User interface for controlling animation of an object

• US 8,253,747 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2010
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Niles, Gregory E., Sheeler, Stephen M., Hucking, Guido
• Primary Examiner(s): Chauhan, Ulka
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, ANDREW GUS
• Application Number:
  US12/729,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/474
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2213/12 Rule based animation

Abstract

A user can control the animation of an object via an interface that includes a control area and a user-manipulable control element. In one embodiment, the control area includes an ellipse, and the user-manipulable control element includes an arrow. In yet another embodiment, the control area includes an ellipse, and the user-manipulable control element includes two points on the circumference of the ellipse. In yet another embodiment, the control area includes a first rectangle, and the user-manipulable control element includes a second rectangle. In yet another embodiment, the user-manipulable control element includes two triangular regions, and the control area includes an area separating the two regions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for animating an object, wherein animating the object comprises creating one or more duplicates of the object and animating the one or more duplicates according to a range in which the one or more duplicates moves, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface comprising;

a control area comprising an ellipse;

a first user-manipulable control element located on the circumference of the ellipse, wherein the first user-manipulable control element specifies a first point on the circumference of the ellipse;

a second user-manipulable control element located on the circumference of the ellipse, wherein the second user-manipulable control element specifies a second point on the circumference of the ellipse, and wherein the first point and the second point together specify a sector of the ellipse, and wherein a size of the sector specifies a size of a range in which one or more duplicates of an object moves, and wherein a position of the sector specifies a location of the range; and

a third user-manipulable control element located within the sector;

receiving user input via the first user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the first user-manipulable control element to set the sector'"'"'s size and the sector'"'"'s position;

receiving user input via the second user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the second user-manipulable control element to set the sector'"'"'s size and the sector'"'"'s position;

receiving user input via the third user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the third user-manipulable control element to set the sector'"'"'s position without affecting the sector'"'"'s size; and

animating the object based on the received input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein animating the object further comprises animating the one or more duplicates according to a speed with which the one or more duplicates moves, and wherein the user interface further comprises a fourth user-manipulable control element located mostly within the ellipse, wherein the fourth user-manipulable control element comprises a representation of a vector having a variable magnitude, and wherein the magnitude of the vector directly specifies the speed, and wherein the representation of the vector comprises an arrow having a straight body and a tail located in the center of the ellipse, the arrow pointing toward a point on the circumference of the ellipse, the method further comprising:

receiving user input via the fourth user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging a head of the representation of the vector to set the vector'"'"'s magnitude.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein animating the object further comprises creating the one or more duplicates according to a Birth Rate parameter that specifies how many particles are created per second.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user interface further comprises a slider that indicates a value for the Birth Rate parameter.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein a value of the Birth Rate parameter is a percentage.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein animating the object further comprises removing the one or more duplicates according to a Life parameter that specifies how long a particle is displayed before disappearing.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user interface further comprises a slider that indicates a value for the Life parameter.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein a value of the Life parameter is a percentage.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein animating the object further comprises creating the one or more duplicates according to a Scale parameter that specifies how large a duplicate is relative to the object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user interface further comprises a slider that indicates a value for the Scale parameter.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a value of the Scale parameter is a percentage.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the user interface is semi-transparent.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is non-modal.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon data representing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

displaying a user interface comprising;

a control area comprising an ellipse;

a first user-manipulable control element located on the circumference of the ellipse, wherein the first user-manipulable control element comprises specifies a first point on the circumference of the ellipse;

a second user-manipulable control element located on the circumference of the ellipse, wherein the second user-manipulable control element specifies a second point on the circumference of the ellipse, and wherein the first point and the second point together specify a sector of the ellipse, and wherein a size of the sector specifies a size of a range in which one or more duplicates of an object moves, and wherein a position of the sector specifies a location of the range; and

a third user-manipulable control element located within the sector;

receiving user input via the first user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the first user-manipulable control element to set the sector'"'"'s size and the sector'"'"'s position;

receiving user input via the second user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the second user-manipulable control element to set the sector'"'"'s size and the sector'"'"'s position;

receiving user input via the third user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the third user-manipulable control element to set the sector'"'"'s position without affecting the sector'"'"'s size; and

animating the object based on the received input.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein animating the object further comprises animating the one or more duplicates according to a speed with which the one or more duplicates moves, and wherein the user interface further comprises a fourth user-manipulable control element located mostly within the ellipse, wherein the fourth user-manipulable control element comprises a representation of a vector having a variable magnitude, and wherein the magnitude of the vector directly specifies the speed, and wherein the representation of the vector comprises an arrow having a straight body and a tail located in the center of the ellipse, the arrow pointing toward a point on the circumference of the ellipse, the operations further comprising:

receiving user input via the fourth user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging a head of the representation of the vector in order to set the vector'"'"'s magnitude.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein animating the object further comprises creating the one or more duplicates according to a Birth Rate parameter that specifies how many particles are created per second.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein animating the object further comprises removing the one or more duplicates according to a Life parameter that specifies how long a particle is displayed before disappearing.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein animating the object further comprises creating the one or more duplicates according to a Scale parameter that specifies how large a duplicate is relative to the object.

19. A system for animating an object, wherein animating the object comprises creating one or more duplicates of the object and animating the one or more duplicates according to a range in which the one or more duplicates moves, the system comprising a processor configured to perform a method, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface comprising;

a control area comprising an ellipse;

a first user-manipulable control element located on the circumference of the ellipse, wherein the first user-manipulable control element specifies a first point on the circumference of the ellipse;

a second user-manipulable control element located on the circumference of the ellipse, wherein the second user-manipulable control element specifies a second point on the circumference of the ellipse, and wherein the first point and the second point together specify a sector of the ellipse, and wherein a size of the sector specifies a size of a range in which one or more duplicates of an object moves, and wherein a position of the sector specifies a location of the range; and

a third user-manipulable control element located within the sector;

receiving user input via the first user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the first user-manipulable control element to set the sector'"'"'s size and the sector'"'"'s position;

receiving user input via the second user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the second user-manipulable control element to set the sector'"'"'s size and the sector'"'"'s position;

receiving user input via the third user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the third user-manipulable control element to set the sector'"'"'s position without affecting the sector'"'"'s size; and

animating the object based on the received input.