Patent ID: 6784886
Filing Date: 2004-08-31
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
A computer-implemented method comprising:assigning a value to each object in a set of objects wherein the value is associated with some aspect of the object; receiving a non-linear contour having a starting point and an end point corresponding to the respective lowest and highest values associated with each object in the set of objects and having a shape, the shape independent of the values assigned to the objects; defining a predetermined scale on the contour for a range of values, the range of values including the values associated with each of the objects wherein one or more intervals along the non-linear contour are determined according to the predetermined scale; associating each object in the set of objects with a point on the non-linear contour automatically according to the value assigned to the object and the corresponding value associated with a point along the non-linear contour; and adjusting the shape of the non-linear contour with control handles causing the objects to automatically move to an appropriate location along the non-linear contour, wherein the value associated with each object corresponds to a characteristic selected from a group including a temperature, a weight, a mass, a specific period in the, and a color.