Method for visual programming with aid of animation

• US 5,774,122 A
• Filed: 06/07/1996
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kojima, Keiji, Matsuda, Yoshiki, Futatsugi, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US08/659,805
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 395/119, 395/120, 395/127, 395/348, 395/355, 395/349, 395/351, 395/967, 395/966, 395/976, 395/977, 395/173, 395/174, 395/952, 395/953, 395/956, 395/957
• US Class Current: 715/848
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/976 3-D Icon

Abstract

A program making method includes the steps of displaying figures representative of a plurality of objects, inputting a command train which includes a plurality of processing commands each designating at least one of the objects and a processing to be executed for that object and forms a program to be made, executing each processing command so that a processing designated by that command is executed for example data of an object designated by the command each time the command is inputted, and changing the display of a figure representative of an object by each of at least some of the processing commands by processing figure data concerning the figure when that command has been executed. Another program making method includes the steps of displaying figures which represent a plurality of objects and a figure for program to which a program to be made is allotted, inputting a command train which includes a plurality of processing commands each instructing one of the objects to execute at least one processing and forms the program to be made, and changing the display of the figure for program in the vicinity of a point of time of the input of each processing command so that a figure representative of one object designated by that command can be discriminated.

Claims

1. An icon displaying method of displaying a plurality of icons selected by an operator on a display device in order to input the icons into a computer as processing targets representing computer resources to be processed by a program, said method comprising the steps of:

projecting onto a plane a plurality of three-dimensional bodies which are arranged in a three-dimensional space and seen from a first view point in order to designate the icons for processing said program; and

displaying each of figures obtained by the processing of said program as one of said plurality of icons.

2. An icon displaying method according to claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of three-dimensional bodies has a form of a human for operating said plurality of processing targets corresponding to processes to be processed by said program.

3. An icon displaying method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

changing a view point at which said plurality of three-dimensional bodies are seen in order to designate the icons for processing said program, to a second view point;

projecting said plurality of three-dimensional bodies when seen from said second view point onto said plane; and

displaying figures newly obtained by the projecting as new figures for said plurality of icons, respectively.

4. An icon displaying method according to claim 3, wherein change from the first to second view points is made in a substantially continuous manner corresponding to processing the program.

5. An icon displaying method according to claim 3, wherein said second view point is selected so that a certain portion in said plurality of three-dimensional bodies which is not visible from said first view point becomes visible for designating said certain portion to be processed by said program.

6. An icon displaying method according to claim 3, wherein the view point is a point designated by the operator.

7. An icon displaying method according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of icons are icons used for making a program.

8. A three-dimensional form operating method comprising the steps of:

giving attribute of translatability and attribute of rotatability to each of a plurality of portions which form a three-dimensional form represented in a computer and are hierarchized; and

examining, in response to a command to execute one of translation and rotating of a given one of said plurality of portions, one of attribute of translatability and attribute of rotatability of each of the given portion and a subordinate portion of the given portion according to a processing target to be processed by a program;

executing one of translation and rotation of the given portion only in one of a case where anyone of the given portion and the subordinate portion thereof is translatable and a case where the anyone is rotatable.

9. A program generating method, comprising the steps of:

displaying onto a plane of a display device a plurality of icons corresponding to processing targets and a form of a human for operating said icons which are represented as three-dimensional bodies;

inputting processing commands for processing said processing targets and figure control commands for operation of icons by said human corresponding to said processing, and generating a program on the basis of said inputted commands; and

executing said generated program and displaying onto said plane said operation of icons by said human corresponding to said executing.

10. A program generating method, comprising the steps of:

displaying onto a plane of a display device a plurality of icons corresponding to processing targets and a form of a human for operating said icons which are represented as three-dimensional bodies; and

inputting processing commands for processing said processing targets and figure control commands for operation of icons by said human corresponding to said processing, and generating a program on the basis of said inputted commands.