Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for moving and manipulating graphical objects on a device that may include one or more pointing device, such as a mouse, a touchpad, or a touch screen, some of which may be multi-touch enabled. In some embodiments, a method may include, concurrent with and in response to user input from a pointing device: moving a first graphical object, determining a plurality of alternative target orientations for that first graphical object, selecting one of the target orientations, and gradually changing certain display characteristics of the first object based on characteristics of the selected target orientation.

Abstract: Various approaches for selection of graphical objects in a web browser-based application are described. In one approach, a selection overlay is stored in a web document. The selection overlay encompasses a plurality of user-selectable graphical objects in the web document occupies a highest position in layers of graphical objects in the web document and includes a plurality of selection regions. Each selection region is respectively associated with one of the plurality of graphical objects and defines a region of selectability for the associated graphical object. In response to the web browser-based application detecting entry of a user-directed pointer into one of the selection regions in the selection overlay, the graphical object associated with the one selection region is selected for user manipulation and displayed.

Abstract: Disclosed are various approaches for searching for electronic information. In one embodiment, a first plurality of objects is presenting for user selection. The first plurality of objects is a first subset of a second plurality of objects that is organized by a plurality of containment categories in a data structure. A plurality of associations is stored, and each association defines a relationship between one of, two different ones of the plurality of categories, or two objects in two different ones of the plurality of containment categories. In response to user selection of one of the first plurality of objects, a second subset of the second plurality of objects is selected. Selection of the objects in the second subset is in part a function of respective weighted relevance values for associations of the selected object to each of the second plurality of objects. The second subset of objects is output.

Abstract: Techniques for creating a mosaic using user-created content on a content sharing site. Embodiments of the invention may provide an interface on the content sharing site to allow users to create content. Embodiments may then determine a suitability value between the user-created content and portions of a mosaic, and insert the user-created content into a particular portion of the mosaic based on the determined suitability value for the particular portion.

Abstract: Disclosed are various approaches for displaying graphical objects. In one approach, first and second graphical objects are displayed in a first state. In the first state a portion of the second graphical object that is overlapped by a portion of the first graphical object is completely obstructed from view by the portion of the first graphical object. When in a second state, the first and second graphical objects are displayed in a manner different from the first state. In the second state the portion of the second graphical object that is overlapped by the portion of the first graphical object is represented as being visible along with the portion of the first object and with muted visibility relative to a portion of the second graphical object that is not overlapped by a portion of the first graphical object.

Abstract: A technique for manipulating the layering order of graphical objects in a digital canvas or document is disclosed. A graphics object that is included in a layer in the digital canvas or document is selected. The digital canvas or document is searched in order to define a subset of graphics objects that includes the selected graphics object and any other graphics objects that overlap with the selected graphics object. A layering-order control enables a user to move the layer associated with the selected graphics object to a depth in the digital canvas or document that includes a layer associated with one of the other graphics objects in the subset of graphics objects. The concurrent re-positioning of multiple layers associated with two or more selected graphics objects is also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for distributing and accessing files in a distributed storage system uses an ordered list of the storage nodes in the system to determine the storage node on which a file is stored. The distributed storage system includes a cluster of storage nodes and may also include one or more client nodes that participate in the system as storage resources. Each node (client and storage) stores an ordered list of the storage nodes in the system, allowing any of the nodes to access the file. The list is updated whenever a new storage node is added to the system, an existing storage node is removed from the system, or a new storage node is swapped with an existing storage node. Each one of the nodes may independently compute a new mapping of files to the storage nodes when the ordered list is changed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for efficiently detecting graphics objects near a selected point in an application is disclosed. The method implements a two-stage selection technique. In a first stage, a set of one or more graphics objects that are considered equally good candidates for selection is determined, and in a second stage one of the graphics objects from the set is ultimately selected based on certain other selection criteria. In the first stage, the application determines if a selected pixel overlaps with any graphics objects. If the selected pixel does not overlap with any graphics objects, then the application determines whether one of a set of cursor footprints overlap with any graphics objects. If multiple graphics objects overlap the selected pixel, or the minimum sized cursor footprint, then, in a second stage, one of the multiple graphics objects is selected based on certain other selection criteria.

Abstract: Techniques for associating a graphics object with one of a plurality of target regions of a graphical object template are disclosed. The graphics object is associated with one of the target regions based on the distance between the center of mass of the graphics object and the center of mass of the target region and the overlap amount of the graphics object with the target region. A pre-generated graphics object (stamp object) may also be automatically incorporated into one of the target regions based on the alignment of the minimum bounding box of the stamp object and the minimum bounding box of the target region.

Abstract: Various approaches for co-simulating an electronic system design are described. In one approach, a hardware design function block in the design is instantiated, along with a specification of a software execution platform including external ports and software to execute on the platform. In response to a user instruction to import the software execution platform into the design, a software execution platform interface block is automatically instantiated. A first simulation model is generated from the hardware design function block and the software execution platform interface block and a second simulation model is generated from the software execution platform. The design is co-simulated using the first and second simulation models. Data is communicated between the first simulation model and the second simulation model via the interface block.

Abstract: Techniques for associating a graphics object with one of a plurality of target regions of a graphical object template are disclosed. The graphics object is associated with one of the target regions based on the distance between the center of mass of the graphics object and the center of mass of the target region and the overlap amount of the graphics object with the target region. A pre-generated graphics object (stamp object) may also be automatically incorporated into one of the target regions based on the alignment of the minimum bounding box of the stamp object and the minimum bounding box of the target region.

Abstract: A system and method for distributing and accessing files in a distributed storage system uses an ordered list of the storage nodes in the system to determine the storage node on which a file is stored. The distributed storage system includes a cluster of storage nodes and may also include one or more client nodes that participate in the system as storage resources. Each node (client and storage) stores an ordered list of the storage nodes in the system, allowing any of the nodes to access the file. The list is updated whenever a new storage node is added to the system, an existing storage node is removed from the system, or a new storage node is swapped with an existing storage node. Each one of the nodes may independently compute a new mapping of files to the storage nodes when the ordered list is changed.

Abstract: A system and method for distributing and accessing files in a distributed storage system uses an ordered list of the storage nodes in the system to determine the storage node on which a file is stored. The distributed storage system includes a cluster of storage nodes and may also include one or more client nodes that participate in the system as storage resources. Each node (client and storage) stores an ordered list of the storage nodes in the system, allowing any of the nodes to access the file. The list is updated whenever a new storage node is added to the system, an existing storage node is removed from the system, or a new storage node is swapped with an existing storage node. Each one of the nodes may independently compute a new mapping of files to the storage nodes when the ordered list is changed.

Abstract: Various approaches are disclosed for generating an output graphical object from an input graphical object. In one approach, vector graphics data representing the input graphical object in a memory are stored. A first subset of the vector graphics components of the vectors graphics data to leave unchanged for the output graphical object, a second subset of vector graphics components to alter for the output object, and a third subset of vector graphics components to discard from the output object are determined. Each vector graphics component in the second subset is altered, and the first and altered second subsets of vector graphics components as the output graphical object.

Abstract: Techniques for creating a mosaic using user-created content on a content sharing site. Embodiments of the invention may provide an interface on the content sharing site to allow users to create content. Embodiments may then determine a suitability value between the user-created content and portions of a mosaic, and insert the user-created content into a particular portion of the mosaic based on the determined suitability value for the particular portion.

Abstract: Various approaches for selection of graphical objects in a web browser-based application are described. In one approach, a selection overlay is stored in a web document. The selection overlay encompasses a plurality of user-selectable graphical objects in the web document occupies a highest position in layers of graphical objects in the web document and includes a plurality of selection regions. Each selection region is respectively associated with one of the plurality of graphical objects and defines a region of selectability for the associated graphical object. In response to the web browser-based application detecting entry of a user-directed pointer into one of the selection regions in the selection overlay, the graphical object associated with the one selection region is selected for user manipulation and displayed.

Abstract: Various approaches for selection of graphical objects in a web browser-based application are described. In one approach, a selection overlay is stored in a web document. The selection overlay encompasses a plurality of user-selectable graphical objects in the web document occupies a highest position in layers of graphical objects in the web document and includes a plurality of selection regions. Each selection region is respectively associated with one of the plurality of graphical objects and defines a region of selectability for the associated graphical object. In response to the web browser-based application detecting entry of a user-directed pointer into one of the selection regions in the selection overlay, the graphical object associated with the one selection region is selected for user manipulation and displayed.

Abstract: Disclosed are various approaches for allowing the selection of graphical objects in a graphical user interface. In one embodiment, selection overlays are generated for each of a plurality of graphical objects. The selection overlays are sorted into layers over the layers of the graphical objects, with the sorting based in part of a characteristic of the associated graphical objects other than the layers to which those objects are assigned. The plurality of objects and the selections overlays (which may be transparent) are displayed. In response to user input (e.g., mouse click or mouse motion) relative to a screen region associated with one selection overlay, the state of the overlay and the associated graphical object are updated and displayed accordingly.

Abstract: A method of communicating data among a plurality of software modules of a heterogeneous software system can include constructing an XTable object in a first software module of the plurality of software modules and providing the XTable object to a second software module of the plurality of software modules. The method further can include extracting data from the XTable object within the second software module.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for translating a first program in a dynamically-typed language to a program in a hardware description language. From the dynamically-typed-language first program, a second program in single static assignment format is generated. For cases where a variable is assigned different data types at different places in the program, the assignments of the different data types are resolved for the variable. The second program is then translated to a program in the hardware description language.