wherein the additional graphical control is created in response to a user selecting a constrained edge and requesting an associated additional graphical control.

14. The computer program product as in claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

creating a first additional graphical control and a second additional graphical control;

associating the first additional graphical control with a constrained edge on the graphical object, wherein movement of the constrained edge on the graphical object is constrained by boundary conditions of the graphical user interface; and

associating the second additional graphical control with an edge opposite to the constrained edge on the graphical object.

15. The computer program product as in claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

resetting the identified property in response to a user cancelling the additional graphical control.

16. A system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to receive a selection of a graphical object;

second program instructions to identify a property adjusted by a moveable edge of the graphical object, wherein a property adjustment of the property adjusted is initially constrained by the graphical user interface;

third program instructions to create and display an additional graphical control for the identified property; and

fourth program instructions to adjust the identified property based on a user interaction with the additional graphical control, wherein the identified property is no longer constrained by the graphical user interface; and

wherein

the first, second, third, and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media, and wherein the program instructions are executed by the processor via the computer readable memory.

17. The system as in claim 16, wherein feedback for the identified property is displayed in association with the additional graphical control.

18. The system as in claim 16, further comprising:

fifth program instructions to remove the additional graphical control in response to a user confirming a value of the adjusted identified property; and

wherein

the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media, and wherein the program instructions are executed by the processor via the computer readable memory.

19. The system as in claim 16, wherein the additional graphical control is created in response to a user selecting a constrained edge and requesting an associated additional graphical control.

20. The system as in claim 16, further comprising:

fifth program instructions to create a first additional graphical control and a second additional graphical control;

sixth program instructions to associate the first additional graphical control with a constrained edge on the graphical object, wherein movement of the constrained edge on the graphical object is constrained by boundary conditions of the graphical user interface; and

seventh program instructions to associate the second additional graphical control with an edge opposite to the constrained edge on the graphical object; and

wherein

the fifth, sixth, and seventh program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media, and wherein the program instructions are executed by the processor via the computer readable memory.