Photo mantel view and animation

A computer system for representing a directory's contents by rendering a plurality of graphical images representing the contents on a two-dimensional display with the appearance of being positioned in a three-dimensional space, the system comprising:

• a processing unit capable of executing machine-readable instructions;
• a two-dimensional visual display for displaying the plurality of graphical images and including a left portion, a right portion, and a center between the left and right portions;
• one or more memories containing the plurality of graphical images and machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform steps comprising:
• receiving an indication of a plurality of graphical images stored in one or more of the memories,
• identifying and receiving a first graphical image and a second graphical image from the plurality of images stored in the one or more of the memories,
• determining a first position on the visual display for the first graphical image and a second position on the visual display for the second graphical image, wherein the first and second positions are each located in one of the left portion, right portion, or center of the two-dimensional visual display,
• transforming the first graphical image with information about the first position and the second graphical image with information about the second position on the visual display, the information about the first position indicating a location at the center and information about the second position indicates a location within the left portion or right portion,
• rendering the first graphical image and second graphical image for display in a graphically depicted three-dimensional space, and
• in response to user input, moving the position of the first and second graphical images on the display such that a visible portion of the first graphical image is reduced and the second graphical image is moved to the first position;
• and
• an input device for the user to provide an indication to move the first and second graphical images in the graphically depicted three-dimensional space.

A computer-implemented method for displaying the contents of a computer directory by rendering a plurality of graphical images on a two-dimensional display with the appearance of being positioned in a three-dimensional space, the method comprising:

• identifying via a computing device having a processor, a directory that includes a plurality of files and a representative image of each of the plurality of files stored in a memory, the contents of the directory to be presented on a visual display associated with the computing device;
• determining a first position on the visual display for a first representative image for a first file from the plurality of files and a second position on the visual display for a second representative image for a second file from the plurality of files;
• transforming the first representative image based on information about the first position and the second representative image based on information about the second position, the information including an indication of a location in a left portion, a right portion, or a center between the left and right portions on the visual display, and wherein transforming the first and second representative images includes rotating the first and second representative images with respect to the location of the first and second positions, respectively;
• presenting the first and second representative images in a graphically depicted three-dimensional space on the visual display;
• receiving a navigation input instructing movement of the first representative image to a third position and movement of the second representative image to the first position;
• transforming the first and second representative images based on information about the third and first positions, respectively, to change the orientation of the first and second representative images in the graphically depicted three-dimensional space with respect to a location of the third and first positions on the visual display, respectively;
• providing a delay comprising an amount of time sufficient to present a transition animation depicting movement of the first and second representative images from the first and second positions to the third and first positions, respectively;
• and
• presenting the first and second representative images in the third and first positions, respectively.