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Claims  |
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The invention in which an exclusive right is claimed is defined by the
following:
1. A method for handling an object included in a window that is resized on
a display, comprising the steps of:
(a) enabling an author to selectively set a plurality of parameters that
determine a position, and a size of the object when the window is resized;
(b) binding the plurality of parameters to the object when it is saved for
subsequent display on the display;
(c) displaying the object in a first position and with a first size within
an initial window on the display; and
(d) applying the plurality of parameters to determine how the object is
resized and repositioned in response to a user resizing the window in
which the object appears.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters include at
least one of a sizing constraint, a centering characteristic, and a
movement characteristic.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the author is enabled to selectively set
at least one of an absolute horizontal constraint, a proportional
horizontal constraint, an absolute vertical constraint, and a proportional
vertical constraint, to apply to the object when the window is resized.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the author is enabled to selectively set
at least one of a vertical absolute movement, a vertical proportional
movement, no vertical movement, a horizontal absolute movement, a
horizontal proportional movement, and no horizontal movement, to apply to
the object when the window is resized.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the author is enabled to selectively set
at least one of horizontal absolute resizing, a horizontal proportional
resizing, no horizontal resizing, a vertical absolute resizing, a vertical
proportional resizing, and no vertical resizing, to apply to the object
when the window is resized.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the author is enabled to selectively set
one of a proportional centering characteristic and an absolute centering
characteristic to apply to the object when the window is resized, for at
least one of a left margin, a right margin, a top margin, and a bottom
margin.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the author is enabled to selectively
inhibit at least one of a horizontal and a vertical centering of the
object when the window is resized.
8. A method for handling an object included in a window that is resized on
a computer display, where the object is subject to movement within the
window due to a dynamic motion of the object separate from movement
associated with the resizing of said windowed comprising the steps of:
(a) determining and temporarily storing an initial position of the object
in the window when the object first appears on the display;
(b) determining and temporarily storing an initial dynamic object position
corresponding to a position in which the object currently is as a result
of any dynamic motion of the object, but excluding any effect of prior
resizing of the window;
(c) determining a current object position corresponding to a position in
which the object is, subject to any dynamic motion and any previous
resizing of the window;
(d) determining predefined sizing attributes of the object; and
(e) positioning and sizing the object in accord with the predefined sizing
attributes of the object, in relation to the initial dynamic motion of the
object and in response to any resizing of the window.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of saving the initial
position of the object in the window when saving a current state of an
application in which the window and object are used.
10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of redetermining the
current object position each time that the window is resized or the object
is dynamically moved.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the dynamic movement of the object is
caused either by an application in which the object and window are used or
by a user.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein the sizing attributes include at least
one of a horizontal constraint, a vertical constraint, a horizontal
resizing of the object, a vertical resizing of the object, a horizontal
movement of the object, a vertical movement of the object, and a centering
of the object.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sizing attributes are selectively
either absolute or proportional to the resizing of the window.
14. The method of claim 8, wherein the initial position is determined in
regard to a virtual window that is equivalent to a conformation of the
window when the window was last saved, and wherein the initial position is
equal to a dynamic position, which is equal to the current position of the
object.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein dynamic movement of the object after
the window is resized causes an initial window that was first opened on
the display to be reset to be equivalent to the current window, prior to
the dynamic movement of the object.
16. A system that includes a display, for handling an object included in a
window that is resized on the computer display, comprising:
a computer that includes a central processing unit for executing machine
instructions and a memory for storing machine instructions that are to be
executed by the central processing unit, said machine instructions, when
executed by the central processing unit, implementing the following
functions:
(a) enabling an author to selectively set a plurality of parameters that
determine a position, and a size of the object when the window is resized;
(b) binding the plurality of parameters to the object when it is saved for
subsequent display on the display;
(c) displaying the object in a first position and with a first size within
an initial window on the display; and
(d) applying the plurality of parameters to determine how the object is
resized and repositioned in response to a user resizing the window in
which the object appears.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the sizing attributes include at least
one of a horizontal constraint, a vertical constraint, a horizontal
resizing of the object, a vertical resizing of the object, a horizontal
movement of the object, a vertical movement of the object, and a centering
of the object.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the sizing attributes are selectively
either absolute or proportional to the resizing of the window.
19. A system including a display, for handling an object included in a
window that is resized in the display, wherein the object is subject to
movement within the window due to a dynamic motion of the object separate
from movement associated with the resizing of said window, comprising:
a computer having a central processing unit for executing machine
instructions, and a memory for storing the machine instructions when they
are executed by the central processing unit, said machine instructions,
when executed by the central processing unit, implementing the following
functions:
(a) determining and temporarily storing an initial position of the object
in the window when the object first appears on the display;
(b) determining and temporarily storing an initial dynamic object position
corresponding to a position in which the object is currently disposed as a
result of any dynamic motion of the object, but excluding any effect of
prior resizing of the window;
(c) determining a current object position corresponding to a position in
which the object currently is disposed, subject to any dynamic motion and
any previous resizing of the window;
(d) determining predefined sizing attributes of the object; and
(e) positioning and sizing the object in accord with the predefined sizing
attributes of the object, in relation to the initial dynamic motion of the
object, in response to any resizing of the window.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the machine instructions further
implement the function of saving the initial position of the object in the
window when saving a current state of an application in which the window
and object are used.
21. The system of claim 19, wherein the machine instructions further
implement the function of redetermining the current object position each
time that the window is resized or the object is dynamically moved.
22. The system of claim 19, wherein the dynamic movement of the object is
caused either by an application in which the object and window are used or
by a user.
23. The system of claim 19, wherein the sizing attributes include at least
one of a horizontal constraint, a vertical constraint, a horizontal
resizing of the object, a vertical resizing of the object, a horizontal
movement of the object, a vertical movement of the object, and a centering
of the object.
24. The system of claim 23, wherein the sizing attributes are selectively
either absolute or proportional to the resizing of the window.
25. The system of claim 19, wherein the initial position is determined in
regard to a virtual window that is equivalent to a conformation of the
window when the window was last saved, and wherein the initial position is
equal to a dynamic position, which is equal to the current position of the
object.
26. The system of claim 19, wherein dynamic movement of the object after
the window is resized causes an initial window that was first opened on
the display to be reset to be equivalent to the current window, prior to
the dynamic movement of the object.
27. An article of manufacture, adapted for use with a computer for handling
an object included in a window that is resized on a display, comprising:
a memory medium on which are stored machine instructions that are
executable on a computer, said machine instructions, when thus executed,
implementing the following functions:
(a) enabling an author to selectively set a plurality of parameters that
determine a position, and a size of the object when the window is resized;
(b) binding the plurality of parameters to the object when it is saved for
subsequent display on the display;
(c) displaying the object in a first position and with a first size within
an initial window on the display; and
(d) applying the plurality of parameters to determine how the object is
resized and repositioned in response to a user resizing the window in
which the object appears.
28. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the sizing attributes
include at least one of a horizontal constraint, a vertical constraint, a
horizontal resizing of the object, a vertical resizing of the object, a
horizontal movement of the object, a vertical movement of the object, and
a centering of the object.
29. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the sizing attributes
are selectively either absolute or proportional to the resizing of the
window.
30. An article of manufacture adapted for use with a computer that includes
a display, for handling an object included in a window that is resized in
the display, wherein the object is subject to movement within the window
due to a dynamic motion of the object separate from movement associated
with the resizing of said window, comprising:
a memory medium on which is stored machine instructions executable on a
computer, said machine instructions, when executed on the computer,
implementing the following functions:
(a) determining and temporarily storing an initial position of the object
in the window when the object first appears on the display;
(b) determining and temporarily storing an initial dynamic object position
corresponding to a position in which the object is currently disposed as a
result of any dynamic motion of the object, but excluding any effect of
prior resizing of the window;
(c) determining a current object position corresponding to a position in
which the object currently is disposed, subject to any dynamic motion and
any previous resizing of the window;
(d) determining predefined sizing attributes of the object; and
(e) positioning and sizing the object in accord with the predefined sizing
attributes of the object, in relation to the initial dynamic motion of the
object, in response to any resizing of the window.
31. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the machine
instructions further implement the function of saving the initial position
of the object in the window when saving a current state of an application
in which the window and object are used.
32. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the machine
instructions further implement the function of redetermining the current
object position each time that the window is resized or the object is
dynamically moved.
33. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the dynamic movement of
the object is caused either by an application in which the object and
window are used or by a user.
34. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the sizing attributes
include at least one of a horizontal constraint, a vertical constraint, a
horizontal resizing of the object, a vertical resizing of the object, a
horizontal movement of the object, a vertical movement of the object, and
a centering of the object.
35. The article of manufacture of claim 34, wherein the sizing attributes
are selectively either absolute or proportional to the resizing of the
window.
36. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the initial position is
determined in regard to a virtual window that is equivalent to a
conformation of the window when the window was last saved, and wherein the
initial position is equal to a dynamic position, which is equal to the
current position of the object.
37. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein dynamic movement of the
object after the window is resized causes an initial window that was first
opened on the display to be reset to be equivalent to the current window,
prior to the dynamic movement of the object. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally pertains to redrawing windows on a graphic user
interface display screen, and more specifically, to handling the relative
position and sizing of graphic objects that appear within the windows when
the windows are redrawn after being resized.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Graphic user interface (GUI) operating systems, such as Microsoft
Corporation's WINDOWS.TM., have recently grown in popularity to become the
"norm," substantially superseding text-based operating systems for use on
personal computers. A basic element of almost any application running
under a GUI operating system is a display in which objects are represented
within one or more defined areas of the screen called windows. The objects
that can be displayed in a window include images, text, controls,
animations, and videos. Multiple windows can be opened on the display and
maximized to cover the entire screen or readily resized by selecting a
border or corner of the window with a mouse-controlled cursor and dragging
it to a different position. Sizing buttons are also typically provided in
a window on a GUI operating system to enable a user to quickly change the
size of a window so that it occupies either the entire screen or a
predefined, typically smaller, portion of the screen. However, the
resizing of windows can create problems for applications that must control
the manner in which objects within a resized window are redrawn to
accommodate the change in the window size.
For example, when a window is enlarged in the horizontal direction, should
the objects in the window increase in size proportionally only in the
horizontal direction, to match the increase in the width of the window?
Or, when an object moves within a window that is then resized, how should
the position of the object be handled when the object is redrawn in the
resized window? Should the resizing of a window both vertically and
horizontally be reflected in a change in the size of all objects in the
window proportional to the change in the width and height of the window?
These questions illustrate significant issues in handling window resizing
that are not well addressed by the specifications of any GUI operating
system.
Typically, many GUI applications do not handle window resizing well. For
example in most applications, resizing the window in which objects are
displayed does not cause any change in the size of the objects. Instead,
the objects simply remain static in both size and position within the
window when it is redrawn on the display following a resizing operation.
If the width of the window is decreased so that the margin of the window
passes through an object, the portion of the object beyond the margin is
cut off by the margin and simply not displayed. Some image view programs
permit resizing of an object window in which an image appears, but do not
respond to changes in the size of the application background window in
which the object windows are displayed.
When the window containing a document is resized in most word processing
programs, e.g., reduced in size horizontally, the text in the window is
simply cut off at the margin of the new window, if it extends past the new
edge of the window. Usually, there is some provision for resizing the font
displayed so that a smaller window will again display the full extent of
the text between the margins on a page in the window. However, this
process is typically not handled automatically by the application in
response to resizing of the window. Instead, the user must manually "zoom
out" until the entire page width is displayed. Clearly, it would be
preferable to automatically change the screen fonts so as to display the
same text across the page of a document as a window displaying the
document is resized.
Handling window resizing in multimedia works is even more difficult,
because objects in a window may be moving at the time the window is
resized. The movement of the objects can be due to the nature of the
objects, or may be due to actions by the user, such as selection of
control options in the multimedia work. For example, the relative position
of objects moving in an animation can be difficult to control properly as
a user resizes the window holding the objects. In many multimedia works,
the problems involved with resizing windows have been considered so
difficult to handle by some authoring schemes that resizing of the window
in which the multimedia work is playing is precluded. Thus, a work
published to run on a screen that is 640.times.480 pixels will be
displayed in a fixed 640.times.480 pixel window occupying only a portion
of a screen operating at a higher resolution.
The problems that arise when resizing of a window in which a multimedia
work is playing is allowed are readily apparent. For example, if all
objects in the multimedia window are resized in proportion to a change in
the window size, an image may become distorted if its width is increased
in proportion to an increase in the window width, but the height of the
image is not increased.
Certain objects must be maintained at relative positions in a window,
regardless of sizing changes. For example, a title bar that is centered
within a window should remain so when the window is resized. It may be
important for some objects to be positioned at an absolute position in a
window, regardless of any resizing of the window. Further, for specific
circumstances, it is possible that some objects should be resized in
proportion to a resizing of the window and some should not. For example, a
cursor bar along the side or bottom of a window should have a constant
width as the size of a window in which the cursor bar appears is changed,
yet the length of the cursor bar should be proportional to the dimension
of the window, as the window is resized.
One of the problems associated with handling objects that are moved in
connection with window resizing results from accumulated round-off error.
Object size and position are represented by integer values of pixels. If
two objects are moving, e.g., in an animation, each successive resizing of
the window in which the objects appear so as to resize and reposition the
objects in proportion to the change of the window size will contribute to
a round-off error in the relative position of the object. Eventually, as
the process of resizing the objects and the window continues, the objects
will no longer appear in proper relative position to each other or to
other objects in the window that are not moving due to the round-off
error. In some situations, only two or three resizing operations can cause
a discernible and objectionable error in the position of a moving object
relative to other objects. Clearly, simply changing the size and position
of a moving object from its current state to a new state in a redrawn
window in proportion to changes in the dimensions of the window does not
provide an acceptable solution to this problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a method is defined for handling
an object included in a window that is resized on a display. The method
includes the steps of enabling an author to selectively set a plurality of
parameters that determine a position and a size of the object in the
window when it is resized. The plurality of parameters are bound to the
object when it is saved for subsequent display on the display. When
displayed within an initial window on the display, the object is in a
first position and has a first size. The plurality of parameters are
applied to determine how the object is resized and repositioned in
response to a user resizing the window in which the object appears.
Preferably, the plurality of parameters include a sizing constraint, a
centering characteristic, and/or a movement characteristic. The author is
enabled to selectively set an absolute horizontal constraint, a
proportional horizontal constraint, an absolute vertical constraint,
and/or a proportional vertical constraint that will apply to the object
when the window is resized. Similarly, the author is enabled to
selectively set a vertical absolute movement, a vertical proportional
movement, or select no vertical movement, and can selectively set a
horizontal absolute movement, a horizontal proportional movement, or
select no horizontal movement to apply to the object when the window is
resized. Further, the author can selectively set at least one of a
horizontal absolute resizing, a horizontal proportional resizing, no
horizontal resizing, a vertical absolute resizing, a vertical proportional
resizing, and no vertical resizing to apply when the window is resized.
Another option enables the author to selectively set one of a proportional
centering characteristic and an absolute centering characteristic to apply
to the object when the window is resized, for at least one of a left
margin, a right margin, a top margin, and a bottom margin. The author is
also preferably enabled to selectively inhibit at least one of a
horizontal and a vertical centering of the object when the window is
resized.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method for
handling an object included in a window that is resized on a computer
display, where the object is subject to movement within the window due to
a dynamic motion of the object. The method includes the step of
determining and temporarily storing an initial position of the object in
the window when the object first appears on the display. An initial
dynamic object position corresponding to a position in which the object
currently is as a result of any dynamic motion of the object, but
excluding any effect of prior resizing of the window is also determined
and temporarily saved. In addition, a current object position
corresponding to a position in which the object is, subject to any dynamic
motion and any previous resizing of the window, is determined, as are
predefined sizing attributes of the object. The object is sized and
positioned in accord with the predefined sizing attributes of the object,
in relation to the initial dynamic motion of the object, in response to
any resizing of the window.
The method preferably also includes the step of saving the initial position
of the object in the window when saving a current state of an application
in which the window and object are used. Each time that the window is
resized or the object is dynamically moved, the current object position is
redetermined. The dynamic movement of the object is caused either by the
application in which the object and window are employed, or in response to
an input by the user.
In the preferred form of the invention, the sizing attributes include at
least one of a horizontal constraint, a vertical constraint, a horizontal
resizing of the object, a vertical resizing of the object, a horizontal
movement of the object, a vertical movement of the object, and a centering
of the object. Furthermore, the sizing attributes are selectively set by
the user to be either absolute or proportional to the resizing of the
window.
The initial position of the object is determined in regard to a virtual
window that is equivalent to a conformation of the window when it was last
saved. The initial position is then equal to a dynamic position and to the
current position of the object. Dynamic movement of the object after the
window is resized causes an initial window that was first opened on the
display to be reset and made equivalent to the current window, prior to
the dynamic movement of the object.
Other aspects of the present invention are directed to a system for
implementing the functions described above by executing machine
instructions on a central processing unit (CPU), and to an article of
manufacture that includes a memory medium on which are stored machine
instructions. When the machine instructions are executed on a computer,
they execute functions that are substantially similar to the steps in the
above described methods.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this
invention will become more readily appreciated as the same becomes better
understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a personal computer system that is suitable
for executing machine instructions in accord with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating components of the personal
computer system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3A is a schematic illustration showing a virtual rectangle that
represents an initial state of a window in which two objects are initially
displayed on a computer monitor;
FIG. 3B illustrates the two objects of FIG. 3A after the window is resized;
FIG. 4A illustrates a window in which an object has moved relative to
another object in the display;
FIG. 4B illustrates the window of FIG. 4A after it is resized;
FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the logical steps implemented in handling
resizing of a window;
FIG. 6 is a flow chart listing the steps implemented in handling a window
when an object in the window is affected by the user;
FIG. 7 is a flow chart that illustrates the logical steps implemented in
resizing a window when an object within the window is dynamically moved;
FIG. 8 is a dialog box in which an author specifies movement and resize
options that control the manner in which an object is positioned and sized
when a window containing the object is resized; and
FIG. 9 is a dialog box in which the author selectively sets centering
options for controlling the centering behavior of an object in a window
that is resized.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention is intended to be implemented on a personal computer
10, such as that shown in FIG. 1. Personal computer 10 is generally
conventional in design, including a processor chassis 12 in which is
disposed a 31/2-inch floppy disk drive 14 and a hard drive 16. Both floppy
disk drive 14 and hard drive 16 are used for storing executable files and
data files, the floppy disk drive reading/writing files on floppy disks
(not shown), e.g., to convey the files between personal computer 10 and
another computer (not shown). In addition, personal computer 10 includes a
monitor 18, which is preferably capable of graphic resolutions of at least
640.times.480 pixels, at 256 colors. A keyboard 20 and a mouse 22 (or
other pointing device) are coupled to the personal computer to enable the
user to control applications executing on the computer and to provide
alphanumeric and graphically selected input to such programs. Personal
computer 10 is a multimedia-type personal computer, because it includes an
internal sound card (not shown in FIG. 1) and a CD-ROM drive 27.
Some of the internal components of processor chassis 12 are illustrated in
FIG. 2, in a block diagram 11. Inside processor chassis 12 is disposed a
CPU 23 that is coupled to a data bus 13. The data bus provides
bi-directional communication of data and control instructions between CPU
23 and other components. Coupled to data bus 13 are a display interface 15
for driving monitor 18, a hard drive and floppy drive interface 17 for
controlling hard drive 16 and floppy disk drive 14, a serial/mouse port
19, a CD-ROM interface 29 for controlling the CD-ROM drive, a memory 21
that includes both read only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM),
a keyboard interface 25, and a sound card 30. An amplifier and speaker
system 32 is (externally) coupled to sound card 30, enabling the user to
play MIDI files, wave files, and Red Book audio stored on a CD-ROM disk
that is inserted into the CD-ROM drive. Further details of personal
computer 10 and its internal components need not be further described,
since multimedia-type personal computers suitable for use in connection
with the present invention are well known to those of ordinary skill in
the art and are readily available from many different sources.
The present invention is included in a full authoring (edit) of a
multimedia work authoring program referred to by the trademark
SYMMETRY.TM. that enables an author to create or produce a multimedia work
initially stored on hard drive 16 and subsequently transferred to a master
CD-ROM disk. The multimedia work is then reproduced on CD-ROMs for
distribution to end users. To play the multimedia work, an end user
executes a run-time version of the SYMMETRY program that is included on
the CD-ROM. This run-time version is thus essential a multimedia work
player program for the multimedia works produced by the edit version of
the multimedia work authoring program.
The SYMMETRY program (both versions) is intended to run under a GUI, such
as provided in Microsoft's WINDOWS.TM. operating system. It is
contemplated that at least the run-time version of the program will also
be implemented for use on other types of computers and under other types
of graphic operating systems, such as Apple's SYSTEM 7.TM.. The invention
could also be implemented in a non-graphic user environment, for example,
under MS-DOS or a UNIX operating system. Furthermore, the present
invention can be incorporated in other types of applications besides
multimedia authoring/run-time systems and can be easily be modified to run
on almost any type of computer or workstation.
In the SYMMETRY multimedia authoring program, sizing behavior refers to the
way in which an object appears and behaves as a window containing the
object is resized. As is true of most graphic user environments, under the
WINDOWS operating system, if resizing is enabled for a window, a user can
click on the border of the window (that is not maximized) and drag it to
resize the window, making it either wider or taller on the display screen.
It is also possible to simultaneously resize both the width and height of
a window that is not maximized by selecting a corner of the window with
the mouse cursor and dragging the corner to enlarge or decrease the area
of the window.
Resizing a window in which objects appear can affect the way in objects are
displayed on the screen in the resized window, based upon parameters that
have previously been selected. As will be described in further detail
below, the SYMMETRY program provides several options for setting the
sizing behavior of objects on a page of a multimedia work. These options
determine how each object will appear if the user changes the size of the
window. To access the properties, an author selects an option entitled
"Object Initialization Properties" from the menu in the SYMMETRY program.
In response, a dialog box (not shown) is displayed, enabling the author to
select sizing properties for an object.
It will be apparent that different objects must be handled in different
ways in response to resizing of the window in which the objects are
disposed. For example, a title bar object should normally remain centered
between the side of a window as the width of the window is changed. The
relative dimensions of some objects must be constrained and their position
in a window, in either or both of the vertical and horizontal directions,
must remain fixed relative to a border of the window. For example, if the
object is a vertical scroll bar that is disposed against the right border
of the window, resizing the width of the window in which the scroll bar
appears should not cause the scroll bar to move away from the border or to
change width of the scroll bar. Only its length should change in
proportion to the height of the window.
An example of the maimer in which objects are handled when a window is
resized is shown in connection with FIGS. 3A and 3B. In FIG. 3A, a virtual
window 60 is illustrated as it appears when the window is initially opened
on display 18, including two objects at non-overlapping positions 62 and
64. These two objects are respectively labeled object A and object B. In
this initial state, virtual window 60 is equivalent to the current window
and the initial non-overlapping positions of objects A and B are equal to
their dynamic positions and to their current positions. The term "dynamic
position" refers to the position of an object that may be moved either by
the user or by an application running on the computer that controls the
position of the object. Any object that is not static on the display
screen may have a dynamic position subject to change.
In FIG. 3B, the window previously shown in FIG. 3A has been resized to a
current window 66 that is relatively smaller than the initial or virtual
window 60. For comparison, virtual window 60 is shown in FIG. 3B as a
rectangle defined by dash lines around its perimeter. In current window
66, following the resizing of the initial window, object B overlaps object
A, and the two objects are respectively disposed at positions 70 and 68.
The previous position of objects A and B are shown by the dash line
representation of these objects at non-overlapping positions 62 and 64
within virtual window 60 of FIG. 3B.
Following the resizing operation, the virtual window remains unchanged
although the current window is smaller than its previous size.
Furthermore, the position of the objects within the window has changed in
relation to the resized window, although the size of the objects has not
changed in proportion to the resizing of the window. Alternatively, it is
possible to selectively provide for resizing of objects A and B in
proportion to the resizing of current window 66. Author selectable options
such as this are described below, in connection with the parameters that
control how resizing of a window in which objects appear will affect the
size and position of the objects within the resized window.
The affect of dynamic motion of an object in connection with resizing a
window are illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B. In FIG. 4A, a current window 72
is illustrated that includes an object A and an object B. Initially,
object A is located at a position 74, but is moved under the control of an
application program running on the computer (or moved in response to an
input by the user) to a position 78 in which object A overlaps object B.
Object B is static at a position 76.
In FIG. 4B, the previous window is resized to a current window 80, which is
relatively larger. In this specific example, object A continues to overlap
object B, and the two objects are disposed at positions 78 and 76. In
other instances, the two objects may not overlap to the same extent (or at
all). In the present invention, the degree of overlap of the objects is
determined by the behavior associated with each object by the user, as
will be apparent from the description below. The relative size of current
window 80 compared to current window 72 is indicated by dash lines, which
show the size of current window 72 prior to resizing. Thus, it will be
apparent that the dynamic movement of object A in FIG. 4A serves as a
basis for determining the relative positions of object A, so that it
overlaps object B in current window 80, which has been resized. As noted
above, in the present invention, the term "dynamic initial position"
refers to a position where an object currently is disposed as a result of
a dynamic motion of the object, but without affecting the position of the
object due to sizing of a window. In the present invention, any sizing of
an object in a window that is resized always relates to the dynamic
initial position of the object to avoid accumulating round-off errors as
windows in which the object appears are repetitively resized and also, to
ensure that objects resize as a user would logically expect.
After current window 80 in which objects appear has been resized, the
present invention will not save the window with the objects positioned as
shown in FIG. 4B. Instead, the objects will be saved in respect to their
initial positions as shown in FIG. 4A, i.e., at positions 74 and 76,
respectively. This rule insures that the objects will again be initially
positioned as they first appeared within a window if the application
controlling the window is rerun using the resized window that was saved.
FIG. 8 illustrates a Movement/Resize Options dialog box 160 in which the
user can selectively set the characteristics or parameters that will apply
to each object in a multimedia work prepared using the SYMMETRY multimedia
work authoring program. In this program, an author can rest | | |
