System, software application, and method for customizing a high-resolution image via the internet

A method on a computer system for enabling a user to create a customized, high-resolution art print via the Internet, comprising:

• creating an image set for a customizable image, wherein the image set includes at
• least one immutable base image;
• creating a computer-readable script that specifies how to generate the customizable image and how to generate a graphical user interface via which a user can modify image data in the computer-readable script, wherein the computer-readable script references the image set and specifies (i) a plurality of variables that can be inputted by a user to customize the customizable image, and (ii) the way such variables can be used to customize the customizable image;
• storing the computer-readable script and multiple resolutions of the image set on a server;
• downloading the computer-readable script and a lower-resolution version of the image set to a user's web browser;
• generating a user interface in the user's web browser based on the computer-readable script, wherein the graphical user interface enables the user to customize the image and wherein, prior to the user making changes to the customizable image, the graphical user interface displays a default version of the customizable image based on default values for the customizable image in the computer-readable script, wherein the graphical user interface includes:
• displaying the fields in the graphical user interface wherein a user can enter text values for the field, in response to a user entering text into one of the fields, modifying each text element in the computer-readable script to which such field is mapped with the user-entered text and displaying the change to each such text element in the customizable image displayed in the graphical user interface, wherein at least one of the fields is mapped to a plurality of text elements in the script, wherein the graphical user interface is further used to edit one of a story, a fantasy map, a family tree, or childrens' artwork, that comprises the text elements in the image;
• as the user makes changes to the customizable image via the graphical user interface,
• modify the computer-readable script to reflect the user's changes, wherein the changes include, in addition to the text entry and editing:
• rotating an image, flipping an image, or resizing an image;
• sending the modified computer-readable script to the server;
• generating a high-resolution art print of the customizable image, as modified by the user, using the modified script file and high-resolution version of the image, such that every change made by the user in the low resolution versions are maintained in the high resolution art print and scaled to fit the precision of the high resolution art print, wherein the downloading and sending steps are performed at rates at least five times faster than the rates for downloading and sending the high resolution version respectively.

A system for enabling a user to create a customized, high-resolution art print via the Internet, comprising:

• an image-creation tool for creating an image set for a customizable image, wherein
• the image set includes at least one immutable base image;
• a script-creation tool for creating a computer-readable script that specifies (i) how to generate the customizable image using the image set, (ii) ways in which the customizable image can be modified;
• and (iii) how to generate a graphical user interface via which a user can modify modifiable image data in the computer-readable script;
• a storage medium for storing the computer-readable script and multiple resolutions of the image set;
• a data server, operatively coupled to the image-creation tool, the script-creation tool and the storage medium, for downloading the computer-readable script and a lower-resolution version of the image set to a user's web browser;
• a client computing device, operatively coupled to the data server via the Internet, for generating a user interface in the user's web browser based on the computer-readable script, wherein the graphical user interface enables the user to customize the customizable image, wherein the graphical user interface includes:
• displaying the fields in the graphical user interface wherein a user can enter text values for the field, in response to a user entering text into one of the fields, modifying each text element in the computer-readable script to which such field is mapped with the user-entered text and displaying the change to each such text element in the customizable image displayed in the graphical user interface, wherein at least one of the fields is mapped to a plurality of text elements in the script, wherein the graphical user interface is further used to edit one of a story, a fantasy map, a family tree, or childrens' artwork, that comprises the text elements in the image;
• prior to the user making changes to the customizable image, the graphical user interface displays a default version of the customizable image based on default values for the customizable image in the computer-readable script;
• as the user makes changes to the customizable image via the graphical user interface, the client computing device modifies the computer-readable script to reflect the user's changes, wherein the changes include, in addition to the text entry and editing:
• rotating an image, flipping an image, or resizing an image;
• and after the user makes changes to the computer-readable script, the client computing device sending the modified computer-readable script to the data server;
• and an image rendering server, operatively coupled to the data server, for generating a high-resolution art print of the customizable image, as modified by the user, using the modified script file and a high-resolution version of the image, such that every change made by the user in the low resolution versions are maintained in the high resolution art print and scaled to fit the precision of the high resolution art print, wherein the downloading and sending steps are performed at rates at least five times faster than the rates for downloading and sending the high resolution version respectively.