JPH01108681A - Moving image specification input system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily input the specification of a moving image by describing the specification of the moving image in a computer language, and selecting the control structure of the moving image from the control structure usable the computer language. CONSTITUTION:The specification of the moving image is described in the format of the computer language, and an editor dedicated for a language targeted for that format is formed. At the time of selecting and inputting the control structure (branch, repeat, etc.) of the moving image by the editor dedicated for the language, an action is handled as one branch of a tree structure, and is selected similarly as the branch of another control structure, etc. At the time of inputting the action, action input is selected from a menu, and the action input by an interactive format is performed, and a program equivalent to the branch of the tree structure is generated automatically from an inputted action. One action in language description is conformed to one branch in a syntax tree, and the action is described in the format easy to interpret to respond to the change of the action, etc. In such a way, it is possible to input both the structure of the program and the action easily based on the combination of both selective input and interactive input and a descriptive language with the specification of the moving image realizable the above combination.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a method for inputting video specifications for giving commands to a computer when creating a video using a computer.

(Prior Art) When an object moves in parallel on an object, there is a method of inputting the moving distance numerically. However, in a computer, the moving distance is given in pixel units, so there is often a large discrepancy between the input distance and the intended moving distance on the screen. Therefore, a method has been developed in which the positions of the start and end points of the motion on the screen are input using a pointing device such as a mouse, remote control, or chip panel. These pointing devices allow direct input of positions on the tube surface without using numerical values. For example, when using a touch panel, the movement start position on the screen.

The end position can be input by touching it with a human finger.

A pointing device is also used to input motions other than parallel movement. For example, in the case of rotation, the rotation center and angle can be input using a pointing device. Regarding dialogue human power of animation, the first document, namely [Computer Animation V El 7 J(N, Magn
Enat-Thalman, ”Comput
erAnimation-theory & pr
ctice”apringet-Verlog
, 1985).

Videos often require control structures in computer languages. For example, there are cases where it is necessary to repeat the same operation or to branch based on conditions.

Conventionally, it has been known to input such a control structure using a method using a general-purpose text editor and a method using a dedicated computer language editor. In language-specific editors, a method is used in which sibling programming is performed by selecting menu items. These language-specific editors utilize the structure of computer languages. In computer languages, the format that can be written is strictly defined, and this is called a grammar. For example, the conditional branch “
The if statement has the following structure: if (condition) then (statement 1 > else (statement 2) or if (condition) then (statement 1).The meaning of the if statement is that if the <condition> is true, then the statement 〉 otherwise executes the write statement 2〉.Such a definition is called a grammar rule.The definition of a grammar rule starts with the rules regarding [the whole program], and in those rules The lower structure that appears (in the example above, sentence 1).

By sequentially defining statement 2), it is possible to strictly define the set of programs that can be written in the computer language. A language-specific editor is used to create programs according to grammatical rules. Initially, the ``whole program'' is displayed, and by applying grammar rules to it,
Get closer to a concrete grogram. There are many grammar rules such as the above-mentioned if statement that allow for a lot of choice. By specifying which of the applicable rules to use, you can create the desired program. For language-specific editors, please refer to the second document, namely "The Synthesizer Generator J".
Baum.

The 5ynthesjzer Generator
”, Sigplan Notices 19(5), p.
p42-4s, x9s4).

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In the conventional video specification input method, it is impossible or extremely difficult to directly modify input motion data, and as shown in the first document, In conventional methods, it is not possible to add control structures to these data. Furthermore, the method shown in the second document, which uses a general-purpose editor and a language-specific editor, is not intended for moving images, and therefore human interaction with moving images is not possible.

An object of the present invention is to integrate the above-mentioned video input method with computer language input using selective input to facilitate input of video specifications.

(Means for solving the problem) The video specification input method of the present invention is a video specification input method in which video specifications indicating the type, size, and speed of motion are input into a computer, and the video specifications are written in a computer language. , further comprising means for inputting a control structure for a moving image by selecting it from control structures usable in the computer language.

(Function) In the present invention, the video specifications are described in a computer language format, and the video specifications are input as a program into a dedicated editor.In this dedicated editor, motion input is interactively performed. The principle is shown below.

In language-specific editors, programs can be converted into text (
Rather than creating it as a sequence of characters), the structure of the program is edited. A program includes processing blocks such as functions and glossaries, and control structures such as branching and repetition. A language-specific editor views the structure of a program as a tree structure (called a syntax tree) and edits the program by creating, deleting, and modifying branches of the syntax tree by making menu selections. In the following, creating a program through selection will be referred to as selection input. In the present invention, specifications of a moving image are described in a computer language format, and a language-specific editor for this is provided.

The control structure of the video (branching, repeating, etc.) is selected and input using a language-specific editor. At this time, the motion is treated as one branch of the tree structure and selected in the same way as branches of other control structures.

Select it, then input the action interactively.

Here, a program corresponding to a branch of the tree structure is automatically generated from the input operation. In the following, automatic generation of programs through dialogue will be referred to as dialogue-based human power.

In order to enable such input, the following characteristics are given to the expression of motion in the description language of video specifications.

l) One action in the language description corresponds to one branch in the syntax tree.2) The action is described in a format that is easy to interpret in order to cope with changes in the action.In this case, the action input is It will act as a collection of one branch of the syntax tree.

By combining the above-mentioned selection input and human interaction, and by using a video specification description language that makes this possible, it is possible to construct a system that easily inputs both the structure and operation of a program.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a selection input section 11 creates a program by selection. This input is similar to the input in the second document.

The tree structure created here is, for example, as shown in FIG. 3(b). In this embodiment, a computer language based on a subset of P L /i was used. The features of this language other than behavioral description are that it has a while statement for repetition, nine if statements for branching, and is capable of describing functions.

To describe an action, use the following format: object name (action name, parameters); use the object name as if it were a function name. In this embodiment, the object name is used like a function name, but the operation name may be used like a function name, and it may take the form: operation name (object name, parameter); Also, action names and object names.

The order of the parameters is not limited to this.

In this embodiment, a dedicated language based on a subset of PL/1 is used, but a similar system can be constructed using any other structured language that can be expressed in a tree structure.

When the system is started, the selection input section 11 is activated, and the operation input section 12. Control is transferred to the output section 13.

When a motion input is specified in the selection input section 11, the motion input section 12
control is transferred to In the motion input section 12, the name of the moving object, the type of motion, the size of the motion (amount of movement, etc.), and the speed of the motion are input in response to input prompts from the system.

FIG. 3 shows an example of creating a program using selective input.

The figure shows a syntax tree and a program. What is actually displayed to the user may be only the syntax tree, only the program, or both. A syntax tree corresponding to the program in FIG. 3(a) is shown in FIG. 3(b). By selecting repetition in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the program changes to the program shown in FIG. 3(C) and the syntax tree shown in FIG. 3(d). Here, move the cursor (the point of interest in the program) to the section where the statement can be specified using a special key, etc.
When a motion input is selected, control is transferred to the motion input section 12.

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart representing the processing of the motion input section. In the object selection 21, existing objects are displayed on a menu, and the user selects from among them. It is assumed that the shape of the object is created in another system.

Furthermore, the selection of objects need not be limited to the menu selection, but may also be performed by inputting the object name using the keyboard. In action selection 22, the type of action for the selected object is selected. As for the type of motion, for example, one based on affine transformation (parallel movement, two rotations of enlargement/reduction) is prepared. Operations other than these can also be realized by adding options to the operation selection menu. motion?
Like the object name, you can also enter it using the keyboard. In the parameter manual input 23, the input method differs depending on the type of operation.

For example, for parallel movement, the positions of the starting point and ending point on the screen are input using a pointing device such as a mouse or a touch panel. Regarding human power for dialogue, many methods are shown in the above-mentioned first document, etc., and these are used. When the input for one action is completed, the selection input section 11
control is transferred to

FIGS. 3(e) and 3(f) show examples of changes in the program due to operation input. Here, the word 〉 has been replaced by a function call that indicates an action.

Selection input section 11. The motion specifications created by the motion manpower 12 are stored in an internal memory 14 such as a core memory in the form of both a program and a syntax tree. The output section 13 is activated by a data output command from the selection input section 11 . The output unit 13 outputs this to an external storage 15 such as a magnetic disk. Even if the output data is in the form of a program,
It may be in the form of a syntax tree or both. Also,
It may also be output to internal storage such as core memory for passing to other systems on the same computer.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the present invention, it is now possible to easily create specifications for a moving image, including repeating and branching, using both selection input and human interaction.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 shows the professional model of one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 shows the first embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the operation of the operation input section in the figure, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of program creation in the embodiment of FIG. 11...Selection input section, 12...Operation input section, 13...Output section, 14...Internal storage, 15...--External Memory. Agent Patent Attorney Uchihara Sound/7'Iδ1n end; Min end; (C) ain C collapse 1 (b) (Sink)

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a video specification input method in which video specifications indicating the type, size, and speed of motion are input into a computer, the video specifications are written in a computer language, and a control structure for the video is selected from control structures that can be used in the computer language. A video specification input method characterized by comprising a means for inputting by.