Timeline management

• US 20130124990A1
• Filed: 08/16/2007
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Lettau, Tyler J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,773,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

Timeline management is described, including selecting a segment of a timeline, activating a control, and replacing the segment of the timeline with a visual indicator used to identify the segment of the timeline.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

performing, by a computer;

selecting, from within a displayed timeline, a segment comprising one or more frames each visibly displayed within the segment on the displayed timeline;

detecting user input to a visible user interface element for activating a condensing control while the segment is selected and the one or more frames are each visibly displayed within the selected segment; and

visibly condensing the selected segment on the displayed timeline in response to said detecting the user input activating the condensing control, wherein said visibly condensing the selected segment comprises visibly diminishing the one or more frames each visibly displayed with the selected segment of the displayed timeline,, and displaying a visual indicator on the timeline to represent the diminished selected segment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the timeline is associated with at least one of an animation object, a video clip, an audio track, a set of images, or a plurality of events.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the timeline comprises at least a first time period between a first pair of successive selection points in the timeline and a second time period between a second pair of successive selection points in the timeline, wherein the length of the first time period is substantially equal to the length of the second time period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting the segment of the timeline comprises selecting at least two frames associated with the timeline.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting the segment of the timeline comprises selecting at least two columns on the timeline, wherein each column comprises a plurality of timeline tracks.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting the user input activating the condensing control comprises detecting input from a user input device pressing a button user interface element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator requires less space to display than the segment of the timeline.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator is a tear mark.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a value representing a length of the segment of the timeline.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a button associated with the segment of the timeline, wherein pressing the button toggles between displaying the segment of the timeline and displaying the visual indicator.

11. A system, comprising:

a memory configured to store data associated with a timeline; and

a processor configured to perform;

selecting from within a displayed timeline a segment comprising one or more frames each visibly displayed within the segment on the displayed timeline; and

visibly condensing the selected segment on the displayed timeline in response to detecting user input to a visible user interface element for activating a condensing control, wherein said detecting occurs while the segment is selected and the one or more frames are each visibly displayed within the selected segment, and wherein said visibly condensing the selected segment comprises visibly diminishing the one or more frames each visibly displayed with the selected segment of the displayed timeline, and displaying a visual indicator on the timeline to represent the diminished selected segment.

12. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

selecting from within a displayed timeline a segment comprising one or more frames each visibly displayed within the segment on the displayed timeline; and

visibly condensing the selected segment on the displayed timeline in response to detecting user input to a visible user interface element for activating a condensing control, wherein said detecting occurs while the segment is selected and the one or more frames are each visibly displayed within the selected segment, and wherein said visibly condensing the selected segment comprises visibly diminishing the one or more frames each visibly displayed with the selected segment of the displayed timeline, and displaying a visual indicator on the timeline to represent the diminished selected segment.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the timeline is associated with at least one of an animation object, a video clip, an audio track, a set of images, or a plurality of events.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the segment of the time line comprises at least two frames associated with the timeline.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the visual indicator is a tear mark.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer readable medium comprises further instructions for displaying a button associated with the segment of the timeline, wherein activating the button toggles between displaying the segment of the timeline and displaying the visual indicator.

17. A method, comprising:

performing, by a computer;

displaying a timeline;

selecting from within the displayed timeline a segment between a first point and a second point of the displayed timeline;

marking the selected segment of the displayed timeline; and

in response to detecting user input to a visible user interface element for activating a condensing control;

visibly removing the selected segment from the displayed timeline; and

displaying a marker on the timeline to represent the removed selected segment of the timeline.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the timeline is associated with at least one of an animation object, a video clip, an audio track, a set of images, or a plurality of events.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the selecting the segment of the timeline comprises selecting at least two frames associated with the timeline.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the selecting the segment of the timeline comprises selecting at least two columns associated with the timeline, wherein each column comprises a plurality of layers.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising adding a button associated with the segment of the timeline, wherein activating the button causes displaying of the segment of the timeline.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising activating another control subsequent to said displaying the marker on the timeline, and in response, removing the marker from the displayed timeline and redisplaying the segment of the timeline.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the another control is the marker.

24. A system, comprising:

a memory configured to store data associated with a timeline; and

a processor configured to perform;

displaying a time line;

selecting from within the displayed timeline a segment between a first point and a second point of the displayed timeline;

marking the selected segment of the displayed timeline; and

in response to detecting user input to a visible user interface element for activating a condensing control;

visibly removing the selected segment from the displayed timeline; and

displaying a marker on the timeline to represent the removed selected segment of the timeline.

25. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

displaying a timeline;

selecting from within the displayed timeline a segment between a first point and a second point of the displayed timeline;

marking the selected segment of the displayed timeline; and

in response to detecting activation of a visible user interface element;

visibly removing the selected segment from the displayed timeline; and

displaying a marker on the timeline to represent the removed selected segment of the timeline.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the timeline is associated with at least one of an animation object, a video clip, an audio track, a set of images, or a plurality of events.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the segment of the timeline comprises at least two frames associated with the timeline.

28. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the computer readable medium comprises further instructions for displaying a button associated with the segment of the timeline, wherein activating the button initiates displaying of the segment of the timeline.

29. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the computer readable medium comprises further instructions for activating another control subsequent to said displaying the marker on the timeline, and in response, removing the marker from the displayed timeline and redisplaying the segment of the timeline.