Timeline Interface for Style Sheet Animation Keyframe Creation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current approaches for developing style sheet animations are cumbersome, requiring expertise in style sheet languages and involving tedious manual text editing, making it difficult for non-developers and organizations to create complex animations.
Innovation Solution
A timeline-based interface for creating style sheet animations that allows users to interactively add and configure keyframes, automatically generating style sheet language text, including easing functions and z-index ordering, to simplify the animation creation process without manual coding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a developer creates style sheet animations by hand using text editing applications, then the animation can be created with precise control over style sheet language syntax, but the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a style sheet animation creation tool as an intermediary between the user and the style sheet language. This tool provides a graphical user interface with timeline and keyframe indicators that automatically generates the complex style sheet language syntax, allowing users to create animations without manually writing text statements while ensuring syntax precision through automated code generation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual text editing mechanical process with an automated system. Instead of requiring developers to physically type and edit style sheet language text statements, the system uses a graphical interface where users place keyframe indicators on a timeline, and the system automatically generates the corresponding style sheet language code, significantly reducing the mechanical effort and time required
2Manufacturing precision
If a developer manually creates multiple text statements for even simple animations, then precise animation control is achieved, but the process becomes tedious and repetitive
Solution Approach 1:
The creation tool acts as an intermediary that handles the tedious repetitive task of generating multiple text statements. Users interact with a simplified graphical interface using keyframe indicators on a timeline, and the tool automatically generates all necessary style sheet language text statements with precise animation control, eliminating the repetitive manual typing while maintaining animation precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the concept of keyframe indicators as templates or copies that represent animation states. When users place keyframe indicators at different points on the timeline, the system automatically generates the corresponding text statements by copying and adapting the style sheet language structure, reducing the manual effort required to create multiple similar animation statements
3Reliability
If a company hires a developer with style sheet language expertise to create animations, then professional quality animations are produced, but the cost becomes expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The creation tool serves as an intermediary that bridges the gap between non-developers and professional animation quality. The graphical user interface with timeline and keyframe indicators provides an intuitive way for users without style sheet language expertise to create animations, while the automated code generation ensures professional-quality output, making the technology accessible to organizations without specialized developers
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service animation creation by providing all necessary tools and automated generation capabilities within the creation tool itself. Users can independently create professional-quality animations using the graphical interface without needing to hire external developers or invest in extensive training, as the tool handles all complex style sheet language generation automatically
4Ease of operation
If a user learns a style sheet language to create animations, then full control over animation creation is achieved, but the learning curve becomes steep
Solution Approach 1:
The creation tool acts as an intermediary that provides full animation creation control without requiring users to learn style sheet language syntax. The graphical user interface with timeline and keyframe indicators offers intuitive control mechanisms, and the automated code generation handles all language-specific details, eliminating the learning curve while maintaining comprehensive animation control
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are provided for automatically creating style sheet animations including keyframe information. In some embodiments, a style sheet animation creation tool with a timeline-based interface is provided. By interacting with the user-interface, the user can select a point on a timeline for an animation object to add a keyframe to an animation of the animation object. In response to the user's selection of the keyframe time point, the style sheet animation creation tool displays an interactive keyframe indicator on the timeline to indicate the selected time point. With the style sheet animation creation tool, a user can generate a style sheet animation without having to author style sheet language text statements by hand.