User interface having movable sheet with click-through tools

A method of operating a processor-based machine, the machine including

• a user input facility,
• a display device,
• a processor coupled to the user input facility and the display device, and
• a storage system for storing information including instructions defining at least one program to be executed by the processor and a set of associated data,
• the method comprising operating the processor-based machine to perform the steps of:
• executing the program so as to operate on the data and to display a visible representation thereof on the display device;
• generating a visual depiction of a transparent overlay having a number of delineated operation-specifying regions thereon;
• responding to a first set of signals by positioning the overlay relative to the visible representation;
• responding to a second set of signals characterized by position information relative to the visible representation;
• and
• generating a third set of signals, the third set of signals depending on the relative position of the overlay and the visible representation, and on the position information that characterizes the second set of signals;
• the third set of signals specifying a particular operation when the position information that characterizes the second set of signals is in a predetermined relationship with the delineated region of the overlay that specifies that particular operation;
• the third set of signals further specifying that, for at least one type of particular operation, the particular operation be carried out in a manner that depends on the position information that characterizes the second set of signals.

A method of operating a processor-based machine, the machine including

• a user input facility,
• a display device,
• a processor coupled to the user input facility and the display device, and
• a storage system for storing information including instructions defining at least one application program to be executed by the processor and at least one application data structure including a number of application data items,
• the method comprising operating the processor-based machine to perform the steps of:
• executing the application program so as to manipulate the application data structure and display a representation thereof, referred to as the visible representation, on the display device;
• generating a visual depiction of a transparent overlay having a number of delineated operation-specifying regions thereon;
• responding to a first set of signals for positioning the overlay relative to the visible representation;
• responding to a second set of signals characterized by position information relative to the visible representation;
• and
• generating a third set of signals and communicating the third set of signal to the application program, the third set of signals depending on the relative position of the overlay and the visible representation and on the position information that characterizes the second set of signals;
• the third set of signals specifying a particular operation when the position information is in a predetermined relationship with the delineated region of the overlay that specifies that particular operation;
• the third set of signals further specifying that, for at least one type of particular operation, the particular operation interact with the application data structure in a manner that depends on the position information.

In an interactive computing environment including

• a processor coupled to a display screen and to at least one input device suitable for positioning an object with respect to the display screen, and
• user interface software that the processor executes, that controls at least a portion of the display screen, and that is responsive to said input device,
• a method for applying a software tool to a workpiece, the software tool having certain properties, the method comprising the steps of:
• using the processor, the user interface software, and the display screen to display a window whose contents represent the workpiece;
• using the processor, the user interface software, and the display screen to display a transparent object that represents the tool;
• using the processor, the user interface software, and the input device to position the transparent object so as to overlap a desired portion of the workpiece;
• and
• using the processor, the user interface software, and the input device to generate an event at a position within the transparent object, which position specifies the desired portion of the workpiece;
• and
• in response to the event, altering the contents of the desired portion of the workpiece, the nature of the alteration being determined at least in part by the properties of the tool.

A method of operating a processor-based machine, the machine including

• a display device,
• a pointing device for controlling the position of a cursor on the display device in response to user input,
• a processor coupled to the pointing device and the display device,
• the method comprising operating the processor to perform the steps of:
• executing an application program so as to manipulate an associated application data structure and display a representation thereof, referred to as the visible representation, on the display device;
• generating a visual depiction of a transparent overlay having a number of delineated operation-specifying regions thereon;
• positioning the overlay relative to the visible representation;
• positioning the cursor within a particular delineated region and at a position that is in a predetermined relationship to a particular object in the visible representation, the predetermined relationship with the particular object being a relationship that selects the particular object;
• generating a cursor event with the cursor so positioned;
• and
• performing the operation specified by the particular delineated region on the particular object in response to the cursor event.

A method of operating a computer system where a program displays objects and a user interacts with the objects through the use of displayed tools, each tool having an associated tool-defining region and a specified operation, the user activating a particular tool by designating a position within the particular tool's tool-defining region and initiating an event at the designated position, the method comprising the steps of:

• displaying a click-through tool having the property that when the event occurs within the click-through tool at a given location relative to the click-through tool, the result of an operation on the data depends, under at least some circumstances, on the location of the event relative to the displayed data;
• positioning the click-through tool so as to at least partially overlap a particular object;
• generating a particular event within the click-through tool;
• and
• in response to the particular event, performing the click-through tool's specified operation on the particular object if, but only if, the particular event is at a location that specifies the particular object.

A method of operating a processor-based machine, the machine including

• a user input facility,
• a display device,
• a processor coupled to the user input facility and the display device,
• a storage system for storing information including instructions defining at least one program to be executed by the processor and a set of associated data,
• the method comprising operating the processor-based machine to perform the steps of:
• executing the program to operate on the data and display a visible representation thereof on the display device;
• displaying on the display device a visual depiction of a plurality of tool-defining regions, each tool-defining region specifying at least in part a respective operation that is performed in response to an event within the tool-defining region, each tool-defining region and its respective specified operation being referred to as a tool;
• at least a given tool, referred to as a click-through tool, having the property that when the event occurs within the click-through tool's tool-defining region at a given location relative to the click-through tool's tool-defining region, the result of the click-through tool's specified operation depends, under at least some circumstances, on the location of the event relative to the visible representation;
• in response to a first set of signals from the user input facility, positioning the click-through tool's tool-defining region so as to overlap a desired location in the visible representation;
• in response to a second set of signals from the user input facility, generating a particular event within the click-through tool's tool-defining region, the particular event being at the desired location in the visible representation;
• and
• in response to the particular event, performing the click-through tool's specified operation on a portion of the data that corresponds to the desired location of the visible representation.

In an interactive computing environment including

• a processor coupled to a display screen and to an input facility suitable for positioning an object with respect to the display screen and further suitable for generating a signal specifying an event at a given position, and
• user interface software that the processor executes, that controls at least a portion of the display screen, and that is responsive to the input device,
• a method of operating the processor to execute the user interface software, the method comprising the steps of:
• displaying a window whose contents include a workpiece;
• displaying a transparent object that represents a tool having an object-altering property;
• positioning the tool over the workpiece;
• and
• altering the workpiece in response to a signal from the input facility specifying an event at a position that specifies the workpiece and that is within the tool, the nature of the alteration being determined at least in part by the object-altering property of the tool.

A method of operating a processor-based machine, the machine including

• a user input facility including a device having a button that is subject to being clicked by the user,
• a display device,
• a processor coupled to the user input facility and the display device,
• a storage system for storing information including instructions defining at least one program to be executed by the processor and a set of associated data,
• the method comprising operating the processor-based machine to perform the steps of:
• operating on the data according to the program and displaying a visible representation of the data on the display device;
• displaying a cursor on the display device;
• displaying on the display device a visual depiction of a tool-defining region, the tool-defining region specifying at least in part an operation that is performed in response to the button being clicked while the cursor is positioned within the tool-defining region, the tool-defining region and its respective specified operation being referred to as the tool;
• the tool having the further property that when the cursor is within the tool-defining region at a given location relative to the tool-defining region, the result of the tool's specified operation in response to the button being clicked depends, under at least some circumstances, on the location of the cursor relative to the visible representation when the button is clicked;
• in response to signals from the user input facility, positioning the tool-defining region so as to overlap a desired location in the visible representation;
• in response to signals from the user input facility, positioning the cursor on the desired location in the visible representation;
• and
• in response to the button being clicked when the cursor is positioned on the desired location in the visible representation, performing the tool's specified operation on a portion of the data that corresponds to the desired location of the visible representation.

A method of operating a processor-based machine, the machine including

• a user input facility including at least one device that generates signals specifying position,
• a display device,
• a processor coupled to the user input facility and the display device,
• a storage system for storing information including a set of data,
• the method comprising operating the processor-based machine to perform the steps of:
• operating on the data and displaying a visible representation thereof on the display device, the visible representation including an object;
• displaying on the display device a visual depiction of a tool-defining region, the tool-defining region specifying at least in part an operation that is performed in response to an event within the tool-defining region, the tool-defining region and its specified operation being referred to as the tool;
• in response to a first set of signals from the user input facility, positioning the tool defining region so as to at least partially overlap the object;
• in response to a second set of signals from the user input facility, generating a particular event that is within the tool-defining region and is at a position relative to the visible representation that specifies the object;
• and
• in response to the particular event, performing the specified operation on the object.