Drawing assistance program, drawing assistance device, drawing assistance system, and drawing assistance method

Abstract

This drawing assistance program causes a computer to function as: a display control unit (101) that causes a display device to display a drawing screen for drawing a display screen of a programmable display (200); a display screen information acquisition unit (103) that acquires display screen information for defining the display screen; a color information acquisition unit (104) that acquires, from the display screen information acquired by the display screen information acquisition unit (103), color information indicating the colors of components included as images in the display screen; and a generation unit (105) that clusters the colors indicated by the color information acquired by the color information acquisition unit (104), thereby acquiring the specified number of colors, and generates a color palette composed of the acquired colors. The display control unit (101) displays the color palette generated by the generation unit (105) on the drawing screen.

Description

Drawing support program, drawing support device, drawing support system, and drawing support method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a drawing support program, a drawing support device, a drawing support system, and a drawing support method.

[0002] Programmable displays are known that display the status of devices such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and sensors and accept device operations. The display screen displayed on a programmable display includes a plurality of components as images, such as components indicating specific functions such as switches and meters, and components displaying data such as text. The display screen displayed on such a programmable display is designed by a user selecting and arranging components and setting component colors on a design screen provided by the programmable display's design software. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for creating a display screen by setting component colors using a pre-prepared color palette.

[0003] JP 2010-9578 A

[0004] When using a color palette prepared in advance in the above-mentioned drawing software, it is necessary to select and set colors for a large number of components from a large number of color candidates. When creating a display screen while considering color schemes for a large number of components using such a color palette, there is a problem that this leads to an increase in work time.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a drawing support program, a drawing support device, a drawing support system, and a drawing support method that can generate a color palette that facilitates color arrangement and efficiently draw the display screen of a programmable display.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the drawing support program of the present disclosure causes a computer to function as: a display control means for causing a display device to display a drawing screen for drawing a display screen of a programmable display; a display screen information acquisition means for acquiring display screen information defining the display screen; a color information acquisition means for acquiring color information indicating the colors of components included as images on the display screen from the display screen information acquired by the display screen information acquisition means; and a generation means for acquiring a specified number of colors by clustering the colors indicated by the color information acquisition means and generating a color palette consisting of the acquired colors, and the display control means displays the color palette generated by the generation means on the drawing screen.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a drawing support program, a drawing support device, a drawing support system, and a drawing support method that can generate a color palette that facilitates color arrangement and efficiently draw the display screen of a programmable display device.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a drawing support system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a drawing support device according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen on a drawing screen according to an embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of color information according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of color palette information according to an embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of additional color palette information according to an embodiment;

[0009] 1, a drawing support system 1 according to an embodiment includes a drawing support device 100 and a programmable display device 200. The drawing support device 100 is communicably connected to the programmable display device 200 via a wired or wireless communication network (not shown).

[0010] The drawing support device 100 is a device in which drawing software for drawing a display screen of a programmable display device is installed. The drawing software edits project data including display screen information that defines the display screen of the programmable display device 200, system setting information, etc. When a user draws a display screen by selecting, arranging, and setting components on a drawing screen provided by the drawing software, project data including display screen information that defines the drawn display screen is created. Then, when the drawing support device 100 transfers the project data and firmware that runs on the programmable display device 200 to the programmable display device 200, the programmable display device 200 becomes able to display the display screen drawn by the user.

[0011] In addition to the color palettes (hereinafter referred to as "preset color palettes") prepared in advance in the drawing software, the drawing support device 100 also has the function of generating additional color palettes (hereinafter referred to as "additional color palettes") from any display screen selected by the user.

[0012] The programmable display device 200 is a device that displays information about the status of external devices connected to the programmable display device 200, receives predetermined operations, and controls the external devices in accordance with the received operations. The programmable display device 200 displays a display screen created by the drawing support device 100.

[0013] The drawing support device 100 in FIG. 1 has a hardware configuration shown in FIG.

[0014] The drawing support device 100 has a processor 11 that executes various processes, a main memory unit 12 that is used as a work area for the processor 11, an auxiliary memory unit 13 that stores various data used in the processes of the processor 11, a communication unit 14 for communicating with external devices, and an input / output interface 15 for connecting external devices. The main memory unit 12, the auxiliary memory unit 13, the communication unit 14, and the input / output interface 15 are all connected to the processor 11 via a bus 16.

[0015] The processor 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 11 executes programs stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13 to realize various functions of the drawing support device 100.

[0016] The main memory unit 12 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory). Programs are loaded into the main memory unit 12 from the auxiliary memory unit 13. The main memory unit 12 is used as a working area for the processor 11.

[0017] The auxiliary storage unit 13 includes a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). In addition to programs, the auxiliary storage unit 13 stores various data used in the processing of the processor 11. In accordance with instructions from the processor 11, the auxiliary storage unit 13 supplies the processor 11 with data used by the processor 11 and stores the data supplied from the processor 11.

[0018] The communication unit 14 includes a network interface circuit for communicating with an external device. The communication unit 14 receives a signal from the external device and outputs data indicated by the signal to the processor 11. The communication unit 14 also transmits a signal indicating the data output from the processor 11 to the external device.

[0019] The input / output interface 15 is an interface for connecting external devices, and includes an interface equipped with a serial port and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port. An external device is, for example, an input device such as an input key, a display device such as a monitor, and an output device including a speaker. The input / output interface 15 receives signals from the external device and outputs data indicated by these signals to the processor 11. The input / output interface 15 also transmits signals indicating data output from the processor 11 to the external device.

[0020] Next, the functions of the drawing support device 100 in Fig. 1 will be described. Functionally, the drawing support device 100 includes a display control unit 101 that causes a display device to display a drawing screen for drawing a display screen, a storage unit 102 that stores information on preset color palettes and additional color palettes, a display screen information acquisition unit 103 that acquires display screen information, a color information acquisition unit 104 that acquires color information, a generation unit 105 that generates an additional color palette, and a conversion unit 106 that converts the colors of components.

[0021] The display control unit 101 causes the display device to display a drawing screen for drawing the display screen of the programmable display device 200. Here, the display control unit 101 causes the display device to display the drawing screen based on display screen information 1021 stored in the storage unit 102. The display control unit 101 is realized by the processor 11 and the input / output interface 15. The display control unit 101 is an example of a display control means.

[0022] An example of a drawing screen is shown in Fig. 3. The drawing screen 300 includes a display screen 400 for drawing, and a window 310 including a preset color palette 311 used for drawing.

[0023] For example, when the display control unit 101 receives information indicating that an operation to start creating a display screen has been performed, it refers to the display screen information 1021 stored in the memory unit 102 and displays the drawing screen 300 of Figure 3 on a display external to the drawing support device 100.

[0024] The storage unit 102 stores display screen information 1021 that defines the display screen, color information 1022 that indicates the colors of components included as images on the display screen, and color palette information 1023 that indicates a color palette used for drawing. The storage unit 102 is realized by the auxiliary storage unit 13.

[0025] The display screen information 1021 defines the display screen displayed on the programmable display device 200. The display screen information 1021 includes identification information for identifying the created display screen (hereinafter referred to as a "display screen ID"), attribute information indicating the attributes of the display screen, identification information for identifying components included in the display screen (hereinafter referred to as a "component ID"), and attribute information indicating the attributes of the components. The display screen attribute information and component attribute information include various information that can be set for the display screen and components using the design software. For example, the display screen attribute information is information indicating the type and color of the background image. Furthermore, for example, the component attribute information is information indicating the type of component, the color of the component itself, and the color of text displayed on the component. Components include, for example, components that indicate specific functions such as switches and meters, and components that indicate data such as text and graphs. The display screen information 1021 is acquired by the display screen information acquisition unit 103 and updated in response to user operations on the design screen.

[0026] The color information 1022 indicates the colors of components included as images on the display screen. The color information 1022 is acquired from the display screen information 1021 by the color information acquisition unit 104 and associated with the display screen ID. The color information 1022 is also used by the generation unit 105 to generate an additional color palette.

[0027] FIG. 4 shows an example of color information 1022. The color information 1022 includes, in association with each other, information on the number of times a part is used on the display screen, information on the part's color expressed by RGB values, information identifying the part, information indicating the target of the colored part, and information on the part's state. The information indicating the target of the colored part refers to the part itself, the text displayed on the part, the background of the part, or other information indicating the target to which the color is applied in the part. The color information 1022 in FIG. 4 is assumed to be associated with the display screen 400 (display screen ID "1") in FIG. 3. The record in the first row of the color information 1022 in FIG. 4 indicates that the RGB values ​​of the color with a usage count of "3 times" are "255, 255, 0," indicating that the color is used by the part "Switch 3," the target for which the color is used is the "graphic color," and that the color is displayed when the part is in the "OFF" state. The information identifying the part may also be a part ID.

[0028] The color palette information 1023 includes information on the preset color palette and information on the additional color palette generated by the generation unit 105 .

[0029] FIG. 5 shows an example of color palette information 1023. The color palette information 1023 includes preset color palette information 1023-1 and additional color palette information 1023-2. The preset color palette information 1023-1 includes information on the N colors included in the preset color palette. FIG. 6 shows an example of additional color palette information 1023-2. The additional color palette information 1023-2 includes a display screen ID 1023-21 of the display screen used to generate the additional color palette, information 1023-22 on the number of colors specified by the user of the drawing software, and information on four types of additional color palettes, described below, namely, color palette information 1023-23 of colors acquired from the colors used on the display screen, hue change color palette information 1023-24, saturation change color palette information 1023-25, and lightness change color palette information 1023-26.

[0030] The display screen information acquisition unit 103 acquires display screen information that defines a display screen. The display screen information acquisition unit 103 is realized by the processor 11, the communication unit 14, and the input / output interface 15. The display screen information acquisition unit 103 is an example of a display screen information acquisition means.

[0031] For example, the display screen information acquisition unit 103 displays a dialog for selecting a display screen to be referenced when generating an additional color palette on the drawing screen 300. Assume that the user selects the display screen 400 (display screen ID "1") in Figure 3 that is currently being drawn in the dialog. The display screen information acquisition unit 103 acquires, from the storage unit 102, display screen information 1021 that defines the display screen 400 with the display screen ID "1."

[0032] Here, the display screen information acquisition unit 103 may acquire the display screen information from a programmable display device 200 that is communicably connected to the drawing support device 100 .

[0033] For example, the display screen information acquisition unit 103 communicates with the programmable display device 200 based on user operation, and when the user selects the display screen with display screen ID "2" used on the programmable display device 200, acquires display screen information defining the display screen with display screen ID "2" and stores the acquired display screen information in the memory unit 102.

[0034] The color information acquisition unit 104 acquires color information indicating the colors of components included as images on the display screen from the display screen information acquired by the display screen information acquisition unit 103. The color information acquisition unit 104 is realized by the processor 11. The color information acquisition unit 104 is an example of a color information acquisition means.

[0035] For example, the color information acquisition unit 104 acquires color information 1022 from the display screen information 1021 with the display screen ID "1." Specifically, the color information acquisition unit 104 references the attribute information of the components in the display screen information 1021 with the display screen ID "1" to acquire information associated with all components included in the display screen 400 with the display screen ID "1," such as the color of the component itself, the color of text displayed on the component, and the background color of the component. Therefore, if colors are set for multiple objects for one component, the color information acquisition unit 104 acquires information on all of those colors. Then, the color information acquisition unit 104 counts the number of times a color has been used for a combination of information identifying the component, information indicating the object of the colored component, and information on the state of the component, thereby determining the number of times the color has been used, and acquires the color information 1022 of FIG. 4 for the display screen 400 with the display screen ID "1." Note that if a used color has a saturation of "0," i.e., white or black, the color information acquisition unit 104 does not include the used color in the color information.

[0036] The generation unit 105 generates four types of additional color palettes based on the color information acquired by the color information acquisition unit 104. The generation unit 105 is realized by the processor 11 and the input / output interface 15. The generation unit 105 is an example of a generation means.

[0037] The four types of additional color palettes are a color palette consisting of colors obtained from the colors used on the display screen, and a color palette generated by changing the hue, saturation, and brightness of a reference color, which will be described later. Hereinafter, the four types of additional color palettes will be referred to as the color palette of colors obtained from the colors used on the display screen, the color palette with hue changes, the color palette with saturation changes, and the color palette with brightness changes.

[0038] First, the generation of a color palette of colors obtained from the colors used on the display screen will be described.

[0039] The generation unit 105 receives a designation from the user as to the number of colors to be included in the additional color palette.

[0040] For example, the generation unit 105 displays a dialog on the drawing screen to specify the number of colors to be included in an additional color palette to be generated from the display screen 400 with the display screen ID "1." When the user specifies the number of colors in the dialog, the generation unit 105 stores information 1023-22 of the specified number of colors in additional color palette information 1023-2 in the storage unit 102. Note that, since the programmable display device 200 is often intended for the purpose of checking the operation or status of a control device, the number of colors does not need to be large, and is preferably limited to around four to seven colors.

[0041] The generation unit 105 acquires a specified number of colors by clustering the colors indicated by the color information acquired by the color information acquisition unit 104, and generates a color palette consisting of the colors indicated by the acquired colors.

[0042] Specifically, the generation unit 105 clusters the colors indicated by the color information acquired by the color information acquisition unit 104 into a cluster of two colors with the smallest color difference, integrates the two colors with the smallest color difference, and repeats the clustering and integration until the number of colors after integration reaches the specified number of colors, thereby acquiring the specified number of colors.

[0043] For example, if the number of colors L indicated in the color information 1022 of the display screen ID "1" is greater than the specified number of colors X, the generation unit 105 reduces the number of colors until it reaches the specified number of colors X. First, for the colors indicated in the color information 1022 of the display screen ID "1", the color difference D is calculated according to, for example, the formula shown in Equation 1. R in Equation 1 ｉ , G ｉ , B ｉ are the R value, G value, and B value of color i (i is 1 or more and L or less).

[0044] (Math. 1) D = ((R i -R i+1 ) 2 +(G i -G i+1 ) 2 +(B i -B i+1 ) 2 ) 1 / 2

[0045] Next, the generation unit 105 clusters the L colors indicated in the color information 1022 of the display screen ID "1" into two colors with the smallest color difference D, and integrates the two colors with the smallest color difference D. For example, the generation unit 105 integrates the two colors with the smallest color difference D by generating a color having a new RGB value using the formula 2. C in formula 2 ｉ is the number of times color i is used on the display screen of the display screen information acquired by the display screen information acquisition unit 103.

[0046] (Number 2) R i = (R i ×C i +R i-1 ×C i+1 ) / (C i +C i+1 ) G i = (G i ×C i +G i-1 ×C i+1 ) / (C i +C i+1 ) B i = (B i ×C i +B i-1 ×C i+1 ) / (C i +C i+1 )

[0047] The generation unit 105 repeats clustering into two clusters of colors with the smallest color difference D and merging the colors with the smallest color difference D until the number of colors after integration reaches the specified number of colors X. The generation unit 105 then generates an additional color palette made up of the integrated colors of number X of colors, and stores information about the generated additional color palette in the storage unit 102 as information 1023-23 of the color palette of the colors obtained from the colors used on the display screen.

[0048] On the other hand, if the number of colors L indicated in the color information 1022 for display screen ID "1" is equal to or less than the specified number of colors X, the generation unit 105 generates an additional color palette consisting of the colors indicated in the color information 1022 for display screen ID "1" and stores the information of the generated additional color palette in the memory unit 102 as information 1023-23 of the color palette of the colors obtained from the colors used on the display screen.

[0049] Next, generation of a color palette with a hue change, a color palette with a saturation change, and a color palette with a brightness change will be described.

[0050] The generation unit 105 further generates a color palette on the display screen, which is composed of colors obtained by changing the hue, saturation, or brightness of the reference color, using the most frequently used color or a specified color as the reference color.

[0051] For example, the generation unit 105 references the color information 1022 for the display screen ID "1" stored in the storage unit 102 and identifies the color (RGB values: 255, 255, 0) with a usage count of "3" as the most frequently used color, and sets the identified color as the reference color. The generation unit 105 converts the reference color (RGB values: 255, 255, 0) into an HSV value. The generation unit 105 then registers the converted HSV value as reference color information for the color palette of hue change. The generation unit 105 also registers the converted HSV value as reference color information for the color palette of saturation change and the color palette of lightness change. Note that if the saturation of the most frequently used color is within 5% of the minimum selectable value, it is not suitable as a reference color, and therefore the color with the second most frequently used color is selected.

[0052] The generation unit 105 generates a color palette consisting of colors obtained by varying the hues of reference colors based on predetermined color scheme rules. Here, the predetermined color scheme rules are color scheme rules based on color scheme theory using a color wheel in HSV space. The color scheme rules based on color scheme theory are triad color schemes and tetrad color schemes, and by using these two color scheme rules, a color scheme that gives a clear impression can be created. The generation unit 105 generates a color palette with varying hues based on the color scheme rules using a color wheel in HSV space.

[0053] In a triad color scheme, the base color and the colors at +120° and -120° from the base color on the hue wheel are selected as three colors that give a distinct impression. Therefore, the generation unit 105 registers the colors at +120° and -120° from the base color on the hue wheel as colors HTr1 and HTr2 in the hue change color palette information 1023-24 of FIG. 6. In a tetrad color scheme, the base color and the colors at +90°, +180°, and -90° from the base color on the hue wheel are selected as four colors that give a distinct impression. Therefore, the generation unit 105 registers the colors at +90°, +180°, and -90° from the base color on the hue wheel as colors HTe1, HTe2, and HTe3 in the hue change color palette information 1023-24 of FIG. 6.

[0054] For example, if drawing software allows the hue to be set in 256 steps from 0 to 255, in a triad color scheme, colors whose hue is shifted by ±85 from the reference color correspond to colors that are at +120° and -120° from the reference color. In a tetrad color scheme, colors whose hue is shifted by ±64 and +128 from the reference color correspond to colors that are at +90°, +180°, and -90° from the reference color. Note that the saturation and lightness of colors HTr1, HTr2, HTe1, HTe2, and HTe3 are the same as those of the reference color.

[0055] Next, the generation unit 105 divides the number of saturation levels that can be set by the drawing software by the specified number of colors X to obtain an increase / decrease value, and adds or subtracts the obtained increase / decrease value to or from the reference color.The generation unit 105 then registers the colors indicated by the values ​​obtained by the addition or subtraction as colors S1 to S(X-1) in the saturation change color palette information 1023-25 ​​of FIG. 6.The generation unit 105 also divides the lightness range that can be set by the drawing software by the specified number of colors X to obtain an increase / decrease value, and adds or subtracts the obtained increase / decrease value to or from the reference color.The generation unit 105 then registers the colors indicated by the values ​​obtained by the addition or subtraction as colors V1 to V(X-1) in the lightness change color palette information 1023-26 of FIG.

[0056] For example, in drawing software, saturation can be set in 256 steps from 0 to 255, and if the specified number of colors X is "4," the increase / decrease value is "64." If the saturation of the reference color is "100," then "36," "164," and "228" correspond to values ​​obtained by adding or subtracting the increase / decrease value to or from the reference color. Note that the hue and lightness of colors S1 to S(X-1) are the same as those of the reference color, and the hue and saturation of colors V1 to V(X-1) are the same as those of the reference color.

[0057] If the specified number of colors X is an even number and the saturation or lightness of the reference color is equal to or greater than half the number of levels that can be set in the drawing software, X / 2 values ​​are found on the lower saturation or lightness side of the reference color, and X / 2-1 values ​​are found on the higher saturation or lightness side. For example, if the drawing software allows saturation to be set in 256 levels, the specified number of colors X is "6," the saturation of the reference color is "128," and the increase / decrease value is "42," the values ​​obtained by adding or subtracting the increase / decrease value to the reference color are "2," "44," "86," "128," "170," and "212."

[0058] If the colors registered in the saturation change color palette information 1023-25 ​​or the lightness change color palette information 1023-26 are not the desired configuration, the user may change the number of colors X and reset the colors included in the saturation change color palette information 1023-25 ​​or the lightness change color palette information 1023-26.

[0059] The display control unit 101 displays the color palette generated by the generation unit 105 on the drawing screen.

[0060] 7 shows an example of a color palette generated by the generation unit 105. Color palette 312 in Fig. 7 is a color palette composed of colors included in color palette information 1023-23 of colors acquired from the colors used on the display screen, color palette 313 is a color palette composed of colors included in color palette information 1023-24 of hue change, color palette 314 is a color palette composed of colors included in color palette information 1023-25 ​​of saturation change, and color palette 315 is a color palette composed of colors included in color palette information 1023-26 of lightness change. These color palettes include reference colors 316.

[0061] FIG. 8 shows an example of an additional color palette generated by the generation unit 105 and displayed on the drawing screen 300. A window 310 in FIG. 8 displays a color palette 312 and a field 317 for specifying the number of colors. The user can display other color palettes by selecting a tab in the window 310. The user can also change the number of colors included in the color palettes 312, 314, and 315 by entering a value in the field 317. The number of colors in the color palette 313, which is composed of the colors included in the hue-changing color palette information 1023-24, is fixed at six. By selecting a color from the generated color palette displayed in the window 310, the user can change the color attributes of the components displayed on the drawing screen 300, just as with the preset color palette.

[0062] The display control unit 101 displays on the drawing screen a list of components included in the display screen defined by the display screen information, which are set to colors included in the color palette generated by the generation unit 105.

[0063] For example, the display control unit 101 displays a list of parts prepared in advance in the drawing software that use colors included in the color palettes 312, 313, 314, and 315 on the drawing screen 300. Alternatively, when displaying a list of parts prepared in advance in the drawing software on the drawing screen 300, the display control unit 101 highlights parts that use colors included in the color palettes 312, 313, 314, and 315.

[0064] The conversion unit 106 converts the colors of components included in the drawing screen into the closest colors included in the color palette generated by the generation unit 105. The conversion unit 106 is realized by the processor 11 and the input / output interface 15. The conversion unit 106 is an example of a conversion means.

[0065] For example, the conversion unit 106 displays a first dialog on the drawing screen for batch conversion of the colors of components included in the display screen being drawn. When the user selects the display screen being drawn for which the colors of components are to be batch converted in the first dialog, the conversion unit 106 then displays a second dialog for selecting a display screen to be referenced during batch conversion. Hereinafter, the display screen referenced during batch conversion is referred to as the "reference display screen." When the user selects a reference display screen from the display screens in the display screen information 1021 stored in the storage unit 102 in the second dialog, the generation unit 105 generates four types of additional color palettes from the display screen information 1021 of the reference display screen, namely, a color palette of colors acquired from the colors used in the display screen, a color palette of hue changes, a color palette of saturation changes, and a color palette of lightness changes. If four types of additional color palettes have already been generated for the reference display screen, the generation is omitted.

[0066] The conversion unit 106 displays four types of additional color palettes generated for the reference display screen on the drawing screen, and when the user selects one of the additional color palettes, calculates the color difference between the color of the component included in the display screen being drawn and the color included in the selected additional color palette. The conversion unit 106 then changes the color of the component included in the display screen being drawn to the closest color included in the selected additional color palette. The conversion unit 106 changes all components included in the display screen being drawn to the closest color included in the additional color palette. This allows the components on the display screen being drawn to be converted collectively to colors similar to those of the components on the reference display screen. The reference display screen may be the display screen being drawn. In this case, the colors of the components included in the display screen being drawn can be changed collectively to colors included in the additional color palette generated for the display screen being drawn.

[0067] Next, we will explain the functions of the programmable display device 200 in Fig. 1. Functionally, the programmable display device 200 includes a display unit 201 that displays a display screen, a storage unit 202 that stores information transmitted from the drawing support device 100, and a display screen information acquisition unit 203 that acquires display screen information.

[0068] The display unit 201 displays a display screen created by the drawing support device 100 .

[0069] For example, the display unit 201 displays a display screen on the screen of the programmable display device 200 based on the display screen information stored in the storage unit 202 .

[0070] The storage unit 202 stores information transmitted from the drawing support device 100 .

[0071] For example, the storage unit 202 stores project data including display screen information transmitted from the drawing support device 100 and firmware that runs on the programmable display device 200 .

[0072] The display screen information acquisition unit 203 acquires display screen information in response to a request from the drawing support device 100 .

[0073] For example, when the display screen information acquisition unit 203 receives a request to acquire display screen information for display screen ID "2" from the drawing support device 100, it acquires the display screen information for display screen ID "2" stored in the memory unit 202 and sends the acquired display screen information to the drawing support device 100 as a response.

[0074] Next, the drawing support process executed by the drawing support device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 9. The drawing support process of Fig. 9 is executed, for example, when the drawing support device 100 receives information indicating an operation instructing the generation of an additional color palette.

[0075] The display screen information acquisition unit 103 receives a selection of a display screen to be referenced when generating an additional color palette (step S101).

[0076] For example, the display screen information acquisition unit 103 displays a dialog on the drawing screen 300 for selecting a display screen to be referenced when generating an additional color palette, and accepts from the user the selection of the display screen 400 (display screen ID "1") in Figure 3 that is currently being drawn.

[0077] The display screen information acquisition unit 103 acquires the display screen information of the selected display screen (step S102).

[0078] For example, the display screen information acquisition unit 103 acquires, from the storage unit 102, the display screen information 1021 that defines the display screen 400 with the display screen ID “1”.

[0079] The color information acquisition unit 104 acquires color information indicating the colors of components included as images on the display screen from the display screen information acquired by the display screen information acquisition unit 103 (step S103).

[0080] For example, the color information acquisition unit 104 acquires the color information 1022 in FIG. 4 from the display screen information 1021 of the display screen ID "1."

[0081] The generation unit 105 receives a designation from the user regarding the number of colors to be included in the additional color palette (step S104).

[0082] For example, the generation unit 105 displays a dialog on the drawing screen 300 for specifying the number of colors to be included in the additional color palette to be generated from the display screen 400 with the display screen ID "1."

[0083] The generation unit 105 generates a color palette of colors obtained from the colors used on the display screen (step S105).

[0084] For example, the generation unit 105 finds the color difference D of the color indicated in the color information 1022 for display screen ID "1," clusters the colors into the two colors with the smallest color difference D, and integrates the two colors with the smallest color difference D to generate a color with a new RGB value. The generation unit 105 then repeats the integration of the color with the smallest color difference until the number of colors after integration reaches the specified number of colors X, and generates a color palette consisting of the integrated colors of number X as a color palette consisting of colors obtained from the colors used on the display screen.

[0085] The generating unit 105 generates a color palette of hue changes, a color palette of saturation changes, and a color palette of brightness changes (step S106).

[0086] For example, the generation unit 105 generates a color palette with a hue change in which the hue is changed from a reference color based on the coloring rules of a triad color scheme and a tetrad color scheme. The generation unit 105 also generates a color palette with a saturation change and a color palette with a lightness change based on the reference color and a specified number of colors X.

[0087] The generation unit 105 determines whether or not a registration instruction has been issued for the generated additional color palette (step S107). If the generation unit 105 determines that a registration instruction has been issued for the generated additional color palette (step S107; YES), the generation unit 105 stores information about the generated additional color palette in the storage unit 102 (step S108). The drawing support process of Fig. 9 then ends. On the other hand, if the generation unit 105 determines that a registration instruction has not been issued for the generated additional color palette (step S107; NO), the process returns to step S104.

[0088] For example, when a user gives an instruction to register an additional color palette generated in drawing software, the generation unit 105 stores the information of the color palette generated in step S105 in the memory unit 102 as information 1023-23 of the color palette of the colors obtained from the colors used on the display screen, and stores the information of the color palette generated in step S106 in the memory unit 102 as information 1023-24 of the color palette of hue change, information 1023-25 ​​of the color palette of saturation change, and information 1023-26 of the color palette of lightness change.

[0089] According to this embodiment, an additional color palette containing a specified number of colors is generated based on color information of components included in the display screen of a programmable display. By using a color palette containing a specified number of colors, i.e., a limited number of colors, a user can reduce the time required for creating a screen. Furthermore, since a color palette containing colors similar to those used in the display screen from which the color information was acquired is generated, a screen with a similar atmosphere to the display screen from which the color information was acquired can be easily created. Furthermore, since the display screen acquired from the programmable display is color-coded with ease of viewing in mind, a color palette generated based on the color information of components included in such a display screen contains colors that take ease of viewing into consideration. Therefore, a display screen with high visibility can be easily created.

[0090] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a color palette is generated based on predetermined coloring rules. By using a color palette generated based on predetermined coloring rules, such as triad and tetrad coloring rules, to create a display screen, a user can easily create a display screen in which components are clearly visible.

[0091] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a list of components that have been assigned colors included in the generated additional color palette is displayed on the screen, allowing the user to easily check the color scheme for the components and efficiently assign colors to the components to be placed on the display screen.

[0092] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the colors of components included in the display screen being drawn can be converted in one go to a color that is closest to the color included in the generated additional color palette, thereby reducing the time and effort required for coloring components and shortening the drawing time.

[0093] (Modifications) Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, various modifications and applications are possible when implementing the present disclosure.

[0094] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the drawing support system 1 includes one programmable display device 200, but there may be a plurality of programmable displays 200 communicably connected to the drawing support device 100. Therefore, the display screen information acquisition unit 103 may acquire display screen information from a plurality of programmable displays 200.

[0095] In the above embodiment, the generation unit 105 generates a color palette of colors obtained from the colors used on the display screen by clustering the colors into two colors with the smallest color difference D and integrating the two colors with the smallest color difference D. However, other methods may be used to generate a color palette of colors obtained from the colors used on the display screen. For example, the generation unit 105 may regard the colors indicated by the color information as three-dimensional vectors having RGB values ​​and obtain a specified number of clusters using a known clustering method such as the k-means method. The generation unit 105 may then generate an additional color palette consisting of colors indicated by the mean, median, mode, or center of gravity of each cluster as a color palette of colors obtained from the colors used on the display screen.

[0096] In the above embodiment, the display control unit 101 is implemented by the processor 11 and the input / output interface 15, and the display control unit 101 causes the display device to display a drawing screen for drawing the display screen to be displayed on the programmable display device 200. However, this is not limited to this. The display control unit 101 may be implemented by the processor 11 and the display device and may display the drawing screen. Therefore, the drawing support device 100 may have a hardware configuration including a display device such as a monitor.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the display control unit 101, the color information acquisition unit 104, the generation unit 105, and the conversion unit 106 are implemented by the processor 11 and the input / output interface 15, but this is not limiting. The display control unit 101, the color information acquisition unit 104, the generation unit 105, and the conversion unit 106 may be implemented by the processor 11 and an input device and receive operations from a user. In addition, the display screen information acquisition unit 103 is implemented by the processor 11, the communication unit 14, and the input / output interface 15, but this is not limiting. The display screen information acquisition unit 103 may be implemented by the processor 11, the communication unit 14, and an input device and receive operations from a user. Therefore, the drawing support device 100 may have a hardware configuration including an input device such as an input key.

[0098] In addition, by applying an operating program that specifies the operation of the drawing support device 100 according to the above embodiment to an existing personal computer or information terminal device, it is also possible to make the personal computer or information terminal device function as the drawing support device 100 according to the embodiment.

[0099] Furthermore, the method of distribution of such a program is arbitrary; for example, it may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or a memory card and distributed, or it may be distributed via a communication network such as the Internet.

[0100] The present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of equivalent disclosures are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0101] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a drawing support program, a drawing support device, a drawing support system, and a drawing support method that can generate a color palette that facilitates color arrangement and efficiently draw the display screen of a programmable display device.

[0102] 1 Drawing support system, 11 Processor, 12 Main memory unit, 13 Auxiliary memory unit, 14 Communication unit, 15 Input / output interface, 16 Bus, 100 Drawing support device, 101 Display control unit, 102, 202 Memory unit, 103, 203 Display screen information acquisition unit, 104 Color information acquisition unit, 105 Generation unit, 106 Conversion unit, 200 Programmable display, 201 Display unit, 300 Drawing screen, 310 Window, 311 Preset color palette, 312 to 315 Color palette, 316 Reference color, 317 Column, 400 Display screen, 1021 Display screen information, 1022 Color information, 1023 Color palette information.

Claims

1. A drawing support program that causes a computer to function as: a display control means for displaying a drawing screen on a display device for drawing the display screen of a programmable display; a display screen information acquisition means for acquiring display screen information defining said display screen; a color information acquisition means for acquiring color information indicating the colors of components included as images on said display screen from the display screen information acquired by said display screen information acquisition means; and a generation means for acquiring a specified number of colors by clustering the colors indicated by the color information acquired by said color information acquisition means, and generating a color palette consisting of the acquired colors, wherein said display control means displays the color palette generated by said generation means on said drawing screen.

2. The drawing support program according to claim 1, wherein the generation means clusters the colors indicated by the color information acquired by the color information acquisition means into a cluster of two colors with the smallest color difference, integrates the two colors with the smallest color difference, and acquires the specified number of colors by repeating the clustering and integration until the number of colors after integration reaches the specified number of colors.

3. The drawing support program according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the generating means further generates a color palette on the display screen, using the most frequently used color or a specified color as a base color from among the colors indicated by the color information acquired by the color information acquiring means, and consisting of colors obtained by varying the hue, saturation or brightness of the base color.

4. The drawing support program according to claim 3, wherein said generating means generates a color palette made up of colors obtained by varying the hues of said reference colors based on predetermined coloring rules.

5. The drawing support program according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined color scheme rules are color scheme rules based on a color scheme theory using a color wheel in HSV space.

6. A drawing support program according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the display screen information acquisition means acquires the display screen information from a programmable display connected to the computer so as to be able to communicate with the computer.

7. A drawing support program as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the display control means displays on the drawing screen a list of components included in the display screen defined by the display screen information, which components are set to a color included in the color palette generated by the generation means.

8. A drawing support program as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, which functions as a conversion means for converting the colours of components included in the display screen on the drawing screen into the closest colours included in the colour palette generated by the generation means.

9. A drawing support device comprising: a display control means for causing a display device to display a drawing screen for drawing the display screen of a programmable display; a display screen information acquisition means for acquiring display screen information defining said display screen; a color information acquisition means for acquiring color information indicating the colors of components included as images on said display screen from the display screen information acquired by said display screen information acquisition means; and a generation means for acquiring a specified number of colors by clustering the colors indicated by the color information acquired by said color information acquisition means, and generating a color palette consisting of the acquired colors, wherein said display control means displays the color palette generated by said generation means on said drawing screen.

10. A drawing support system comprising: a programmable display; a display control means for causing a display device to display a drawing screen for drawing the display screen of the programmable display; a display screen information acquisition means for acquiring display screen information defining the display screen; a color information acquisition means for acquiring color information indicating the colors of components included as images on the display screen from the display screen information acquired by the display screen information acquisition means; and a generation means for acquiring a specified number of colors by clustering the colors indicated by the color information acquired by the color information acquisition means, and generating a color palette consisting of the acquired colors, wherein the display control means displays the color palette generated by the generation means on the drawing screen.

11. A drawing support method executed by a drawing support device, wherein a display control means causes a display device to display a drawing screen for drawing a display screen of a programmable display; a display screen information acquisition means acquires display screen information defining said display screen; a color information acquisition means acquires color information indicating the colors of components included as images on said display screen from the display screen information acquired by said display screen information acquisition means; a generation means acquires a specified number of colors by clustering the colors indicated by the color information acquisition means and generates a color palette consisting of the acquired colors; and said display control means displays the color palette generated by said generation means on said drawing screen.

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