Smoothing Paths in a Graphical Interface Generated by Drawing Inputs

• US 20150067462A1
• Filed: 09/04/2013
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: George, Paul Andrew, Hodge, Bruce Allen
• Granted Patent: US 9,411,796 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/211
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/171 by use of digital ink
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/20 Drawing from basic elements, e.g. lines or circles
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for smoothing paths in a graphical interface generated by drawing inputs. One embodiment involves determining a value of a motion attribute associated with a drawing input to a graphical interface. The embodiment also involves modifying a value of a smoothing parameter for a smoothing operation based on the determined value of the motion attribute. The smoothing parameter at least partially determines an amount of smoothing performed by a smoothing operation on input points generated by the drawing input. The embodiment also involves generating a path for rendering in the graphical interface. The path can be generated by applying the smoothing operation to the input points using the determined value of the smoothing parameter.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a value of a motion attribute associated with a drawing input to a graphical interface;

modifying a value of a smoothing parameter for a smoothing operation based on the determined value of the motion attribute, wherein the smoothing parameter at least partially determines smoothing performed by the smoothing operation on a plurality of input points generated by the drawing input; and

generating a path for rendering in the graphical interface by applying the smoothing operation to the plurality of input points using the determined value of the smoothing parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the smoothing operation comprises:

assigning a mass factor to a cursor used to indicate the drawing input;

determining an acceleration for the output points and a velocity for the drawing input; and

generating each of a plurality of output points defining the path based on a differential equation relating sequential pairs of input points to the mass factor, a position of the drawing input, the velocity of the drawing input, and the acceleration of the output points.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the motion attribute comprises the velocity and the smoothing parameter comprises the mass factor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the smoothing operation comprises:

assigning a mass factor and a drag factor to a cursor used to indicate the drawing input;

determining a model force associated with a movement of the cursor by the drawing input, wherein the model force is determined based on the mass factor, the drag factor, and the drawing input; and

generating each of a plurality of output points defining the path based on the model force;

wherein the smoothing parameter comprises at least one of the mass factor and the drag factor.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining the value of the motion attribute comprises determining a first value of the motion attribute for a first portion of the drawing input and a second value of the motion attribute for a second portion of the drawing input, wherein the first and second values of the motion attribute are different;

wherein modifying the value of the smoothing parameter comprises selecting a first value of the smoothing parameter for the first portion of the drawing input based on the first value of the motion attribute and selecting a second value of the smoothing parameter for the second portion of the drawing input based on the second value of the motion attribute, wherein the first and second values of the smoothing parameter are different;

wherein generating the path comprises applying the smoothing operation to a first portion the plurality of input points using the determined first value of the smoothing parameter and applying the smoothing operation to a second portion the plurality of input points using the determined second value of the smoothing parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion attribute comprises a velocity of the drawing input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion attribute comprises an acceleration of the drawing input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion attribute comprises a curvature of the drawing input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion attribute comprises a respective pressure associated with each of the plurality of input points.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying program code executable by a processing device, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

program code for determining a value of a motion attribute associated with a drawing input to a graphical interface;

program code for modifying a value of a smoothing parameter for a smoothing operation based on the determined value of the motion attribute, wherein the smoothing parameter at least partially determines smoothing performed by the smoothing operation on a plurality of input points generated by the drawing input; and

program code for generating a path for rendering in the graphical interface by applying the smoothing operation to the plurality of input points using the determined value of the smoothing parameter.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the smoothing operation comprises:

assigning a mass factor to a cursor used to indicate the drawing input;

determining an acceleration for the output points and a velocity for the drawing input; and

generating each of a plurality of output points defining the path based on a differential equation relating sequential pairs of input points to the mass factor, a position of the drawing input, the velocity of the drawing input, and the acceleration of the output points.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the motion attribute comprises the velocity and the smoothing parameter comprises the mass factor.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, the smoothing operation comprises:

assigning a mass factor and a drag factor to a cursor used to indicate the drawing input;

determining a model force associated with a movement of the cursor by the drawing input, wherein the model force is determined based on the mass factor, the drag factor, and the drawing input; and

generating each of a plurality of output points defining the path based on the model force;

wherein the smoothing parameter comprises at least one of the mass factor and the drag factor.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10,

wherein determining the value of the motion attribute comprises determining a first value of the motion attribute for a first portion of the drawing input and a second value of the motion attribute for a second portion of the drawing input, wherein the first and second values of the motion attribute are different;

wherein modifying the value of the smoothing parameter comprises selecting a first value of the smoothing parameter for the first portion of the drawing input based on the first value of the motion attribute and selecting a second value of the smoothing parameter for the second portion of the drawing input based on the second value of the motion attribute, wherein the first and second values of the smoothing parameter are different;

wherein generating the path comprises applying the smoothing operation to a first portion the plurality of input points using the determined first value of the smoothing parameter and applying the smoothing operation to a second portion the plurality of input points using the determined second value of the smoothing parameter.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the motion attribute comprises a velocity of the drawing input.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the motion attribute comprises an acceleration of the drawing input.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the motion attribute comprises a curvature of the drawing input.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the motion attribute comprises a respective pressure associated with each of the plurality of input points.

19. A system comprising:

an input device;

a processor communicatively coupled to the input device and configured to generate a drawing input in response to a movement with respect to the input device; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured for executing program code embodied in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to perform operations comprising;

determining a value of a motion attribute associated with the drawing input,

modifying a value of a smoothing parameter for a smoothing operation based on the determined value of the motion attribute, wherein the smoothing parameter at least partially determines smoothing performed by the smoothing operation on a plurality of input points generated by the drawing input, and

generating a path for rendering in a graphical interface by applying the smoothing operation to the plurality of input points using the determined value of the smoothing parameter.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the input device comprises at least one of a touch screen, a mouse, and a touch pad.