Object manipulators and functionality
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for modifying a property of a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, comprising:
- a) displaying a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements;
b) displaying a button object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object;
c) activating the button object manipulate, wherein the activating comprises;
i. placing a cursor controlled by a pointing device over the button object manipulator; and
ii. clicking a button on the pointing device to activate the button object manipulator; and
d) directly modifying a property of the graphic object without dragging the button object manipulator, in response to the activation.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to display and use object manipulators in a computer graphics program. In some embodiments, an object manipulator (i.e., a button object manipulator or traditional object manipulator) is displayed on a graphics object and activated. In response to the activation, a property of the graphics object is directly modified. Various forms and properties of the object manipulator provide additional capabilities that may assist the user in the graphics program.
61 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method for modifying a property of a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, comprising:
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a) displaying a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; b) displaying a button object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object; c) activating the button object manipulate, wherein the activating comprises; i. placing a cursor controlled by a pointing device over the button object manipulator; and ii. clicking a button on the pointing device to activate the button object manipulator; and d) directly modifying a property of the graphic object without dragging the button object manipulator, in response to the activation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for displaying an object manipulator in a computer graphics drawing program comprising:
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displaying a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; displaying an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object in a color, wherein the color of the object manipulator indicates whether activation of the object manipulator will affect one or more properties of another object.
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7. A method for displaying an object manipulator in a computer graphics drawing program comprising:
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displaying a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; displaying an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object; and reorienting the object manipulator when an initial orientation is visually confusing or indistinct. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A meted for modifying a property of a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, comprising:
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(a) displaying a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; (b) displaying an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object, wherein; (i) the object manipulator may be in two or more function states; (ii) each function state enables the object manipulator to perform one or more discrete functions that modify one or more properties of the graphic object; (c) activating the object manipulator; (d) modifying the function state of the object manipulator; and (e) modifying one of the properties of the graphic object. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A method for displaying an object manipulator in a computer graphics drawing program, comprising:
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displaying a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; displaying an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object; activating the object manipulator; and displaying a bitmap image at a cursor position if selecting the cursor position will result in an error condition when interacting with the object manipulator.
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13. A method for modifying a property of a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, comprising:
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displaying a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; displaying an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object wherein a particular glyph shape of the object manipulator indicates an alignment of the graphic object with respect to one or more additional objects; activating the object manipulator; and modifying a property of the graphic object in response to the activation.
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14. A method for displaying an object manipulator in a computer graphics drawing program, comprising:
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displaying a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; displaying an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object wherein the object manipulator is displayed in a translucent color, such that the graphic object is visible behind the object manipulator.
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15. An apparatus for modifying a property of a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program of a computer system comprising:
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a) a computer having memory; b) an application executing on the computer, wherein the application is configured to; i. display a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; ii. display a button object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object; iii. activate the button object manipulator by; 1. placing a cursor controlled by a pointing device over the button object manipulator; and 2. clicking a button on the pointing device to activate the button object manipulator ; and iv. directly modifying a property of the graphic object without dragging the button object manipulator, in response to the activation. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for displaying an object manipulator in a computer graphics drawing program of a computer system comprising:
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(a) a computer having a memory; (b) an application executing on the computer, wherein the application is configured to; (i) display a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or mote graphical elements; and (ii) display an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object in a color, wherein the color of the object manipulator indicates whether activation of the object manipulator will affect one or more properties of another object.
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21. An apparatus for displaying an object manipulator in a computer graphics drawing program of a computer system comprising:
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(a) a computer having a memory; (b) an application executing on the computer, wherein the application is configured to; (i) display a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; and (ii) display an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object; and (iii) reorient the object manipulator when an initial orientation is visually confusing or indistinct. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. An apparatus for modifying a property of a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program of a computer system comprising:
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(a) a computer having a memory; (b) an application executing on the computer, wherein the application is configured to; (i) display a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; (ii) display an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object, wherein; (1)the object manipulator may be in two or more function stares; and (2)each function state enables the object manipulator to perform one or mare discrete functions that modify one or more properties of the graphic object; (iii) activate the object manipulator; (iv) modify the function state of the object manipulator; and (v) modify a property of the graphic object. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for displaying an object manipulator in a computer graphics drawing program of a computer system comprising:
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(a) a computer having a memory; (b) an application executing on the computer, wherein the application is configured to; (i) display a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; (ii) display an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object; (iii) activate the object manipulator; and (iv) display a bitmap image at a cursor position if selecting the cursor position will result in an error condition when interacting with the object manipulator.
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27. An apparatus for modifying a property of a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program of a computer system comprising:
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(a) a computer having a memory; (b) an application executing on the computer, wherein the application is configured to; (i) display a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; (ii) display an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object wherein a particular glyph shape of the object manipulator indicates an alignment of the graphic object with respect to one or mote additional objects; (iii) activate the object manipulator; and (iv) modify a property of the graphic object in response to the activation.
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28. An apparatus for displaying an object manipulator in a computer graphics drawing program of a computer system comprising:
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(a) a computer having a memory; (b) an application executing on the computer, wherein the application is configured to; (i) display a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein to the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; and (ii) display an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object in a translucent color, such that the graphic object is visible behind the object manipulator.
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29. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for modifying a property of a graphic object in an object-oriented computer graphics drawing system, the method comprising:
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a) means for displaying a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; b) means for displaying a button object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object; c) means for activating the button object manipulator, wherein the means for activating comprises; i. means for placing a cursor controlled by a pointing device over the button object manipulator; and ii. means for clicking a button on the pointing device to activate the button object manipulator ;
andd) means for directly modifying a property of the graphic object without dragging the button object manipulator, in response to the activation. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for displaying an object manipulator in an object-oriented computer graphics drawing system, the method comprising:
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means for displaying a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; means for displaying an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object in a color, wherein the color of the object manipulator indicates whether activation of the object manipulator will affect one or more properties of another object.
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35. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions execurable by the computer to perform a method for displaying an object manipulator in an object-oriented computer graphics drawing system, the method comprising:
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means for displaying a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; means for displaying an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object; means for reorienting the object manipulator when an initial orientation is visually confusing or indistinct. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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37. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for modifying a property of a graphic object in an object-oriented computer graphics drawing system, the method comprising:
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(a) means for displaying a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; (b) means for displaying an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object, wherein; (i) the object manipulator may be in two or more function states; (ii) each function state enables the object manipulator to perform one or more discrete functions that modify one or more properties of the graphic object; (c) means for activating the object manipulator; (d) means for modifying the function state of the object manipulator; and (e) means for modifying a property of the graphic object. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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40. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for displaying an object manipulator in an object-oriented computer graphics drawing system, the method comprising:
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means for displaying a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; means for displaying an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object; means for activating the object manipulator; and means for displaying a bitmap image at a cursor position if selecting the cursor position will result in an error condition when intertacting with the object manipulator.
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41. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for displaying an object manipulator in an object-oriented computer graphics drawing system, the method comprising:
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means for displaying a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; means for displaying an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object, a particular glyph shape of the object manipulator indicates an alignment of the graphic object with respect to one or more additional objects.
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42. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer arid embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for displaying an object manipulator in an object-oriented computer graphics drawing system, the method comprising:
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means for displaying a graphic object in a computer graphics drawing program, wherein the graphic object comprises one or more graphical elements; means for displaying an object manipulator, comprised of a grip, on the graphic object, wherein the object manipulator is displayed in a translucent color, so the graphic object is visible behind the object manipulator.
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Specification