Non-modal method and apparatus for manipulating graphical objects
First Claim
1. In a computer system utilizing a graphics subsystem and having a cursor positioning device which comprises a switch having at least first and second positions, a method of manipulating graphical objects in a non-modal fashion on a computer display in an interactive computer graphics environment comprising the steps of:
- monitoring for a graphical object to be selected, said graphical object comprising at least one or more shapes;
displaying non-modal object control tools in the proximity of a graphical object that has been selected, said non-modal object control tools including non-modal skew control tools;
detecting when one of the displayed non-modal object control tools is selected;
monitoring the movement of the cursor positioning device relative to the initial position of a selected non-modal object control tool; and
manipulating the selected graphical object as determined by which non-modal object control tool is selected and the subsequent movement of the cursor.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A computer controlled graphics display system that treats graphical objects in a uniform fashion for consistent, non-modal and direct manipulation of graphics objects. The user, by operating in a visual "point and click" fashion, may select a graphical object or shape and manipulate it in a number of ways without having to activate different modes for different manipulations. Possible manipulations include dragging, scaling, rotating and skewing. More than one shape can be selected and manipulated by compositing intersected shapes with a selection rectangle. The graphic manipulations are platform independent and thus are all carried out by directing the point and click tool.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. In a computer system utilizing a graphics subsystem and having a cursor positioning device which comprises a switch having at least first and second positions, a method of manipulating graphical objects in a non-modal fashion on a computer display in an interactive computer graphics environment comprising the steps of:
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monitoring for a graphical object to be selected, said graphical object comprising at least one or more shapes; displaying non-modal object control tools in the proximity of a graphical object that has been selected, said non-modal object control tools including non-modal skew control tools; detecting when one of the displayed non-modal object control tools is selected; monitoring the movement of the cursor positioning device relative to the initial position of a selected non-modal object control tool; and manipulating the selected graphical object as determined by which non-modal object control tool is selected and the subsequent movement of the cursor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21)
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18. In a computer system, said computer system including a processor, bus, cursor positioning circuitry, RAM memory and disk memory, a computer controlled graphics display system for providing an interface with a user of said computer system, said computer controlled graphics display system comprising:
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circuitry for displaying graphical objects; circuitry for selecting a graphical object coupled to said circuitry for displaying graphical objects, said graphical object comprising one or more shapes; circuitry for displaying non-modal object control tools in the proximity of said graphical object, said non-modal object control tools including non-modal skew object control tools; circuitry for selecting at least one of said non-modal object control tools; and circuitry for manipulating a selected graphical object responsive to the motion of said cursor positioning circuit with respect to a selected non-modal object control tool. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. In a computer system utilizing a graphics subsystem and having a cursor positioning device which comprises a switch having at least first and second positions, a method of manipulating graphical objects in a non-modal fashion on a computer display in an interactive computer graphics environment comprising the steps of:
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monitoring for a graphical object to be selected, said graphical object comprising at least one or more shapes; displaying non-modal object control tools in the proximity of a graphical object that has been selected, said non-modal object control tools including a non-modal rotate control tool; detecting when one of the displayed non-modal object control tools is selected; monitoring the movement of the cursor positioning device relative to the initial position of a selected non-modal object control tool; and manipulating the selected graphical object as determined by which non-modal object control tool is selected and the subsequent movement of the cursor.
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Specification