Automatic layout of items along an embedded one-manifold path

• US 7,710,423 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2005
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sowizral, Henry, Drucker, Steven, Toyama, Kentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chauhan; Ulka
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATHEWS, CRYSTAL ANN
• Application Number:
  US11/085,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20060209062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,870 Days
• Field of Search: 345/475, 345/959
• US Class Current: 345/474
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/959 Object path adherence

Abstract

The coordinates for laying out visual items in two-, three-, or n-dimensional space along an embedded one-manifold or path are calculated and coordinates are generated for placement of the items in a container. A one-manifold may be continuous, discontinuous, be contained entirely within a container or extent beyond a container. The one-manifold may be defined by a set of parameters defining a function, formula or set of points. The container may be a two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or n-dimensional container. Such a mechanism may be employed by a graphics application and may determine the location or positioning of an object or item. The object or item may be one of a set of objects or items. In response to receiving a set of parameters defining a one-manifold, the one-manifold may be embedded within a container. In response to receiving a set of parameters describing aspects of the object or item to be placed within the container, a set of x and y or x, y and z co-ordinates may be generated, which may be sent to a standard graphics interface for display.

Claims

1. A system for positioning objects in a container of a graphics application, the system comprising:

a processor comprising a positioner module that receives parameters associated with placing a set of objects along a curved one-manifold embedded, at least in part, within the container, and provides positioning coordinates along the curved one-manifold based, at least in part, on a non-zero amount of space defined by a dimensional attribute of an individual object, the non-zero amount of space surrounding each object in the set of objects, and wherein placing the set of objects along the curved one-manifold comprises rendering each object with a center line of each object oriented tangentially to the curved one-manifold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one-manifold is configured as a rail, and wherein placing each object comprises modeling each object as having a mass and further comprises hanging each object from the one-manifold configured as a rail.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the each object is configured to exhibit an inertial characteristic that depends on speed of movement of each object with respect to the one-manifold.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of objects is placed along the one-manifold using a first-object-first/last-object-last paradigm.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one-manifold comprises one of a segmented path or a piece-wise smooth path.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one object is placed such that a major surface of the at least one object is orthogonal to an x-y plane of the container.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the curved one-manifold is a circular one-manifold.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the curved one-manifold is an open-ended one-manifold.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the curved one-manifold is derived from a polynomial.

10. A method for placing objects in a container of a graphics application system that is executed on a computer, the method comprising:

defining via the computer, a circular one-manifold of the graphics application system based, at least in part, on a non-zero amount of space surrounding each object of a set of objects that are to be placed along the circular one-manifold, wherein the non-zero amount of space is defined by a dimensional attribute of each object;

determining via the computer, a set of x, y, and z coordinates; and

using the x, y, and z coordinates to place each object with a center line of each object oriented in a radial direction so as to orthogonally intersect the circular one-manifold, wherein the center line of each object is defined as a horizontal axis extending from one edge of the object to an opposing edge of the object.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein placing the set of objects comprises a scaling of at least one of the objects.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein each object comprises a rectangular profile and the horizontal axis extends from a first minor edge of the rectangular profile to an opposing minor edge of the rectangular profile.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein each object comprises a rectangular profile and the horizontal axis extends from a first major edge of the rectangular profile to an opposing major edge of the rectangular profile.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the set of objects is oriented such that a major face of each object is coplanar to a radial plane defined by the circular one-manifold.

15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions for:

defining a curved one-manifold;

placing a set of objects along the curved one-manifold based, at least in part, on a non-zero amount of space defined by a dimensional attribute of an individual object, the non-zero amount of space surrounding each object in the set of objects;

embedding at least a portion of the curved one-manifold in a visible portion of a container of a graphics application; and

translating a scrolling movement of a cursor along the curved one-manifold into a corresponding movement of a position indicator along a horizontal scroll bar, the translating comprising mapping of a position along the one-manifold to a corresponding position of the position indicator along the horizontal scroll bar.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the horizontal scroll bar is a linear scroll bar, and mapping of the position of the cursor along the curved one-manifold to the corresponding position of the position indicator along the linear scroll bar comprises a one-to-one mapping of abscissa values of the cursor along the curved manifold to corresponding abscissa values of the position indicator along the linear scroll bar.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the horizontal scroll bar is a linear scroll bar, and mapping of the position of the cursor along the curved one-manifold to the corresponding position of the position indicator along the horizontal scroll bar comprises mapping a traversed distance by the cursor along the curved one-manifold to a corresponding one-to-one traversal distance of the position indicator along the linear scroll bar.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the horizontal scroll bar is a linear scroll bar, and mapping of the position of the cursor along the curved one-manifold to the corresponding position of the position indicator along the horizontal scroll bar comprises mapping of a point along a z-axis to a corresponding point of the position indicator along the linear scroll bar.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the horizontal scroll bar is a linear scroll bar, and mapping of the position of the cursor along the curved one-manifold to the corresponding position of the position indicator along the horizontal scroll bar comprises mapping of a point'"'"'s (x, y) location along the curved one-manifold to a corresponding point of the position indicator along the linear scroll bar.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the curved one-manifold is a discontinuous one-manifold and a spring action is realized on the movement of a cursor traveling along the discontinuous one-manifold whereby the spring action provides a smooth transition of the cursor through a discontinuity in the discontinuous one-manifold.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein placing the set of objects along the curved one-manifold comprises configuring the one-manifold as a rail and hanging the set of objects from the rail.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein depending on a speed of movement of an object along the curved one-manifold, the object is oriented away from the center of curvature of the curved one-manifold.