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US 2014/0351727 A1Published application
Using visual landmarks to organize diagrams
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsStephen M. Danton, Scott Roberts, Laurent Mollicone, Jordan Sehn, Tad D. Price, David K. Peck, Yuri Rychikhin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Visual landmarks are used to organize diagrams. Elements of a diagram can be arranged in accordance with configurable defined properties of visual landmarks to provide some degree of layout structure within the diagram. Users can customize visual landmarks to cause the visual landmarks to exhibit desired behavior.
Claims20
In a computer architecture, a method for using visual landmarks to organize a diagram, the method comprising:
- an act of presenting one or more visual elements representing a diagram;
- an act of presenting a visual landmark along with the one or more visual elements within the diagram, the visual landmark configured with one or more properties that are to be applied to associated visual elements to position the associated visual elements relative to the visual landmark;
- an act of receiving input selecting a visual element of the one or more visual elements that are displayed with the visual landmark;
- an act of receiving further input indicating that the selected visual element, which is displayed at a first location, is to be associated with the visual landmark;
- an act of automatically positioning the selected visual element relative to the visual landmark in accordance with the one or more corresponding properties of the visual landmark to organize the selected visual element within the diagram in response to receiving the further input and such that the automatic positioning of the selected visual element relative to the visual landmark is based on the one or more properties of the visual landmark;
- and
- an act of presenting the updated arrangement of the one or more visual elements to reflect an organization of the selected visual element within the diagram.
4 more elements
A computing system comprising:
- at least one hardware processor;
- and
- a memory having stored computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, implement a method for using visual landmarks to organize a diagram, wherein the method includes:
- an act of presenting at a computing interface one or more visual elements representing a diagram;
- an act of presenting a visual landmark along with the one or more visual elements within the diagram, the visual landmark configured with one or more properties that are to be applied to associated visual elements to position the associated visual elements relative to the visual landmark;
- an act of receiving input selecting a visual element of the one or more visual elements that are displayed with the visual landmark;
- an act of receiving further input indicating that the selected visual element, which is displayed at a first location, is to be associated with the visual landmark;
- an act of automatically positioning the selected visual element relative to the visual landmark in accordance with the one or more corresponding properties of the visual landmark to organize the selected visual element within the diagram in response to receiving the further input and such that the automatic positioning of the selected visual element relative to the visual landmark is based on the one or more properties of the visual landmark;
- and
- an act of presenting the updated arrangement of the one or more visual elements to reflect an organization of the selected visual element within the diagram.
7 more elements
A computer-readable memory device having stored computer-executable instructions which, when executed by at least one hardware processor of a computing system, implement a method for using visual landmarks to organize a diagram, wherein the method includes:
- an act of presenting at a computing interface one or more visual elements representing a diagram;
- an act of presenting a visual landmark along with the one or more visual elements within the diagram, the visual landmark configured with one or more properties that are to be applied to associated visual elements to position the associated visual elements relative to the visual landmark;
- an act of receiving input selecting a visual element of the one or more visual elements that are displayed with the visual landmark;
- an act of receiving further input indicating that the selected visual element, which is displayed at a first location, is to be associated with the visual landmark;
- an act of automatically positioning the selected visual element relative to the visual landmark in accordance with the one or more corresponding properties of the visual landmark to organize the selected visual element within the diagram in response to receiving the further input and such that the automatic positioning of the selected visual element relative to the visual landmark is based on the one or more properties of the visual landmark;
- and
- an act of presenting the updated arrangement of the one or more visual elements to reflect an organization of the selected visual element within the diagram.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.