Graphics system and method having objects conformed to a template

• US 6,304,272 B1
• Filed: 12/10/1996
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micrografx LLC
• Original Assignee: Micrografx LLC
• Inventors: Schanel, Scott J., Sovocool, Peter F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US08/763,163
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 345/438, 345/342, 345/440
• US Class Current: 345/676
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

A computer graphics program embodied in a computer-readable medium displays a template having a boundary and a plurality of regions, displays an object that can be associated with the template, and moves the object with respect to the template in response to a user command. The program may detect the proximity of the object to a region of the template and display the object in the region using an adjustment while the object is detected in the proximity of the region. Also, the program may modify the shape of a region in response to movement of a region control point located within the boundary of the template and conform an object associated with the region with the modification to the region. Further, the program may modify the template and its regions in response to movement of a two axes template control point and conform an object associated with a region in response to the modification to the region.

Claims

1. A computer graphics program embodied in a computer-readable medium for executing the following steps:

displaying a template having a boundary and a plurality of regions;

displaying an object that can be associated with the template;

moving the object with respect to the template in response to a user command;

detecting the proximity of the object to a region of the template; and

simultaneously displaying the object in the region using an adjustment that changes the shape or size of the object and in the proximity of the region without using an adjustment while the object is detected in the proximity of the region.

2. The graphics program of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a user input indicating a desire to place the object in the region; and

erasing the display of the object in the proximity of the region in response to the user input.

3. The graphics program of claim 1, further comprising the step of modifying one of the regions in response to movement of a region control point located within the boundary of the template.

4. The graphics program of claim 3, further comprising the step of conforming an object associated with the region in response to the modification to the region.

5. The graphics program of claim 1, further comprising the step of modifying the template and the regions in response to movement of a two axes template control point.

6. A computer graphics program embodied in a computer-readable medium for executing the following steps:

displaying a template having a boundary and a plurality of regions located within the boundary;

displaying an object located within and conforming to an associated region; and

modifying the template and the regions in response to movement of a two axes template control point.

7. The graphics program of claim 6, further comprising the step of conforming the object associated with the region in response to the modification to the region.

8. The graphics program of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

displaying an object that can be associated with the template;

moving the object with respect to the template in response to a user command;

detecting the proximity of the object to a region of the template; and

displaying the object in the region using an adjustment while the object is detected in the proximity of the region.

9. The graphics program of claim 8, further comprising the step of displaying the object in the proximity of the region without using an adjustment while the object is detected in the proximity of the region.

10. A computer graphics program embodied in a computer-readable medium and operable to execute on a computer having a display, the graphics program comprising:

a graphics application operable to generate a plurality of objects; and

a template module, separate from and accessible by the graphics application, comprising a template interface and at least one template method to generate a template having a boundary and a plurality of regions located within the boundary.

11. The graphics program of claim 10, wherein:

the template module includes a template method to generate an adjustment to conform an object generated by the application to an associated region of the template; and

the template module retains the adjustment generated by the template method to conform the object to the associated region of the template.

12. The graphics program of claim 10, wherein the graphics program can modify a chart comprised of a template, a plurality of regions located within the boundary of the template, and at least one object associated with one of the regions in response to a user adjustment to the template by adjusting the template, the regions, and the object.

13. The graphics program of claim 10, wherein:

the template module includes a template method to generate an adjustment to conform an object generated by the application to an associated region of the template; and

the application displays the object in the associated region of the template using the adjustment.

14. The graphics program of claim 10, wherein the template module maintains a region identifier to associate each object to an associated region of the template.

15. The graphics program of claim 10, wherein the application comprises an executable file and the template module comprises a dynamic linked library.

16. The graphics program of claim 10, further comprising:

a movement method operable to move an object with respect to the template in response to a user command;

a detection method operable to detect the proximity of the object to a region of the template; and

a highlighting method operable to highlight the region to which the proximity of the object was detected while the object is detected in the proximity of the region.

17. The graphics program of claim 16, further comprising:

a detection method operable to detect a user input indicating a desire to place the object in the region;

an erasure method operable to erase the display of the object in the proximity of the region in response to the user input; and

a display method operable to display the object in the region with an adjustment.

18. The graphics program of claim 16, further comprising a display method operable to display the object in the region using an adjustment while the object is detected in the proximity of the region.

19. The graphics program of claim 18, wherein the object is simultaneously displayed in the proximity of the region without using an adjustment while the object is detected in the proximity of the region.

20. The graphics program of claim 10, further comprising a modification method operable to modify the shape of a region in response to movement of a region control point located within the boundary of the template.

21. The graphics program of claim 10, further comprising a modification method operable to modify the template and the regions in response to movement of a two axes template control point.