Method of establishing constraints between master and slave graphical elements

• US 5,745,122 A
• Filed: 08/20/1996
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• 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): Breene, John E.
• Application Number:
  US08/700,038
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 395/129-139, 395/326-358, 364/474.22-474.24, 364/488-491, 345/429-439, 345/326-358
• US Class Current: 345/619
• 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 documents 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 graphical displayed on a page in response to a user'"'"'s input, each graphical element having color attributes and a position on the page, comprising:

(a) selecting a first, master graphical element in response to user input;

(b) selecting a second, slave, graphical element in response to user input;

(c) establishing, in response to user input, a constraint relationship between the master and slave graphical elements that links the color attributes of the master element to the color attributes of the slave element, wherein the constraint relationship between the master and slave elements is maintained throughout editing of the elements by the user; and

(d) automatically monitoring any user-identified attempts to edit the color attributes of either the master or slave elements which affect the constraint relationship therebetween; and

(1) if an edit to the color attributes of the master element affecting the constraint relationship is attempted, then modifying the color attributes of both the master and the slave elements in accordance with the constraint relationship;

or

(2) if an edit to the color attributes of the slave element affecting the constraint relationship is attempted, then inhibiting the attempt to edit the color attributes of the slave element.

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

(a) selecting a first, master, graphical element in response to user input;

(b) selecting a second, slave graphical element in response to user input;

(c) establishing, in response to user input, a constraint relationship between the master and slave graphical elements that links the shape of the master element to the shape of the slave element, wherein the constraint relationship between the master and slave elements is maintained throughout editing of the elements by the user; and

(d) automatically monitoring any user-initiated attempts to edit the shape of either the master or slave elements which affect the constraint relationship therebetween; and

(1) if an edit to the shape of the master element affecting the constraint relationship is attempted, then modifying the shape of both the master and the slave elements in accordance with the constraint relationship;

or

(2) if an edit to the shape of the slave element affecting the constraint relationship is attempted, then inhibiting the attempt to edit the shape of the slave element.

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

(a) selecting a first, master, graphical element in response to user input;

(b) selecting a second, slave, graphical element in response to user input;

(c) establishing, in response to user input, a constraint relationship between the master and slave graphical elements that links the appearance attributes or position of the master element to the appearance attributes or position, respectively, of the slave element wherein the constraint relationship between the master and slave elements is maintained throughout editing of the elements by the user; and

(d) automatically monitoring any user-initiated attempts to edit the appearance attributes or position of either the master or slave elements which affect the constraint relationship therebetween; and

(1) if an edit to the appearance attributes or position of the master element affecting the constraint relationship is attempted, then modifying the appearance attributes or position of both the master and the slave elements in accordance with the constraint relationship;

or

(2) if an edit to the appearance attributes or position of the slave element affecting the constraint relationship is attempted, then inhibiting the attempt to edit the appearance attributes or position of the slave element.