Glyph Selection Tool for Non-Contiguous Text via Freeform Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional text selection techniques are limited to selecting contiguous glyphs, making it inefficient for users to select non-contiguous text elements and consuming excessive computational resources, especially when trying to select text that intersects with a user-defined path or is displayed relative to an enclosed area, which is not possible without converting text to an image format that loses editability.
Innovation Solution
A text selection system that allows users to input a freeform path to select non-contiguous glyphs by determining whether glyphs intersect or are within an enclosed area, using bounding box filtering and intersection checks with Bezier clipping or ray casting, enabling selection without converting text to an image format, thus maintaining editability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional text selection approaches are used to select non-contiguous glyphs, then users can select text elements, but the process requires precise manual selection of each element separately which is inefficient and consumes excessive computational resources
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediary shape (such as a circle, rectangle, or freeform polygon) is introduced as a mediator between the user and the text selection process. The user draws this shape on the canvas, and the system automatically identifies and selects all glyphs that intersect with or are contained within the shape, eliminating the need for manual selection of each glyph individually.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of selecting each glyph individually is replaced by an automated geometric computation system. The system uses computational geometry algorithms to determine which glyphs intersect with or are contained within the drawn shape, substituting automated calculation for manual selection operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional text selection approaches are used for non-contiguous glyphs, then selection is possible, but computational resources are excessively consumed due to the need to process each element separately
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary spatial indexing and organization of glyphs before the selection operation. By pre-processing the glyph data into a spatial structure (such as a quadtree or grid), the system can quickly determine which glyphs might intersect with the drawn shape, avoiding the need to check every glyph in the document and thus reducing computational resource consumption.
3Ease of operation
If text is converted to image format to enable path-based selection, then non-contiguous glyph selection becomes possible, but text editability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of converting the original text to an image format, the system creates a visual copy or representation of the text layout on the canvas. This copy allows for path-based selection operations while the original text data remains intact and editable. The system works with glyph bounding boxes and geometric representations rather than raster images, preserving the vector nature of the text.
Data Source
AI summary
Glyph selection techniques are described for digital text content that enable selection of non-contiguous glyphs via input describing at least one path of any shape or form relative to the digital text content. A text selection system receives freeform drawing input defining a path and ascertains a selection scope for outputting a text selection relative to the path. The selection scope indicates whether the text selection is to include glyphs that intersect the path, glyphs displayed within an area enclosed by the path, glyphs displayed outside an area enclosed by the path, or combinations thereof. The text selection system is configured to identify a subset of glyphs for inclusion in the text selection, without constraint as to whether the subset of glyphs are contiguous in the digital text content, and output the subset of glyphs as a single selection of the digital text content.