Defining motion in a computer system with a graphical user interface

A method for defining movement in a graphical user interface (GUI) of a computer system, the method comprising:

• detecting a translation movement of a directional user gesture input across a first object in the GUI from a first angular position of the first object to a second angular position of the first object;
• and
• defining, simultaneous with the corresponding detected translation movement of the directional user gesture input, a same relative angular movement of a second object in the GUI from a third angular position of the second object to a fourth angular position of the second object, wherein the first angular position is different from the third angular position and the second angular position is different from the fourth angular position.

A method for defining movement in a graphical user interface (GUI), the method comprising:

• displaying a first GUI object having an associated shadow in the GUI;
• and
• displaying a two dimensional shape that is a second GUI object having a surface area and a region surrounding the two-dimensional shape in the GUI for detecting translation movements of a directional user gesture input, wherein (i) a first translation movement of the directional user gesture input within the surface area from a first angular position to a second angular position corresponds to a first curvilinear translation movement of the shadow along a first curvilinear path about the GUI object and (ii) a second translation movement of the directional user gesture input outside of the surface area and within the surrounding region from a third angular position to a fourth angular position corresponds to a second curvilinear translation movement of the shadow along a second curvilinear path about the GUI object.

A computer readable storage medium storing a computer program comprising a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI comprising:

• a first object having a corresponding shadow;
• and
• a second selectable object comprising a surface area of a two-dimensional shape for defining curvilinear movements of the shadow about the first object, wherein the second object is selected by interactions with a directional user gesture input within the surface area and within a region surrounding the surface area, wherein (i) a first translation movement of the directional user gesture input within the surface area from a first angular position to a second angular position corresponds to a first curvilinear translation movement of the shadow about the first object and (ii) a second translation movement of the directional user gesture input outside of the surface area and within the surrounding region from a third angular position to a fourth angular position corresponds to a second curvilinear translation movement of the shadow about the first object.