JPH06259525A - Character arranging system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain a simple input method for characters to be arranged on a straight line or a curved line. CONSTITUTION:This character arranging system is provided with a means for storing information in the extending direction of a straight line or a curved line to be a guide line, a means for storing the information of causal relation between a guide line extending direction and a character rotational angle on a character arranging position and a means for controlling them to calculate the rotational angle of characters from the guide line extending direction on the character arranging position based upon the information of the causal relation. Thereby a user can simply attain proper character arrangement in accordance with the extending direction of an inputted guide line only by specifying the information of causal relation between the guide line extending direction and the character rotational angle or that between the vertical direction of a paper surface and the character rotational angle.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character layout system for applying a desired layout to input characters.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, character arrangement information such as character size, arrangement position, and rotation angle has been set for each character input. When changing the character size, the layout position, the rotation angle, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as the layout change), the layout information must be set again for each character, which is inconvenient.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-282974 discloses a layout change by setting the above-mentioned character arrangement information as an attribute of a group of characters (character strings) governed by one straight line or curved line. The inconvenience was improved (the straight line or curve that controls the character string is called a guideline). For example, the character string “aiueo” arranged as shown in FIG. 7 (a) is governed by the guideline G, and when the guideline is changed to G ′ in (b), the character layout is also changed accordingly. It is changed like.

[0004]

The above-mentioned conventional technique was invented with a focus on convenience when changing the layout of a character string that has already been input. However, it does not describe how to set the direction of characters when inputting a character string for the first time. For example, it does not mention how to input the difference between FIGS. 7A and 7C separately.

An object of the present invention is to realize a simple input method of characters arranged on a straight line or a curved line, such as distinction of input of character layout represented by the difference between FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (c).

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the character arrangement method is a means for storing information on the guideline extension direction and a causal relationship between the guideline extension direction and the character rotation angle at the character arrangement position. Means for storing information of
It has means for controlling these.

[0007]

The character rotation angle is calculated from the guideline expansion direction at the character arrangement position based on the above causal relationship information.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 5 is a character string attribute input screen of the character input device using the present invention. FIG. 2 shows an input example on the guideline input screen of the character input device. In this embodiment, the user inputs the attribute of the character string on the character string input screen for each character string, and then inputs the guideline on the guideline input screen. FIG. 8 shows the positional relationship between the guideline and the baseline.

Items of character string attributes that can be set in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 8.

A character string is a group of characters that make up the character string. Characters are displayed in the order they are entered.

The guideline type is a type of guideline that controls a character string. In this embodiment, there are four types of straight line, circular arc line, broken line and curved line, and they are arranged so that the center point of the character is on the guideline.

The line-up direction is the direction of the baseline of a character. In this embodiment, there are four types: parallel, vertical, vertical and horizontal. Parallel and vertical indicate whether the baseline is parallel or perpendicular to the tangent line of the guideline. On the other hand, vertical and horizontal indicate whether the baseline is vertical or parallel to the vertical direction of the paper surface.
In FIG. 8, (a) is parallel, (b) is vertical, (c) is vertical,
(D) is the character arrangement for horizontal and horizontal.

Character rotation has a forward direction and a reverse direction. These are in a relationship in which the direction of arrangement is rotated by 180 degrees.

The character size is the size of characters that form a character string. In this embodiment, the size of each character forming one character string is constant.

Edge is a selection of whether or not to add an edge to the character string. This can only be specified when the guideline is straight. When a line other than a straight line is specified as a guideline, this item is shaded as shown in FIG.

The guideline input method will be described with reference to FIG. The user inputs a guideline by inputting an end point and a passing point (hereinafter collectively referred to as a designated point) on the guideline input screen. (A) In the case of a straight line, enter the first designated point and the final designated point.
(B) In the case of a circular arc sequence, the starting point, the passing point, and the ending point are input in this order for one circular arc. However, the end point becomes the start point of the next arc. (C) In the case of a polygonal line, enter the first designated point, the vertex, and the final designated point in this order. However, multiple vertices can be input. (D) In the case of a curve, the first specified point,
Enter the passing point and the final designated point in this order. However, multiple passing points can be input. In both cases, the direction from the first designated point to the final designated point on the guideline is the guideline extension direction.

FIG. 1 shows an arrangement example of character strings depending on the character rotation and the arrangement direction. The combination of the character rotation and the arrangement direction parallel or vertical is the causal relationship information between the guideline extension direction and the character rotation angle. That is, the character rotation angle is calculated from the guideline expansion direction at the character arrangement position based on the causal relationship information. Further, a combination of the character rotation and the arrangement direction being vertical or horizontal is the causal relationship information between the vertical direction of the paper and the character rotation angle. That is, the character rotation angle is calculated from the vertical direction on the paper surface at the character arrangement position based on the causal relationship information.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the character string layout in this embodiment. FIG. 6 shows a character string data structure in this embodiment. FIG. 9 shows a method of calculating the guideline total length.

The character string layout algorithm will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 6 and 9. First, after obtaining (301) a guideline type (604), a designated point number (605), and a designated point coordinate sequence (606), a guideline function f (x) representing a guideline shape is obtained using these, and this is first The total length L is calculated by integrating from the second designated point Ps to the final designated point Pe (302) (see FIG. 9). The total length L is calculated by Equation 1 or Equation 2. Number 2 f '
(X) is the derivative of the guideline function f (x).

[0021]

[Equation 1]

[0022]

[Equation 2]

The designated point coordinate sequence (606) is arranged in the order designated by the user, and is relative coordinates having the origin at the coordinate of the upper left corner of the rectangle circumscribing the character string (hereinafter referred to as the starting point).

In this embodiment, characters are evenly assigned along the guideline. Therefore, next, the number of characters (610) is acquired (303), and the character interval ΔL is calculated (304). The character spacing ΔL is obtained by dividing the guideline total length L by the value obtained by subtracting 1 from the number of characters.

Then, the starting point (601) of the circumscribing rectangle of the character string (the starting point is the coordinates on the paper to be input) is acquired (30
5), the character size (609), the arrangement direction (607), and the character rotation (608) are acquired (306), and then the arrangement number is set to 0 (307). Characters are arranged in order according to the following processing (308) until the number of arranged characters matches the number of characters.

First, the coordinates of the center point of the character to be arranged are calculated (309). In this embodiment, the center point of the character is on the guideline, and the arrangement position of the character is represented by the center point of the character. For the center point coordinates, the distance Ln from the first designated point is obtained by multiplying the number of arrangements by the character spacing ΔL, and the coordinate point at which the distance along the guideline from the first designated point is Ln is obtained by the dichotomy method or the like.

Next, processing for calculating the rotation angle of the character is performed.
The rotation angle is on the baseline from left to right,
The counterclockwise direction is the positive direction. When the arrangement direction is vertical, the rotation angle is set to 0 degree (310), and when the arrangement direction is horizontal, it is set to 90 degrees (311). If the arrangement direction is other than that, the tangent angle of the guideline extension direction at the character center point is calculated (31
2) If the arrangement directions are parallel, the rotation angle is set to the tangent angle (313), and if the arrangement directions are vertical, it is set to a value obtained by adding 90 degrees to the tangent angle (314). If the character rotation is in the opposite direction, 180 degrees is added to the rotation angle (315). Thus, the process of calculating the rotation angle of the character ends.

After that, the character code of the character to be arranged is acquired from the character code string (611) (316), and the character is arranged according to the center point coordinates, the character size, and the rotation angle (3).
17). After the character arrangement of one character is completed by adding 1 to the number of arrangement (318), the number of characters is compared with the number of characters (308).

When the number of arrangements matches the number of characters, if the guideline type is a straight line (319), edge information (603) is acquired (320), and if "present" is designated, an edge is added to the character string (321). This completes the layout of one character string.

As described above, according to this character arrangement method, the user sets the character strings as shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (c) so that the arrangement directions are parallel and the character rotation is pure direction. If the guideline is input (a), if the guideline is input from right to left, the character layout of (c) can be input, and both can be easily input and separated.

Further, according to the present invention, the character size can be changed by changing the size of the circumscribing rectangle for the character string after layout. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the character string circumscribing rectangle size changing process. An algorithm of the character string circumscribing rectangle size changing process will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 6.

First, the vertical and horizontal size of the character string circumscribing rectangle (602)
Is acquired and used as the pre-change size (401). After the circumscribing rectangle size is changed by the user (402), the changed vertical size is acquired (403) and the change ratio in the vertical direction is calculated (4).
04). Then, based on the ratio, the designated point coordinate sequence is changed in the vertical direction (405). Then, the vertical size of the character size is similarly changed (406). After performing these changing processes also in the lateral direction (407) to (410),
Change the vertical and horizontal size to the character string circumscribing rectangle vertical and horizontal size (60
2) is set (411).

As described above, according to this character arrangement method, the user can change the character size by changing the size of the circumscribed rectangle of the character string after layout.

[0034]

According to the present invention, the user only needs to specify the causal relationship information between the guideline extension direction and the character rotation angle, or the causal relationship information between the vertical direction of the paper and the character rotation angle. Appropriate character layout can be easily achieved according to the extension direction of the input guideline.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an arrangement example of a character string according to a character rotation and arrangement direction according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an input example on a guideline input screen of the character input device using the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a character string layout in the above embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a character string circumscribing rectangle size changing process in the above embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a screen for inputting a character string attribute in the above embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a character string data structure in the above embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of character arrangement on a guideline.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between a guideline and a baseline.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a method of calculating the guideline total length.

[Explanation of symbols]

 601 ... Character string circumscribing rectangle start point, 602 ... Character string circumscribing rectangle vertical / horizontal size, 603 ... Edge information, 604 ... Guideline type, 605 ... Specified number of points, 606 ... Specified point coordinate sequence, 607 ... Arrangement direction, 608 ... Character rotation, 609 ... Character size, 610 ... Number of characters, 611 ... Character code string.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yoshiyuki Inoue 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, Ltd. Microelectronics Device Development Laboratory, Hitachi, Ltd. (72) Inventor Tsukasa Yamauchi Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 292 Hitachi Ltd. Microelectronics Device Development Laboratory

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A method of arranging a character on a straight line or a curved line, means for storing information on the expansion direction of a straight line or a curve (hereinafter referred to as a guideline), and a guideline expansion direction and a character rotation angle at a character arrangement position. And means for storing information on a causal relationship with
A character arrangement method characterized in that the character rotation angle is calculated from the guideline expansion direction at the character arrangement position based on the above causal relationship information. 2. A system for arranging characters on a straight line or a curved line, comprising means for storing causal relationship information between the vertical direction of the paper surface and the character rotation angle at the character arranging position, and means for controlling this. A character arrangement method characterized in that a character rotation angle is calculated from the vertical direction of the paper surface at the character arrangement position based on the causal relationship information. 3. A means for storing the size of a circumscribing rectangle of a character (hereinafter referred to as a character string) arranged on one guideline, a means for changing the size of the circumscribing rectangle, and the character string. A character arrangement method characterized by comprising a means for storing the size of the characters constituting the above and a means for controlling these, and changing the character size to be equal to the change ratio of the size of the circumscribing rectangle. 4. A means for determining whether or not the guideline is a straight line, a means for modifying the circumscribed rectangular range of the character string, and a means for controlling these are provided. A character layout method that allows modification that regards the circumscribed rectangular range as the modification target. 5. The character arrangement method according to claim 1, wherein the information on the causal relationship between the guideline expansion direction and the character rotation angle at the character arrangement position is independent of the character strings. 6. The character arrangement method according to claim 2, wherein the information on the causal relationship between the vertical direction of the paper surface and the character rotation angle at the character arrangement position is independent of the character strings.