Trimble Navigation Limited

Trimble Inc.

Jeffrey Hauswirth

Preston Jackson

Paul McLean

Brian Gammon Brown

John M Bacus

Patrick Lacz

Systems, methods and articles of manufacture for editing element attributes of a design within a user interface view are described herein. Embodiments of the present invention relate to reducing or eliminating the effort a user must put forth in editing attributes of a user specified element in moving from the user specified element in a main document window of the user interface to the far end of the main document window and then combing within a dense menu displaying every attribute for every element supported by the user interface. Further embodiments allow a user to easily filter through the dense menu displaying every attribute for every element to find the attributes that are specific to the element selected and do so without having to go to the dense menu displayed on the far side of the main document window. In one embodiment, this is achieved by displaying only the attributes specific to the user selected element in a user interactive palette where the user interactive palette is displayed in close proximity to the user selected element in the main document window. Each time a user selects an element a different user interactive palette will appear displaying the attributes specific to the user selected element and in close proximity to that element.

Editing element attributes of a design within the user interface view, and applications thereof

A computer-aided design system and method facilitates the editing of an object in a workspace of a computer aided design system. A user input indicating selection of an affine tool is received, and a user input indicating selection of the object is received. It is determined whether an additional user input is received. If it is determined that the additional user input is not received, a first set of user-activatable affine functions for manipulating the object is enabled. The first set of user-activatable affine functions includes a move function to move the object in the workspace and a resize function to resize the object. If it is determined that the additional user input is received, a second set of user-activatable functions for manipulating the object is enabled. The second set of user-activatable affine functions includes a skew function to skew the object.

Multi-function affine tool for computer-aided design

Systems, methods and articles of manufacture for creating an annotated angle with the user specified points are described herein. Embodiments of the present invention relate to reducing or eliminating the effort a user must put forth in creating an angular dimension by drawing two explicit lines or two explicit objects comprised of two lines where either the user would have to ensure the explicit lines intersected to form the angular dimension or define an exact center point to be the vertex of the angular dimension. Further embodiments allow a user to easily create the annotated angle by defining points in the CAD interface eliminating the need to create line geometry with the defined center point in the CAD interface. In one embodiment, this is achieved by the user specifying a start point, a start direction, an end point, and an end direction where the annotated angle may then be created based on the user defined points in the CAD interface.

Method for creating an annotated angle with user specified points, and applications thereof

A system and method for dynamically linking or connecting annotations to embedded content, such as a 3D model, using graphical elements within a two-dimensional space is provided. Such connection is maintained as the annotation is rendered with the 3D model, thereby enabling the annotations to intelligently update themselves using 3D information from the embedded content. Further, the capability, as provided herein, to manipulate viewing positions and perspective effects of an embedded 3D model without disrupting the annotations in the two-dimensional page layout provides a greater degree of flexibility and forgiveness.

Growing community of inventors

Westminster, CO, United States of America

Jeffrey Hauswirth