JP2008522275A - User interface for content editing - Google Patents

Abstract

  The content editing application has a user interface 10 having a timeline 20 that extends along one axis. The user can place the content element at a desired timeline position within the frame. The user can group several elements 55, 56 into the container 43. The position of the container 43 is fixed with respect to the direction of the timeline axis, and is movable with respect to the direction perpendicular to the timeline axis. When placed in the container 43, the user can move a group of elements in a vertical direction across the display without the risk of accidentally moving the position of individual elements along the time axis. Each property of a group of elements in a container can be collectively changed at the same time. The container 43 can be displayed in a full (maximized) form or a reduced (minimized) form.

Description

  The present invention relates to a user interface for content editing and editing applications.

  It is known to use authoring applications in the creation of audio, video and multimedia content. Editing applications typically provide a graphical user interface that allows a user to create, move and modify the individual content elements that make up a presentation. Typically, an editing application is based on a timeline, with individual points placed along the timeline between points that need to be started and points that need to end. With elements. The individual elements may be notes in a score, audio or video clips, subtitles associated with a video, moving objects in a computer video calculated in real time (eg, Flash® animation), or physically synchronized with the video. Items such as instructions for operating a typical device (eg, an external light source) may be included.

  In the user interface, the timeline is usually represented in a horizontal direction so that the time advances as it goes to the right. Regardless of the type of element, the horizontal position of the element in the timeline is important to the representation or meaning of the element. For example, if a note is moved along the timeline, a different melody is generated.

  When more than one element appears at the same time in the timeline, it is necessary to introduce a vertical axis so that these elements are clearly expressed simultaneously. However, as the design becomes larger or more complex, many elements that need to be considered at the same time are often placed in different locations. This is currently a difficult task for designers.

  It is often necessary to perform operations on many elements at the same time. This is usually done by selecting the required element and then performing the operation. For example, an animation sequence may include three individual fireworks animations that are activated at different times. The user may want to change the color of all three animations to a slightly darker red. Currently, this involves selecting each animation in turn and then performing an operation on each animation, or selecting a group of objects by a control, selecting an operation, and performing the operation. Only one selection is possible at a time, and if another group of elements is selected, the previous selection is lost. This has the disadvantage of having the user perform a selection each time the user chooses to work on a group of elements. There is also a possibility that the user forgets to select an element and the element is not updated.

  Many editing applications support drag and drop editing, where the user simply “drags” an item from its current location on the display and “drops” the item at a new location. "can do. When this function is used, there is a risk that when the user selects an object, the element may be moved by mistake along the timeline and the presentation may be changed by mistake. Some applications make use of a locking mechanism that allows the user to lock individual elements or all elements, but the lock usually applies to both horizontal and vertical movement of items. .

  The present invention seeks to provide an improved user interface for editing applications.

Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention is a user interface for an application for editing content, the user interface comprising:
Having control logic operable to provide a visible display area with a timeline extending along one axis, wherein the user moves content elements within the display area, each along a timeline axis Can be placed at a desired location, and the user interface further comprises:
A container for holding several elements in the visible display area, the position of the container being fixed with respect to the timeline axis and movable in a direction perpendicular to the timeline axis A user interface is provided having control logic operable to provide a grouping function that allows a user to create a container.

  Grouping individual elements into containers increases the clarity of the interface for the user. The individual elements that together define a particular effect are expressed in a consistent manner, simplifying the user's understanding of the presentation. Since the position of the container remains fixed with respect to the axis of the timeline, the temporal position of each element within the container remains fixed (locked) when the container is manipulated. At this time, the user can select and move the container to move the group of elements vertically around the display, and there is no danger of accidentally moving the position of individual elements along the timeline axis. Absent. When a container is first created, the container may be empty or may hold one or more elements. In normal use, a container is expected to hold multiple (ie, at least two) elements, but the user may choose to place them in groups to emphasize one important element. good.

  Preferably, the common properties of the group of elements held in the container can be changed collectively at the same time. Thus, operations previously performed on each element individually can now be performed on the group by a single operation. Since the group of elements is fixed with respect to the time axis, the user does not accidentally change the temporal position of the group or individual elements within the group while the property is changed.

  Preferably, the container is displayed differently from the individual elements. The aspect may be a color defined by the system or user that is different from the color used to display the individual elements.

  Preferably, the container can be displayed in a full (maximized) form or a reduced (minimized) form. This further increases the clarity of the interface as large groups of elements are collapsed. This allows the user to work on many elements at once, within the constraints of a single display screen.

  The functions described here may be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination thereof. The present invention may be implemented by hardware having several distinct elements and by a suitably programmed processing platform. Accordingly, another aspect of the present invention provides a computer program carrying instructions for implementing a user interface. The software may be stored on an electronic memory device, hard disk, optical disk or other machine-readable storage medium. The software may be downloaded directly to the processing platform via a network connection.

  Embodiments of the invention are described below by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 and 2 show examples of graphical user interface (GUI) screens of an editing application according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the editing application is used to generate multimedia content for a computer game, but it will be understood that the content may take a wide variety of forms. The content includes a plurality of visible and / or audible elements and control instructions for activating an external device. The external device is a light source, a low-frequency vibration device, or the like arranged in an environment where a game will be played.

  FIG. 1 shows a window 10 that includes two scenes 30 and 40 of the entire presentation. The timeline 20 is displayed horizontally across the window 10. The timeline 20 displays the elapsed time from the beginning of the presentation, and the time increases in the direction toward the right side of the window. For most presentations, the duration of the entire presentation is much longer than what can be clearly displayed in the window 10. Accordingly, only a part of the entire timeline is displayed in the window 10. Each segment of the presentation is represented by windows 30 and 40 and fills in the horizontal direction between start time 21 and end time 22. The start and end times can represent a defined portion of the entire presentation (eg, a chapter on a DVD). In a simple presentation, there may be only a single segment over the entire duration of the presentation. The vertical height of each window 30 and 40 is sufficient to enclose all elements in the segment, and the height is when elements are added to or removed from the segment. It may change. A window 30 representing “scene 1” of the presentation has a set of vertical frames 31-35 each including one or more elements of the scene.

  FIG. 2 shows in more detail the window 40 representing the segment “Scene 2”, it being understood that the windows for the other segments have the same configuration. Window 40 has a title bar 41 that displays information such as the title and start and end times of the segment of the presentation. The window 40 may be “minimized” by clicking on the icon 42. This collapses the window to a reduced size that shows only the identification information in the title bar 41.

  Window 40 displays individual elements 46 and 47 in separate frames arranged vertically within window 40. Within each frame, elements 46 and 47 are displayed as bars. The left end of the bar defines the start time of the element, and the right end of the bar defines the end time of the element. Clock icons 48 and 49 may be displayed at the start and end times to indicate to the user that these limits can be changed. By clicking in the middle (body) of the element, the user can drag the entire block left or right. By clicking on one of the clock icons 48 and 49 on either side, the user can expand or contract that side while keeping the other side of the element constant.

  It will be appreciated that the number of individual elements that can be displayed vertically is limited and that the window 40 will fill up quickly. According to the present invention, individual elements can be grouped together and displayed in what is called a container. A container may contain whatever the user desires, but is generally a collection of related elements related to a particular effect (eg, audio and animation elements related to explosions). Examples of three containers are shown as 43, 44 and 45. The container may be displayed in a maximized form (eg, containers 43 and 45) or may be displayed in a minimized form (eg, container 44). In the maximized form, all the contents of the container are visible, while in the minimized form, only the container title bar is displayed. Each container has a title bar for displaying the title of the container, and icons 51 and 52 for minimizing and maximizing the container. The function of minimizing the container eliminates the space restriction in the window 40. The container is displayed with a background of a different color from the individual elements (eg, the background of the container is yellow and the background of the individual elements is blue). The container can be moved up and down only in vertical movement, thereby ensuring that the horizontal timeline position of the group and the individual elements in the group is not affected. In this embodiment, the container is given a three-dimensional appearance so that it appears as if it can slide up and down the vertical rail 58 on the left side of the window 40. This gives the user a similarity to the real world and supports the user's understanding of the system. This also makes it clear that these containers are attached to the edge and therefore cannot be moved along the timeline.

  3A-3F illustrate the process by which groups are created and manipulated. Initially, FIG. 3A shows a window 40 ′ having three individual elements. In FIG. 3B, the user decides to create a new group within the segment (scene). The user can create a group by right-clicking the user's mouse button, thus displaying menu options 60 relating to the current situation. One of the available options is to create a “new group”. The same operation can be accomplished by following the menu structure of the main window 10 of the application or by a keyboard shortcut (eg Ctrl + G). In FIG. 3C, a new group is created and displays a container containing elements in the line where the cursor was when the “new group” operation was commanded. The group currently includes a single item 54 where the user can add other items. As shown in FIG. 3C, to add an item, a cursor is placed over the top edge of the element 55 labeled “jeff”. In this application, by dragging the bar 62 along the top edge of the element 55, the individual elements can be moved vertically up and down. Clicking anywhere other than the top edge in an ungrouped element changes the position of the element along the time axis. As shown in FIG. 3D, dragging element “jeff” 55 vertically upwards moves the element to group 43. Any number of individual elements can be moved to group 43 in a similar manner. When an element is added to or removed from a container, the height of the container is automatically changed so that the container is always as high as necessary to accommodate the element in the container. . A group can be given a meaningful name by the operation “Change Group Name” (see FIG. 3B), available from the right-click menu. Groups can be moved in the same way as individual elements by dragging the upper boundary of the group. Clicking anywhere else in the container has no effect because it is impossible to change the horizontal position (on the timeline) of the container or elements within the container. FIG. 3E shows the container being moved down in the window 40 ′ to the new position shown in FIG. 3F. Once an individual element is placed in the container, it can be moved horizontally by clicking on the relevant area or body or a clock icon at each end. However, since groups of elements are now arranged in containers, to select individual elements for the purpose of moving individual elements up or down, or to change properties common to other elements in the group In addition, it is no longer necessary to click on the individual element. This is because these functions can be processed at the group level by selecting the container itself. For increased safety, assigning a property to a container that enables / disables (locks / unlocks) the horizontal movement of individual elements in the container when the element is placed in the container Is possible. This may be set as a default, or may be set as a property of a user-defined container using a menu or a toolbar.

The user can collectively perform operations on all elements in the group by selecting the group and then using the tool from the toolbar or menu. The toolbar may take the form of a bar that merges with the frame side of the window 10 or may take the form of a sub-window (15 in FIG. 1) that can be moved freely within the window 10. When selected, the toolbar may be displayed continuously for as long as the user desires, or only when the user requests to perform an operation on the group. Two examples of changing properties are described here. In the first example, the group 43 is selected. Selection is accomplished by placing the cursor over the desired container and right-clicking the mouse button. Alternatively, clicking on a container highlights the container and displays it as a selected state. At this time, the operation from the system menu targets the container. The user interface determines which common properties the elements in the container have and presents the user with properties about the menu for selection (right-click). Since group 43 is a group of audio elements, it is possible to collectively change the volume of individual audio elements 55 and 56 using a single “volume increase / decrease” operation. In the second example, consider the case where group 45 of FIG. 2 has a set of instructions that causes an external light source to blink during video playback. The group 45 can be duplicated to produce the same group that is located vertically below the original group 45 and has each element exactly at the same time. In the new group, all elements can now be changed to a type that plays the sound of sparks / extinguished light. Since the container is constrained to move only in the vertical direction, the elements in the duplicate container 45 are guaranteed to be placed in exactly the same position along the timeline as the original group 45. Any property of the group of elements may be changed. For video content, properties will include brightness, contrast, color balance and video filtering effects. For audio content, properties will include volume, pitch and audio filtering effects. For a more immersive entertainment experience, it is desirable to place devices such as light sources, low frequency vibration devices, smoke generators, etc. in the room. The presentation to be edited includes control instructions that are issued to an external device to cause the hardware device to react at a desired time. For example, when using several light sources arranged in a room, if the lighting level in the room changes to reflect the image, the observer will be more immersed in what the observer is observing You will feel it. The light source is independent, so for example, a red laser on the left side of the screen may be activated to cause the left edge of the observer's room to glow red. Control signal properties are:
Position (ie the position in the room where the effect occurs, from which the system can determine which effector to operate);
-Priority (if the end user has only a limited set of additional devices, the effect is applied based on priority), and-the external effect light source hue / hue and color intensity.

  The editing application described above can be implemented on various processing platforms, such as a general purpose PC or a dedicated processing unit. FIG. 4 shows the main components of the general purpose processing platform 400. The central processing unit 401 executes software 420 to support editing applications and user interfaces as described above. A non-volatile memory 403 such as a hard disk stores software 420 along with software for an operating system utilized by the processing unit 401. Volatile memory 402 is utilized during platform operation. Previously generated presentations may be loaded from an external storage device such as an optical disc or memory card. At this time, the CPU 401 may store the presentation in the volatile memory 402 during execution of the software. The presentation may then be stored in non-volatile memory 403 or external storage, or sent directly to other organizations via connection 407 to an external network. User input may be provided directly to the platform by input devices such as a keyboard 410 and a tablet or mouse 411. Visual output is presented to the user via display driver 408 and display 409, and audible output is presented to the user via audio driver 418 and speaker 419. A bus 405 or a combination of different types of buses connects the above units. Platform 400 may be connected to an external network by a modem 406, such as a broadband ADSL or cable modem.

  It is desirable to test the presentation generated by editing software local to the platform on which the presentation was created. Display 409 and speaker 419 can be used to render the AV content of the presentation. Control messages to or from external devices such as light sources and vibration devices may be carried by a local network connection 415 that may utilize wired 414 or wireless 411 technology. Appropriate hardware may be provided to support a particular local network, such as a local area network card, wireless, infrared or power line modem.

  In the above embodiments, the individual elements are for audio, computer generated animation, or external devices that can be used as part of a game application to be stored on a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or as an AV presentation. Represents the control instruction. Alternatively, each element may represent a stored audio or video clip that forms part of an AV presentation.

  In the above embodiment, the timeline is shown aligned with the horizontal axis of the display, and the elements are stacked vertically on the timeline. This is the most common way of representing a timeline, but the timeline may alternatively be aligned with the vertical axis of the display, and the time may increase upward or downward. Elements are stacked horizontally across the display, each aligned with a respective portion of the vertical timeline axis.

  In the embodiment described above, when a container is created, it has a default width equal to windows 30 and 40 that contain the current segment (scene) of the presentation. This has the advantage that rails that can be manipulated by the user to move the container up and down can be provided on the side of the windows 30 and 40. In an alternative embodiment, the container may have a width that is less than the width of the windows 30 and 40 containing the scene. The width may be set to a default value (in terms of time) or may be automatically adjusted for the time that the group of elements placed by the user in the container spreads.

  The above-described embodiments are illustrative rather than limiting, and it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many alternative embodiments can be designed without departing from the scope of the appended claims. It should be noted. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The terms “comprise” and “include” do not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim. Where a system / device / equipment claim lists several means, some of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware.

  In the above description, a content editing application having a user interface having a timeline extending along one axis has been described with reference to the drawings. The user can place the content element at a desired timeline position within the frame. The user can group several elements into containers. The position of the container is fixed with respect to the direction of the timeline axis, and is movable with respect to a direction perpendicular to the timeline axis. When placed in a container, a user can move a group of elements in a vertical direction across the display without the risk of accidentally moving the position of individual elements along the time axis. Each property of a group of elements in a container can be collectively changed at the same time. Containers can be displayed in full (maximized) form or reduced (minimized) form.

4 shows an example of a user interface screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. One of the windows of the user interface of FIG. 1 is shown in more detail. The example of a screen which shows the sequence of the step for producing | generating a new group is shown. The example of a screen which shows the sequence of the step for producing | generating a new group is shown. The example of a screen which shows the sequence of the step for producing | generating a new group is shown. The example of a screen which shows the sequence of the step for producing | generating a new group is shown. The example of a screen which shows the sequence of the step for producing | generating a new group is shown. The example of a screen which shows the sequence of the step for producing | generating a new group is shown. Fig. 4 illustrates a processing platform for supporting the user interface of Figs.

Claims (16)

A user interface for an application for editing content, the user interface comprising:
Having control logic operable to provide a visible display area with a timeline extending along one axis, wherein the user moves content elements within the display area, each along a timeline axis Can be placed at a desired location, and the user interface further comprises:
A container for holding several elements in the visible display area, the position of the container being fixed with respect to the timeline axis and movable in a direction perpendicular to the timeline axis A user interface having control logic operable to provide a grouping function that allows a user to create containers that are   Each of the elements has at least one property that can be changed by a user, and the grouping function further allows a common property of a group of elements held in the container to be collectively changed simultaneously. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user interface is operable to enable   3. The visible display area according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the visible display area has a plurality of frames extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the timeline, and the elements grouped in the container can be selected from different frames. The described user interface.   4. The user interface of claim 3, wherein each element has a portion that, when selected and dragged, allows the element to be moved only in a direction perpendicular to the timeline axis.   4. The user interface of claim 3, operable to display group elements in a common pane following the grouping operation.   The user interface according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the size of the container is automatically adjusted for the number of elements in the container.   The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the container is displayed in a different manner from the individual elements.   The user interface of claim 7, wherein the container is displayed in a different color than the individual elements.   9. A user interface according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container can be displayed in a full (maximized) form or a reduced (minimized) form.   The user interface according to claim 9, wherein in the minimized form, only the title of the container is displayed.   The user interface according to claim 1, wherein the content is divided into a plurality of time segments, and the container has a start time and an end time along the segment in which the container is arranged.   An application for editing content, comprising the user interface according to any one of claims 1 to 11.   A computer program comprising a machine-readable medium carrying instructions for causing a processor to implement a user interface according to any one of claims 1 to 11 or an application according to claim 12.   13. A system for editing content, comprising a processing platform for executing the editing application of claim 12. A method for manipulating content elements in a user interface for an application for editing content, the user interface having a visible display area with a timeline extending along one axis, The method is
Placing content elements at desired positions along the timeline axis in the display area,
Creating a container for holding several elements in the visible display area;
Fixing the movement of the container relative to the timeline axis and allowing the container to move relative to a direction perpendicular to the timeline axis;
Having a method.   Each of the elements has at least one property that can be changed by a user, and the method further comprises simultaneously and collectively changing common properties of a group of elements held in the container. Item 16. The method according to Item 15.