Machine controls for rapid numbering of graphical depictions on a display surface

Abstract

A process for rapid numbering of a drawings panel on a graphical user interface gathers geometric location information relative to a drawings panel from actions performed on a machine interface. The process generates an element number using a sequencer that has been configured with a numbering schema. The number is then associated with the geometric location of the action performed on the machine interface, and checks for any unnumbered graphical elements at the same location which it also associates with the number. The element number is stored to a number set and populated on the drawings panel at the geometric location of the performed action.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for rapid numbering of a multilayered graphical document on a graphical user interface comprising:
 displaying the multilayered graphical document comprising at least one graphical illustration on a first layer through a drawings panel in a graphical user interface;   generating a location action for a cursor's position in the drawings panel in response to receiving an action sequence input through a machine interface;   generating a first geometric location on the graphical user interfacefor the location action by mapping the cursor's position in the drawings panel to a first axis geometric location and a second axis geometric location on the multilayered graphical document through control of a geometric locator;   operating a sequencer with a numbering schema to generate an element number;   operating a correlator to associate the first geometric location with the element number;   appending the element number to a number set associated with at least one multilayered graphical document stored in a controlled memory data structure;   displaying the element number on a second layer of the multilayered graphical document above the at least one graphical illustration at coordinates corresponding to the first geometric location;   configuring a tolerance from a series of action sequence inputs defining a geometric region in the multilayered graphical document;   generating a second geometric location on the graphical user interface through operation of the geometric locator; and   associating the second geometric location with the first geometric location through operation of the correlator configured by a particular action sequence input.   
     
     
         2 . The method for rapid numbering of  claim 1  further comprising:
 configuring the tolerance at least in part by the dimensions of the drawings panel; 
 applying the geometric locator to any unnumbered graphical element to generate a second geometric location; 
 configuring the correlator to associate the second geometric location with the first geometric location, if the first geometric location is within the tolerance of the second geometric location; and 
 displaying a graphical connector linking the element number of the first geometric location with the second geometric location. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method for rapid numbering of  claim 1  further comprising:
 displaying a graphical connector from the first geometric location to another geometric location within the tolerance of the first geometric location in response to receiving a first action sequence input at the first geometric location and a second action sequence input at the other geometric location. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method for rapid numbering of  claim 1  further comprising:
 applying the geometric locator to identify unnumbered geometric regions to generate other geometric locations; 
 operating the sequencer to generate element numbers configured by the numbering schema and the number set; 
 configuring the correlator to associate each geometric location of the other geometric locations with a different element number; and 
 displaying different element numbers at each of the other geometric locations in the multilayered graphical document. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method for rapid numbering of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the numbering schema delineating a starting number and a counting increment between numbers. 
 
     
     
         6 . A method for rapid numbering of a multilayered graphical document on a graphical user interface comprising:
 generating a location action in response to an action performed on a machine interface;   generating a first geometric location on the machine interface from the location action by applying to the location action, a geometric locator comprising:
 calculating a first axis geometric location; and 
 calculating a second axis geometric location; 
   configuring a sequencer with a numbering schema to generate an element number;   configuring a correlator with the first geometric location and the element number to associate the first geometric location with the element number;   adding the element number to a number set; and   displaying the element number on a drawings panel at coordinates corresponding to the first geometric location.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 the numbering schema delineating a starting number and a counting increment between numbers.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein configuring the correlator further comprises:
 providing a tolerance wherein the tolerance is defined at least in part by the dimensions of the drawings panel; 
 applying the geometric locator to any unnumbered graphical element to generate a second geometric location on the machine interface; and 
 configuring the correlator to associate the second geometric location with the first geometric location, if the first geometric location is within the tolerance of the second geometric location. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 the numbering schema delineating a starting number and a counting increment between numbers.   
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when processed by a computer, configure the computer to perform the method of  claim 9 . 
     
     
         11 . A computing apparatus including a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the apparatus to perform the method of  claim 9 . 
     
     
         12 . A computing apparatus, the computing apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the apparatus to:
 generate a location action in response to an action performed on a machine interface; 
 generate a first geometric location on the machine interface from the location action by applying to the location action, a geometric locator comprising:
 calculate a first axis geometric location; and 
 calculate a second axis geometric location; 
 
 configure a sequencer with a numbering schema to generate an element number; 
 configure a correlator with the first geometric location and the element number to associate the first geometric location with the element number; 
 add the element number to a number set; and 
 display the element number on a drawings panel at coordinates corresponding to the first geometric location. 
   
     
     
         13 . The computing apparatus of  claim 12  wherein configuring the correlator further comprises:
 provide a tolerance wherein the tolerance is defined at least in part by the dimensions of the drawings panel; 
 apply the geometric locator to any unnumbered graphical element to generate a second geometric location; and 
 configure the correlator to associate the second geometric location on the machine interface with the first geometric location, if the first geometric location is within the tolerance of the second geometric location. 
 
     
     
         14 . The computing apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the numbering schema delineates a starting number and a counting increment between numbers.