Information processing device and information processing method

Abstract

This allows for easy selection of desired objects from a specified range of objects, depending on the situation. [Solution] The PC (1) includes a setting unit (51) that sets the attributes of objects to be extracted within a range specified by a pointer shown on a screen containing multiple objects, and within a range containing at least one object; a storage unit (4) that stores multiple pointers whose attributes have been set by the setting unit (51); a selection unit (52) that selects one of the pointers stored in the storage unit (4) by user operation; a specification unit (53) that specifies a range by the user operating the pointer selected by the selection unit (52); and an extraction unit (54) that extracts objects within the range specified by the specification unit (53) that have the attributes set in the pointer as targets for editing.

Description

【Technical Field】 【0004】 , , , , , , , , , 【0005】 , , , , , 【0001】 The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that selects an object within a specified range. 【Background Art】 【0002】 In an information processing apparatus having an editing function, an editing target is selected by operating a pointing device such as a mouse on a screen, and a desired edit is performed on the selected editing target. As a method for selecting an editing target, there are a method of selecting editing targets one by one and a method of selecting a plurality of editing targets by range. 【0003】 For example, Patent Document 1 describes a programming method for selecting an object located within a selection area as an editing target on an editing screen for programming a function block diagram (FBD). The programming method further selects, as an editing target, an object of a set target type among the objects within the selection area by setting a target type indicating the type of the object to be selected in a selection state on an object type selection screen. 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0004】 【Patent Document 1】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-119776 【Summary of the Invention】 【Problems to be Solved by the Invention】 【0005】 Regarding the selection of an object, there is a desire to vary the object to be selected according to the situation, user, etc., even on the same screen. However, the setting of the selection state on the above object type selection screen is common to all editing screens. Therefore, it is not possible to set the object to be selected within the selection area according to the situation, user, etc. 【0006】 One aspect of the present invention aims to enable easy selection of a desired object from a specified range of objects, depending on the situation. [Means for solving the problem] 【0007】 To solve the above problems, an information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a setting unit that sets the attributes of objects extracted within a range specified by a pointer shown on a screen containing a plurality of objects, the range containing at least one of the objects, to the pointer; a storage unit that stores a plurality of pointers whose attributes have been set by the setting unit; a selection unit that selects one of the pointers stored in the storage unit by user operation; a designation unit that designates the range by the user operating the pointer selected by the selection unit; and an extraction unit that extracts, from the objects in the range designated by the designation unit, the object having the attributes set in the pointer as an editing target. 【0008】 To solve the above problems, an information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a setting step of setting the attributes of objects extracted within a range specified by a pointer shown on a screen containing a plurality of objects, the range containing at least one of the objects, to the pointer; a storage step of storing the plurality of pointers whose attributes have been set in the setting step in a storage unit; a selection step of selecting one of the pointers stored in the storage unit by user operation; a specifying step of specifying the range by the user operating the pointer selected in the selection step; and an extraction step of extracting, as an editing target, the object having the attributes set in the pointer from among the objects in the range specified in the specifying step. [Effects of the Invention] 【0009】 According to one aspect of the present invention, a desired object can be easily selected from a specified range of objects according to the situation, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0010】 [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a PC according to Embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows a portion of the screen displayed by an application program on a PC according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This diagram shows a pop-up window for configuring the settings to add a pointer that will be displayed on the screen shown above. [Figure 4] The diagram above shows the dropdown list for selecting the pointer that was added to the screen shown above. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the operation of the designated section on the above PC to specify the range for extracting objects included in the above screen as editing targets. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the operation of the display control unit in the above PC, which makes the display mode of the objects extracted by the specified range different from the display mode of the objects that were not extracted. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the procedure by which the specified part of the PC extracts objects within the specified range as editing targets in response to the operation of the pointer. [Figure 8] This figure shows a portion of the screen displayed by an application program on a PC according to a modified example of Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the operation in which the designated part of the PC related to the above modification specifies the above range using a free-form drawing. [Figure 10] This diagram shows how the designated part in the PC related to the above modification specifies the range using a polygon. [Figure 11] The flowchart shows the procedure for specifying a range using a rectangle, freeform shape, or polygon in the designated area. [Figure 12]This is a diagram showing the operation of setting an attribute to a pointer for an object within a specified range by the setting unit in the PC according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 13] This is a diagram showing a pop-up window for making settings to add a pointer displayed on the screen in the PC according to Embodiment 2. 【Modes for Carrying Out the Invention】 【0011】 〔Embodiment 1〕 Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described in detail. 【0012】 〈Configuration of the PC〉 FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a PC (Personal Computer) 1 according to Embodiments 1 and 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a part of the screen displayed by an application program in the PC1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a pop-up window 103 for making settings to add a pointer displayed on the screen 100. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a drop-down list 102 for selecting the pointer added on the screen 100. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of the specifying unit 53 in the PC1 for specifying a range for extracting an object included in the screen 100 as an editing target. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the operation of the display control unit 56 in the PC1 for making the display mode of the object extracted by the range specification different from the display mode of the object not extracted. 【0013】 The PC1 (information processing device) is a computer device that implements a general-purpose OS (Operating System). The PC1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a main memory, an auxiliary storage device (e.g., a hard disk device), etc. The PC1 realizes a function of editing a plurality of objects included in the screen displayed by the PC1 when the CPU executes an application program. As shown in FIG. 1, the PC1 includes a display unit 2, an operation unit 3, a storage unit 4, and a control unit 5. 【0014】 The display unit 2 displays a screen as a result of the execution of an application program. The operation unit 3 is a device such as a pointing device like a mouse or a character input device like a keyboard. Also, in response to the user operating the pointing device of the operation unit 3, the display unit 2 shows a pointer on the screen indicating the position indicated by the operation unit 3. 【0015】 In the following description, as an example of an application program, a screen creation program for creating a screen displayed by a programmable display is used. The screen displayed by the programmable display is a screen including various objects for displaying the states of input / output devices connected to a control device such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or for receiving operations on a touch panel. As objects provided on the screen, various component images such as a numerical display component, a lamp component, and a switch component are prepared, and graphics and lines are also prepared. The screen creation program has a function of editing such objects. 【0016】 Note that the application program executed on the PC 1 is not limited to the screen creation program. Such an application program has a function of editing objects, and as will be described later, any program that can extract objects within a specified range as editing targets can be applied to the present invention. Such programs are application programs such as a presentation program, a spreadsheet program, and a drawing program. 【0017】 The storage unit 4 consists of main memory and auxiliary storage devices, and temporarily stores various data generated when an application program is executed, as well as data to be saved after the application program has finished running. For example, the storage unit 4 stores multiple pointers whose attributes have been set by the setting unit 51, which will be described later, as data. The storage unit 4 also stores a default pointer (unset pointer) that does not have any specific attributes set. The default pointer is a normal pointer used to extract all objects within a specified range as targets for editing. 【0018】 The control unit 5 is a functional block realized by the CPU executing an application program. The control unit 5 writes and reads data to and from the storage unit 4 in response to the user's operations on the operation unit 3, and also controls the operation of the display unit 2. The control unit 5 also includes a setting unit 51, a selection unit 52, a designation unit 53, an extraction unit 54, an editing unit 55, and a display control unit 56 for editing objects. 【0019】 The setting unit 51 includes at least one object and sets the attributes of the object to be extracted within the range specified by the pointer described above, prior to the range being specified by the designation unit 53. 【0020】 As shown in Figure 2, under the control of the display control unit 56 (described later), a menu bar 101 located at the top of the screen 100 displayed on the display unit 2 is provided with a menu 101a for adding pointer functionality. When menu 101a is clicked by the mouse of the operation unit 3, a drop-down list 102 is displayed. 【0021】 When the "Add Pointer" item in the dropdown list 102 is clicked, the setting unit 51 provides the display control unit 56 with PW (Pop-up Window) data to display the popup window 103 for adding a pointer, as shown in Figure 3. The setting unit 51 presents a list of predetermined attribute candidates in the popup window 103 and sets the attribute selected from these candidates to the pointer. 【0022】 The pop-up window 103 has a pointer name input field 103a, a color setting field 103b, a type input field 103c, an object name input field 103d, a size input field 103e, an OK button 103f, and a cancel button 103g. 【0023】 The pointer name entry field 103a is provided for entering the name to be assigned to the pointer to be added. The color setting field 103b is provided for setting the color of the pointer to be added, allowing selection of pre-defined colors in the form of a dropdown list or similar. 【0024】 The Type input field 103c is provided for selecting the type of object attribute to be attached to the pointer being added. The type is selected by checking the checkbox. "Drawing" mainly refers to objects that are drawn, such as shapes and lines, as attributes. "Parts" refers to parts as described above as attributes. "Layout" refers to the background on which the object is placed as an attribute; for example, a plain "Canvas" and a grid-like "Grid" are available. 【0025】 The object name entry field 103d is provided for entering the name of an object as an attribute. The object name entry field 103d also has a checkbox to enable the use of regular expressions for the object name. 【0026】 The size input field 103e is provided to define the object's attributes by its size. The size input field 103e allows you to select at least one of the object's vertical and horizontal dimensions and enter it in dots. 【0027】 The OK button 103f is an operation button used to confirm the addition of a pointer. The Cancel button 103g is an operation button used to cancel the addition of a pointer. The setting unit 51 sets the attributes entered in each field of the popup window 103 to be added as pointers based on the operation of the OK button 103f. 【0028】 The setting unit 51 stores and registers the pointer to be added, with its attributes set, in the storage unit 4. The setting unit 51 also adds the newly registered pointer to the dropdown list 102. 【0029】 The fields 103c (Type), 103d (Object Name), and 103e (Size) are enabled by checking the corresponding checkboxes. Furthermore, the information entered in these fields can be combined using "AND" or "OR". 【0030】 Therefore, a first radio button for selecting "AND" or "OR" is provided between the type input field 103c and the object name input field 103d. Additionally, a second radio button for selecting "AND" or "OR" is provided between the object name input field 103d and the size input field 103e. 【0031】 For example, if "AND" is selected in the first radio button, the setting unit 51 sets each attribute so that the attributes entered in both the type entry field 103c and the object name entry field 103d become valid. Also, if "OR" is selected in the first radio button, the setting unit 51 sets each attribute so that the attributes entered in either the type entry field 103c or the object name entry field 103d become valid. 【0032】 When "AND" is selected in the second radio button, the setting unit 51 sets each attribute so that the attributes entered in both the object name entry field 103d and the size entry field 103e become valid. When "OR" is selected in the second radio button, the setting unit 51 sets each attribute so that the attributes entered in either the object name entry field 103d or the size entry field 103e become valid. 【0033】 The selection unit 52 selects one pointer from those stored in the storage unit 4 based on user input. Specifically, in response to a mouse click by the user, the selection unit 52 presents the pointers stored in the storage unit 4 in a list format using the drop-down list 102 shown in Figure 4, allowing selection based on their attributes. The selection unit 52 then selects one pointer indicated in the drop-down list 102 based on user input. In the drop-down list 102, the pointers shown below the "Add Pointer" item are the ones that can be selected. 【0034】 In the dropdown list 102, "Select from predefined attributes" refers to predefined attributes, such as object types. When "Select from predefined attributes" in the dropdown list 102 is selected, the selection unit 52 displays a sublist 102a containing the predefined attributes on the display unit 2 via the display control unit 56. In response to a mouse click by the user, when one attribute is selected from the sublist 102a, the selection unit 52 selects the pointer to which that attribute is set. 【0035】 The designation unit 53 specifies the range described above by the user operating the pointer selected by the selection unit 52. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the user performs a drag operation to move the pointer P diagonally from the starting point 200a to the ending point 200b of a click operation, so as to pass through a horizontally elongated area where multiple sets of three types of objects OBJ1 to OBJ3 are arranged. In response to this drag operation, the designation unit 53 generates a designation frame 200 surrounding the objects OBJ1 to OBJ3 and displays the designation frame 200 on the display unit 2 via the display control unit 56. When the drag operation is released, the designation unit 53 specifies the range and stops displaying the designation frame 200 on the display unit 2 via the display control unit 56. 【0036】 Here, object OBJ1 is a rectangle. Object OBJ2 is a numerical indicator. A numerical indicator is a component of a display that shows numerical values ​​based on numerical data obtained from control equipment, etc. Object OBJ3 is a straight line placed between two rows in which objects OBJ1 and OBJ2 are arranged alternately, and below the bottom row of that row. 【0037】 The extraction unit 54 extracts objects within the range specified by the designation unit 53 that have the attributes set in the pointer as targets for editing. In addition, when the default pointer described above is used, the extraction unit 54 extracts all objects within the range specified by the designation unit 53 as targets for editing. 【0038】 The extraction unit 54, in order to identify the extracted objects, displays an extraction frame F containing multiple circular marks surrounding the extracted objects OBJ1 to OBJ3, as shown in Figure 5, on the display unit 2 via the display control unit 56. Figure 5 shows an example in which all objects OBJ1 to OBJ3 within the specified frame 200 are extracted when the default pointer P is used. The extraction unit 54 provides frame data to the display control unit 56 for displaying the extraction frame F on the display unit 2. 【0039】 The editing unit 55 performs various edits on the objects extracted by the extraction unit 54, in accordance with the editing operations performed by the user using the operation unit 3. The editing functions provided by the editing unit 55 include common editing functions such as copy, cut, delete, paste, enlarge / reduce, and attribute change. 【0040】 The display control unit 56 controls the display unit 2 to display the screen. Specifically, the display control unit 56 displays the screen based on the screen data edited by the editing unit 55. The display control unit 56 changes the display state of the screen in response to screen operations (mouse clicks, drags, etc.) performed by the user using the operation unit 3. 【0041】 The display control unit 56 displays a pop-up window 103 on the display unit 2 in accordance with the PU data from the setting unit 51. The display control unit 56 displays a pointer on the display unit 2 that is used when a range is specified by the designation unit 53. The display control unit 56 displays an extracted frame F on the display unit 2 in accordance with the frame data from the extraction unit 54. The display control unit 56 updates the screen state in accordance with the editing operation performed by the editing unit 55 and the change instructions given by the editing unit 55. The display control unit 56 controls the display unit 2 so that the display patterns of objects extracted by the extraction unit 54 are emphasized compared to the display patterns of objects that were not extracted. 【0042】 <Adding pointers, then extracting and editing objects using the added pointers> This section describes the functions of the control unit 5, including adding a pointer, specifying a range using the added pointer, extracting objects within the specified range, and editing the extracted objects. 【0043】 First, when a user clicks menu 101a on the menu bar 101 shown in Figure 2 using the mouse on the operation unit 3, a dropdown list 102 is displayed. When the "Add Points" menu item in the dropdown list 102 is clicked, the settings unit 51 displays a pop-up window 103 on the display unit 2. 【0044】 When the user enters attributes in the popup window 103 and clicks the OK button 103f, the setting unit 51 sets the attributes for the pointer to be added (setting step). The setting unit 51 also stores the pointer in the storage unit 4 (storage step). As a result, the pointer with the set attributes is registered. The setting unit 51 also adds the registered pointer as the pointer name to the dropdown list 102. 【0045】 As shown in Figure 4, when a pointer name is selected by the user from the pointer names added to the dropdown list 102, the selection unit 52 selects one pointer from those stored in the storage unit 4 (selection step). 【0046】 In response to the user dragging the pointer selected by the selection unit 52, the designation unit 53 generates a designation frame 200 surrounding objects OBJ1 to OBJ3, for example as shown in Figure 6, to specify the range (designation step). 【0047】 The extraction unit 54 extracts object OBJ1 from among the objects OBJ1 to OBJ3 within the range specified by the designation unit 53, for example, object OBJ1 having the attributes "yellow" and "square" set in the pointer, as the object to be edited (extraction step). 【0048】 The display control unit 56 causes the display unit 2 to display the display mode of object OBJ1 extracted by the extraction unit 54 in a manner that emphasizes it compared to the display modes of objects OBJ2 and OBJ that were not extracted. 【0049】 For example, as shown in Figure 6, suppose object OBJ1 is extracted from among the objects OBJ1 to OBJ3 included in the designated frame 200. In this case, the display control unit 56 controls the display unit 2 so that the display mode of object OBJ1 in the extraction frame F remains unchanged, while the display modes of the unextracted objects OBJ2 and OBJ3 are grayed out. This allows the display control unit 56 to highlight object OBJ1 on the display unit 2. Alternatively, in the above case, the display control unit 56 may control the display unit 2 to change the display mode of object OBJ1 in the extraction frame F to a display mode that is more prominent than the other display modes, for example, the display modes of objects OBJ2 and OBJ3. 【0050】 The editorial team 55 applies the various editing processes described above to the extracted object OBJ1 in response to editing operations performed by the user. 【0051】 By the way, the pointers registered as described above can have their attributes changed (edited) by calling up the popup window 103 from the dropdown list 102. This makes it easy to change the attributes that were previously set for the added pointers. 【0052】 Furthermore, the settings unit 51 may also configure the popup window 103 to assign the added pointer to a keyboard shortcut. 【0053】 Furthermore, pointers added by users may be stored in the storage unit 4 in association with the user ID used when logging into the application program. This allows each user to use only the pointers they have added in the past that are associated with their own user ID. Therefore, each user can use their own personalized pointers that are customized for ease of use. Moreover, each user can edit only the pointers associated with their own user ID. 【0054】 <Details on range selection and object extraction using pointers with attributes> The range specification using a pointer with attributes set by the designation unit 53 and the object extraction by the extraction unit 54 will be explained in detail. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure by which the designation unit 53 of PC1 extracts objects within the specified range as editing targets in response to pointer manipulation. 【0055】 First, the user selects a pointer to use to extract the desired object from the registered pointers. Then, as shown in Figure 7, the specification unit 53 determines whether a range has been specified by the user manipulating the pointer (step S1). 【0056】 In step S1, if the designation unit 53 determines that no range has been specified (NO), it continues to perform the determination. Also in step S1, if the designation unit 53 determines that a range has been specified (YES), it creates a first list in, for example, the storage unit 4 based on all objects in the specified range and assigns an identification number to each object (step S2). For example, the designation unit 53 assigns a natural number identification number to each object in the first list in order from 1. 【0057】 Next, the designation unit 53 reads the attributes set for the pointer used for the designated range from the storage unit 4 as the object extraction conditions (step S3). The designation unit 53, for example, uses the name of the selected pointer as the key and reads the attributes associated with that name. 【0058】 The designation unit 53 attempts to retrieve one object from the first list according to its identification number (step S4). The designation unit 53 determines whether or not it was possible to retrieve the object after attempting to retrieve it (step S5). In step S5, if the designation unit 53 determines that it was possible to retrieve the object (YES), it determines whether or not the retrieved object matches the extraction criteria (step S6). 【0059】 In step S6, if the designation unit 53 determines that the retrieved object matches the extraction criteria (YES), it adds the object that matches the extraction criteria to the second list (step S7). The designation unit 53 creates the second list, for example, in the storage unit 4. 【0060】 Then, the designation unit 53 adds 1 to the identification number (step S8) in order to retrieve the next object from the first list, and returns the process to step S4. Also, in step S6, if the designation unit 53 determines that the retrieved object does not match the extraction criteria (NO), the process moves to step S8. 【0061】 Furthermore, if the designation unit 53 determines in step S5 that it is impossible to extract an object (NO), the extraction unit 54 determines whether or not an object matching the extraction criteria is included in the second list (step S9). In this case, since the determination of whether or not an object matches the extraction criteria has been made for all objects extracted to the first list, the process in step S9 is performed as the next step. In step S9, if the extraction unit 54 determines that an object matching the extraction criteria is included in the second list (YES), it extracts the object from the second list as the object to be edited (step S10). 【0062】 Furthermore, the display control unit 56 changes the display mode of objects other than the extracted objects (step S11) and then finishes the process. The display control unit 56 changes the display mode of objects that were not extracted to, for example, the grayed-out display described above. 【0063】 Furthermore, if the extraction unit 54 determines in step S9 that no object matching the extraction criteria is included in the second list (NO), it terminates the process because the object to be extracted is not included in the second list. 【0064】 <Effects of the Embodiment> As described above, the PC1 according to this embodiment includes a storage unit 4, a setting unit 51, a selection unit 52, a designation unit 53, and an extraction unit 54. The setting unit 51 sets the attributes of selected objects to a pointer within a range that includes at least one object. The storage unit 4 stores a plurality of pointers whose attributes have been set by the setting unit 51. The selection unit 52 selects one pointer from those stored in the storage unit 4 by user operation. The designation unit 53 specifies a range by the user operating the pointer selected by the selection unit 52. The extraction unit 54 extracts objects within the range specified by the designation unit 53 that have the attributes set in the pointer as objects to be edited. 【0065】 In PC1 configured in this way, when a range is specified on the screen by user operation using a selected pointer, objects within that range that possess the attributes set to the selected pointer are extracted as editing targets. In this way, by specifying a range using a selected pointer, only the desired objects can be extracted from the objects within the specified range. Furthermore, the user can select and use a pointer that corresponds to the object to be extracted from a set of pointers with multiple attributes. Therefore, it is possible to easily extract the desired object from the objects within the specified range according to the situation. 【0066】 <Variations> Next, a modified example of this embodiment will be described. 【0067】 Figure 8 shows a part of the screen displayed by the application program in PC1 according to a modified example of Embodiment 1. Figure 9 shows the operation of the designation unit 53 in PC1 according to this modified example to specify a range using a free shape. Figure 10 shows the operation of the designation unit 53 in PC1 according to this modified example to specify a range using a polygon. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the designation unit 53 to specify a range using a rectangle, a free shape, or a polygon. 【0068】 In the modified PC1, the designation section 53 specifies the range using one shape selected from a plurality of different shapes provided for the range. Here, the plurality of different shapes include quadrilaterals, free shapes, and polygons. A quadrilateral is a normal range shape where the diagonals are right angles, such as the designation frame 200 shown in Figure 5. A free shape is a shape that does not form a specific shape, such as a lasso. A polygon is a shape that has three or more vertices. Note that polygons include the above quadrilaterals, but also quadrilaterals where the diagonals are not right angles. 【0069】 As shown in Figure 8, the display control unit 56 controls the menu bar 101 on the screen 100 described above, which is provided with a menu 101b for selecting a shape to be used for range selection. When menu 101b is clicked by the mouse of the operation unit 3, a drop-down list 104 is displayed. The drop-down list 104 includes rectangles, free shapes, and polygons. When the user performs an operation corresponding to one of the shapes selected from the drop-down list 104, the designation unit 53 designates the shape corresponding to the operation as the range. 【0070】 The designation unit 53 generates a designation frame 300 for a free shape according to the trajectory drawn by dragging with the left mouse button clicked, as shown in Figure 9. When the left click is released, the designation unit 53 completes the lasso shape by connecting the release point and the starting point with a straight line, even if the release point does not coincide with the starting point of the click operation, as long as the release point is close enough to the starting point. 【0071】 Furthermore, the designation unit 53, as shown in Figure 10, determines the vertices of a polygon when a left-click operation and an operation to release the left-click operation are performed, and generates a polygon designation frame 400 connecting each vertex when a right-click operation and an operation to release the right-click operation are performed. 【0072】 Figures 9 and 10 show examples where object OBJ2 is extracted in designated frames 300 and 400, respectively, and the extraction frame F is displayed. 【0073】 Next, the process of specifying a range using one of the above-mentioned shapes by the designation unit 53 will be explained. The range specification process is performed as a subroutine that takes place prior to step S1 in the flowchart shown in Figure 7. 【0074】 As shown in Figure 11, first, the designation unit 53 determines which designated shape it is based on the user's click operation in the dropdown list 104 (step S21). 【0075】 In step S21, when the designation unit 53 determines that a rectangle has been selected, it determines the starting point by a left-click operation (step S22) and moves the pointer in accordance with the drag operation that follows the left-click operation (step S23). Next, the designation unit 53 determines the ending point when the drag operation is released (step S24). Then, the designation unit 53 designates the rectangle with the line connecting the starting point and the ending point as its diagonal as the range (step S25) and returns the process to the main routine. 【0076】 In step S21, when the designation unit 53 determines that a free shape has been selected, it determines the starting point by a left-click operation (step S26) and draws the trajectory of the drag operation in accordance with the drag operation that follows the left-click operation (step S27). Next, the designation unit 53 determines the ending point when the drag operation is released (step S28). Then, the designation unit 53 determines whether the distance between the starting point and the ending point is within a predetermined distance (step S29). 【0077】 In step S29, if the designation unit 53 determines that the distance between the start point and the end point is within a predetermined distance (YES), it specifies a range by connecting the start point and the end point (step S30) and returns the process to the main routine. Also, in step S29, if the designation unit 53 determines that the distance between the start point and the end point is not within a predetermined distance (NO), it returns the process to step S26. 【0078】 In step S21, if the designation unit 53 determines that a polygon has been selected, it determines the starting point by a left-click operation (step S31). Next, the designation unit 53 determines whether the left-click operation was performed at a different position than the previous left-click operation (step S32). 【0079】 In step S32, if the designation unit 53 determines that the left-click operation was performed at a different position than the previous left-click operation (YES), it draws a straight line between the positions of the previous and current left-click operations (step S33). Also in step S32, if the designation unit 53 determines that the left-click operation was not performed at a different position than the previous left-click operation, i.e., the click operation is at the same position (NO), it waits until the click operation is at a different position. 【0080】 Next, the designation unit 53 determines whether a right-click operation has been performed (step S34). In step S34, if the designation unit 53 determines that a right-click operation has been performed (YES), it determines whether three or more left-click operations have been performed before the right-click operation (step S35). In step S35, if the designation unit 53 determines that three or more left-click operations have been performed (YES), it draws a straight line between the position of the last left-click operation and the starting point to specify a range (step S36), and then returns the process to the main routine. 【0081】 Furthermore, in step S34, if the designation unit 53 determines that no right-click operation was performed (NO), the process returns to step S32. Also, in step S35, if the designation unit 53 determines that no left-click operations were performed three or more times (NO), the process returns to step S31. Alternatively, in step S35, if the designation unit 53 determines that no left-click operations were performed three or more times (NO), the process may return to step S32. 【0082】 As described above, by selecting one of several shapes and specifying a range, it is possible to use a range of a suitable shape depending on the placement position of the object. For example, in the example shown in Figure 9, it is possible to generate specified frames 300 and 400 to exclude and extract a portion of object OBJ2. 【0083】 [Embodiment 2] Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described below. For the sake of convenience, components having the same function as those described in Embodiment 1 will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated. 【0084】 Figure 12 shows the operation in which the setting unit in PC1 according to Embodiment 2 sets attributes to pointers for objects within a specified range. Figure 13 shows a pop-up window 103A for setting to add pointers displayed on the screen in PC1 according to Embodiment 2. 【0085】 In the PC1 according to this embodiment, the setting unit 51 sets attributes to the default pointer based on the objects included in the range specified by the designation unit 53, when the user operates the default pointer selected by the selection unit 52. As a result, the designation unit 53 generates a new pointer with the attributes set. 【0086】 Specifically, when the setting unit 51 generates a selection frame 200 by dragging pointer P as the default pointer via the designation unit 53, it displays the pop-up menu 105 shown on the left side of Figure 12 on the display unit 2 via the display control unit 56. The pop-up menu 105 contains items for setting attributes such as "Select from predefined attributes," "Automatic candidate list," "Lines only," and "Vertical and horizontal size 100 dots or less." 【0087】 "Select from predefined attributes" is an item for selecting from attributes that have already been set (defined) in Embodiment 1. When "Select from predefined attributes" is selected by the user, the setting unit 51 displays a list of further predefined attributes as a submenu 105a on the display unit 2 via the display control unit 56. 【0088】 The "Automatic Candidate List" is an item for selecting an attribute from a list of attribute candidates (automatic candidate list) based on objects included in the range specified by the designation unit 53. When the "Automatic Candidate List" is selected by the user, the setting unit 51 creates a list of attribute candidates based on objects included in the range specified by the designation unit 53 and presents it to the user in the form of a submenu 105b. Specifically, the setting unit 51 displays the submenu 105b on the display unit 2 via the display control unit 56. The setting unit 51 sets the attribute selected by the user from the automatic candidate list as the default pointer. 【0089】 The options "Lines only" and "Vertical and horizontal size 100 pixels or less" are also available in the dropdown list 102 shown in Figure 4. 【0090】 The setting unit 51 may display the popup window 103A shown in Figure 13 on the display unit 2 via the display control unit 56. The setting unit 51 displays the popup window 103A when the "Add Pointer" menu in the dropdown list 102 shown in Figure 2 is clicked. The popup window 103A displays a dropdown list 103h titled "Previously Used Pointers". When one pointer is selected from the names of previously used pointers listed in the dropdown list 103h, the setting unit 51 sets the attributes of that pointer to the default pointer. 【0091】 The setting unit 51 provides the display control unit 56 with PU data different from that of the aforementioned popup window 103 in order to display the popup menu 105, submenus 105a, 105b, and popup window 103A on the display unit 2. 【0092】 Memory unit 4 stores the newly generated pointer. 【0093】 The display control unit 56 controls the display unit 2 to highlight objects having the attributes selected from the candidates in the automatic candidate list. The form of highlighting may be the form in which the extracted objects in Embodiment 1 are highlighted, or it may be any other form. 【0094】 As described above, PC1 can set attributes to default pointers while visually confirming which objects to select based on a specified range of objects. 【0095】 Furthermore, the attribute selected from the candidates in the automatically generated list of candidates is set as the default pointer. This prevents the misconfiguration of setting an attribute unrelated to the specified range of objects as the default pointer. 【0096】 Additionally, objects possessing the selected attributes from the candidates are highlighted. This allows for visual confirmation of the selected objects within the specified range. 【0097】 [Examples of implementation using software] The functions of PC1 are realized by the above-described application program, which enables PC1 to function as an information processing device according to the present invention and to perform the information processing method according to the present invention. The application program is a program that enables PC1 to function as each control block (particularly the control unit 5) of PC1. 【0098】 In this case, PC1 is a computer having at least one control device (the CPU described above) and a storage device (for example, the storage unit 4 described above) as hardware for executing the application program. By executing the application program using this control device and storage device, each of the functions described in the embodiment is realized. 【0099】 The application program may be recorded on one or more computer-readable recording media, not temporary ones. These recording media may or may not be provided by the device. In the latter case, the control program may be supplied to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium. 【0100】 Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the above-mentioned control blocks can also be realized by logic circuits. For example, an integrated circuit in which logic circuits functioning as each of the above-mentioned control blocks are formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, it is also possible to realize the functions of each of the above-mentioned control blocks by, for example, a quantum computer. 【0101】 Furthermore, each process described in the above embodiment may be performed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI ​​may operate on the control device described above, or it may operate on other devices (for example, an edge computer or a cloud server). 【0102】 〔summary〕 An information processing device according to aspect 1 of the present invention includes: a setting unit that sets the attributes of an object selected within a range specified by a pointer shown on a screen including a plurality of objects, the range including at least one of the objects, to the pointer; a storage unit that stores a plurality of pointers whose attributes have been set by the setting unit; a selection unit that selects one of the pointers stored in the storage unit by user operation; a designation unit that specifies the range by the user operating the pointer selected by the selection unit; and an extraction unit that extracts from the objects in the range specified by the designation unit that have the attributes set in the pointer as objects to be edited. 【0103】 In the above configuration, objects within a specified range on the screen that possess the attributes set to the selected pointer are extracted as editable objects. Therefore, by specifying a range using the selected pointer, only the desired objects can be extracted from the objects within that range. Furthermore, the user can select and use the appropriate pointer from among pointers with multiple attributes set, depending on the object to be extracted. Thus, the desired objects can be easily extracted from the objects within a specified range according to the situation. 【0104】 In the information processing device according to aspect 2 of the present invention, in aspect 1, the setting unit may set the attribute to the pointer prior to the designation of the range by the designation unit. 【0105】 According to the above configuration, attributes can be set for objects that are pre-defined as targets for editing. 【0106】 In the information processing device according to aspect 3 of the present invention, in aspect 2, the setting unit may present predetermined candidate attributes and set the attribute selected from the candidates to the pointer. 【0107】 In the above configuration, the desired attribute is set to the pointer by selecting it from the presented attribute candidates. This allows for efficient attribute setting. 【0108】 In the information processing device according to aspect 4 of the present invention, in aspect 2 or 3, the selection unit may present the pointers stored in the storage unit in a list format so that they can be selected based on their attributes. 【0109】 With the above configuration, users can easily select pointers based on their attributes. 【0110】 In an information processing apparatus according to aspect 5 of the present invention, in aspect 1 or 4, the storage unit stores an unset pointer which is the pointer for which the attribute has not been set, and the setting unit sets the attribute to the unset pointer based on the object included in the range specified by the designation unit when the user operates the unset pointer selected by the selection unit, thereby generating a new pointer with the attribute set, and the storage unit stores the generated new pointer. 【0111】 With the above configuration, for objects within a specified range, it is possible to visually confirm which objects to select and set their attributes to an unassigned pointer. 【0112】 In the information processing device according to aspect 6 of the present invention, in aspect 5, the setting unit may create and present candidate attributes based on the objects included in the range specified by the designation unit, and set the attribute selected from the candidates to the unset pointer. 【0113】 The above configuration avoids the misconfiguration of setting attributes unrelated to the specified range of objects to the pointer. 【0114】 An information processing device according to embodiment 7 of the present invention may further include, in embodiment 6, a display unit that displays the screen, and a display control unit that controls the display unit to highlight the object having the attribute selected from the candidates. 【0115】 With the above configuration, selected objects within a specified range can be visually confirmed. 【0116】 An information processing device according to embodiment 8 of the present invention may further include a display unit that displays the screen in embodiment 1, and a display control unit that controls the display unit to highlight the objects extracted by the extraction unit. 【0117】 With the above configuration, the objects extracted within the specified range can be visually confirmed. 【0118】 In the information processing device according to aspect 9 of the present invention, in aspect 1, the designating unit may designate the range with one shape selected from a plurality of different shapes provided for the range. 【0119】 With the above configuration, a range of shapes suitable for the placement of objects can be used. 【0120】 An information processing method according to aspect 10 of the present invention includes a setting step of setting the attributes of objects extracted within a range specified by a pointer shown on a screen including a plurality of objects, the range including at least one of the objects, to the pointer; a storage step of storing the plurality of pointers whose attributes have been set in the setting step in a storage unit; a selection step of selecting one of the pointers stored in the storage unit by user operation; a specification step of specifying the range by the user operating the pointer selected in the selection step; and an extraction step of extracting, as an editing target, the object having the attributes set in the pointer from among the objects in the range specified in the specification step. 【0121】 According to the method described above, similar to the information processing device in Embodiment 1, it is possible to easily select a desired object from a specified range of objects according to the situation, etc. 【0122】 [Additional Notes] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Furthermore, embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment are also included within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols] 【0123】 1 PC (Information Processing Unit) 2 Display section 4 Storage section 51 Setting section 52 Selection Section 53 Specified section 54 Extraction part 56 Display Control Unit 100 screens P pointer

Claims

[Claim 1] A setting unit sets the attributes of the objects extracted within a range specified by a pointer shown on a screen containing multiple objects, and which includes at least one of the objects, to the pointer; A storage unit that stores a plurality of pointers whose attributes have been set by the setting unit, A selection unit that selects one of the pointers stored in the storage unit by user operation, A selection unit that specifies the range by the user operating the pointer selected by the selection unit, An information processing device comprising: an extraction unit that extracts, from among the objects in the range specified by the designation unit, the objects having the attributes set in the pointer as targets for editing. [Claim 2] The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets the attribute to the pointer prior to the range being specified by the designation unit. [Claim 3] The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the setting unit presents a predetermined list of attribute candidates and sets the attribute selected from the candidates to the pointer. [Claim 4] The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the selection unit presents the pointers stored in the storage unit in a list format so that they can be selected based on the attributes. [Claim 5] The storage unit stores an unset pointer, which is the pointer for which the attribute has not been set. The setting unit sets the attributes to the unset pointer based on the object included in the range specified by the designation unit when the user operates the unset pointer selected by the selection unit, thereby generating a new pointer with the attributes set. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores the newly generated pointer. [Claim 6] The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the setting unit creates and presents candidate attributes based on the objects included in the range specified by the designation unit, and sets the attribute selected from the candidates to the unset pointer. [Claim 7] A display unit that displays the aforementioned screen, The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: a display control unit that controls the display unit to highlight the object having the attribute selected from the candidates; [Claim 8] A display unit that displays the aforementioned screen, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a display control unit that controls the display unit to highlight the objects extracted by the extraction unit. [Claim 9] The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the designating part designates the range with one shape selected from a plurality of different shapes provided for the range. [Claim 10] A setting step of setting the attributes of the objects extracted within a range specified by a pointer shown on a screen containing multiple objects, and which includes at least one of the objects, to the pointer; A storage step in which a plurality of pointers with the attributes set in the setting step are stored in the storage unit, A selection step of selecting one from the pointers stored in the memory unit by user operation, A selection step in which the user operates the pointer selected in the selection step to specify the range, An information processing method comprising: an extraction step of extracting, from among the objects in the range specified in the designation step, the object having the attribute set in the pointer, as the object to be edited.

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