JPH06251117A - Layout designing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a layout designing device which can display and generate the layout of screen and printing consisting of such a frame area combination as contains other frame area in the inside of a frame area. CONSTITUTION:A frame information editing part 2 changes an attribute value of height or width stored in a frame information store part 1, a frame information output converting part 3 converts frame information containing a ratio value stored in the frame information store part 1 to an output value of an absolute value by using a radio value converting means 7 and stores it in an output frame information store part, and in the case the output value exceeds a range limited by a range value by a consistency inspecting means 8, a ratio value reverse converting part 4 converts the output value to the ratio value and stores it in the frame information store part 1, and the frame information output converting part 3 generates the output value again.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a layout design apparatus used when designing a layout of each display figure or a print layout on a display screen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, it has become more and more common to separate screen layouts and print layouts from applications so that the layouts can be changed to meet the needs of users, for example, for creating forms. There are layout design / editing tools to create / modify these layouts to suit the needs of users. Generally, the layout targeted by the layout design / editing tool is composed of a combination of rectangular frame areas. Since the rectangular frame areas of the layout are adjacent to each other and are grouped in a semantic relationship and included in a larger rectangle, when editing this, treat it as a set of rectangular frame areas that include other rectangular frame areas inside. It is convenient.

As an automatic size adjusting method of a frame area necessary for editing a frame area including other frame areas in the inside, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-110665 (for creating a general format) is disclosed. Method and apparatus). As shown in FIG. 16, the layout designing apparatus using the frame area automatic size adjustment method is used in the frame information storage unit 1
The frame information editing unit 2, the frame information adjusting unit 3, and the output unit 6, and the frame information adjusting unit 9 includes the frame information adjusting unit 10 and the consistency checking unit 8. The frame information storage unit 1 has frame information including attribute values of the size and height of the frame area and identifiers for identifying other frame areas contained in the frame area. The attribute values of the height and width of the frame area are absolute sizes with the number of pixels or millimeters at the time of printing or printing as a unit system, and the values can be adjusted. The frame information editing unit 2 changes the attribute values of the size of the height and width of the frame information stored in the frame information storage unit 1 based on the instruction of the layout designer. The output unit 6 outputs the frame information stored in the frame information storage unit 1 in a form capable of being output to a screen or a printer. When the frame information editing unit 2 or the frame information adjusting unit 9 itself changes the frame information in the frame information storage unit 1, the frame information adjusting unit 9 uses the consistency checking unit 8 to overlap the frame areas with each other, or It is inspected whether or not the frame area is inconsistent with the frame area protruding from the outer frame area, and when it is determined that the frame area is inconsistent, the frame information adjusting means 10 is used to eliminate the inconsistency between the frame areas. To change the frame information.

In such a layout design apparatus, when the layout designer changes the frame information such as the height and width of the frame area of the layout from the frame information editing section 2, the frame information adjusting section 9 becomes the consistency checking means 8. On the basis of this, the frame information of the adjacent frame areas is automatically inspected, and the frame information adjusting means 10 adjusts the frame information to save the time and effort for changing the layout.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, since the attribute values such as the height and width of the frame area of the layout are automatically changed, it is not necessary to change the size of a specific frame area, If you want to keep the size of the same ratio between the frame areas, you have to restore the size of the frame area once changed using the frame information editing unit again, and the number of resize operations increases. was there.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and provides a layout design apparatus capable of reducing the number of changes required by a layout designer until the layout is finished and improving the efficiency of layout editing. It is an object.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a layout design device in which a plurality of frames are included in one frame area in a nested structure, and the layout is included in one frame and the area. A frame information storage unit that stores frame information including an identifier for identifying another frame to be stored, a layout direction of each frame, and a ratio value for the height and width of each frame, and one of the nested frames. The frame size is calculated based on the ratio value and the changed size of the frame instructed to be changed, and the remaining frame not directly instructed to be changed by the change instructing unit. And an output frame information storage unit for rewriting the frame information by using the change content instructed by the change instruction unit and the result obtained by the operation unit, and storing this as output frame information. Is characterized by .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the frame information storage means further has a range value for the height and width of the frame, and the layout design apparatus further stores the frame size obtained by the calculation means as the frame information storage. Consistency checking means for recursively checking whether or not there is consistency with the range value of the frame stored by the means, and output for the frame inside the frame having the range value when it is determined that there is no consistency When the ratio value inverse conversion means for inversely converting the frame information into the height / width ratio of the frame and the inversely converted height / width ratio value are received, the size of the size of the frame inside the frame having the range value is received. Frame information correction means for producing frame information with restrictions removed and sending it to the calculation means.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the invention, when the layout designating unit changes the frame information stored in the frame information storing unit according to an instruction from the layout designer, the frame information of the frame information storing unit is calculated by using the calculating unit. The output frame information is created by converting the height or width size of the ratio value according to the ratio, and is stored in the output frame information storage means.

In the invention of claim 2, the frame information storage means has a range value for the height and width of the frame, and the consistency checking means sets the frame size obtained by the computing means to the range value. It is checked whether or not there is consistency, and if there is a mismatch, the ratio value inverse conversion means inversely converts the output frame information about the frame inside the frame having the range value into the ratio value. Then, the frame information correction means creates frame information in which the size limit for the frame inside the frame having the range value is deleted, and sends it to the calculation means. The calculation means receives this and calculates the frame size again. The result of the calculation is a frame size that matches the range value of the frame having the range value, because the size limit for the frame inside the frame having the range value has already been deleted by the frame information correction means.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A layout designing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a layout design apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This layout design apparatus includes a frame information storage unit 1, a frame information editing unit 2, and a frame information output conversion unit 3. ,
The output frame information storage unit 5 and the output unit 6 are provided, and the frame information output conversion unit 5 is provided with the ratio value conversion means 7.
The frame information storage unit 1 stores therein frame information of frame regions including other frame regions, and each frame region has attributes of size of height and width and identifiers of other frame regions included in the frame region. It has frame information that is composed of attributes of the arrangement direction in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction of other frame areas included inside the frame area. The frame area may have an irregular shape as long as it has the height and width sizes of the frame information, but here it is assumed to be a rectangular frame area for simplicity.

FIG. 3 shows an overview of such frame information. The illustrated one has three child frames W11 in the parent frame W1,
W12 and W13 are laterally arranged, three grandchild frames W121, W122, and W123 are laterally arranged in the child frame W12, and two grandchild frames W131 and W13 are arranged in the child frame W13.
2 shows an example in which 2 is arranged in the vertical direction. In FIG. 3, ra
te is a ratio value of heights or widths of child frame areas having the same frame area as a parent. For example, W12 rat in the width direction
The fact that e is 2 means that the ratio with respect to the other child frames W11 and W13 is 2. Similarly, each grandchild W
121, W122, W123 all have a rate in the width direction of 1, but the ratio in the width direction is equal to 1 for each grandchild frame.
Means that. Also, ra in the width direction and the height direction
The place where te is not described means that the rate is not specified, and therefore the rat
There is no need to consider e. Further, in FIG. 3, 16 means the minimum value that can be allowed as the size in the width direction and the height direction of the frame. For example, lb = 10dot means that the minimum allowable size is 10 pixels. Further, the height and width in which lb is not described means that the minimum size is not determined.

The structure of the relationship between the frames shown in FIG. 3 is as shown in FIG. 4, and the information of each frame is as a table as shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, the lower limit value is the allowable minimum size. The new lower limit value and output value are values obtained by calculation based on the ratio value and lower limit value of each frame, and the calculation method will be described later. The frame information editing unit 2 receives an instruction from a layout designer (hereinafter, the layout designer will be referred to as a designer for simplicity),
Changing the parent-child relationship between the frame areas of the frame information stored in the frame information storage unit 1, changing the arrangement direction of the child frame area in the parent frame area, deleting the frame area, creating the frame area, , Change the attribute values of the height and width of the frame area. The information output conversion unit 3 extracts the frame information from the frame information storage unit 1 and uses the ratio value conversion unit 7 to have an absolute value corresponding to the ratio value when the ratio value of the attribute value of the size of the height or the width is held. The output value of is calculated and the output frame information is created. When the height or size attribute of the frame information extracted from the frame information storage unit 1 does not have a ratio value, the lower limit value is used as the absolute value of the height or width size attribute to create output frame information. The output unit 6 extracts frame information from the output frame information storage unit 5 and creates data for screen display or printing.

Next, the layout designing apparatus will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, it is assumed that the designer gives an instruction to the frame information storage unit 1 through the frame information editing unit 2 to change the frame information to set the width of the frame W1 to 100 dots (step S1). At this time, it is assumed that the frame information stored in the frame information storage unit 2 has an overview as shown in FIG. The change in the frame information storage unit 1 is triggered to activate the frame information output conversion unit 3. In the frame information output conversion unit 3, with respect to the tree structure of the frame information stored in the frame region storage unit 1, the ratio value conversion means recursively sets the lower limit value of the frame size of each frame region which is a node of the tree structure. Calculated by dividing the lower limit value of the parent frame area by the sum of the lower limit values of the child frame areas that do not have the ratio value, and distribute the remainder to the output value of the child frame area that has the ratio value according to the ratio value. The data is stored in the frame information storage unit 5 (step S2). The output unit 6 extracts the output frame information from the output frame information storage unit 5 and converts the output frame information for screen display and printing (step S3).

Here, step S2, which is the operation of the ratio value converting means 7, will be described in more detail with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 to 9. The ratio value converting means 7 separately performs the processing of the size attribute of the side in the same direction as the arrangement direction of the frame area and the processing of the size attribute of the side in the direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction. (Processing of Attribute Values in Arrangement Direction) FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the process of attribute values in the arrangement direction. First, a subroutine for recursively obtaining the lower limit value of the attribute value in the arrangement direction of the frame area that is each node of the tree structure is executed (step S4). Next, a subroutine that sets the remainder obtained by subtracting the sum of the lower limit values of the child frame information that does not have a ratio value from the lower limit value of the frame area that is each node of the tree structure to the output value of the child frame information that has a ratio value Is executed (step S5).

FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of the subroutine of step S4. First, one (= W12) child frame area (child frame area) of the target frame area (target frame area) (= W1) is taken (step S6), and the child frame area is recursively set as the target frame area. Call your routine (step S7). By this processing, it is detected that the frames W121, W122, and W123 exist in the frame W12, and it is also detected that the child frames do not exist in each of the frames W121, W122, and W123. And
By repeating steps 6 and 7, all child frames W
11 and W13. This, in the end,
The device recognizes the relationship between the frames as shown in FIG.

When the above processing is completed, the process proceeds to step S8 and the child frame area (W11, W1) of the first target frame area (W1).
Regarding W12 and W13), those which do not have a ratio value are selected, and the sum of the lower limit values thereof is calculated. W11, W12, W1
Of the three, W does not have a ratio value in their arrangement direction.
11 is only in the width direction, and the size in the width direction is lb = 20dot from FIG. Therefore, the value obtained in step S8 is SumF = 20.

Succeedingly, in a step S9, the sum of the ratio values of the child frame areas having the ratio values is obtained. The child frame areas having the ratio value are W12 and W13, and the sum of the respective ratio values (Sum
R) is 1 + 2 = 3. In step 10, the sum (SumFR) of the lower limit values of the child frame area having the ratio value is obtained. Although the lower limit value is not directly written in the child frame area W12 having the ratio value, the lower limit value is written in the grandchild frame W122 within the frame. This lower limit value and W121, W122, W123
When the lower limit value in the width direction of the child frame W12 is obtained based on the ratio value of each frame of, 2dot × 3 = 6. Similarly, there is no lower limit for W13, but since there is a ratio value, W13
From the relationship with the ratio value of 12, the lower limit value of W12 in the width direction is 6/2 = 3. Therefore, the sum (SumFR) of the lower limit values of the child frame area having the ratio value is SumFR = 6 + 3 = 9.

In step S11, the sum (20 + 9 = 29) of SumF obtained in step S8 and SumFR obtained in step S10 and the lower limit value [100 pixels] of the target frame area which is the value designated by the layout change command are set. The larger value [Max (29 pixels, 100 pixels) = 100 pixels] of these is set as a new lower limit value (NewLB) of the target frame area.

The above-described processing is performed for the child frame area W1 of the target area W1.
When completed for 1, W12, and W13, one of the child frame areas (for example, W12) is set as a target area, and similar processing is performed for the child frame areas W121, W122, and W123 to obtain NewLB (step S12). This is performed for all child frame areas (step S13). Subsequently, the process proceeds to step S5, which is further processed by the flowchart shown in FIG. First, the lower limit value (NewLB = 100 pixels) of the target frame area (target frame area) (= W1) to the lower limit value (SumF = 20 pixels) of child frame areas (child frame areas) that do not have a ratio value. ) Is subtracted (NewLB-SumR) [100 pixels-
20 pixels = 80 pixels] is calculated and stored in the remaining value (LeftR) for the temporary ratio value (step S21). Next, one child frame area (= W12) below the target frame area is taken (step 22), and if there is a child frame area, it is checked whether or not the child frame area has a ratio value (step S23). If the lower limit value of the child frame area is used as an output value and the process proceeds to step 19 (described later) (step S15), on the other hand, if the child frame area is held, (ratio value × LeftR) ÷ SumR [(2 × 80 pixels) / 3 = 53 pixels (truncated since it is an integer value)] and stored in the output value of the child frame area (step S25),
The value obtained by subtracting the output value from LeftR is stored again in LeftR [80 pixels-53 pixels = 27 pixels → LeftR].
(Step S26), the value obtained by subtracting the ratio value from SumR is stored again in SumR [3-2 = 1 → SumR] (step S27). Then, this routine is called with the child frame area (= W12) as the target frame area (step S2).
8) After that, the process returns to step S22, and recursively repeats until the child frame area is exhausted.

(Processing of Attribute Values in Arrangement Direction and Vertical Direction) FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing processing of attribute values in the arrangement direction and vertical direction. First, a subroutine for recursively obtaining the lower limit values of the attribute values in the arrangement direction and the vertical direction of the frame area that is each node of the tree structure is executed (step S30). afterwards,
Execute a subroutine that sets the output value of the child frame area having the ratio value so that the lower limit value of the frame area that is each node of the tree structure becomes the output value of the child frame area having the maximum ratio value ( Step S31).

FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of the subroutine of step S30. Since the basic processing is the same as the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, it will be briefly described. First, one (= W11) child frame area (child frame area) of the target frame area (target frame area) (= W1) is taken (step S41), and the child frame area is recursively set as the target frame area. Call your routine (step S42). After step S42 ends, the process returns to step S41, and the next child frame area is obtained. When the child frame areas are eliminated, the maximum value (Max) of the lower limit values in the direction (height direction) perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the child frame areas W11, W12, and W13 having the target area as W1 is set.
F) is obtained (step S43). In this case, W132
Is defined as 1b = 20dot, and since W131 and W132 are lined up in the height direction in W13, MaxF = 20dot × 2 = 40dot.

Next, in step S44, the maximum value of the ratio values of the child frame area having the ratio value is calculated, and the temporary variable Max is set.
Store in R (not shown). In this case, since the child frame area ratio values are W11 = W12 = 1 and W13 = 2, Max
R = 2. In step S45, the maximum lower limit value of the child frame area having the ratio is calculated and stored in the temporary variable MaxFR. The lower limit value of the child frame area having the ratio value is W11 =
W12 = 10dot, W13 = 20dot × 2 = 40d
Since it is ot, since MaxFR = 40dot,
MaxFR = 40.

In step S46, the maximum value of MaxF obtained in step S43 and MaxFR obtained in step S45 is obtained as a new lower limit value, and the temporary variable New
Store in LB (= 40). After the above processing is completed, the child frame area is set as the target area, and the same processing is performed for the child frame area, and is performed for all the child frame areas (steps S47 and S48).

Subsequently, the execution of the subroutine of step S31 will be described. Details of the subroutine of step S31 are shown in FIG. First, the target frame area (target frame area)
One (= W11) child frame area of (= W1) is taken (step S51), and if there is a child frame area, it is checked whether or not the child frame area has a ratio value (step S52). The lower limit of the output value is used as the output value, and the process proceeds to step S55 (step S53).
axFR) ÷ MaxR [(1 × 40 pixels) ÷ 2 = 20 pixels] is calculated and stored in the output value of the child frame area (step S
54), this routine is called with the child frame area (= W11) as the target frame area (step S55), and then the process returns to step S51. If there is no child frame area in step S51, this routine ends.

As described above, since the layout size attribute is specified by the ratio, when the designer is designing considering the layout size relationship by the ratio, the layout change portion is considered by the ratio. Even if it affects the part that has been changed, the size is automatically changed according to the ratio,
Even when designing a layout, there are few settings and it is easy, and when changing a layout, the number of changes is small, and the efficiency of layout design / change can be improved.

Although the processing in the arrangement direction and the processing in the direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction are described separately in the embodiment, the processing may be performed in the same control structure (loop). Further, in the embodiment, the ratio value is the ratio of the height or width of the child frame areas having the same frame area as a parent, but it is the ratio of the height and width of the frame areas, or to a certain absolute value. It may be a ratio.

Further, in the present embodiment, the size of the lower limit value is set only by the attribute of the frame area itself, but the attribute is set by the text or the buttons forming the window screen in the frame area. Even if the size of the value is determined, it does not exceed the scope of the present invention. (Embodiment 2) FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a layout design apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This layout design apparatus includes a frame information storage unit 1, a frame information editing unit 2, and a frame information output conversion unit 3.
And a ratio value inverse conversion unit 4, an output frame information storage unit 5, and an output unit 6. The frame information output conversion unit 5 includes a ratio value conversion unit 7 and a consistency check unit 8. ing. Since the frame information storage unit 1, the frame information editing unit 2, the output frame information storage unit 5, the output unit 6, and the ratio value conversion means 7 are not different from the corresponding elements of the first embodiment, respectively, description thereof will be omitted. The consistency checking unit 8 of the frame information output conversion unit 3 uses the height or width of the frame information of the frame region having the same absolute output value of the height or width attribute of the output frame information created by the ratio value conversion unit 7. Check whether there is consistency that does not exceed the upper limit of the attribute of. The ratio value inverse conversion unit 4 sets the absolute value to the lower limit value of the frame area determined by the consistency check unit 8 as having no consistency, and the frame area of the child that does not have the attribute of height or width of the ratio value. The ratio value of the ratio based on is calculated and stored in the frame information storage unit 1 as the ratio value. Further, the ratio value inverse conversion unit takes out the output value of the absolute value of the attribute of the height or width size of the frame information from the output frame information storage unit 5 according to the designer's instruction, and sets the same parent as that of the frame area. The ratio of the height or width size of the frame area to the output value of the absolute value of the attribute is calculated and stored in the frame information storage unit 1 as the ratio value of the attribute value of the height or width size of the frame information.

Next, the layout designing apparatus will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First,
The designer changes the frame information in the frame information storage unit 1 through the frame information editing unit 2 (step S61). For example, Example 1
The lower limit value of the width of the frame area W122 is changed from 2 pixels to 20 pixels, the frame area W1 has 100 pixels as the upper limit value of the width, and the other frame areas do not have the upper limit value of the width. And it was changed. In this embodiment, attention is paid only to the width of the frame area. At this time, the frame information stored in the frame information storage unit 2 has an overview as shown in FIG. 14 and the tree structure shown in FIG. 4 (however, the nodes W131 and W132 do not have. ), Each piece of frame information that becomes a node of the tree structure has an attribute value of the width shown in FIG. A change in the frame information storage unit 1 is triggered to activate the frame information output conversion unit 3, and in the frame information output conversion unit 3, a ratio value conversion unit operates for the tree structure of the frame information stored in the frame area storage unit 1. The lower limit of the frame size of each frame area that is a node of the tree structure is recursively calculated, and the remainder obtained by subtracting the sum of the lower limit values of the child frame areas that do not have ratio values from the lower limit value of the parent frame area Is distributed to the output value of the child frame area having the ratio value according to the ratio value, and is stored in the output frame information storage unit 5 (step S62). Here, the output value is as the output value of the width of FIG. After that, the consistency checking unit 8 checks whether the output value of the output frame information of the frame area exceeds the attribute of the upper limit value of the frame information (step S6).
3). If the output value (110 pixels) of the width of the frame area W1 exceeds the upper limit value (100 pixels), the ratio value inverse conversion unit 4 causes the ratio output value ratio (20 pixels: 60 pixels) of the child frame areas of the frame area W1. : 30 pixels), the ratio value (2: 6: 3) of each child frame area of the frame information storage unit 1 is set, the lower limit value is reset to 0 pixel, and the child frame area of the child is recursively set. The same process is performed (step S64), and the process returns to step S62 again. At this time, depending on the output value, the value of the ratio value may become large, or a simple ratio value may become a complicated ratio value, but refer to the ratio value that has already been set, Processing such as taking an approximate value (21 pixels: 30
It is also possible to make a simple ratio value by performing pixel ≈ 2: 3). The output unit 6 extracts the output frame information from the output frame information storage unit 5 and converts the output frame information for screen display and printing. Further, the ratio value inverse conversion unit 4 extracts the frame information from the frame information storage unit 1 according to the designer's instruction, and converts the frame information that is not the ratio value into the ratio value (step S65).

Further, the consistency value checking unit 8 is used to automatically activate the ratio value inverse conversion unit 4 in accordance with the upper limit value, and not only the ratio value is set, but also the frame area to be directly set to the ratio value is designated. By activating the ratio value inverse conversion unit 4, the portion required by the designer can be set to the ratio value. In this way, the size such as the height and width of the frame area that makes up the layout can be automatically converted from an absolute value to a ratio value, so the absolute value of the size can be determined visually and the size of the ratio value that matches Can be set, and then the layout can be handled by the ratio value.

[0031]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in a layout in which one frame area includes a plurality of frames in a nested structure, a ratio value for the height and width of each frame is set. Is stored as frame information in the frame information storage means, and when the change instructing means instructs to change the size of one of the nested frames, the arithmetic means stores the frame information storing means for the remaining frames which are not instructed to be changed. Calculated based on the ratio value stored in and the changed size of the change-designated frame,
Since it is created as output frame information, the layout required by the layout designer is automatically realized by one frame size change instruction, and the number of layout changes can be greatly reduced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when range values are given to the height and width of the frame, the frame area can be changed less frequently in accordance with the layout change command, and
The changed frame size is automatically adjusted so as to be within the range value, which is very convenient.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a layout design device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of routine 1 of the layout designing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an overview of a layout of frame information stored in a frame information management unit of the layout design device according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a tree structure of frame information stored in a frame information management unit of the layout design device according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a value of an attribute value of frame information stored in a frame information management unit of the layout designing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a routine 2 of the layout design device according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a routine 3 of the layout design device according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a routine 4 of the layout design device according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a routine 5 of the layout design device according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a routine 6 of the layout design device according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a routine 7 of the layout design device according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram of a layout design device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a routine 8 of the layout design device according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is an overview of a layout of frame information stored in a frame information management unit of the layout design device according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a value of an attribute value of frame information stored in the frame information management unit of the layout designing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a configuration diagram of a conventional layout design device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Frame information storage unit 2 Frame information editing unit 3 Frame information output conversion unit 4 Ratio value inverse conversion unit 5 Output frame information storage unit 7 Ratio value conversion means 8 Consistency check means

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hidekazu Tanigawa 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takashi Satomura 1006, Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. 72) Inventor Kenji Ito 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A layout design apparatus in which one frame area includes a plurality of frames in a nested structure, wherein an identifier for identifying one frame and other frames included in the area and Frame information storage means for storing frame information including a frame arrangement direction and ratio values for height and width of each frame, and change instruction means for instructing a size change of one of the nested frames. For the remaining frames which are not directly instructed to be changed by the change instructing means, a calculating means for calculating the frame size based on the ratio value and the changed size of the changed instructed frame, and the change instructing means are instructed. The layout design apparatus further comprises: output frame information storage means for rewriting the frame information by using the changed contents and the result obtained by the calculating means, and storing the frame information as output frame information. 2. The frame information storage means further has a range value for the height and width of the frame, and the layout design apparatus further stores the frame size calculated by the calculation means in the frame information storage means. Consistency checking means for recursively checking whether there is consistency with the range value of, and if it is determined that there is no consistency, output frame information for the frame inside the frame having the range value When the ratio value inverse conversion means for inversely converting the height and width of the frame and the inversely converted height and width ratio values are received, the frame with the size limit for the frame inside the frame having the range value is deleted. The layout design apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising frame information correction means for producing information and sending it to the calculation means.