Time-Based Presentation Editing Interface for Layered Object Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Slide-based presentation applications face limitations in seamlessly integrating time-based elements like animations and transitions, making it cumbersome to maintain object positions and visibility at specific times during a presentation, and difficult to select objects in low layers.
Innovation Solution
A time-based presentation editing interface is introduced, featuring a digital canvas with multiple layers and a digital timeline where each canvas object is linked to a timeline object, allowing users to adjust positions and transitions smoothly, and view the presentation at arbitrary points in time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If slide-based presentation applications are used to maintain object positions across slides, then object consistency is achieved, but the process requires including copies of objects in multiple slides which increases complexity and is cumbersome to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The presentation is segmented into discrete time points on a timeline, with each timeline object representing the state of canvas objects at a specific moment. This allows the system to manage object positions across time without requiring physical copies in multiple slides, as each timeline object references the canonical canvas object layer structure at that time point.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a time dimension to the traditional slide-based presentation model. Instead of managing object positions across multiple slides (spatial dimension only), the system adds a temporal dimension through the timeline, allowing object positions to be maintained across time points while sharing the same underlying canvas object references, thus avoiding duplication.
2Adaptability or versatility
If slide-based presentation applications are used to create animations by replacing shapes, then animation functionality is achieved, but the process requires positioning one shape directly on top of another which makes selection cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the selection difficulty by introducing a temporal dimension through the timeline interface. Instead of requiring precise spatial positioning of overlapping shapes, users can select and manipulate timeline objects that represent shapes at different time points. The timeline provides a clear, linear interface for selecting and managing animation elements without the ambiguity of overlapping spatial positions.
3Ease of operation
If slide-based presentation applications are used to view presentations, then slide-based navigation is provided, but it is difficult to see what the presentation view looks like at a particular time midway through the slide
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-rendering and storing the state of canvas objects at each time point on the timeline. This allows the presentation to be viewed at any intermediate time point without requiring real-time computation, as all intermediate states have been prepared in advance and are readily accessible through the timeline interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the static slide-based navigation into a dynamic time-based navigation system. The timeline allows users to dynamically jump to any time point during a slide, and the canvas dynamically updates to reflect the object states at that time point. This dynamic interaction enables easy viewing of intermediate presentation states without the limitations of traditional slide-based navigation.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for time-based editing of an electronic presentation. An electronic presentation editing interface for editing an electronic presentation is provided. The interface includes a digital canvas including multiple canvas objects in multiple canvas layers and a digital timeline including multiple timeline objects. Each canvas object is linked to a timeline object, and a location of a timeline object on the digital timeline is indicative of a time and a canvas layer that each linked canvas object is displayed on the digital canvas.