Physics based diagram editor

• US 9,098,164 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Kodosky, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHANTANA ANGKOOL, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US13/783,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20140040798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 715/762, 715/705, 715/765
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/33 Intelligent editors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven

Abstract

System and method for editing a graphical diagram. A graphical diagram, such as a graphical program, is displayed on a display device. User input may be received editing the graphical diagram, thereby generating an edited graphical diagram. Placement of one or more elements in the graphical diagram may be adjusted in response to the editing based on determined forces applied to the one or more elements in the edited graphical diagram based on the said editing, resulting in an adjusted edited graphical diagram. The adjusted edited graphical diagram may be displayed on the display device, which may include displaying an animation illustrating the movement of the elements to an equilibrium state in which the forces balance and movement ceases. The editing, adjusting, and displaying may be performed sequentially and/or concurrently, as desired.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium that stores program instructions executable by a processor to implement:

displaying a graphical diagram on a display device, wherein the graphical diagram comprises a plurality of interconnected icons;

receiving user input editing the graphical diagram, thereby generating an edited graphical diagram;

adjusting placement of one or more elements within the edited graphical diagram based on said editing, wherein said adjusting is performed based on determined forces applied to the one or more elements in the edited graphical diagram, and wherein said adjusting placement of one or more elements comprises;

determining one or more forces for each of the one or more elements based on their positions;

summing the forces on each of the one or more elements, thereby determining resultant forces;

moving the one or more elements based on the resultant forces; and

repeating said determining, said summing, and said moving one or more times in an iterative manner until an equilibrium condition obtains, wherein said adjusting placement results in an adjusted edited graphical diagram; and

displaying the adjusted edited graphical diagram on the display device.

2. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said editing, said adjusting, and said displaying the adjusted edited graphical diagram are performed concurrently.

3. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein in implementing said adjusting placement, the program instructions are further executable to implement:

determining the forces applied to the one or more elements in the edited graphical diagram based on the edit operation;

calculating adjustments in placement of the one or more elements within the edited graphical diagram based on application of the determined forces to the one or more elements.

4. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein said displaying comprises:

displaying an animation that illustrates said moving.

5. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 4, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

repeating said determining, said summing, and said moving in an iterative manner prior to said receiving user input and after the equilibrium condition obtains;

wherein said displaying the animation further comprises;

displaying the graphical diagram during said repeating said determining, said summing, and said moving in an iterative manner prior to said receiving user input and after the equilibrium condition obtains.

15. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the user input specifies or manipulates a graphical diagram element in the graphical diagram.

16. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the user input invokes or specifies one or more of:

selecting an element in the graphical diagram;

adding an element to the graphical diagram;

removing an element from the graphical diagram;

connecting two or more elements in the graphical diagram;

moving an element in the graphical diagram;

enlarging an element in the graphical diagram;

compacting an element in the graphical diagram;

expanding an element in the graphical diagram;

collapsing an element in the graphical diagram;

resizing an element in the graphical diagram;

displaying an affordance of an element in the graphical diagram;

or

displaying a terminal of an element in the graphical diagram.

17. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more elements comprise one or more of:

at least one graphical diagram icon;

at least one edge connected to a graphical diagram icon;

or

at least one terminal in the graphical diagram.

18. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the graphical diagram comprises a graphical data flow block diagram.

19. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the graphical diagram comprises a graphical control flow block diagram.

6. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of 1, wherein said determining, said summing, and said moving one or more times in an iterative manner comprises:

executing a model of the graphical diagram, wherein the model specifies and implements physics based attributes and behaviors of the graphical diagram or elements of the graphical diagram via a plurality of physics based parameters.

7. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 6, wherein said executing the model comprises:

dynamically modifying one or more of the physics based parameters of the graphical diagram or elements of the graphical diagram.

8. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 7, wherein said dynamically adjusting one or more physics based parameters comprises:

applying respective profiles to the one or more physics based parameters of the graphical diagram or elements of the graphical diagram, wherein each profile specifies a sequence of values for a respective parameter.

9. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 7, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising one or more controls or indicators; and

receiving user input specifying or modifying one or more of;

at least one parameter of the one or more physics based parameters;

or

at least one qualitative aspect of the model or model behavior;

wherein said executing the model is performed in accordance with the specified or modified at least one parameter or at least one qualitative aspect.

10. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 7, wherein said displaying a GUI and said receiving user input specifying or modifying is performed dynamically during said executing the model.

11. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 6, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

repeating said determining, said summing, and said moving in an iterative manner prior to said receiving user input and after the equilibrium condition obtains; and

displaying an animation of the graphical diagram, including;

said displaying the graphical diagram;

illustrating said moving; and

said displaying the adjusted edited graphical diagram.

12. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 11, wherein said executing the model of the graphical diagram is performed faster than real time, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

saving a sequence of model states during execution of the model;

wherein said displaying an animation of the graphical diagram comprises;

mapping the sequence of model states to a sequence of images of the graphical diagram; and

displaying the sequence of images of the graphical diagram corresponding to the sequence of model states.

13. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 12, wherein said mapping comprises a nonlinear mapping.

14. The non-transitory computer accessible memory medium of claim 11, wherein said executing the model of the graphical diagram is performed faster than real time, wherein the program instructions are further executable to perform:

saving a sequence of model states during execution of the model;

wherein said displaying an animation of the graphical diagram comprises;

sampling the sequence of model states, thereby generating a sequence of sampled states; and

displaying a sequence of images of the graphical diagram corresponding to the sequence of sampled states.

20. A method, comprising:

utilizing a computer to perform;

displaying a graphical diagram on a display device, wherein the graphical diagram comprises a plurality of interconnected icons;

receiving user input editing the graphical diagram, thereby generating an edited graphical diagram;

applying forces to one or more elements in the graphical diagram based on said editing, wherein said applying forces operates to adjust placement of the one or more elements within the graphical diagram, resulting in an adjusted edited graphical diagram, and wherein said applying forces comprises;

determining one or more forces for each of the one or more elements based on their positions;

summing the forces on each of the one or more elements, thereby determining resultant forces;

moving the one or more elements based on the resultant forces; and

repeating said determining, said summing, and said moving one or more times in an iterative manner until an equilibrium condition obtains; and

displaying the adjusted edited graphical diagram on the display device.

21. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores program instructions executable by the processor to;

display a graphical diagram on a display device, wherein the graphical diagram comprises a plurality of interconnected icons;

receive user input editing the graphical diagram, thereby generating an edited graphical diagram;

adjust placement of one or more elements within the edited graphical diagram based on determined forces applied to the one or more elements in the edited graphical diagram based on said editing, resulting in an adjusted edited graphical diagram, and wherein to adjust placement of one or more elements, the program instructions are executable by the processor to;

determine one or more forces for each of the one or more elements based on their positions;

sum the forces on each of the one or more elements, thereby determining resultant forces;

move the one or more elements based on the resultant forces; and

repeat said determining, said summing, and said moving one or more times in an iterative manner until an equilibrium condition obtains; and

display the adjusted edited graphical diagram on the display device.