Layout Improvement in Diagram Editors by Automatic Ad-hoc Layout

Layout, in the context of diagram editors, is the positioning of diagram components on the screen. Editor users enjoy automatic layout, but they usually like to control the layout at runtime, too. Our pattern-based layout approach allows for automatic and user-controlled layout at the same time: The diagram editor may automatically apply layout patterns to diagram parts based on syntactic rules provided by the editor developer, but editor users may also select diagram parts and then apply layout patterns to them. For instance, user-selected components may be aligned horizontally and remain aligned even after diagram modifications.This paper describes continued work on pattern-based layout. We present automatic ad-hoc layout which combines automatic and user-controlled layout in a new way. While automatic layout is syntax-based and must be specified by the editor developer in advance, automatic ad-hoc layout is solely based on the current diagram layout. Whenever the layout engine detects a situation where a pattern may be applied with no or only small diagram changes, this layout pattern is automatically applied. For instance, if a set of components is almost horizontally aligned on the screen, the horizontal alignment pattern is automatically applied to these components. Such an editor behavior is known from so-called snap lines in commercial diagram editors. Automatic ad-hoc layout generalizes on these manually programmed layout solutions and offers many additional layout features.This paper describes the concept of automatic ad-hoc layout as well as its integration into a diagram editor framework and discusses issues of this new layout approach

Voice Snapping: Inclusive Speech Interaction Techniques for Creative Object Manipulation

Voice input holds significant potential to support people with physical impairments in producing creative visual design outputs, although it is unclear whether well-established interaction methods used for manipulating graphical assets within mainstream creative applications (typically operated via a mouse, keyboard, or touch input) also present benefits for speech interaction. We present three new voice controlled approaches utilizing interface snapping techniques for manipulating a graphical object’s dimensions: NoSnap, UserSnap, and AutoSnap. A user evaluation with people who have physical impairments (N=25) found that each method enabled participants to successfully control a graphical object’s size across a series of design tasks, although the automated snapping approach utilized within AutoSnap was found to be more efficient, accurate, and usable. Subjective feedback from participants also highlighted a strong preference for AutoSnap over the other techniques in terms of efficiency and ease of use

Beyond Snapping: Persistent, Tweakable Alignment and Distribution with StickyLines

International audienceAligning and distributing graphical objects is a common, but cumbersome task. In a preliminary study (six graphic designers , six non-designers), we identified three key problems with current tools: lack of persistence, unpredictability of results, and inability to 'tweak' the layout. We created StickyLines, a tool that treats guidelines as first-class objects: Users can create precise, predictable and persistent interactive alignment and distribution relationships, and 'tweaked' positions can be maintained for subsequent interactions. We ran a [2x2] within-participant experiment to compare Sticky-Lines with standard commands, with two levels of layout difficulty. StickyLines performed 40% faster and required 49% fewer actions than traditional alignment and distribution commands for complex layouts. In study three, six professional designers quickly adopted StickyLines and identified novel uses, including creating complex compound guidelines and using them for both spatial and semantic grouping

形状と位相の編集が可能な手書きCADインターフェースの実現に関する研究

デジタルペンタブレットやタッチディスプレイの普及に伴い，スケッチベースのインタラクティブなCAD（Computer-aided design）ユーザインターフェースが注目を集めている．しかしながら，既存のインターフェースSKIT（Sketch Input Tracer）では，重ね書きストロークの入力による編集操作は，一度に単一の幾何オブジェクトしか対象とすることができないという限界がある．この限界を克服するため本研究ではまず準備として，「自由曲線整形」，「サブ曲線同定」，「IFGS」という要素技術を提案し，SKITの要素技術を拡充する．その上で，2次元CADシステムで使用するための汎用的なスケッチベースのインターフェースを新たに提案する．これにより，重ね書きによって複数の幾何オブジェクトの形状と位相を同時に修正することができるスケッチベースの編集操作が実現される．提案インターフェースは，SKITのファジィ論理に基づく戦略に基づいて開発される．これにより，汎用手書きCADインターフェースで必要となる手書き操作が網羅されることとなる．提案インターフェースを使用することで，ユーザはラフスケッチから始めて，重ね書きを繰り返しながら詳細なデザインを作成するといった作図を創造的に行うことが可能となる．実験により，熟練者が提案インターフェースを制御することができ，初心者がその制御に慣れることが可能であることを示す．With the widespread use of digital pen tablets and touch displays, sketch-based interactive computer-aided design (CAD) user interfaces have attracted considerable attention. In an existing interface called the Sketch Input Tracer (SKIT), however, the editing operation performed via an over-sketching stroke can target only a single geometric object at any given time. To overcome this limitation, in this paper, free-curve shaping, sub-curve identifier, and IFGS are proposed as preparations, which extends elemental techniques in existing SKIT. After that I propose a new general-purpose sketch-based interface developed for use in two-dimensional CAD systems. In the proposed interface, a sketch-based editing operation can simultaneously modify the geometry and topology of multiple geometric objects via over-sketching. The interface was developed based on the fuzzy logic-based strategy of SKIT. With this interface, a user can draw in a creative manner; for example, they can begin with a rough sketch and progressively create a detailed design through repeated over-sketches. The results of experiments conducted demonstrate that experts can control the proposed interactive drawing interface and beginners can habituate to controlling it.室蘭工業大学 (Muroran Institute of Technology)博士（工学