Method for manipulating a graphic widget in a three-dimensional environment displayed on a touch panel of an interactive input system
View Patent ↗A method for manipulating a graphic widget in a three-dimensional environment displayed on a touch panel of an interactive input system is provided. The method includes tracking the x-y positions of two touch points associated with the graphic widget; and modifying the z-position of the graphic widget in accordance with changes in the distance between the x-y positions of the touch points. An interactive input system and computer readable medium embodying the method is also provided.
1. A method for manipulating a graphic widget in a three-dimensional environment displayed on a touch panel of an interactive input system, the method comprising:
tracking the x-y positions of two touch points associated with the graphic widget; and
modifying the z-position of the graphic widget in accordance with changes in the distance between the x-y positions of the touch points.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
tracking the x-y position of a third touch point associated with the graphic widget;
rotating the graphic widget about the x-y plane at its z-position in accordance with changes in the x-y position of the third touch point.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the rotating is conducted about a line passing between the x-y positions of the two touch points at the z-position of the graphic widget.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
rotating the graphic widget in the x-y plane in accordance with changes in the angle of a line that passes through the x-y positions of the touch points.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the rotating in the x-y plane is conducted about a z-axis defined by the x-y position of one of the two touch points.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
modifying the x-y position of graphic widget in accordance with changes together in the x-y positions of the two touch points.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
associating the graphic widget with a second graphic widget displayed in the three-dimensional environment;
modifying the graphic widget based on tracking the x-y positions of one or more touch points associated with the second graphic widget.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second graphic widget is a virtual tool.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the virtual tool comprises a dial.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein modifying the graphic widget comprises scaling the graphic widget in accordance with changes in the x-y position of one or more touch points associated with the dial.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the modifying the graphic widget comprises changing the colour of the graphic widget.
12. An interactive input system comprising:
a touch panel; and
processing structure tracking the x-y positions of two touch points on the touch panel associated with a graphic widget in a three-dimensional environment displayed on the touch panel and modifying the z-position of the graphic widget in accordance with changes in the distance between the x-y positions of the touch points.
13. The interactive input system of claim 12 , wherein the processing structure is further for tracking the x-y position of a third touch point associated with the graphic widget and rotating the graphic widget about the x-y plane at its z-position in accordance with changes in the x-y position of the third touch point.
14. A computer readable non-transitory medium embodying a computer program for manipulating a graphic widget in a three-dimensional environment displayed on a touch panel of an interactive input system, the computer program comprising:
program code tracking the x-y positions of two touch points associated with the graphic widget; and
program code modifying the z-position of the graphic widget in accordance with changes in the distance between the x-y positions of the touch points.