Drawing system using design guides

• US 6,377,240 B1
• Filed: 03/15/1999
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liepe, Peter E., Tappen, Charles T., Baudel, Thomas P. H., Kurtenbach, Gordon P., Buxton, William A. S., Fitzmaurice, George W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Application Number:
  US09/267,672
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 345/433, 345/419, 345/157, 345/158, 345/167, 345/156
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/20 Drawing from basic elements, e.g. lines or circles

Abstract

An electronic design guide, such as a french curve, can be placed in the geometry layer of a drawing program. This allows the design guide and a drawing tool, such as an electronic paint brush, to be moved about with in the drawing simultaneously using two different input control devices, such as a mouse and an electronic stylus/tablet. The design guide can then be used block or mask paint from being applied to the drawing by comparing the coordinates of the cursor with the area of the guide and setting pixels of the drawing accordingly. The masking can be performed even as the guide is moved. The system also can be set to constrain the path of the ink applied by the drawing tool to the edge of the drawing guide even as the guide is moved. As the cursor is moved the position of the cursor is matched with the closest next line segment of the guide and that portion painted.

Claims

1. A computer system having a program displaying a hand movable marking guide, allowing a user to interact with the guide using a displayed and independently hand movable marking tool, on a same graphics level as the guide preventing an application of marks to an object using the guide and controlling a range of action of the tool with the guide as the guide and/or tool are moved and marks are made.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein movement of the guide affects the range of action of the tool.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the guide automatically controls where the application of paint to a drawing occurs.

4. A system as recited in claim 3, wherein the guide can be moved during the application of paint to the drawing while the guide controls the application of paint and controls a range of action of the tool.

5. A computer system having a program displaying a hand movable marking guide and allowing a user to interact with an edge of the guide using a displayed and independently, hand movable marking tool on a same graphics level as the guide by snapping lines drawn by the tool to the guide controlling a range of action of the tool as the guide and/or tool are moved and marks are made.

6. A computer system having a program displaying a hand movable marking guide and allowing a user to interact an edge of with the guide using a displayed and independently, hand movable marking tool on a same graphics level as the guide by masking lines drawn by the tool with the guide preventing an application of paint to a drawing using the guide as the guide and/or tool are moved and marks are made.

7. A computer system having a program displaying a hand movable marking guide and allowing a user to interact with an edge of the guide using a displayed and independently, hand movable marking tool on a same graphics level as the guide by snapping lines drawn by the tool to the guide controlling a range of action of the tool with the guide and masking lines drawn by the tool with the guide preventing an application of paint to a drawing using the guide as the guide and/or tool are moved and marks are made.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a display;

first and second input devices providing motion indicators; and

a computer coupled to said display and said input devices, displaying a marking guide and a marking tool with the guide and the tool being on a same graphics level, receiving the motion indicators, controlling positions of the guide and the tool responsive thereto, limiting an application of marks to an object using an edge of the guide and controlling a range of action of the tool with the edge of guide.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the tool draws a line which is made to conform to the guide.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein movement of the guide affects an action of the tool.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the guide is rotatable and scalable.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a display;

first and second input devices providing motion indicators; and

a computer coupled to said display and said input devices, displaying a marking guide and a marking tool with the guide and the tool being on a same graphics level, receiving the motion indicators and controlling positions of the guide and the tool responsive thereto and said computer comparing a moved position of a cursor of the tool to a next immediate line segment of the guide and moving the cursor to the line segment.

13. An apparatus as recited in 12, wherein the tool draws a line which is masked by the guide.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein said computer compares a path of the tool to the design guide and draws the line responsive to the comparison.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a display;

first and second input devices providing position indicators; and

a computer coupled to said display and said input devices, displaying a marking guide and a marking tool with the guide and the tool being on a same graphics level, receiving the position indicators and controlling the positions of the guide and the tool responsive thereto to mark a line which is made to conform to the guide by comparing a moved position of a cursor of the tool to a next immediate line segment of the guide, moving the cursor to the line segment, performing line masking by the guide by comparing a path of the tool to the guide, marking the line responsive to the comparison.

16. A process, comprising:

displaying a marking guide; and

allowing a user to interact with the guide through a displayed tool by snapping marks made by the tool to the guide controlling a range of action of the tool with the tool and the guide being on a same graphics level as the tool.

17. A process, comprising

displaying a marking guide;

and

allowing a user to interact with the guide through a displayed tool by masking marks drawn by the tool with the guide limiting an application of marks to an object using the guide and the guide being on a same graphics level as the tool.

18. A process, comprising:

allowing a user to select and place a design guide on an electronic drawing;

sampling position indications from first and second input devices;

moving the guide responsive to the indications from the first of the input devices;

determining a next immediate line segment of the guide responsive to the indications from the second of the input devices and moving a cursor at a same graphics level as the guide to the line segment; and

determining whether a drawing mark produced by the cursor is masked by the guide and masking the mark responsive to the determination.

19. A storage media storing a process displaying a marking design guide, allowing a user to interact with the guide through a displayed tool limiting an application of a mark to a an object using the guide and controlling a range of action of the tool with the guide and the guide being on a same graphics level as the tool.

20. A computer system having a program displaying a drawing guide defined as a drawing data object and a drawing tool producing drawing data with the guide and tool being on a same graphics level, allowing a user to simultaneously move the guide and the tool limiting an application of paint to a drawing using the guide and controlling a range of action of the tool with the guide.

21. A computer system having a program displaying a marking guide and allowing a user to interact with the guide through a displayed marking tool located on a same graphics level as the guide.

22. A computer system having a program displaying a marking guide and allowing a user to interact with the guide through a displayed marking tool using one hand for the guide and one hand for the tool with the tool and the guide being on a same graphics level.

23. A process, comprising:

displaying a marking guide; and

allowing a user to interact with the guide through a displayed tool by moving the tool with one hand and the guide with another hand with the guide being on a same graphics level as the tool.

24. A computer system having a program displaying a marking guide in a same graphics level as a displayed marking tool, and allowing a user to interact with both inside and outside edges of the guide using the displayed marking tool with the guide preventing an application of marks to an object as the tool and/or guide are moved and marks are made.

25. A computer system having a program displaying a hand movable marking guide, allowing a user to interact with an edge of the guide using a displayed and independently hand movable marking tool on a same graphic level as the guide, constraining an application of marks to an object using the guide and controlling a range of action of the tool with the guide as the guide and/or tool are moved simultaneously with marks being made.

26. A computer system having a program displaying a hand movable marking guide, allowing a user to interact with an edge of the guide using a displayed and independently hand movable marking tool on a same graphics level as the guide, constraining an application of marks to an object using the guide and controlling a range of action of the tool with the guide as the guide and tool are moved simultaneously with marks being made.

27. A computer system having a program displaying a hand movable marking guide, allowing a user to interact with the guide using a displayed and independently hand movable marking tool, on a same graphics level as the guide preventing an application of marks to an object using the guide and controlling an effective motion of and a range of action of the tool both inside and outside the guide with the guide as the guide and/or tool are moved and marks are made.