Abstract: A method for operating a computing system is provided. The method includes at a local computing device and while an ink input is occurring, rendering a local uncommitted ink stroke on a local display based on the ink input and sending uncommitted ink data corresponding to the uncommitted ink stroke to a remote computing device, the uncommitted ink data including an uncommitted ink stroke path and a global unique identifier differentiating the uncommitted ink data from other uncommitted ink data corresponding to different computing devices and ink inputs. The method further includes responsive to receiving an ink stroke commitment input, rendering a local committed ink stroke on the local display and sending committed ink data including an ink commitment command and the global unique identifier associated with the uncommitted ink stroke path to the remote computing device.

Abstract: The inertia system provides a common platform and application-programming interface (API) for applications to extend the input received from various multi-touch hardware devices to simulate real-world behavior of application objects. To move naturally, application objects should exhibit physical characteristics such as elasticity and deceleration. When a user lifts all contacts from an object, the inertia system provides additional manipulation events to the application so that the application can handle the events as if the user was still moving the object with touch. The inertia system generates the events based on a simulation of the behavior of the objects. If the user moves an object into another object, the inertia system simulates the boundary characteristics of the objects. Thus, the inertia system provides more realistic movement for application objects manipulated using multi-touch hardware and the API provides a consistent feel to manipulations across applications.

Abstract: A facility enabling a user to operate visual user interface controls with ink commands is described. The facility causes to be displayed a control operable with mouse input, and receives an ink command directed to the displayed control. In response, the facility operates the displayed control in accordance with the received ink command.

Abstract: A computing device includes a digital input system that provides digital input functionality for the computing device. The digital input system receives both a first input and a second input. The first input is typically an input with the user's dominant hand (e.g., using a pen, stylus, finger, etc.), and the second input is typically an input with the user's non-dominant hand. The digital input system determines whether a second input is received simultaneously with the first input, and selects one of multiple behaviors for the first input based on whether the second input is received simultaneously with the first input. Various different behaviors for the first input can be selected from, such as freehand or freeform input, constraining digital input corresponding to the first input to be along an edge of a stencil, and so forth.

Abstract: A computing device includes a digital input system that allows freehand digital inputs to be received (e.g., via movement of a pen, stylus, finger, etc.). The digital input system provides functionality allowing applications to receive digital inputs from a user and control the display of data based on the digital inputs. The digital input system receives digital input from a user and analyzes the digital input to collect input data for the digital input. As the digital input is received, the input data is made available to an application, allowing the application to operate on the input data (e.g., modify the input data and/or generate additional input data) and provide the operated-on input data to the digital input system. The digital input system then proceeds to control the display of data based on the operated-on input data.

Abstract: In one or more embodiments, a bus driver, included on a local computing system, enables detection of hardware available on a host computing system for a remote access session. Upon detecting a hardware device on the host computing system, an operating system included in the local computing system may obtain a device driver for controlling data captured from the hardware device. The device driver may be used to inject data captured from the hardware device into the local operating system's input stack. In some examples, the data is injected into the local operating system's input stack at a layer that corresponds to a layer at which the data was captured on the host computing system.

Abstract: A facility for adapting the prediction of ink is described. In some examples, the facility receives information about a spatial movement by a user. On the basis of the received information, the facility predicts future spatial movement by the user, and generates an ink stroke that reflects both the spatial movement described by the received information and at least a portion of the predicted future spatial movement. The facility enforces against the generated ink stroke a limit that has the effect of controlling the area of a portion of the ink stroke corresponding to the at least a portion of the predicted future spatial movement, and causes the generated ink stroke, subject to the enforcement of the limit, to be displayed.

Abstract: The inertia system provides a common platform and application-programming interface (API) for applications to extend the input received from various multi-touch hardware devices to simulate real-world behavior of application objects. To move naturally, application objects should exhibit physical characteristics such as elasticity and deceleration. When a user lifts all contacts from an object, the inertia system provides additional manipulation events to the application so that the application can handle the events as if the user was still moving the object with touch. The inertia system generates the events based on a simulation of the behavior of the objects. If the user moves an object into another object, the inertia system simulates the boundary characteristics of the objects. Thus, the inertia system provides more realistic movement for application objects manipulated using multi-touch hardware and the API provides a consistent feel to manipulations across applications.

Abstract: The manipulation system described herein provides a common platform and application-programming interface (API) for applications to communicate with various multi-touch hardware devices, and facilitates the interpretation of multi-touch input as one or more manipulations. Manipulations map more directly to user intentions than do individual touch inputs and add support for basic transformation of objects using multiple touch contacts. An application can use manipulations to support rotating, resizing, and translating multiple objects at the same time. The manipulation system outputs two-dimensional (2D) affine transforms that contain rotation, scale, and translation information. Thus, using the manipulation system the application author can focus more on building touch-capable applications and let the manipulation system handle the underlying transformations and communication with the multi-touch hardware.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improving the latency for display of ink during user creation of ink content with a stylus, mouse, finger (or other touch input), or other drawing device for tracing a desired location for ink content in a display area. In order to reduce or minimize the time for display of ink content created by a user using a stylus/mouse/touch input/other device, a separate ink rendering process thread can be used that operates within the operating system and in parallel to other application threads. When it is desired to create ink content within an application, user interactions corresponding to creation of ink content can be handled by the separate ink rendering process thread. This can avoid potential delays in displaying ink content due to an application handling other events in a process flow.

Abstract: The inertia system provides a common platform and application-programming interface (API) for applications to extend the input received from various multi-touch hardware devices to simulate real-world behavior of application objects. To move naturally, application objects should exhibit physical characteristics such as elasticity and deceleration. When a user lifts all contacts from an object, the inertia system provides additional manipulation events to the application so that the application can handle the events as if the user was still moving the object with touch. The inertia system generates the events based on a simulation of the behavior of the objects. If the user moves an object into another object, the inertia system simulates the boundary characteristics of the objects. Thus, the inertia system provides more realistic movement for application objects manipulated using multi-touch hardware and the API provides a consistent feel to manipulations across applications.

Abstract: A method for operating a computing system is provided. The method includes at a local computing device and while an ink input is occurring, rendering a local uncommitted ink stroke on a local display based on the ink input and sending uncommitted ink data corresponding to the uncommitted ink stroke to a remote computing device, the uncommitted ink data including an uncommitted ink stroke path and a global unique identifier differentiating the uncommitted ink data from other uncommitted ink data corresponding to different computing devices and ink inputs. The method further includes responsive to receiving an ink stroke commitment input, rendering a local committed ink stroke on the local display and sending committed ink data including an ink commitment command and the global unique identifier associated with the uncommitted ink stroke path to the remote computing device.

Abstract: The manipulation system described herein provides a common platform and application-programming interface (API) for applications to communicate with various multi-touch hardware devices, and facilitates the interpretation of multi-touch input as one or more manipulations. Manipulations map more directly to user intentions than do individual touch inputs and add support for basic transformation of objects using multiple touch contacts. An application can use manipulations to support rotating, resizing, and translating multiple objects at the same time. The manipulation system outputs two-dimensional (2D) affine transforms that contain rotation, scale, and translation information. Thus, using the manipulation system the application author can focus more on building touch-capable applications and let the manipulation system handle the underlying transformations and communication with the multi-touch hardware.

Abstract: A facility for processing ink input is described. In one example facility, the facility receives ink input from an input device. The facility generates and renders ink stroke data structures in response to received ink input in accordance with an ink input processing pipeline. The facility provides to an executing application access to information traversing the ink input processing pipeline at a selected point in the ink input processing pipeline.

Abstract: A platform-level container configured to hold natively-supported ink stroke data structures is maintained. The platform-level container is accessible to a plurality of different applications. An ink stroke visual corresponding to each ink stroke data structure held by the platform-level container is rendered via a display. An ink stroke change event corresponding to an ink stroke data structure held by the platform-level container is recognized. The ink stroke data structure is changed to an updated ink stroke data structure in accordance with the ink stroke change event. An ink stroke visual corresponding to the updated ink stroke data structure is rendered via the display without re-rendering ink stroke visuals corresponding to unchanged ink stroke data structures.

Abstract: An application on a computing device includes a digital ink system that supports the input and output of digital ink in a markup language document. Digital ink refers to a digital representation of object (e.g., pen or finger) strokes on an input device that can be displayed on an output device. The markup language document can include, for example, an edit box in which the digital ink and optionally other data can be input. As the input object moves over the input device, data identifying the locations of the input object are captured and embedded in a markup language element of the document. The digital ink system also allows documents including digital ink to be displayed, the digital ink system displaying the digital ink along with any other data included in the document.

Abstract: A facility for handling input relating to electronic ink is described. In a first thread, the facility produces ink in response to at least a portion of the input. In a second thread distinct from the first thread, the facility manipulates at least a portion of the ink produced in the first thread.

Abstract: Computer-readable media, computerized methods, and computer systems for intuitively invoking a panning action (e.g., moving content within a content region of a display area) by applying a user-initiated input at the content region rendered at a touchscreen interface are provided. Initially, aspects of the user-initiated input include a location of actuation (e.g., touch point on the touchscreen interface) and a gesture. Upon ascertaining that the actuation location occurred within the content region and that the gesture is a drag operation, based on a distance of uninterrupted tactile contact with the touchscreen interface, a panning mode may be initiated. When in the panning mode, and if the application rendering the content at the display area supports scrolling functionality, the gesture will control movement of the content within the content region. In particular, the drag operation of the gesture will pan the content within the display area when surfaced at the touchscreen interface.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improving the latency for display of ink during user creation of ink content with a stylus, mouse, finger (or other touch input), or other drawing device for tracing a desired location for ink content in a display area. In order to reduce or minimize the time for display of ink content created by a user using a stylus/mouse/touch input/other device, a separate ink rendering process thread can be used that operates within the operating system and in parallel to other application threads. When it is desired to create ink content within an application, user interactions corresponding to creation of ink content can be handled by the separate ink rendering process thread. This can avoid potential delays in displaying ink content due to an application handling other events in a process flow.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improving the latency for display of ink during user creation of ink content with an object, such as a stylus, mouse, finger (or other touch input), or other drawing device. In order to reduce or minimize the time for display of ink content created by a user, aspects of the technology described herein generate predictive wet ink that can be displayed with actual wet ink. The predictive wet ink is calculated by extending an active ink segment a predictive distance. The predictive distance is intended to be a distance between a termination ink point for an active wet ink segment and a tip of the writing object. In one aspect, the predictive distance is calculated by determining the current latency period on a touch device and the velocity of the writing object.