Method of establishing constraints and links in a distribution frame between graphical elements and resolving the constaints

• US 5,437,008 A
• Filed: 06/23/1992
• Issued: 07/25/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Gay, Jonathan L., Tatsumi, Robert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Breene, John E.
• Application Number:
  US07/904,059
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 395/155-161, 395/133, 395/139, 395/138, 345/131
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/961 Operator interface with visual structure or function dictated by intended use

Abstract

A user interface (UI) may be used in specifying spatial relationships between graphical elements in a graphics environment with drawing or graphical element manipulating functions. The UI interacts with the operating system through an application shell. A document engine, a graphics engine, and a constraint engine are coupled between the UI and operating system. A user may create a distribution frame with an area on a page of a document and a set of elements may be specified to be automatically linked by the distribution frame. Graphical elements positioned within the distribution frame are governed by alignment and distribution criteria. The user may select alignment and distribution criteria to determine the spatial relationships between the elements in the set and the distribution frame. One or more dimensions of the graphical elements in the distribution frame are a function of the area encompassed by the distribution frame where a user'"'"'s edits to one may affect the other. Spatial relationships between graphical elements are established using unidirectional and bidirectional links between pairs of graphical elements. With a unidirectional link, a master/slave relationship is established where attempts to edit the slave graphical element in a way that affects the constraint are inhibited.

Claims

1. A method of establishing spatial relationships between two or more graphical elements displayed on a page in response to a user'"'"'s input, each graphical element having dimensional attributes and a position on the page, comprising:

(a) creating, in response to user input, a distribution frame defining an area on the page bordered by a boundary;

(b) automatically linking the graphical elements to the distribution frame, wherein the graphical elements are encompassed by the boundary;

(c) creating, in response to user input, alignment and distribution criteria that determine spatial relationships between the graphical elements placed within the distribution frame; and

(d) establishing, in response to user input, links between the attributes of each graphical element and the distribution frame wherein at least one dimension of each graphical element is a function of the area encompassed by the distribution frame.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the step of arranging the graphical elements in the distribution frame in an order.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the substep of creating spatial relationships for the graphical elements along at least one vertical axis.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the substep of creating spatial relationships for the graphical elements along at least one horizontal axis.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the substep of creating spatial relationships for the graphical elements along at least one horizontal axis.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of the step of arranging the graphical elements in the distribution frame in an order includes the step of locking the order of the graphical elements in the distribution frame so that the order of the graphical elements cannot be rearranged.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of establishing links between the attributes of each graphical element and the distribution frame includes automatically resizing the area bounded by the distribution frame to just encompass the graphical elements in response to a change to the dimensions of the graphical elements.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the substep of creating spatial relationships for the graphical elements along at least one vertical axis,

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the substep of creating spatial relationships for the graphical elements along at least one horizontal axis.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the substep of creating spatial relationships for the graphical elements along at least one horizontal axis.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of establishing links between the attributes of each graphical element and the distribution frame includes automatically resizing the graphical elements vertically to fit the area bordered by the boundary of the distribution frame in response to a change in the vertical dimensions of the distribution frame by the user.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the substep of creating spatial relationships for the graphical elements along at least one vertical axis.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the substep of creating spatial relationships for the graphical elements along at least one horizontal axis.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the substep of creating spatial relationships for the graphical elements along at least one horizontal axis.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of establishing links between the attributes of each graphical element and the distribution frame includes automatically resizing the graphical elements horizontally to fit the area bordered by the boundary of the distribution frame in response to a change in the horizontal dimensions of the distribution frame by the user.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the substep of creating spatial relationships for the graphical elements along at least one vertical axis.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the substep of creating spatial relationships for the graphical elements along at least one horizontal axis.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the substep of creating spatial relationships for the graphical elements along at least one horizontal axis.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the substep of creating spatial relationships for the graphical elements along at least one vertical axis.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the substep of creating spatial relationships for the graphical elements along at least one horizontal axis.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of creating alignment and distribution criteria includes the substep of creating spatial relationships for the graphical elements along at least one horizontal axis.

22. A method of establishing spatial relationships between a plurality of graphical elements displayed on a page in response to a user'"'"'s input, each graphical element having dimensional attributes and a position on the page, comprising:

(a) creating, in response to user input, a distribution frame defining an area on the page bordered by a boundary;

(b) automatically linking the graphical elements to the distribution frame, wherein the graphical elements are encompassed by the boundary;

(c) establishing, in response to user input, a constraint relationship between the graphical elements in the distribution frame that specify spatial relationships between the graphical elements, wherein the constraint relationship between the graphical elements is maintained throughout editing of the graphical elements by the user; and

(d) automatically monitoring any attempts by the user to edit a graphical element; and

if an edit contrary to the constraint is attempted, then inhibiting the attempt to edit the graphical element;

otherwise, editing the graphical element.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the constraint relationship includes spacing the graphical elements subject to the constraint along a vertical axis.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the constraint relationship includes spacing the graphical elements subject to the constraint along a horizontal axis.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of establishing a constraint relationship established between the graphical elements in the distribution frame includes the step of arranging the graphical elements in the distribution frame in an order.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of arranging the graphical elements in the distribution frame in an order includes the step of locking the order of the graphical elements in the distribution frame so that the order of the graphical elements cannot be rearranged.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the constraint relationship includes spacing the graphical elements subject to the constraint along a horizontal axis.

28. A method of maintaining constraints between graphical elements on a page, each graphical element including dimensional attributes and a position on the page, the method comprising:

(a) creating, in response to each constraint, a link indicative of the constraint between pairs of graphical elements that are subject to a constraint;

(b) automatically monitoring any editing of the graphical elements by a user;

(c) if an edit has taken place, determining if the constraint associated with each link is satisfied;

(d) storing in memory a dirty list of links whose constraints are not currently satisfied as a result of the edit;

(e) assigning each link in the dirty list a priority based upon criteria including whether the link is a bidirectional link or a unidirectional link; and

(f) resolving the constraints associated with the links in the dirty list beginning with links that have a higher priority and ending with links that have a lower priority by changing the attributes or position of one of the graphical elements attached to a link having a constraint that is currently being resolved in accordance with the constraint associated with that link.