JPH08160592A - Image trimming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an image trimming device capable of rapidly and easily arranging an image in accordance with the shape of an area on a mount. CONSTITUTION: This device is provided with a designation input means for inputting the designation of an operator; a storage means for storing mount data and a pair of trimmed image data and mask data; a layout means reading out the mount data and the pair of data from the storage means according to designation inputted from the designation input means, superimposing a mount image expressed by the mount data and a necessary image expressed by the pair of data on a virtual plane, extracting the image data which should be fitted based on the position of the necessary image on the virtual plane, the pair of data, and the coordinates of the endpoints P1 to P4 in a rectangular (trimming) area on the mount on the virtual plane, and outputting it with the mount data; and a display means superimposing and displaying the image expressed by the data outputted from the layout means.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image trimming apparatus incorporated in a design system using a computer, a layout scanner or the like, for performing a trimming process for extracting a desired portion from an image to be trimmed and arranging it on a paper surface.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a layout system used in a design system using a computer or a plate making process is provided with a function for performing a trimming process for extracting a desired portion from an image to be trimmed and arranging it at a desired position. Has been done.

Conventionally, in the plate making process for printed matters, catalogs, etc. using the above-mentioned layout scanner, first, an image expected to be used based on a photographic manuscript and a rough sketch previously submitted by a publisher or the like. A clipping process (hereinafter referred to as a necessary image) is performed. In the rough sketch, for example, a rectangle representing an area for pasting characters and images, and a black and white copied image in this rectangular area are drawn, but these are usually insufficient for use in the plate making process. It is drawn with great accuracy. Therefore, the necessary image is cut out wider than the portion that is supposed to be actually used.

[0004] Then, when the mount paper with the layout accurately drawn is submitted from the publisher side, a mounter creates mount data representing the layout with sufficient accuracy based on the mount paper. The mount data is created, for example, by scanning the mount with a flatbed scanner or the like, and based on the obtained image data, the operator performs CAD (Computer Aided).
Design) It is done by operating the system. The mount data thus created is stored in the storage device of the layout scanner and read when the trimmed image (see FIG. 5) is arranged.

This trimmed image is covered with a mask (see FIG. 6) created in advance, and as shown in FIG. 7, only the necessary image is displayed. At the time of trimming processing, the required image and the mount image are displayed on the display device at the same time,
The operator newly sets mask data (see FIG. 8) so that a predetermined portion of the required image fits within a preset area on the mount image.
Create a reference).

Generally, since it is a serious problem that an unnecessary portion (background) of the image to be trimmed is included in the image obtained by masking the image to be trimmed, the mask data is cut out extremely precisely. There is a need.
When the mask represented by the mask data created in this way is applied to the trimmed image, an image in which the upper and lower ends of the required image are hidden is obtained. By arranging this image in a preset area as shown in FIG. 9, the trimming process for one trimmed image is completed.

[0007]

By the way, in the above-described conventional image trimming processing, it is necessary to prepare the mask shown in FIG. 6 and the mask shown in FIG. This is because the accuracy of the rough sketch is low and the image position in the area may be changed later. For example, in FIG. 9, the chin of a person is visible, but as a result of proof printing, the publisher may give an instruction to shift the image upward so that the chin is no longer visible. In such a case, if only the mask shown in FIG. 8 is stored, it is necessary to create the mask from the beginning.

On the other hand, a method of covering a portion protruding from the area with a figure having the same color as the background without forming a new mask has been conventionally used. However, as shown in FIG. 9, this method can be applied when another figure exists so as to overlap a portion protruding from the area, the background itself is a photograph, or gradation is added. Can not. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image trimming device capable of quickly and easily arranging an image according to the shape of a region on a paper surface.

[0009]

An image trimming apparatus according to the present invention lays out a part of an image to be trimmed on which a mask for extracting a necessary portion of an image is placed in a predetermined trimming area of a mount area. An image trimming device, the mount data instructing the trimming area,
Storage means for storing image data of the trimmed image and mask data of the trimmed image, instruction input means for inputting an operator's instruction, and display means for superimposing and displaying the mount data and the trimmed image. A moving area for positioning the trimmed image based on an instruction inputted from the instruction inputting means and an overlapping area of the trimming area of the mount data in the transparent area of the mask data are obtained, and the overlapping area is corresponded to the overlapping area. And a calculation unit that extracts the trimmed image.

[0010]

According to the above construction, the moving means positions the trimmed image based on the instruction inputted from the instruction inputting means. Then, the calculation means obtains an overlapping area of the transparent area of the mask data and the trimming area of the mount data, and extracts the trimmed image corresponding to the overlapping area. Since the overlapping area is obtained by considering the shape of the trimming area, the extracted image is
It fits exactly in the trimming area.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining a trimming process using a layout scanner having an image trimming device of the present invention. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a layout scanner including an image trimming device according to this embodiment. Here, before explaining the trimming processing in this embodiment, the layout shown in FIG. The configuration of the scanner will be described.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 denotes an instruction input means including a keyboard, a mouse, etc., for inputting an operator's instruction. Reference numeral 2 denotes a mount information input means including a flatbed scanner, a plotter, etc., for inputting mount data (mount data) to which an image or the like is attached. Reference numeral 3 denotes an image information input means including a drum scanner, a flatbed, etc., which is for inputting image data to be trimmed (trimmed image data).

Reference numeral 4 is a layout means (calculation means, movement means) which will be described in detail later, and supplies the respective image data input via the respective input means 2 and 3 to the storage means 5 and 6. The storage means 5 and 6 are each composed of a magnetic disk or a magneto-optical disk, and the storage means 5 stores the mount data and the storage means 6 stores the trimmed image data in a predetermined storage format. It should be noted that the storage means 5 and 6 may be collectively implemented as one storage means.

Reference numeral 7 is a display means such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), which is controlled by the layout means 4 and displays various images. Reference numeral 8 denotes an output means such as a scanner, which is controlled by the layout means 4 and outputs the layout result to a plate-making film or the like. The layout means 4 includes CPU, ROM, and R.
The layout processing is performed on the basis of a program (or a program stored in advance in the storage means 5 or 6) stored in the ROM and the AM and various I / O interfaces and an instruction input from the instruction input means 1. The function of the layout means 4 for performing the trimming processing which is the subject of the present invention in this layout processing will be described below.

The trimming process targeted by the present invention is
As described above, this is a process of arranging a desired portion of the image to be trimmed in a desired trimming area on the mount, and in the present embodiment, a desired area on the mount image on the display means 7 (hereinafter, this This also means a process of arranging a desired portion of the image to be trimmed in a region (also referred to as a trimming region). In order to perform such trimming processing, the layout means 4 displays on the display means 7 a part of the image (displayable range of the display means 7) obtained by superimposing a plurality of virtual planes. There is. That is, one pixel (dot, pixel) on the display surface of the display unit 7 is determined based on the content of each unit area corresponding to a plurality of planes.

The layout means 4 uses the lower plane as the mount data and the upper plane as the plane for the image data to be trimmed, and causes the display means 7 to display the upper plane in front of the lower plane. Therefore, on the display surface of the display means 7, an image as if the trimmed image is drawn on the mount is displayed.

Further, the layout means 4 has a function of relatively moving the trimmed image and the mount image according to the instruction input from the instruction input means 1. With this function, the mount image and the trimmed image are aligned with each other. In addition, when the layout unit 4 receives an instruction to fix an image from the instruction input unit 1, the layout unit 4 waits until an instruction to release the fixation is input from the instruction input unit 1.
It has a function of holding the relative positional relationship between the trimmed image and the mount image.

At this time, the layout means 4 displays the trimmed image on the basis of the position coordinates of the trimmed image, the trimmed image data, the mask data, and the coordinates of the trimming region into which the image is to be fitted. The overlapping area) is calculated, and only the image data to be trimmed in this area is written to the upper plane. The above calculation (hereafter
The processing (referred to as a fitting calculation) will be described in detail in accordance with the operation of the layout scanner described later. The layout unit 4 realizes not only the function of moving each plane in the normal direction of both planes at the same time, the scaling process of the image displayed on the display unit 7, but also the rotational movement, mirror image process, various filter processes, and the like. It has the function of.

The trimming process performed in such a configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. 4 is a processing diagram showing a flow of trimming processing by the layout scanner having the above-described configuration, and each processing shown in this drawing is performed by the layout means 4 unless otherwise specified. When a trimmed image (for example, a photographic original) is submitted from the publisher side, the operator operates the instruction input means 1, and the process proceeds to step S1.

In step S1, the trimmed image data (see FIG. 5) input from the image information input means 3 is
It is stored in the storage unit 6. This process is performed for all trimmed images to be used later. Then, in step S2, the image data of the mount to which the trimmed image is to be attached is input from the mount image input means 2,
It is stored in the storage means 5. Next, in step S3, each trimmed image data stored in the storage unit 6 is read out, and a clipping process is performed on each image data. That is, mask data (see FIG. 6) is created for each trimmed image data, and both are associated.

Next, in step S5, the mount image is displayed on the display surface of the display means 7, and in step S6, the trimmed image data and the mask data stored in the storage means 5 and 6 are read out and stored in them. The required image (see FIG. 7) based on the image is displayed on the display surface of the display unit 7 so as to be superimposed on the mount image. Then, the process proceeds to step S6. Steps S6 to S9 are processes that are repeatedly performed for each required image.

In step S6, the required image is moved on the display surface of the display means 7 according to the instruction input from the instruction input means 1 (see FIG. 1). Then, when the necessary image is arranged at a desired position and a predetermined instruction is input from the instruction input means 1, the process proceeds to step S7. The instruction that triggers the transition to step S7 usually includes an instruction to fix the image. In step S7, a fitting operation is performed. The fitting calculation is a calculation for fitting a part of the necessary image into a desired trimming area, and is a calculation based on the coordinates of the trimmed image, the trimmed image data, the mask data, and the coordinates of the trimming area.

Specifically, in FIG. 1, the point P is calculated from the coordinates of the vertices P1 to P4 of the rectangular area (trimming area) R.
1 and the point P2, the point P3 and the point P4, the points P1 and the point P3, and the equations of the straight lines connecting the points P2 and P4 are obtained, and the trimming area and the mask surrounded by the above straight lines are obtained from the image data to be trimmed. The image data located in the overlapping area with the transparent area of the data is extracted (read). In other words, this is the same as automatically creating mask data for cutting out a part of the required image in accordance with the trimming area. As described above, since the desired image data is obtained by the calculation, the contour of the image displayed on the display means 7 in the subsequent step becomes extremely accurate. The coordinates of the points P1 to P4 are inevitably created when the mount data is created. For example, the coordinates are stored in advance in the storage means 5, but after the mount data is input, an instruction from the instruction input means 1 causes It is also possible to create a new trimming area. When the fitting calculation ends, the process proceeds to step S8.

In step S8, a part of the required image is displayed based on the result of the fitting calculation in step S7.
The image displayed here corresponds to the shape of the trimming area, as shown in FIG. Here, the operator
When it is necessary to visually recognize the arrangement position of the required image and change the position, the instruction input means 1 is used to input an instruction to release the fixation of the image. As a result, the necessary image can be moved with respect to the mount image, and the above processing can be repeated again. Of course, in the fitting calculation, since the image data to be trimmed and the mask data themselves are not changed, the above process can be repeated any number of times.

On the contrary, if the desired image can be obtained, the process proceeds to step S9, where it is judged whether or not the arrangement of all the necessary images has been completed. If the determination result in this step is “NO”, the process proceeds to step S
Returning to step 5, if the determination result is “YES”, the process proceeds to step S10. In step S10, the display means 7
Layout calculation is performed on all the images displayed above to create a proof printing plate. Then, the proof print is output from the output means 8.

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the image data to be fitted is calculated based on the position of the image to be trimmed, the image data to be trimmed, the mask data and the coordinates of the trimming area. Therefore, the accurate trimming process can be performed quickly and easily. Further, even when the layout is changed, it is possible to quickly and easily deal with it. Furthermore, even if there are other figures so that the required image overlaps the part that protrudes from the trimming area, or the background itself is a photograph or a gradation is added, the image will be displayed without affecting them. Can be fitted.

In the above-described embodiment, the fitting calculation is performed after the position of the necessary image is determined, but the fitting calculation is always performed while the necessary image is selected (moved). Good. In this case, it is possible to move the required image in the fitted state (see FIG. 2). The trimming area does not have to be rectangular, and its contour may be represented by an equation or image data representing a closed area. Further, it goes without saying that it can be applied to design systems other than the layout scanner.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The moving means positions the image to be trimmed based on the instruction input from the instruction inputting means. Then, the calculation means obtains an overlapping area of the transparent area of the mask data and the trimming area of the mount data, and extracts the trimmed image corresponding to the overlapping area. Since the overlapping area is obtained in consideration of the shape of the trimming area, the extracted image is accurately fitted in the trimming area.

Therefore, there is an effect that an accurate trimming process can be performed quickly and easily. Also,
Even if the layout is changed, there is an effect that it can be dealt with quickly and easily. Further, even if there is another figure such that the necessary image overlaps a portion protruding from the trimming area, the background itself is a photograph, or a gradation is attached, it does not affect them. There is an effect that an image can be fitted in the trimming area.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a trimming process using an image trimming device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the same trimming process.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a layout scanner having an image trimming device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a processing diagram showing a flow of trimming processing performed by the layout scanner.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an image to be trimmed.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a mask.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a necessary image.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a mask created in a conventional trimming process.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a result of a conventional trimming process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 instruction input means 2 mount information input means 3 image information input means 4 layout means (arithmetic means, moving means) 5, 6 storage means 7 display means 8 output means

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Junya Seo 1-5-1 Taito, Taito-ku, Tokyo Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (72) Inhito Hisato Urase 1-5-1 Taito, Taito-ku, Tokyo Toppan Imprint Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image trimming device for laying out a part of an image to be trimmed on which a mask for extracting a necessary portion of an image is laid out in a predetermined trimming region of a mount area, the trimming region being designated. Storage data, image data of the trimmed image and mask data of the trimmed image, instruction input means for inputting an operator's instruction, and the mount data and the trimmed image are superimposed and displayed. Display means, moving means for positioning the trimmed image based on the instruction input from the instruction input means, and an overlapping area of the transparent area of the mask data and the trimming area of the mount data, and the overlapping area is calculated. And an arithmetic means for extracting the trimmed image corresponding to a region. Packaging equipment.