Duplication of objects with positioning based on object distance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9910572-B2
Application number	US-201514687538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2015
Priority date	Apr 15, 2015
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A method of graphically duplicating graphic objects through the steps of a computer: receiving a selection of at least two objects and a direction of duplication along an axis. A zero axis point, a farthest axis point for the objects based on the direction of duplication, and a proximal object is determined. A proximal offset point equivalent to a farthest point on the proximal object from the zero axis point is set. A distal object is determined from the objects based on the direction of duplication along the axis, with a starting point of the distal object being designated as a distal offset point. An offset distance equal to a distance between the distal offset point and the proximal offset point is determined. The selection of the objects is duplicated and placed immediately after the farthest axis point plus the offset distance from the farthest axis point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of graphically duplicating graphic objects, comprising the steps of:
a computer receiving a selection of at least two objects and a direction of duplication along an axis, each of the at least two objects having a starting point and a farthest point relative to the direction of the duplication along the axis;
the computer determining a zero axis point and a farthest axis point based on the direction of duplication of the at least two objects;
the computer determining a proximal object from the at least two objects and setting a proximal offset point equivalent to a farthest point on the proximal object from the zero axis point;
the computer determining a distal object from the at least two objects based on the direction of duplication along the axis, and that the distal object has a starting point that is further along the axis associated with the direction of duplication than the proximal offset point;
the computer designating a starting point of the distal object as a distal offset point;
the computer determining an offset distance equal to a distance between the distal offset point and the proximal offset point; and
the computer duplicating the selection of the at least two objects and placing duplicates of the selection of the at least two objects immediately after the farthest axis point, plus the offset distance from the farthest axis point.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of the computer determining a proximal object from the at least two objects and setting a proximal offset point equivalent to a farthest point on the proximal object from the zero axis point comprises the steps of:
the computer determining that more than one object has a starting point that equals the zero axis point; and
the computer setting an object from the selection of at least two objects which takes up the most distance on the axis as the proximal object.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of the computer determining a proximal object from the at least two objects and setting a proximal offset point equivalent to a farthest point on the proximal object from the zero axis point comprises the steps of:
the computer determining that more than one object does not have a starting point that equals the zero axis point; and
the computer setting an object with the starting point equal to the zero axis point as the proximal object.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to the computer duplicating the selection of the at least two objects, the method comprising the steps of:
the computer displaying at least one selectable symbol, the selectable symbols being between the objects that span the offset distance, the selectable symbol indicating the direction of duplication received; and
the computer receiving a selection of a selectable symbol through a selection tool.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a preview of placement of the duplicates of the selection of the at least two objects is displayed when a user places a selection tool over the selectable symbol but does not select the selectable symbol.

6. A computer program product for graphically duplicating graphic objects, a computer comprising at least one processor, one or more memories, one or more computer readable storage media, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by the computer to perform a method comprising:
receiving, by the computer, a selection of at least two objects and a direction of duplication along an axis, each of the at least two objects having a starting point and a farthest point relative to the direction of the duplication along the axis;
determining, by the computer, a zero axis point and a farthest axis point based on the direction of duplication of the at least two objects;
determining, by the computer, a proximal object from the at least two objects and setting a proximal offset point equivalent to a farthest point on the proximal object from the zero axis point;
determining, by the computer, a distal object from the at least two objects based on the direction of duplication along the axis, and that the distal object has a starting point that is further along the axis associated with the direction of duplication than the proximal offset point;
designating, by the computer, a starting point of the distal object as a distal offset point;
determining, by the computer an offset distance equal to a distance between the distal offset point and the proximal offset point; and
duplicating, by the computer, the selection of the at least two objects and placing duplicates of the selection of the at least two objects immediately after the farthest axis point, plus the offset distance from the farthest axis point.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the step of determining, by the computer, a proximal object from the at least two objects and setting a proximal offset point equivalent to a farthest point on the proximal object from the zero axis point comprises the steps of:
determining, by the computer, that more than one object has a starting point that equals the zero axis point; and
setting, by the computer, an object from the selection of at least two objects which takes up the most distance on the axis as the proximal object.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the step of determining, by the computer, a proximal object from the at least two objects and setting a proximal offset point equivalent to a farthest point on the proximal object from the zero axis point comprises the steps of:
determining, by the computer, that more than one object does not have a starting point that equals the zero axis point; and
setting, by the computer, an object with the starting point equal to the zero axis point as the proximal object.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein prior to the computer duplicating the selection of the at least two objects, the method comprising the steps of:
displaying, by the computer, at least one selectable symbol, the selectable symbols being between the objects that span the offset distance, the selectable symbol indicating the direction of duplication received; and
receiving, by the computer, a selection of a selectable symbol through a selection tool.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein a preview of placement of the duplicates of the selection of the at least two objects is displayed when a user places a selection tool over the selectable symbol but does not select the selectable symbol.

11. A computer system for graphically duplicating graphic objects comprising a computer comprising at least one processor, one or more memories, one or more computer readable storage media having program instructions executable by the computer to perform the program instructions comprising:
receiving, by the computer, a selection of at least two objects and a direction of duplication along an axis, each of the at least two objects having a starting point and a farthest point relative to the direction of the duplication along the axis;
determining, by the computer, a zero axis point and a farthest axis point based on the direction of duplication of the at least two objects;
determining, by the computer, a proximal object from the at least two objects and setting a proximal offset point equivalent to a farthest point on the proximal object from the zero axis point;
determining, by the computer, a distal object from the at least two objects based on the direction of duplication along the axis, and that the distal object has a starting point that is further along the axis associated with t

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Anderson Taylor J
• Brugler Thomas S
• Chen Richard
• Craig Randall A
• Moore Kristin S

Classifications

• G06F8/34

  Graphical or visual programming · CPC title

• G06F3/04842 Primary

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0481

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title

• G06F8/38

  for implementing user interfaces · CPC title