User interface for controlling animation of an object
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsGregory E. Niles, Stephen M. Sheeler, Guido Hucking
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A user can control the animation of an object via an interface that includes a control area and a user-manipulable control element. In one embodiment, the control area includes an ellipse, and the user-manipulable control element includes an arrow. In yet another embodiment, the control area includes an ellipse, and the user-manipulable control element includes two points on the circumference of the ellipse. In yet another embodiment, the control area includes a first rectangle, and the user-manipulable control element includes a second rectangle. In yet another embodiment, the user-manipulable control element includes two triangular regions, and the control area includes an area separating the two regions.
Claims19
A computer-implemented method for animating an object, wherein animating the object comprises creating one or more duplicates of the object and animating the one or more duplicates according to a range in which the one or more duplicates moves, the method comprising:
- displaying a user interface comprising:
- a control area comprising an ellipse;
- a first user-manipulable control element located on the circumference of the ellipse, wherein the first user-manipulable control element specifies a first point on the circumference of the ellipse;
- a second user-manipulable control element located on the circumference of the ellipse, wherein the second user-manipulable control element specifies a second point on the circumference of the ellipse, and wherein the first point and the second point together specify a sector of the ellipse, and wherein a size of the sector specifies a size of a range in which one or more duplicates of an object moves, and wherein a position of the sector specifies a location of the range;
- and
- a third user-manipulable control element located within the sector;
- receiving user input via the first user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the first user-manipulable control element to set the sector's size and the sector's position;
- receiving user input via the second user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the second user-manipulable control element to set the sector's size and the sector's position;
- receiving user input via the third user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the third user-manipulable control element to set the sector's position without affecting the sector's size;
- and
- animating the object based on the received input.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon data representing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- displaying a user interface comprising:
- a control area comprising an ellipse;
- a first user-manipulable control element located on the circumference of the ellipse, wherein the first user-manipulable control element comprises specifies a first point on the circumference of the ellipse;
- a second user-manipulable control element located on the circumference of the ellipse, wherein the second user-manipulable control element specifies a second point on the circumference of the ellipse, and wherein the first point and the second point together specify a sector of the ellipse, and wherein a size of the sector specifies a size of a range in which one or more duplicates of an object moves, and wherein a position of the sector specifies a location of the range;
- and
- a third user-manipulable control element located within the sector;
- receiving user input via the first user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the first user-manipulable control element to set the sector's size and the sector's position;
- receiving user input via the second user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the second user-manipulable control element to set the sector's size and the sector's position;
- receiving user input via the third user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the third user-manipulable control element to set the sector's position without affecting the sector's size;
- and
- animating the object based on the received input.
A system for animating an object, wherein animating the object comprises creating one or more duplicates of the object and animating the one or more duplicates according to a range in which the one or more duplicates moves, the system comprising a processor configured to perform a method, the method comprising:
- displaying a user interface comprising:
- a control area comprising an ellipse;
- a first user-manipulable control element located on the circumference of the ellipse, wherein the first user-manipulable control element specifies a first point on the circumference of the ellipse;
- a second user-manipulable control element located on the circumference of the ellipse, wherein the second user-manipulable control element specifies a second point on the circumference of the ellipse, and wherein the first point and the second point together specify a sector of the ellipse, and wherein a size of the sector specifies a size of a range in which one or more duplicates of an object moves, and wherein a position of the sector specifies a location of the range;
- and
- a third user-manipulable control element located within the sector;
- receiving user input via the first user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the first user-manipulable control element to set the sector's size and the sector's position;
- receiving user input via the second user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the second user-manipulable control element to set the sector's size and the sector's position;
- receiving user input via the third user-manipulable control element, the input comprising dragging the third user-manipulable control element to set the sector's position without affecting the sector's size;
- and
- animating the object based on the received input.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.