Navigation system for a 3D virtual scene

• US 8,749,544 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Fitzmaurice, George, Matejka, Justin, Mordatch, Igor, Kurtenbach, Gord, Khan, Azam
• Primary Examiner(s): McDowell, Jr., Maurice L
• Application Number:
  US12/200,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 715/700
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

A navigation system for navigating a three-dimensional (3D) scene that includes a model or object with which a user can interact. The system accommodates and helps both novice and advanced users. To do this, the system provides a set of GUI tracking menus for different navigation tasks where each navigation tool has action tools associated with the navigation task. The action tools are arranged in rings with the most used tools on an outside.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface displayed on a display, comprising:

a tracking menu having tools arranged in a circle, including;

an outer ring having most used tools;

an inner circle having less used tools;

a rewind tool configured to rewind through information of previous states of a view history in correspondence with selection via the outer ring or the inner circle including rewinding through history resulting from used tools of one of the outer ring or the inner circle; and

a menu button located outside the ring.

2. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a center tool for centering a view on the display and located in an upper quadrant of the outer ring.

3. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising an orbit tool for orbiting with respect to an object in a displayed scene and located in a bottom three quadrants of the outer ring.

4. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a zoom tool for zooming into a displayed scene and located in an upper half of the inner circle.

5. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a rewind tool for rewinding states of a view history and located in a lower half of the inner circle.

6. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a forward tool for moving forward toward a user designated point in a scene on a model and located in a top three quadrants of the outer ring.

7. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising an up/down tool for moving up/down in a scene relative to an up vector of a model and located in a bottom quadrant of the outer ring.

8. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a look tool for adjusting the view direction for a scene and located in an upper half of the inner circle.

9. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a zoom tool for zooming into a displayed scene and located in an upper quadrant of the outer ring.

10. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a pan tool for panning in a scene and located in a bottom quadrant of the outer ring.

11. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising an orbit tool for orbiting with respect to an object in a displayed scene and located in a left quadrant of the outer ring.

12. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a rewind tool for rewinding states of a view history and located in a right quadrant of the outer ring.

13. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a center tool for centering a view on the display and located in an upper left wedge of the inner circle.

14. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a walk tool for moving a view away from a start point in a scene and located in an upper right wedge of the inner circle.

15. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a look tool for adjusting the view direction for a scene and located in a lower left wedge of the inner circle.

16. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising an up/down tool for moving up/down in a scene relative to an up vector of a model and located in a bottom right wedge of the inner circle.

17. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a pan tool for panning in a scene and occupying the outer ring.

18. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising a cursor depicting the tool function when a tool is activated.

19. An interface as recited in claim 18, further comprising a text descriptor displayed associated with the cursor of the tool function.

20. An interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising tool function graphic that describes the tool function when a cursor is over a tool.

21. A view object graphical user interface displayed on a display and for viewing three dimensional objects in the display, comprising:

a tracking menu having tools arranged in a circle, comprising;

an outer ring comprising;

a center tool for centering a view on the display and located in an upper quadrant of the outer ring; and

an orbit tool for orbiting with respect to an object in a displayed scene and located in a bottom three quadrants of the outer ring; and

an inner circle comprising;

a zoom tool for zooming into a displayed scene and located in an upper half of the inner circle; and

a rewind tool configured to rewind through information of previous states of a view history and located in a lower half of the inner circle, and rewinding through information in correspondence with selection via the outer ring or the inner circle including rewinding through history resulting from used tools of one of the outer ring or the inner circle; and

a menu button located outside the circle; and

a close button located outside the circle.

22. A tour scene graphical user interface displayed on a display and for touring a three dimensional scene, comprising:

a tracking menu having tools arranged in a circle, comprising;

an outer ring comprising;

a forward tool for moving forward toward a user designated point in a scene on a model and located in a top three quadrants of the outer ring; and

an up/down tool for moving up/down in a scene relative to an up vector of a model and located in a bottom quadrant of the outer ring; and

an inner circle comprising;

a look tool for adjusting the view direction for a scene and located in an upper half of the inner circle; and

a rewind tool configured to rewind through information of previous states of a view history and located in a lower half of the inner circle, and rewinding through information in correspondence with selection via the outer ring or the inner circle including rewinding through history resulting from used tools of one of the outer ring or the inner circle; and

a menu button located outside the circle; and

a close button located outside the circle.

23. A universal navigation graphical user interface displayed on a display for navigating with a three dimensional scene on the display, comprising:

a tracking menu having tools arranged in a circle, comprising;

an outer ring comprising;

a zoom tool for zooming into a displayed scene and located in an upper quadrant of the outer ring;

a pan tool for panning in a scene and located in a bottom quadrant of the outer ring;

an orbit tool for orbiting with respect to an object in a displayed scene and located in a left quadrant of the outer ring; and

a rewind tool configured to rewind through information of previous states of a view history and located in a right quadrant of the outer ring, and rewinding through information in correspondence with selection via the outer ring or the inner circle including rewinding through history resulting from used tools of one of the outer ring or the inner circle; and

an inner circle comprising;

a center tool for centering a view on the display and located in an upper left wedge of the inner circle;

a walk tool for moving a view away from a start point in a scene and located in an upper right wedge of the inner circle;

a look tool for adjusting the view direction for a scene and located in a lower left wedge of the inner circle; and

an up/down tool for moving up/down in a scene relative to an up vector of a model and located in a bottom right wedge of the inner circle and

a menu button located outside the circle; and

a close button located outside the circle.

24. A navigation graphical user interface displayed on a two dimensional display for navigating the two dimensional display, comprising:

a tracking menu having tools arranged in a circle, comprising;

an outer ring a pan tool for panning in a scene and occupying the outer ring; and

an inner circle comprising;

a zoom tool for zooming into a displayed scene and located in an upper half of the inner circle; and

a rewind tool configured to rewind through information of previous states of a view history and located in a lower half of the inner circle, and rewinding through information in correspondence with selection via the outer ring or the inner circle including rewinding through history resulting from used tools of one of the outer ring or the inner circle; and

a menu button located outside the circle and

a close button located outside the circle.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

a display; and

a computer producing a tracking menu on the display having tools arranged in a circle and comprising;

an outer ring having most used tools;

an inner circle having less used tools;

a rewind tool configured to rewind through information of previous states of a view history in correspondence with selection via located in the outer ring or the inner circle including rewinding through history resulting from used tools of one of the outer ring or the inner circle; and

a menu button located outside the ring.

26. A method, comprising:

producing a tracking menu on a display having tools arranged in a circle and comprising an outer ring having the most used tools, an inner circle having less used tools; and

producing a rewind tool configured to rewind through information of previous states of a view history in correspondence with selection via the outer ring or the inner circle including rewinding through history resulting from used tools of one of the outer ring or the inner circle, and producing a menu button located outside the ring.

27. A computer configured to implement an operation, the operation comprising:

producing a tracking menu on a display having tools arranged in a circle, said tracking menu including an outer ring having the most used tools, an inner circle having less used tools, a rewind tool configured to rewind through information of previous states of a view history in correspondence with selection via the outer ring or the inner circle including rewinding through history resulting from used tools of one of the outer ring or the inner circle, and

providing a menu button located outside the ring.