JPH1011596A - Graphic editing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve operation efficiency by always displaying information on an output device on a display so as to allow a user to know a selected output device without troublesome operation. SOLUTION: When a CPU starts a program for editing graphic, the display displays an editing picture. The editing picture is displayed as an editing window 40 on the screen of the display. The editing window 40 is provided with a title bar 401 at its top part. A menu bar 402 is displayed under the title bar 401. An icon displaying area 400 is provided under the menu bar 402 to display icons 403, 405 and 407. Then one of driver softwares respectively corresponding to plural output devices is selected to select the output device corresponding to the driver software.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a graphic editing apparatus capable of switching a plurality of output devices and outputting data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a device for editing figures and documents (hereinafter simply referred to as a figure editing device in the present specification, a device for editing only figures, a device for editing only documents, and a method for editing figures and documents. Device))
It is known that a plurality of output devices (such as a printer) are switched after editing a figure or a document and output (printing in the case of a printer) is performed using an arbitrary device. In this type of device, generally, driver software corresponding to a plurality of usable output devices is stored in the device in advance. Then, during the execution of the editing program, the output device is designated by selecting driver software corresponding to the output device for outputting the figure or document to be edited (or to be edited). It has become.

[0003]

However, in the conventional graphic editing apparatus as described above, information about the output apparatus is displayed on the display only when the output apparatus is switched and when printing is performed. Therefore, during normal editing, the user cannot know which output device is selected. Since the size and function of usable recording paper vary depending on the type of output device, a correct output device must be selected to obtain an output result intended by the user. In the conventional graphic editing device, in order to know the output device selected at the time of editing, once the printing process is started, information about the output device is displayed on the display, and the selected output device is checked. The processing was interrupted.

As described above, in the conventional graphic editing apparatus, in order to confirm the selected output device, the editing is interrupted, and after confirming the output device, the printing process which is known to be interrupted is started. It was necessary to take a troublesome procedure of interrupting the operation after that, and an improvement was desired.

In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a graphic editing apparatus capable of easily recognizing an output device selected during a graphic editing process.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a graphic editing apparatus for generating and editing a graphic, a symbol, a character, and the like composed of a plurality of objects on a display. A graphic editing device capable of selectively outputting to a plurality of output devices, further comprising an output device selection unit for selecting one of the plurality of output devices, and information on the selected output device. Information display means for constantly displaying information in a predetermined area on the display.

Here, the output device selecting means can select an output device corresponding to the driver software by selecting one of the driver software corresponding to each of the plurality of output devices. The information display means includes an output device selection means, default information set by the output device selection means based on information on the output device of the driver software or information of the driver software, and a display for displaying the information. Can be configured.

It is desirable that the default information include a plurality of types of default information according to the type of the output device.

The information displayed on the display can be a graphic (icon) that visually indicates the output device.

The graphic editing apparatus has a mouse as an operation means for clicking an icon, and a format setting for setting an output format by the selected output device 5 when the icon is clicked. A window may be configured to display a window adjacent to an icon, and have window display control means for closing the setting window when the icon is clicked when the setting window is open. Here, the displayed information can be obtained from the driver software.

[0011] The figure editing apparatus according to claim 8 is
A graphic editing apparatus capable of creating and editing graphics, symbols, characters, and the like composed of a plurality of objects on a display, and selectively outputting the generated graphics to a plurality of output devices. It is characterized by having information acquisition means for acquiring information, and information display means for constantly displaying a predetermined image on the display based on information on the selected output device.

Here, the graphic editing device has driver software corresponding to the plurality of output devices, and is configured to select the corresponding output device by selecting one of the driver software. The information acquisition unit may be configured to acquire information on the selected output device from selected driver software.

Further, the driver software may include bitmap information of the predetermined image displayed on the display.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a simplified appearance of a graphic editing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure editing apparatus 100 includes an apparatus main body 1, a keyboard 2, a mouse 3, and a display 4 connected to the apparatus main body 1 via an interface I / F. In addition, a printer 5 is also provided on the main body 1 of the apparatus.
It is connected via F.

As shown in FIG.
1, a ROM 12, a RAM 13, an HDD 14, and the like. The CPU 11 controls the entire graphic editing apparatus 100 and executes various programs stored in the ROM 12. The RAM 13 has a driver area 13A for storing driver software described later, a bitmap area 13B for storing a bitmap, and a work area 13C for temporarily storing data during the graphic editing process. The figure / document data generated by the figure editing apparatus 100 is stored in an HDD.
14 is stored. The HDD 14 stores driver software for controlling data output to various output devices, corresponding to each output device.

In FIG. 1, a printer 5 is attached to the apparatus main body 1.
Are connected, output devices 5A and 5B can be connected to the apparatus main body 1, and FIG. 3 shows a state where two output devices are connected. Note that a plurality of predetermined output devices (not shown) can be connected to the device main body 1 and used instead of the output devices 5A and 5B. In this case, the driver software corresponding to each output device including the output devices 5A and 5B is stored in the HDD.
14 is recorded. Note that the output device is not limited to a printer, and includes, for example, a case where facsimile data is output via a fax modem.

From the keyboard 2, numbers, characters, symbols, and various commands can be input when editing figures and documents. In addition, the mouse 3 can be used to perform editing processing such as drawing and deformation of figures, and operations such as selection of figures, characters, and menus displayed on the display 4. When the mouse 3 is moved on the desk, the amount and direction of the movement of the mouse 3 are determined by the CPU
11 is input. By pressing a button (mouse button) provided on the mouse 3, a predetermined signal is input from the mouse 4 to the CPU 11.

The CPU 11 displays a mouse pointer on the display 4 together with an image corresponding to the program being executed. In this specification, the operation of placing the mouse cursor at a position indicating a point or a certain area displayed on the display 4 and immediately pressing and releasing the mouse button in that state is referred to as clicking. For example, an operation of positioning a mouse cursor on an icon displayed on the display 4 and immediately pressing and releasing the mouse button is represented by an expression of clicking an icon. Note that the mouse 3 constitutes an operation means according to claim 4.

The display 4 displays an edit screen when the CPU 11 activates a program for editing graphics. FIG. 2 shows an example of the editing screen. The editing screen is displayed as an editing window 40 on the screen 4S of the display 4. The edit window 40 can be repositioned on the screen 4S. To change the position of the editing window 40, the mouse cursor is positioned at a predetermined position in the window 40, and the mouse is moved while holding down the mouse button.

The editing window 40 has a title bar 401 at the top. The title bar 401 displays the title of the file being edited. Title bar 401
A menu bar 402 is displayed below. Various menus are displayed on the menu bar 402. When each menu is clicked or a key operation of the keyboard 2 corresponding to the menu is performed, a submenu of each menu is displayed as a so-called pull-down menu. The user performs an editing operation by selecting a process to be executed from the submenu. Note that there is a submenu item in which a lower menu is displayed in a pull-down manner. Clicking "File" in the menu bar 402 displays a submenu containing "Print Set".
When this “PrintSet” is clicked, a list of driver software names recorded in the HDD 14 is displayed. An output device is selected by selecting a desired driver software name from this list by clicking or the like.

Below the menu bar 402, an icon display area 400 is provided.
At 00, icons 403, 405 and 407 are displayed. Here, the icon 403 is an output device icon indicating the type of the currently selected output device 5, which is a feature of the present embodiment.

The output device icon 403 shown in FIG. 2 is an icon when a tape printer for printing on a tape-shaped recording medium is selected as the output device. Each of the icons 403, 405, and 407 is a switch, and when the icon is clicked, a property window for setting and displaying information about the icon is displayed. When the icon is clicked while the property window is displayed, the property window disappears. Therefore, when the icon 403 is clicked in the state shown in FIG.
04 disappears. At this time, with the disappearance of the property window 404, the display positions of the icons 405, the property windows 406, and the icons 407 on the right side are shifted to the left in FIG. 2 so that the intervals between the icons and windows do not become unnecessarily large. It has become.

Here, inside the output format setting window 404 which is a property window for an output device which is displayed / hidden by clicking the output device icon 403, the output device icon 403 displayed on the display 4 is used. A menu for setting the feed amount of the recording medium, the print color, the width of the medium, and the like are displayed. If the output device corresponding to the output device icon 405 can use recording media of a plurality of sizes, the selection can be made by a menu displayed in the output format setting window 404. The display or disappearance of the property window by clicking the icon is controlled by the CPU 11, and the control of the CPU 11 constitutes a window display control unit according to a fourth aspect.

An icon 405 is a text icon for switching to a text input mode. When the text icon 405 is clicked, a character format window 406 which is a property window for setting a character style as shown in FIG. 2 is displayed. A character format setting window 406 is a window for setting characters, symbols, numbers, and characters to be input, colors, fonts and sizes, and underlines and outlines of selected symbols, numbers, and characters.

An icon 407 is a graphic arrangement icon. Alignment of figures (left alignment, right alignment, centering, distribution of multiple figures, etc.), setting of fill patterns for figures, display / non-display of figure arrangement setting window 408 (see FIG. 4) for performing rotation and deformation of figures, etc. The display is switched by clicking the graphic arrangement icon 407. The above icons 403, 405 and 407 are always displayed on the display 4 and the property window 40
4, 406 and 408 are displayed by clicking the icon.
Hidden switches.

For example, in FIG. 2, for the output device icon 403 and the text icon 405, an output device format setting window 404 and a character format setting window 406 are displayed adjacent to each other. When the text icon 405 and the graphic arrangement icon 407 are clicked in this state, the character format setting window 406 is hidden and the graphic arrangement setting window 408 is adjacent to the graphic arrangement icon 407 as shown in FIG. Is displayed. As can be seen from a comparison between FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, when the character format setting window 406 is not displayed, the interval between the text icon 405 and the graphic arrangement icon 407 is set in the character format setting window 40.
Instead of being displayed at a distance of 6 lengths, it is displayed adjacent to the text icon 405 to improve usability.

Although not shown, when the output format setting window 406 is not displayed, the interval between the output device icon 403 and the text icon 405 also becomes short as described above. That is, when the output format setting window 406 is not displayed, the text icon 405 is displayed on the output device icon 4.
It is displayed adjacent to 03.

Below the icon display area 400 is a figure editing area 410. Scales 409a and 409b are displayed on the upper and left edges of the graphic editing area 410. Further, a toolbar 411 in which draw tools are arranged is displayed on the left side of the graphic editing area 410. In the present embodiment, a figure (object) is basically drawn using vector data.
The whole figure is constituted by the combination of the drawn objects. By using the tool displayed on the toolbar 411, frequently used objects can be easily drawn.

The toolbar 411 includes a select cursor 411a for selecting each object, a text tool 411b for inputting text, a line tool 411c for drawing a straight line, a rectangle tool 411d for drawing a rectangle, and a rectangle with rounded corners. A rounded rectangle tool 411e for drawing, an ellipse tool 411f for drawing circles and ellipses,
A curve tool 411g for drawing an arbitrary curve, a tool 411h for drawing a frame surrounded by double lines, and the like are provided.
By clicking each of these tools, drawing of an object with each tool becomes possible.

In the figure editing area 410, an editing screen 412 for drawing a figure is displayed. The edit screen 412 is
The size corresponds to the selected recording medium (that is, the recording medium of the format set in the output format setting window 404 of the output device icon 403).

Scroll bars 413a and 413b for scrolling the displayed editing screen 412 are provided on the right and lower edges of the graphic editing area 410. By clicking on the portions where the triangles at both ends of the scroll bars 413a and 413b are displayed, the editing screen 412 can be scrolled up, down, left and right. In FIG. 2, since the tape printer is selected as the output device, the editing screen 412 is displayed.
Has a tape shape.

Below the graphic editing area 410, there is provided a function display area 414 showing other functions by graphic.
The other functions are functions for easily drawing documents and figures in various formats, in addition to the basic functions of creating objects composed of vector data and inputting text.

Displayed in the function display area 414 of FIG. 2 are calling of a template (414a), list and input of symbols (414b), and generation of a bar code (414).
c), drawing of figures by bitmap (414d), deformation of text arrangement (414e), reading of other files created by bitmap (414f), display of calendar and clock (414g), list of frames and Read (414h) and execute printing (41
4i). It should be noted that the graphic display 414i of execution of printing is provided.
Changes the graphic displayed in response to the selected output device. In FIG. 2, since the tape printer is selected, the graphic 414i is a graphic showing a state where the tape is output.

The graphic editing apparatus 10 configured as described above
0, the output device icon 403 is always displayed on the display 4 when the graphic editing program is executed. This feature will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the display processing of the output device icon 403. This processing is executed when the graphic editing program is activated and when the output device is changed during the execution of the graphic editing program. To change the output device, as described above, click “File” in the menu bar 402 to display a submenu, and click “Print Set” in the submenu to change the driver stored in the HDD 14. This is performed by displaying a list of software names and clicking a desired driver software name from the list. The processing of the CPU 11 based on this operation constitutes an output device selecting means according to claim 1 of the present invention. Note that an output device must be connected for actual printing. However, in a case where only a figure is edited and the created figure is stored in the HDD 14 as a file, the output apparatus is not necessarily connected. You don't need to be. It is possible to select the driver software even when the output device is not connected, and in this specification, the selection of the output device is performed by simply selecting the driver software without actually connecting the output device. The case is also included.

When the graphic editing program is started (or when the output device is changed during execution of the graphic editing program), the CPU 11 loads driver software corresponding to the output device selected from the HDD 15 into the driver area 13A of the RAM 13. And the driver software is loaded to obtain data on the selected driver (S1). The driver software has information on a recording medium that can be used by the output device, information on a format that can be set, and the like. The driver software according to the present embodiment further has, as information, a bitmap of a graphic displayed as the output device icon 403.

At S3, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the driver software has bitmap information of the output device icon 403. If the driver software has the bitmap information of the output device icon 403, the CPU 11 obtains the bitmap information of the output device icon 403 from the driver software together with information on a recording medium, information on a configurable format, and the like. (S5). Then, in S17, a bitmap acquired from the driver software is displayed as an output device icon 403 at a predetermined position in the icon display area 400.

If the driver software does not have the bitmap information of the output device icon 403, the CPU 11 uses the default bitmap set by the graphic editing program. In the present embodiment, the default bitmap is selected from three types according to the type of the output device.

In S7, the CPU 11 determines whether the selected driver software is a tape driver software, that is, whether the selected output device is a tape printer using a tape-shaped recording medium. If the tape-based driver software is selected, the CPU 11 sets a default icon indicating the tape-based output device in S9, and sets the default icon indicating the tape-based output device in S17 in the output device icon 4.
03 is displayed on the display 4.

If it is determined that the selected driver software is not a tape-based driver software (S7: NO), the CPU 11 determines whether the selected driver software is a stamp-based driver software, that is, the selected output software. It is determined whether or not the device is a device for generating a stamp original. If the stamp-based driver software is selected, the CPU 11 sets a default icon indicating the stamp-based output device in S9, and sets the default icon representing the tape-based output device as the output device icon 403 on the display 4 in S17. indicate.

If it is determined in S11 that the selected driver software is not stamp-based driver software (S11: NO), the CPU 11 sends an output device that uses general recording paper such as A4 size or B5 size. In step S17, a default icon representing a general output device is displayed on the display 4 as an output device icon 403. The processing of S5, S9, S13, and S15 of the CPU 11 constitutes an information acquiring unit according to claim 8, and the CP
The information display means according to claims 1 and 8 is constituted by the processing of S17 of U11.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the icon display area 400 when the tape printer is selected as an output device. The output device icon 403 makes it easy to recognize that the selected output device uses a tape as a recording medium. The output format setting window 404 that is displayed by clicking the output device icon 403 allows the user to set an output format based on information on a recording medium read from the driver software, information on a configurable format, and the like. Each item to perform is displayed.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the icon display area 400 when an output device for creating a stamp master is selected. In this case, the output device icon 4
With 03A, it is possible to easily recognize that the selected output device is related to the stamp. Further, in an output format setting window 404A displayed by clicking the output device icon 403A, items for setting the format of the original stamp are displayed.

FIG. 8 shows an icon display area 40 when a general output device (default bitmap) is selected.
FIG. In this case, the output device icon 4
With 03B, it is possible to easily recognize that the selected output device is an output device using a general sheet as a recording medium. An output format setting window 4 displayed by clicking the output device icon 403B
04B displays items for setting a general paper format.

The above output device icons 403, 403
A, 403B and output form windows 404, 40
4A and 404B are examples, and various graphics can be displayed by bitmap information set by driver software or default bitmap information set by a graphic editing program. Further, the display position does not need to be fixed as described above, and can be moved to an arbitrary position by operating a mouse, for example.

In the above embodiment, the driver software has bitmap information. However, the present invention is not limited to such a form. For example, a nonvolatile writable memory is provided, and the driver software is provided there. If the output device model indicated by the software and the corresponding bitmap are stored, an independent icon can be displayed for each driver software even if the driver software does not have a bitmap. it can. Also, even when new driver software is added, the bitmap can be easily written in the memory.

As described above, since the bitmap representing the selected output device is always displayed on the display as the output device icon during the graphic editing process, the user can determine what kind of recording medium the output device uses. Whether or not the printer is selected can be known not by the name of the printer but by a graphic representing a recording medium. Therefore, the user can reliably specify the output device, and it is not necessary to perform a complicated operation for confirming the output device, and the work efficiency can be improved.

The present invention is not limited to a graphic editing apparatus, but may be applied to a document editing apparatus having a display device and not having a graphic editing function, such as selecting and outputting one from a plurality of output devices, or any other apparatus. Applicable.

[0049]

According to the graphic editing device of the present invention, since the information about the output device is always displayed on the display, the user can know the selected output device without troublesome operation. Work efficiency is improved.

According to the graphic editing device of the present invention, the output device can be selected only by selecting the driver software, so that the selected output device is different from the device to be used by the user. In this case, the output device can be easily switched.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the icon indicating the output device is displayed on the display, the user can easily and reliably determine what kind of recording medium the output device uses. You can figure out.

According to the graphic editing apparatus of the fourth aspect, it is possible to easily set the output format when outputting the edited graphic using the output device.

According to the graphic editing apparatus of the fifth aspect, since the bitmap information is obtained from the driver software, the displayed icons correspond to the output devices without fail.

According to the graphic editing apparatus of the sixth aspect, even if the driver software does not have the bitmap information of the icon, the icon indicating the type of the output device is displayed. Even if is used, an icon is displayed and the usability is improved.

According to the graphic editing apparatus of the seventh aspect,
Since the driver software does not have the bitmap information of the icon because the default information corresponding to at least two different types of output devices is provided, for example, the output device is completely different from a general paper and a tape printer. Even in the case of using a recording medium, the user can identify both of them by icons.

According to the graphic editing apparatus of the eighth aspect,
Since the image indicating the output device is always displayed on the display, the user can know the selected output device without performing a troublesome operation, and the work efficiency is improved.

According to the graphic editing apparatus of the ninth aspect,
Since the graphics are displayed based on the information possessed by the driver software, the graphics corresponding to the selected output device are surely displayed.

According to the graphic editing apparatus of the tenth aspect, it is possible to display bitmap information of an image independent of others for each output device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a simplified appearance of a graphic editing apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a graphic editing screen displayed on a display.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control system of the graphic editing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an icon display area.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating display control of an output device icon.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an icon display area when a tape printer is selected as an output device.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an icon display area when a device for creating a stamp original is selected as an output device.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an icon display area when an output device that uses general paper as recording paper is selected as the output device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Device main body 2 Keyboard 3 Mouse 4 Display 5 Output device 5A Output device 1 5B Output device 2 11 CPU 12 ROM 13 RAM 14 HDD 400 Icon display area 403 Output device icon 404 Output format setting window 405 Text icon 407 Graphic arrangement icon

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A graphic editing apparatus capable of creating and editing graphics, symbols, characters, and the like composed of a plurality of objects on a display, and selectively outputting them to a plurality of output devices. A graphic device comprising: output device selecting means for selecting one of the output devices; and information display means for constantly displaying information on the selected output device in a predetermined area on the display. Editing device. 2. The graphic editing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said output device selecting means selects an output device to be used by selecting driver software corresponding to each of said plurality of output devices. . 3. The graphic editing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information on the output device is an icon indicating the output device. 4. An operation means for clicking the icon, wherein a setting window for setting an output format by the selected output device when the icon is clicked is provided adjacent to the icon. 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising window display control means for displaying and closing the setting window when the icon is clicked when the setting window is open.
The graphic editing device according to 1. 5. The graphic editing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said icon is included in said driver software as bitmap information. 6. The graphic editing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the driver software has default information of an icon to be displayed when the driver software does not have the bitmap information of the icon. 7. The graphic editing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the graphic editing apparatus has default information corresponding to at least two different types of output devices. 8. A graphic editing device capable of creating and editing graphics, symbols, characters, and the like composed of a plurality of objects on a display, and selectively outputting them to a plurality of output devices. A figure which comprises: information acquisition means for acquiring information on an output device being selected; and information display means for constantly displaying a predetermined image on the display based on the information on the selected output device. Editing device. 9. The graphic editing apparatus has driver software corresponding to the plurality of output devices, and is configured to select a corresponding output device by selecting one of the driver software, 9. The graphic editing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the information acquisition unit acquires information about the selected output device from selected driver software. 10. The graphic editing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the driver software has bitmap information of the predetermined image displayed on the display.