Method of editing a drawing displayed on a display unit of a computer by simultaneously moving plural elements included in an editing area

• US 5,640,499 A
• Filed: 04/01/1996
• Issued: 06/17/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 56 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Nagai, Sachiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAUHAN, ULKA J
• Application Number:
  US08/625,838
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 395/133-139, 395/155-161, 395/162
• US Class Current: 345/676
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves

Abstract

A drawing which is drawn on a personal computer includes plural drawing elements and is displayed on a display unit of the personal computer. An editing area and a location to which the editing area is moved are specified by means of a pointing device such as a mouse. Coordinates of the editing area are stored in an area memory. A relative moving distance is calculated from coordinates of the specified location. The calculated relative moving distance is stored in a moving distance memory. A coordinate changing process is effected using data stored in the area memory and the moving distance memory. In the coordinate changing process, it is judged whether individual drawing elements are located inside the editing area. The drawing element which is located inside the editing area is subjected to a moving process. When a drawing element is located across a boundary of the editing area, only a part of the drawing element that is located inside the editing area is moved to the specified location.

Claims

1. A method of editing a drawing displayed on a display unit, comprising the steps of:

(1) displaying a drawing on said display unit, the drawing including a plurality of drawing elements each drawn between two coordinates on said display unit;

(2) specifying an editing area of the drawing displayed on said display unit with a boundary line, said specified editing area including therein a plurality of drawing elements of the drawing which are to be moved on said display unit;

(3) specifying a moving distance and a moving direction;

(4) detecting all drawing elements which are drawn within said specified editing area and all drawing elements which are drawn across the boundary line of said specified editing area, the detected drawing elements which are drawn across the boundary line each having one end point outside said specified editing area and another end point inside said specified editing area;

(5) changing, based on the specified moving distance and the specified moving direction, the coordinates of the detected drawing elements drawn within said specified editing area and the coordinates of the another end points of the detected drawing elements inside said specified editing area; and

(6) based on said specifying step (3), redrawing all of the detected drawing elements originally drawn across the boundary line of the specified editing area between the original coordinates of the one end points outside said specified editing area and the changed coordinates of the another end points originally inside said specified editing area, and redrawing all of the detected drawing elements originally drawn within said specified editing area between the changed coordinates thereof.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said specified editing area is rectangular.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step (2) of specifying said editing area comprises a step of dividing the drawing displayed on said display unit into two areas with a boundary line oriented in at least one of a vertical and a horizontal direction.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of drawing elements included in said specified editing area are moved together while maintaining an original relationship in their layout.

5. A method of editing a drawing displayed on a display unit, comprising the steps of:

(1) displaying a drawing on said display unit, the drawing including a plurality of drawing elements, each drawn between two coordinates in an X-Y coordinate system on said display unit;

(2) specifying an editing area of the drawing displayed on said display unit with a boundary line, said specified editing area including therein a plurality of drawing elements of the drawing which are to be moved on said display unit;

(3) specifying a display location on said display unit where said plurality of drawing elements included in said specified editing area are to be moved;

(4) calculating from the specified editing area and the specified display location a moving distance in the X-direction of the X-Y coordinate system and a moving distance in the Y-direction of the X-Y coordinate system by which the drawing elements in said specified editing area are to be moved;

(5) detecting all drawing elements which are drawn within said specified editing area and all drawing elements which are drawn across the boundary line of said specified editing area, the detected drawing elements which are drawn across the boundary line each having one end point outside said specified editing area and another end point inside said specified editing area;

(6) changing, by said calculated moving distance in the X-direction and by said calculated distance in the Y-direction, the coordinates of the detected drawing elements drawn within said specified editing area and the coordinates of the another end points of the detected drawing elements inside said specified editing area on said display unit; and

(7) based on said specifying steps (2) and (3), redrawing the detected drawing elements originally drawn across the boundary line of said specified editing area between the original coordinates of the one end points outside said specified editing area and the changed coordinates of the another end points originally inside said specified editing area, and redrawing the detected drawing elements originally drawn within said specified editing area between the changed coordinates thereof.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein said specified editing area is rectangular.

7. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the step (2) of specifying said editing area comprises a step of dividing the drawing displayed on said display unit into two areas with a boundary line oriented in at least one of a vertical and a horizontal direction.

8. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein said plurality of drawing elements included in said specified editing area are moved together while maintaining an original relationship in their layout.

9. A method of editing a drawing displayed on a display unit, comprising the steps of:

(1) displaying a drawing on said display unit, the drawing including a plurality of drawing elements, each drawn between two coordinates on said display unit;

(2) dividing the drawing displayed on said display unit into two areas with a first line;

(3) specifying a second line parallel with the first line in one of said two areas of the drawing to select said one of said two areas as an editing area, in which a plurality of drawing elements of the displayed drawing to be moved are included;

(4) detecting all drawing elements which are drawn within said defined editing area and all drawing elements which are drawn across the first line in the drawing, the detected drawing elements which are drawn across the first line each having one end point which is outside said defined editing area and another end point which is inside said defined editing area;

(5) changing the coordinates of the detected drawing elements drawn within said defined editing area and the coordinates of the another end points of the detected drawing elements drawn across the first line, by a distance between the first and the second line in a direction from the first line to the second line; and

(6) based on said specifying step (3), redrawing the detected drawing elements originally drawn across the first line between the original coordinates of the one end points outside the defined editing area and the changed coordinates of the another end points originally inside said defined editing area, and redrawing the detected drawing elements originally drawn within the defined editing area between the changed coordinates thereof.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the first line in said step (2) is a straight line oriented in one of a vertical and a horizontal direction.

11. The method in accordance with claim 9, wherein said plurality of drawing elements included in the defined editing area are moved together while maintaining an original relationship in their layout.