Transporting a display object coupled to a viewpoint within or between

Abstract

A method and processor-controlled system are disclosed for transporting a selected display object, presented in a graphical image of an n-dimensional, navigable workspace where the selected display object is perceptible as viewed from one of a plurality of viewpoints in the workspace, by coupling the selected display object to a first viewpoint of the workspace. A display object perceptible as viewed from a first viewpoint and selected for transport is coupled to the first viewpoint so that the display object appears to maintain the same relative position to the first viewpoint as the system user changes viewpoints in the workspace, while other display objects in the workspace are perceptible as viewed from the changed viewpoints. This results in the selected display object always being perceptible in the workspace even if the selected display object would not have been perceptible from one of the changed viewpoints in the workspace. In addition, several selected display objects are always perceptible in their original relationship to each other and to the first viewpoint while being transported. The display object coupling technique is useful in large 2D or 3D visualization workspaces, for example to move or copy display objects to portions of the workspace that are presently not perceptible, and to move or copy display objects from a first workspace perceptible on the display to a second workspace presently not perceptible on the display. An implementation of the transport technique in a multiple workspace, 3D information visualization environment is described.