Patent ID: 6018352
Filing Date: 2000-01-25
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
A line symmetrical graphic arrangement device for automatically arranging an input graphic into a line symmetrical shape and displaying the arranged graphic, the arrangement device comprising:a graphic input unit configured to enter graphic data, the graphic data including characteristic quantities indicating coordinates of vertices of the graphic data, the graphic data including a plurality of separate shapes;a graphic data storing unit configured to store the graphic data entered from said graphic input unit;an arrangement processing instructing unit configured to receive an operator instruction to perform an arrangement processing on the input graphic;a symmetry axis creating unit configured to automatically create a first symmetry axis according to a predetermined rule, when an instruction is issued by said arrangement processing instructing unit based on the operator instruction provided to said arrangement processing instruction unit, the symmetry axis creating unit creating the first symmetry axis for each of the plurality of separate shapes, determining corresponding candidate first symmetry axes, by one of: a) acquiring each vertical bisector of a line connecting each of the corresponding characteristic quantities of the corresponding one of the separate shapes, and b) acquiring combinations of medial points of the corresponding one of the separate shapes, wherein the candidate symmetry axis for one of the plurality of separate shapes that is most symmetric with respect to all of the plurality of separate shapes is determined to be the first symmetry axis for the input graphic, the symmetry axis creating unit configured to automatically create a second symmetry axis according to the predetermined rule for remaining ones of the plurality of separate shapes besides the one of the plurality of separate shapes;a symmetry axis storing unit configured to store the data of the symmetry axis created by said symmetry axis creating unit;a symmetry judging unit configured to judge, in reply to the instruction of said arrangement processing instructing unit, whether the input graphic has a substantially line symmetrical shape or not with respect to the first and second symmetry axes, on the basis of the graphic data stored in said graphic data storing unit and the data of the symmetry axis stored in said symmetry axis storing unit, according to a predetermined criterion;a symmetrizing processing unit configured to arrange the input graphic judged to be substantially line symmetric by said symmetry judging unit so as to be accurately line symmetric with respect to the first and second symmetry axes, on the basis of the graphic data stored in said graphic data storing unit and the data of the first and second symmetry axes stored in said symmetry axis storing unit; andan output unit configured to display the graphic arranged by said symmetrizing processing unit.