Object editing system, object editing method and object editing program product

• US 20060174568A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kinoshita, Satoko, Shibata, Eiki, Miura, Keiji
• Granted Patent: US 8,120,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/395
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

The present invention provides a snap function that can move an object smoothly, without deteriorating the user operability. According to the present invention, there is provided an object editing system, including: an arrangement system for arranging an object and a snap target in a given display area; a moving system for moving the object in the display area; a snap system for causing the object to snap the snap target on a basis of a distance between the object and the snap target; and a restriction system for inhibiting the object from snapping the snap target on a basis of a direction in which the object is moving. According to the object editing system of the invention, the snap system causes the object to snap the snap target once the distance between the object and the snap target has become smaller than a predetermined threshold value.

Claims

1. An object editing system, comprising:

arrangement means for arranging an object and a snap target in a given display area;

moving means for moving the object in the display area;

snap means for causing the object to snap the snap target on the basis of a distance between the object and the snap target; and

restriction means for inhibiting the object from snapping the snap target on the basis of a direction in which the object is moving.

2. An object editing system according to claim 1, wherein the snap means causes the object to snap the snap target if the distance between the object and the snap target has become smaller than a predetermined threshold value.

3. An object editing system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of snap targets are present on a path along which the object moves.

4. An object editing system according to claim 1, wherein the restriction means inhibits the object from snapping the snap target present on a side opposite to the direction in which the object is moving.

5. An object editing system according to claim 1, wherein the object has a plurality of snap references, the snap means causes a snap reference to snap a snap target based on a distance between the snap reference and the snap target, and the restriction means inhibits the snap references that are present on a side opposite to the direction in which the object is moving from snapping a snap target.

6. An object editing system according to claim 5, wherein the restriction means causes the snap references that are present on a same side as the direction in which the object is moving to snap the snap target.

7. An object editing system according to claim 5, wherein the display area is a two-dimensional display area defined by a vertical axis and a horizontal axis, and the restriction means inhibits the snap references that are present on a side opposite to a vertical component of the direction in which the object is moving from snapping the snap target, or inhibits the snap references that are present on a side opposite to a horizontal component of the direction in which the object is moving from snapping the snap target.

8. An object editing system according to claim 5, wherein the display area is a two-dimensional display area defined by a vertical axis and a horizontal axis, and the restriction means inhibits the snap references that are present on the side opposite to a vertical component of the direction in which the object is moving from snapping the snap target, and inhibits the snap references that are present on the side opposite to a horizontal component of the direction in which the object is moving from snapping the snap target.

9. An object editing system according to claim 3, wherein the display area is a two-dimensional display area, a form of the object is a rectangle, and the snap targets are a plurality of vertical grid lines and a plurality of horizontal grid lines;

wherein the snap means causes a side of the object to snap a vertical grid line or a horizontal grid line on a basis of a distance between the side of the object and the vertical grid line or the horizontal grid line; and

wherein the restriction means inhibits the sides of the object that are present on a side opposite to the direction in which the object is moving from snapping the vertical grid lines or the horizontal grid lines.

10. An object editing system according to claim 9, wherein, of the plurality of horizontal grid lines, the snap means selects a horizontal grid line closest to a side of the rectangle that is present along a vertical component of the direction in which the object is moving, and causes the side to snap the selected horizontal grid line if a distance between the side and the horizontal grid line has been become smaller than a first threshold value;

and wherein, of the plurality of vertical grid lines, the snap means selects a vertical grid line closest to a side of the rectangle that is present along a horizontal component of the direction in which the object is moving, and causes the side to snap the selected vertical grid line if a distance between the side and the vertical grid line has become smaller than a second threshold value.

11. An object editing system according to claim 9, wherein the restriction means inhibits the sides of the rectangle on a side opposite to the vertical component of the direction in which the object is moving from snapping the horizontal grid lines, and inhibits the sides of the rectangle on a side opposite to the horizontal component of the direction in which the object is moving from snapping the vertical grid lines.

12. An object editing system according to claim 1, wherein the moving means has a pointing device for displaying a pointer in the display area.

13. An object editing system according to claim 12, wherein, as a user manipulates the pointing device, the moving means moves the object designated by the pointer.

14. An object editing system according to claim 12, wherein the pointing device is a mouse.

15. An object editing system according to claim 13, wherein, in the display area, the direction in which the object is moving matches a direction in which the pointer is moving.

16. An object editing system according to claim 1, wherein the display area is a two-dimensional display area defined by a vertical axis and a horizontal axis, and the direction in which the object is moving is either up rightward, directly rightward, down rightward, directly upward, directly downward, up leftward, directly leftward or down leftward.

17. An object editing method, comprising the steps of:

arranging an object and a snap target in a given display area; and

in response to a movement of the object in the display area, causing the object to snap the snap target on a basis of a distance between the object and the snap target while inhibiting the object from snapping the snap target on a basis of a direction in which the object is moving.

18. An object editing method according to claim 17, further comprising:

inhibiting the sides of the rectangle that are on a side opposite to a vertical component of the direction in which the object is moving from snapping horizontal grid lines, and

inhibiting the sides of the rectangle that are on a side opposite to a horizontal component of the direction in which the object is moving from snapping vertical grid lines.

19. An object editing program product for enabling a computer to execute the steps of:

arranging an object and a snap target in a given display area; and

in response to a movement of the object in the display area, causing the object to snap the snap target on a basis of a distance between the object and the snap target while inhibiting the object from snapping the snap target on a basis of a direction in which the object is moving.

20. An object editing program product according to claim 19, further enabling a computer to execute the steps of:

inhibiting the sides of the rectangle that are on a side opposite to a vertical component of the direction in which the object is moving from snapping horizontal grid lines, and

inhibiting the sides of the rectangle that are on a side opposite to a horizontal component of the direction in which the object is moving from snapping vertical grid lines.