Crosfield Electronics Limited

Stephen Freeman

Julian F Veasy

Image processing apparatus comprises an input device including an indicator and a surface over which the indicator is moved. A host determines the position of the indicator on the surface and also the force by which the indicator is placed onto the surface. Frame stores store digital data defining the color component content of an image. The host simulates an electronic paint brush carrying paint whose characteristics are determined at least in part in accordance with the force of the indicator on the surface.

Force monitor of an electronic paint brush apparatus

A method and apparatus for interactively generating a profile for an electronic image creation tool. The apparatus comprises a monitor (30); an operator input device (5, 31) ; a store (22) for storing the profile of an electronic image creation tool; and a processing system (1,2). The processing system is adapted to display an initial form of profile on the monitor (30), the digitizing tablet being operated by an operator so as to position an indicator on the monitor display at a desired position relative to the display profile. The processing system (1,2) is adapted to determine one or both of the distance of the indicator position from a datum position and the direction of the indicator position relative to a datum direction, and to monitor the profile in accordance with a predetermined algorithum dependent on the determined distance and/or determined direction.

Method and apparatus for interactively generating electronic image

Image handling apparatus comprises a store (22) for storing digital data defining an image; a monitor (30) connected to the store for displaying the image; a control system (1,2) for controlling the image display; and a digitizing tablet (5) defining an area corresponding to the area of the image displayed on the monitor (30) and a pen (31) moveable across the tablet (5). The control system (1,2) is responsive to movement of the pen (31) beyond the monitor display defining area of the tablet (5) to change the manner in which the image is displayed (e.g. scroll, zoom etc.)

Image handling apparatus and controller for selecting display mode

A method and apparatus for generating an electronic representation of a boundary, particularly for use in generating an outline around a displayed image. The apparatus comprises a screen (30) and a control system (1,2). The control system enables a cursor to be moved to spaced points along the boundary and determines the coordinates of the boundary by interpolating straight lines between adjacent points. The control system also permits at least part of the boundary to be defined in a continuous drawing mode in which the cursor is moved continuously along the boundary, the coordinates of the successive cursor positions being determined.

Electronic boundary generation

An apparatus for electronically modifying the appearance of an image stored in the form of digital data defining the color content of the image comprises a store (8) for storing sets of coordinates defining positions around the edge of the image and, for each set of coordinates, storing the characteristics of an electronic painting tool including the profile of the tool. A monitor (30) displays the image. A processor (1, 15-19) compares the current position of the tool with the sets of stored coordinates and when the tool is at or in the region of a set of stored coordinates changes the tool characteristics to those previously determined for that set of coordinates.

Electronic image modification

Apparatus for creating or modifying an electronically represented image comprising a display (30); a store (11) for storing arrays of data values defining electronic brushes; an input device (5) to enable an operator to control movement of a previously defined brush on the display; and a processor (1) responsive to the input device (5) to move an electronic brush selected from the store across the displays (30) so as to create or modify an electronically represented image. The processor (1) is also adapted to generate and store a representation of the profile of an electronic brush for use subsequently to create or modify electronically an image, in which a previously defined brush is used to define an array of pixels at a first resolution having a shape corresponding to the new brush, the previously defined brush comprising an array of pixels for each of which a value is stored. The processor (1) stores a value for each pixel of the new array computed from the values of the or each pixel of the previously defined brush which passes through the new array pixel during movement of the previously defined brush.

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Bedfordshire, United Kingdom

Stephen Freeman