Computer imaging using graphics components

• US 5,999,190 A
• Filed: 06/11/1997
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avid Technology Incorporated, Microsoft Corporation
• Original Assignee: Avid Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Krul, Thomas, Murphy, Craig S., Sheasby, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Application Number:
  US08/872,902
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 345/430, 345/431, 345/470, 345/471, 345/150, 345/151, 345/152
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation

Abstract

Graphics software for use in rendering an image on a computer display. The software is used in conjunction with special hardware including a high resolution computer monitor and high speed graphics imaging software. The software allows the user to create and manipulate paint objects that define the way images are modified by rendering tools such as a drawing tool or a titling tool. The attributes for a plurality of paint objects are defined in a hierarchy and can be stored on a memory device such as a computer hard drive. The organization into a hierarchy of the various attributes making up a complex object such as a paint stroke or a text body result in an ability to deal with branches of the hierarchy as persistable objects in their own right.

Claims

1. A method for rendering images on a computer display comprising the steps of:

a) defining one or more image rendering tools as a plurality of tool components that define a manner in which a rendering tool paints an image on the computer display wherein at least some of the tool components are made up of multiple tool subcomponents that define an associated tool component and thereby define a multiple level hierarchy of tools, components and subcomponents that characterize the one or more image rendering tools;

b) storing characterizing data for a plurality of image rendering tools, tool components and tool subcomponents on a memory store for selective retrieval of various combinations of the stored rendering tools, stored tool components and stored tool subcomponents; and

c) periodically retrieving from the memory store a selected combination of stored rendering tools, tool components and tool subcomponents to define an active rendering tool for subsequent image rendering on the display screen.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein stored rendering tools in the memory store include stored tool components and stored tool subcomponents for retrieval from the memory store to completely define a custom rendering tool.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the rendering tool comprises a drawing tool that applies a brush stroke that forms a part of the image on the computer display.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the rendering tool comprises a text rendering tool that applies text that forms a part of the image on the computer display.

5. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising the step of displaying a hierarchical arrangement of components and subcomponents for at least one of the one or more rendering tools on the computer display.

6. The method of claim 5 additionally comprising the step of selecting a tool component, tool subcomponent or entire rendering tool from the displayed hierarchical arrangement and editing characteristics of a selected one of said component, subcomponent or rendering tool.

7. The method of claim 6 additionally comprising the step of saving a tool, a tool component, or tool subcomponent to the memory store for subsequent retrieval as a preset tool, component or subcomponent.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional steps of selecting an object within an image display region of the computer display and displaying at least some of the tool rendering components or subcomponents that made up the rendering tool that originally was used to paint the object onto the image display region.

9. The method of claim 8 additionally comprising the step of adjusting one or more of the components or subcomponents that are associated with the selected object and causing the computer display to adjust an appearance of said object on the computer display to reflect said adjusted components or subcomponents.

10. A method for use in rendering images on a computer display comprising the steps of:

a) defining brush strokes as a plurality of brush stroke components that at least in part define a manner in which a brush stroke appears on the computer display and additionally wherein at least some of the brush strokes components are in turn made up of multiple brush stroke subcomponents that define an associated brush stroke component and thereby defining a hierarchy of brush stroke components that characterize a brush stroke; and

b) selecting a region on the computer display to highlight a brush stroke and displaying the hierarchy of brush stroke components and brush stroke subcomponents associated with the highlighted brush stroke on a separate region of the computer display.

11. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising the step of depicting the brush stroke chosen on the computer display as a hierarchical structure wherein brush stroke components are depicted as branches or leafs on a tree structure wherein the branch components in turn include one or more brush stroke subcomponents.

12. The method of claim 11 additionally comprising the step of selecting a component or subcomponent of the hierarchical structure and saving data associated with the selected component or subcomponent in a memory store for subsequent retrieval as a preset component or subcomponent.

13. A method for use in rendering text on a computer display comprising the steps of:

a) defining text as a plurality of text components that at least in part define a manner in which a text appears on the computer display wherein at least some of the text components are in turn made up of multiple text subcomponents that define an associated text component and thereby defining a hierarchy of text components that characterize text that is displayed on the computer display; and

b) selecting text that appears on the computer display to highlight that text and simultaneously displaying the text components and text subcomponents associated with the highlighted text on a separate region of the computer display.

14. The method of claim 13 comprising the additional step of modifying the text components or text subcomponents of the highlighted text that is displayed on the computer display and causing an appearance of the highlighted text to be changed on the display to reflect the modified text component or subcomponent.

15. The computer apparatus of claim 14 wherein the processor controls a depiction of a graphic image on a portion of the computer display representing components and subcomponents of a paint tool within a separate region spaced from an image region of the computer display and wherein the graphic image is a hierarchical structure having component and subcomponent objects.

16. The computer graphics rendering apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processor saves paint tool components and subcomponents in the storage means and further wherein the processor extracts selected ones of the saved paint tool components and subcomponents for use in defining a paint tool used in painting to the computer display.

17. Computer apparatus for presenting an image on a viewing screen comprising:

a) processor means for defining a custom paint tool for use in rendering images on the computer display by organizing the paint tool as a plurality of paint tool components that define a manner in which a tool paints an image on the computer display wherein at least some of the paint tool components are made up of multiple paint tool subcomponents that define an associated tool component and thereby defining a hierarchy of components that characterize the paint tool;

b) storage means operatively coupled to the processor means for storing data that characterizes the paint tool components and paint tool subcomponents for a plurality of paint tools within a memory store for retrieval and use in rendering images; and

c) a computer display coupled to the processor means for presenting a graphics image on a viewing screen;

d) wherein said processor means periodically retrieves from the storage means data to define at least part of a paint tool for rendering images on the computer display.

19. The computer apparatus of claim 17 wherein the processor comprises an input device for modifying the attributes of the selected object for use in subsequent rendering of images on the computer display.

18. The computer apparatus of 17 additionally comprising an input device for selecting an object on the computer display and wherein the processor displays at least some of the components and subcomponents that define an appearance of the selected object on the computer display.

20. Computer graphics rendering apparatus for presenting an image comprising:

a) a display monitor comprising means for rendering a color image on a display screen of the display monitor by activating picture elements that combine to define the color image;

b) drive circuitry coupled to the display monitor for supplying video display signals for rendering images on the display monitor;

c) a processor executing a stored program for creating the video display signals coupled to the drive circuitry to implement a style object for use in rendering images on the display monitor;

said stored program defining a data structure for storing data attributes of a paint tool for use in rendering text or brush strokes on the display monitor;

d) a computer memory for storing data attributes of a plurality of paint tools for retrieval of the data attributes; and

e) said stored program presenting a user interface on the display monitor that allows the user to retrieve from the computer memory the data attributes of a particular custom paint tool or data attributes of components or subcomponents and using the retrieved data attributes for painting an image.

21. A method for rendering images on a computer display comprising the steps of:

a) defining one or more image rendering tools as a plurality of tool components that define a manner in which a rendering tool paints an image on the computer display wherein at least some of the tool components are made up of multiple tool subcomponents that define an associated tool component and thereby define a multiple level hierarchy of tools, components and subcomponents that characterize the one or more image rendering tools;

b) storing characterizing data for a plurality of image rendering tools, tool components and tool subcomponents on a memory store for selective retrieval of various combinations of the stored rendering tools, stored tool components and stored tool subcomponents;

c) periodically retrieving from the memory store a selected combination of stored rendering tools, tool components and tool subcomponents to define an active rendering tool for subsequent image rendering on the display screen;

d) displaying a hierarchical arrangement of components and subcomponents for an active rendering tool on the computer display; and

e) with the aid of an input pointing device allowing a user to select an object within an image display region of the computer display and updating the display of the hierarchical arrangement of the tool rendering components or subcomponents that made up the rendering tool used to paint the selected object onto the image display region.