Dynamic Client Snapshot for Flexible IM Skin Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing skin change methods for Instant Messaging (IM) clients are inflexible, as they typically start from the top left corner of a picture and do not allow any part of the picture to be taken as the client skin, limiting user customization.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines the location of a client snapshot on a background picture, intercepts the area covered by the snapshot, and updates the client skin using the intercepted area picture, allowing any area of the background picture to be used as the client skin, and providing options for tiling and edge padding modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing skin change method starting from top left corner is used, then implementation is simple, but flexibility of skin selection is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the skin selection process dynamic by allowing the client snapshot to be freely movable over the background picture, rather than being fixed at the top left corner. This dynamic positioning capability enables users to select any area of the background picture as skin, thereby improving flexibility while maintaining reasonable system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension of freedom in skin selection by allowing two-dimensional movement of the client snapshot across the background picture, rather than being constrained to a single fixed position. This dimensional expansion enables any area of the picture to be selected as skin, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and complexity
2Ease of operation
If any area of background picture is used as client skin, then user customization is improved, but complexity of skin editor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The skin editor leverages existing system components (client snapshot, background picture display) to perform the skin selection function. By reusing these existing elements and allowing the snapshot itself to serve as the selection tool, the system achieves enhanced user customization without proportionally increasing overall complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The client snapshot serves multiple functions: it acts as both the display element and the selection tool for skin customization. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, thereby improving user customization capability while controlling the increase in system complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
Examples of the present disclosure provide a method for editing a client skin and a skin editor. The method may include: displaying a background picture on a displaying area of background picture; generating a client snapshot; when moving the client snapshot on the displaying area of background picture, determining a location of the client snapshot on the displaying area of background picture, intercepting an area picture covered by the client snapshot according to the location; and updating the client skin according to the intercepted area picture. By employing the technical solution of the present disclosure, flexibility of skin change of a client may be improved.