Abstract: A graphical user interface for a computer includes a dial control. The control can be implemented, for example, as a touch-based, pointer-based, pen-based and/or keyboard-based mechanism. The dial control is intended for manipulating a large range of values, such as a menu of items from which a user makes a selection, or a range of continuous or discrete values. A dial control can replace other control types such as a slider, drop down menu or text field. The graphical elements of the dial control include one or more displayed rings and a handle for each ring. Inside the ring, or in another area adjacent the ring, a value can be displayed. The ring can be manipulated by the user to change the value selected by the dial control. In the case of multiple rings, each ring can be manipulated independently.

Abstract: A gaze vector of a human subject is translated to a targeting vector that defines focus within a graphical user interface. Sensor data is received from a sensor system indicating pitch angle of a head of the human subject defining the gaze vector. The pitch angle is translated to a scaled pitch angle according to a pitch scaling function that increases amplification of the pitch angle in one or more directions as the pitch angle exceeds a start angle threshold in each of the one or more directions. The scaled pitch angle is output as a component of the targeting vector.

Abstract: A gaze vector of a human subject is translated to a targeting vector that defines focus within a graphical user interface. Sensor data is received from a sensor system indicating pitch angle of a head of the human subject defining the gaze vector. The pitch angle is translated to a scaled pitch angle according to a pitch scaling function that increases amplification of the pitch angle in one or more directions as the pitch angle exceeds a start angle threshold in each of the one or more directions. The scaled pitch angle is output as a component of the targeting vector.

Abstract: Rendering different types of graphical content using a single primitive type. Embodiments enable graphical elements of different content types representing a scene to be rendered as a batch based on the single primitive type, thereby reducing data transfer and improving processing performance. For example, each graphical element in a batch of graphical elements can rendered based modifications to instances of a template shape, which represents a single primitive type usable for rendering different types of graphical content. The modifications to each instance can include modifying the instance according transformation data, clip data, and/or width and height data to position the instance in a scene, and filling the modified instance according to one or more of shape or brush data corresponding to the graphical element.

Abstract: A graphical user interface for a computer includes a dial control. The control can be implemented, for example, as a touch-based, pointer-based, pen-based and/or keyboard-based mechanism. The dial control is intended for manipulating a large range of values, such as a menu of items from which a user makes a selection, or a range of continuous or discrete values. A dial control can replace other control types such as a slider, drop down menu or text field. The graphical elements of the dial control include one or more displayed rings and a handle for each ring. Inside the ring, or in another area adjacent the ring, a value can be displayed. The ring can be manipulated by the user to change the value selected by the dial control. In the case of multiple rings, each ring can be manipulated independently.

Abstract: Primitive-based composition techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a global composition system may be configured to perform rendering for a plurality of applications. For example, the global composition system may be configured to expose one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) that are accessible to the applications. The APIs may then be used to cause a single composition engine to perform the rendering for the plurality of applications. Further, the composition engine may support the use of primitives, which include one or more rendering instructions and thus an element associated with a visual to be rendered may be something other than a bitmap.

Abstract: Performing primitive composition within a user interface thread, enhancing the ability to scale a user interface framework to computing devices having limited resources. In one or more embodiments, a user interface thread walks a user interface hierarchy that describes elements of a program's user interface and directly generates static Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) data structures representing at least a portion of the user interface hierarchy. The user interface thread passes the static GPU data structures to a composition thread, which uses these static GPU data structures during generation of a plurality of video frames. This includes the composition thread, based on the static GPU data structures, sending GPU data and GPU commands for the plurality of video frames to a GPU for rendering.

Abstract: Performing real-time atlasing of graphics data and creation and maintenance of texture atlases for applications having dynamic graphics content. Embodiments include allocating a texture atlas configured to store textural elements for use in rendering graphical elements, and providing a graphics processing unit (GPU) access to the texture atlas. During subsequent execution of an application, when a graphical element of the application is to be rendered by the GPU, a block of space can be allocated within the texture atlas and a textural element corresponding to the graphical element can be stored within the allocated block. The GPU therefore has access to the textural element when rendering the graphical element.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to maintaining layout properties when aliasing a live element and to independently inheriting animation properties using aliases. In one scenario, a computer system generates aliases for a live element displayed in a user interface (UI). The aliases represent the live element in a UI layout which includes live element properties that are inherited hierarchically. The computer system removes the live element from the UI such that the live element is no longer visible on the UI, and integrates the generated aliases into the UI layout. The aliases inherit properties of the UI layout depending on where in the layout the alias was attached. The computer system then initiates an animation for the live element using the aliases which are integrated into the UI layout according to the properties inherited from the position of the aliases in the layout.

Abstract: Performing real-time atlasing of graphics data and creation and maintenance of texture atlases for applications having dynamic graphics content. Embodiments include allocating a texture atlas configured to store textural elements for use in rendering graphical elements, and providing a graphics processing unit (GPU) access to the texture atlas. During subsequent execution of an application, when a graphical element of the application is to be rendered by the GPU, a block of space can be allocated within the texture atlas and a textural element corresponding to the graphical element can be stored within the allocated block. The GPU therefore has access to the textural element when rendering the graphical element.

Abstract: Performing primitive composition within a user interface thread, enhancing the ability to scale a user interface framework to computing devices having limited resources. In one or more embodiments, a user interface thread walks a user interface hierarchy that describes elements of a program's user interface and directly generates static Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) data structures representing at least a portion of the user interface hierarchy. The user interface thread passes the static GPU data structures to a composition thread, which uses these static GPU data structures during generation of a plurality of video frames. This includes the composition thread, based on the static GPU data structures, sending GPU data and GPU commands for the plurality of video frames to a GPU for rendering.

Abstract: Rendering different types of graphical content using a single primitive type. Embodiments enable graphical elements of different content types representing a scene to be rendered as a batch based on the single primitive type, thereby reducing data transfer and improving processing performance. For example, each graphical element in a batch of graphical elements can rendered based modifications to instances of a template shape, which represents a single primitive type usable for rendering different types of graphical content. The modifications to each instance can include modifying the instance according transformation data, clip data, and/or width and height data to position the instance in a scene, and filling the modified instance according to one or more of shape or brush data corresponding to the graphical element.