Method and apparatus for scriping animation

• US 5,867,175 A
• Filed: 05/24/1996
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: MacKinnon, Donald Glen, Katzenberger, Gary Shon
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US08/653,201
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 345/302, 345/473, 345/335, 345/339, 345/348, 345/349, 345/949-950, 345/952, 345/956, 345/957, 395/685, 395/705-710
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation

Abstract

A computer-implemented system for scripting an animation sequence. The scripting system creates an instance of a script interpreter in response to an event. The script interpreter instance is assigned to a graphical object (GOB) having a graphical image associated with the animation sequence, and is invoked in response to an event received by the GOB. A script is attached to the script interpreter instance, the attached script comprising control logic for implementing the animated sequence. The control logic supports interactive animation by enabling the attached script to communicate with another GOB or another program module, such as an application program. The attached script is executed on the script interpreter instance to conduct the animated sequence. In response to executing the script, the animated sequence is displayed. The attached script and the script interpreter are destroyed in response to executing the attached script.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for scripting an animated sequence, comprising the steps of:

creating an instance of a script interpreter;

attaching a script to the script interpreter instance, the attached script comprising function statements for implementing the animated sequence;

executing the function statements of the attached script by the script interpreter instance to conduct the animated sequence; and

displaying the animated sequence in response to executed function statements.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the script interpreter instance is assigned to a graphical object (GOB) comprising an object-oriented program module and having a graphical image associated with the animation sequence.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the script interpreter instance is invoked in response to an event received by the GOB.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein the event comprises one of a keystroke, an expiration of a predetermined time period, and operation of an input device.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein the input device comprises a mouse operative to control location of a cursor on a screen, and the operation of the input device comprises selection of a button on the mouse when the cursor is positioned proximate to the graphical image of the GOB.

6. The process of claim 2, wherein the script interpreter is operative to communicate with a second GOB to execute another script while execution of the attached script is delayed.

7. The process of claim 1 further comprising destroying the attached script in response to executing the attached script, and destroying the script interpreter instance in response to destroying the attached script.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the function statements are executed nonsequentially.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the function statements comprise a conditional decision-making statement for implementing a logical control mechanism for controlling a display of the animation sequence.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein the decision-making statement comprises jumping to another function statement within the attached script.

11. A computer system operative to execute a program module for scripting an animation sequence, comprising:

a processing device;

a memory, coupled to the processing device, for storing the program module; and

an output device, coupled to the processing device, for displaying at least one graphical image for the animation sequence, each graphical image associated with a graphical object (GOB) maintained in the memory,

the processing device, responsive to instructions of the program module, operative to

(a) create an instance of a script interpreter assigned to one of the GOBs;

(b) attach a script to the script interpreter instance, the attached script comprising at least one functional statement for implementing the animated sequence;

(c) execute each function statement of the attached script on the script interpreter instance to conduct the animated sequence;

(d) display the animated sequence on the output device in response to each executed function statement;

(e) destroy the attached script in response to executing the attached script; and

(f) destroy the script interpreter instance in response to destroying the attached script.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the script interpreter can communicate with a second GOB to execute another script while execution of the attached script is delayed.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the function statements implement a control logic mechanism for supporting at least one of calculations, queries to another GOB, and queries to another program module.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the function statements are executed in a non-sequential manner.

15. A computer system operative to execute a program module for scripting an animation sequence, comprising:

a processing device;

a memory, coupled to the processing device, for storing the program module, the program module comprising a plurality of objects, including graphical objects (GOBs), a file manager object, and a rendering object; and

an output device, coupled to the processing device, for displaying at least one graphical image for the animation sequence, each graphical image corresponding to one of the GOBs,

the processing device, responsive to instructions of the program module, operative to

(a) create an instance of a script interpreter for one of the GOBs in response to the GOB receiving an event, wherein the GOB examines a template maintained by the file manager object to determine whether the event corresponds to creation of the script interpreter instance;

(b) attach a script to the script interpreter instance, the attached script comprising at least one function statement for implementing the animated sequence;

(c) execute each function statement of the attached script on the script interpreter instance to conduct the animated sequence;

(d) display the animated sequence on the output device in response to execution of the attached script, wherein the GOB instructs the rendering object to draw the graphical images of the animation sequence;

(e) destroy the attached script in response to execution of the attached script; and

(f) destroy the script interpreter instance in response to destruction of the attached script.

16. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a program module for scripting an animation sequence, the program module comprising instructions which, when executed by the programmed computer, performs the steps of:

creating an instance of a script interpreter;

attaching a script to the script interpreter instance, the attached script comprising control logic for implementing the animated sequence;

executing the attached script on the script interpreter instance to conduct the animated sequence; and

displaying the animated sequence in response to executing the attached script.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the script interpreter instance is assigned to a graphical object (GOB) comprising an object-oriented program module and having at least one graphical image associated with the animation sequence, and wherein the script interpreter instance is invoked in response to an event received by the GOB.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the control logic supports interactive animation by enabling the attached script to communicate with another GOB or another program module within the computer readable medium.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the program module further comprises instructions which, when executed by the programmed computer, performs the steps of:

destroying the attached script in response to executing the attached script; and

destroying the script interpreter instance in response to the destruction of the attached script.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the program module further comprises a plurality of objects, including graphical objects (GOBs) having a graphical image associated with the animation sequence, a file manager object for managing a plurality of templates assigned to the GOBs, each template defining a data structure for a corresponding one of the GOBs, and a rendering object for drawing the animation sequence.

21. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a program module for scripting an animation sequence, the program module comprising:

a script interpreter for executing an attached script comprising function statements for implementing the animation sequence;

a plurality of graphical object (GOBs), each GOB assigned to the script interpreter and having a graphical image associated with the animation sequence;

a file manager object for managing a plurality of templates assigned to the GOBs, each template defining a data structure for a corresponding one of the GOBs; and

a rendering object for rendering each graphical image represented by a corresponding one of the GOBs in response to the function statements executed by the script interpreter.

22. A computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the script interpreter is operative to execute at least one of the function statements in response to an event received by one of the GOBs assigned to the script interpreter.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the script interpreter is operative to communicate with a second one of the GOBs to execute another script while delaying execution of the attached script.