Method and apparatus for grouping graphic objects on a computer based system having a graphical user interface

• US 5,861,886 A
• Filed: 06/26/1996
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Chiu, Patrick, Moran, Thomas P., Kurtenbach, Gordon P., van Melle, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Katbab, A.
• Application Number:
  US08/670,915
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 395/348, 395/333, 395/334, 395/335, 395/339, 395/357, 395/358, 345/339, 345/348, 345/349, 345/358, 345/173, 345/179, 345/180, 345/181, 345/182, 345/183, 345/184
• US Class Current: 715/863
• 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

Abstract

A system for creating and manipulating groups of graphic objects using enclosures. A persistent graphic object, such as a closed loop is drawn around a set of graphic objects as an enclosure. When the enclosure is selected the enclosure and the set of graphic objects within are grouped. Besides moving graphic objects into and out of the enclosure, the contents of a group can then be modified by 1) graphically altering the enclosure loop to include or remove graphic objects, 2) fusing groups by moving one of them so that their enclosure loops overlap (i.e., they "fuse" into one), 3) fusing groups through gestures which "touch" enclosure loops of the groups to be fused or 4) splitting the group into multiple groups through a splitting gesture.

Claims

1. A method for creating and manipulating groups of graphic objects in a computer-controlled graphics editing system, said method comprising the steps of:

a) a user drawing a persistant first enclosure graphic object, said first enclosure graphic object defining a boundary for a region wherein a first set of one or more graphic objects are positioned;

b) said user acting on said first enclosure graphic object; and

c) said system detecting that said first enclosure graphic object has been acted on and causing said first enclosure graphic object and said first set of one or more graphic objects to also be selected and grouped.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein prior to said step of said user acting on said first enclosure graphic object, performing the steps of:

said user performing an alteration action for altering said boundary of said first enclosure graphic object, said alteration action one of a set of alteration gestures; and

said system altering said boundary of said first enclosure graphic object based on said alteration gesture, and wherein said first set of one or more graphic objects may change.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said alteration action is modification gesture that increases the size of the defined region of said first enclosure graphic object so that one or more new graphic objects are in said first set of one or more graphic objects.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said alteration action is a modification gesture that causes the size of the defined region of said enclosure to decrease so that at least one graphic object of said set of one or more graphic objects is now outside said boundary.

5. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said alteration action is a splitting gesture for splitting said first graphic object enclosure into a second graphic object enclosure and a third graphic object enclosure based on the spatial position of said splitting gesture.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of moving said first graphic object enclosure and wherein said first group of graphic objects are moved in unison.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said first graphic object enclosure is moved to overlay a second graphic object enclosure, said second graphic enclosure graphic object defining a boundary for a region where a second set of one or more graphic objects are positioned;

and said system performing the step of implicitly fusing said first graphic object enclosure and said second graphic object enclosure.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 where said step of said system implicitly fusing said first graphic object enclosure and said second graphic object enclosure is further comprised of the steps of:

removing said first graphic object enclosure and said second graphic object enclosure;

creating a third graphic object enclosure that has a shape representing said first graphic object enclosure overlaying said second graphic object enclosure so that said first group of graphic objects and said second group of graphic objects are fused to created a third group of graphic objects.

9. A method for manipulating groups of graphic objects in a computer-controlled graphics editing system, said method comprising the steps of:

a) a user drawing a first enclosure graphic object around a first set of graphic objects;

b) said user drawing a second enclosure graphic object around a second set of graphic objects;

c) said user performing a fusion gesture to fuse said first enclosure and said second enclosure;

d) said system fusing said first enclosure and said second enclosure to create a fused enclosure having a shape corresponding to said first enclosure connected to said second enclosure and said fusion gesture, and said fused enclosure defining an area containing said first set of graphic objects and said second set of graphic objects.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said fusion gesture is a loop shaped gesture and said fused enclosure has a shape of said first enclosure connected to said second enclosure via a linear section.

11. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said fusion gesture is an arbitrarily connected shape overlapping said first enclosure and said second enclosure and said fused enclosure has a shape of said arbitrarily connected shape overlapping said first enclosure and said second enclosure.

12. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein prior to said step of performing a fusion gesture, performing the steps of:

selecting said first enclosure using a selection gesture, said selecting step further causing said one or more other graphic objects to be grouped; and

dragging said first enclosure so that it overlaps said second enclosure.

13. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein prior to said step of said user performing a fusion gesture, said user performing the step of drawing a link graphic object between said first enclosure graphic object and said second enclosure graphic object.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said fusion gesture is a looped shaped gesture across said link graphic object and said fused enclosure has a shape of said first enclosure connected to said second enclosure across said link graphic object.

15. A computer controlled graphics display system including a display and user controllable means for generating graphic objects, said system further comprising:

enclosure detection circuitry, said enclosure detection circuitry for identifying a graphic object as an enclosure, said enclosure defining a region;

group detection circuitry for identifying a group of graphic objects in said region, wherein operations performed on said graphic objected identified as an enclosure will also be performed on said group of graphic objects in said region;

position detection circuitry for detecting a position of a gesture;

gesture interpretation circuitry for identifying said gesture as being one of an associated plurality of gesture types and performing an enclosure operation corresponding to said identified gesture type on said enclosure.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein one of said associated plurality of gesture types is an alteration gesture for changing the shape of an enclosure.

17. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein one of said associated plurality of said gesture types is a fusion gesture for fusing two enclosures to create a single enclosure.

18. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein said one of said associated plurality of gesture types is a splitting gesture for splitting an enclosure into two enclosures.