Abstract:
A computer-controlled method can include an electronic display visually presenting a digital character and multiple layers within an animation environment, the digital character initially “residing” within a first one of the layers. Responsive to a user “sliding” the digital character in a certain direction, the digital character may “move” to a second one of the layers within the environment.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/836,934, titled “MULTI-LAYER ANIMATION ENVIRONMENT” and filed on Jun. 19, 2013, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The disclosed technology pertains generally to systems for displaying scenes and animations, with particular regard to systems that include the use portable electronic devices such as tablets and smartphones. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The use of portable electronic devices such as tablet computing devices and smartphones has skyrocketed in recent years. Animation, including various types of custom animation, has also seen significant increase in use. Accordingly, there is a continued need for improved custom animation techniques. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example of a multi-layer animation environment visually presented on a display of an electronic device. 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  illustrates an example of a visual representation of the various layers of the animation environment illustrated by  FIG. 1 . 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  illustrates an example of a technique for “moving” the character between the various layers of the animation environment illustrated by  FIGS. 1 and 2  by way of a user performing a particular action. 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  shows the character having been “moved” from the third layer to the first layer of the animation environment illustrated by  FIGS. 1-3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0008]    Embodiments of the disclosed technology generally pertain to a variety of custom animation tools and techniques that may be executed, performed, and controlled on a computing device such as an Apple® iPhone device, iPad device, or iPod Touch device, or any smartphone, tablet computing device, portable media device, or other type of personal computing device, handheld or otherwise. 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example of a multi-layer animation environment visually presented on a display  106  of an electronic device  102 , and  FIG. 2  is a visual representation of the various layers  111 ,  113 ,  115 ,  121 , and  123  of the animation environment. Various elements may exist on different layers of the environment depending on the elements, characters, animation environment, or combination thereof. A multi-layer animation environment can be created using any of a number of tools or techniques suitable for creating animation environments, or it may be imported from an external application, library, or data store. 
         [0010]    It is understood that the layers  111 ,  113 ,  115 ,  121 , and  123  are generally presented visually in two dimensions by a display, such as the display  106  of the electronic device  102  of  FIG. 1 , but are conceptually presented in three dimensions in  FIG. 2  to highlight the “stacking” nature thereof. In the example, a first, e.g., “foremost” or “top,” layer  111  exists conceptually in front of a second layer  113 , which exists conceptually in front of a third layer  115 , which exists conceptually in front of a fourth layer  121 , which exists conceptually in front of a fifth layer  123 . 
         [0011]    While the illustrated example includes five layers, one having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that an animation environment can include fewer layers or more layers; indeed, an animation environment in accordance with the disclosed technology can include virtually any number of layers. Also, the number of layers can be modified using any of a number of suitable tools and techniques. 
         [0012]    The illustrated example includes a digital or animated character  104  that may be selected from a library of pre-made characters or imported from an external application or data store. The character  104  may be imported or otherwise placed or moved into any layer of the animation environment. In the example, a first element  110  exists on the first layer  111 , a second element  112  exists on the second layer  113 , a third element  114  exists on the third layer  115 , a fourth element  116  exists on the fourth layer  121 , and fifth elements  118  and  120  exist on the fifth layer  123  that, in the example, is also the last, e.g., “backmost” or “bottom,” layer. The character  104  presently exists on the fifth layer  123  of the environment. 
         [0013]    The various elements  110 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116 ,  118  and  120  that each exist on one of the layers  111 ,  113 ,  115 ,  121 , and  123  can overlap with one or more other elements or objects that are on a “lower” layer so as to obscure the element(s) to the extent that the “higher” item overlaps the “lower” item(s). For example, because the character  104  is presently on the fifth or final layer  123 , the objects  110 ,  112 ,  114 , and  116  that are on “higher” layers overlap the character  104  and obscure the character  104  to the extent that they overlap the character  104 . Consider another example in which the second element  112  (on the second layer  113 ) were to move, be moved, or caused to be moved “over” the third element  114  (on the third layer  115 ). In such example, the second element  112  would overlap the third element  114  and thus obscure the third element  114  to the extent that the second element  112  would overlap the third element  114 . 
         [0014]      FIG. 3  illustrates an example of a technique for “moving” the character  104  between the various layers  111 ,  113 ,  115 ,  121 , and  123  by way of a user performing a particular action. In the example, a user has placed the tips of two of his or her fingers onto the character  104  and can slide them upward or downward on the display.  FIG. 3  shows the character  104  having been “moved” from the fifth layer  123  to the third layer  115 , e.g., responsive to the user sliding his or her fingers downward. Here, the character  104  would overlap any of the elements  114 ,  116 ,  118 , and  120  on lower layers ( 121  and  123 ) where the character  104  to move or be moved thereover.  FIG. 4  shows the character  104  having been “moved” from the third layer  115  to the first layer  111 . Here, the character  104  now overlaps the second element  112  because it is on the second layer  113 , which is “lower” than the first layer  111 . 
         [0015]    In general, the higher a user moves his or her fingers up on the display, the “deeper” or “lower” the layer the character  104  will move to. The character  104  will generally exist on the surface of the layer on which it is located at any given time, meaning that it will appear in front of elements on its own layer (and layers therebehind) but appear behind any elements that exist on layers that are higher than the layer on which the character  104  exists. 
         [0016]    In certain embodiments, responsive to the character  104  having been moved from one layer to a different layer, the character can either remain the same size or be rescaled. For example, should the character  104  be moved to a lower layer, the character  104  may be visually re-sized to be smaller so as to appear as if deeper in the background. This vanishing point perspective includes a scalar quantity that can be easily calculated and applied to the character  104  by any suitable animation tool or technique. 
         [0017]    Any animated motion and/or other associated action of the character  104  can be performed before or after the character  104  moves between different layers. This advantageously allows a user to animate the character&#39;s motion/action(s) and then place the character  104  on the desired layer to perform the animation within. Alternatively, the user can move the character to the desired layer and then animate the character on such layer. In either case, the aforementioned size scaling for perspective can be applied to the character  104  after it has been animated and then moved or after the character  104  has been moved then animated. 
         [0018]    In certain embodiments, the “path” of the character  104  between layers can be animated as a trace through the layers. In this way, the character  104  can perform one or more motions as it moves between the layers. Again, the aforementioned size scaling of the character  104  for perspective can be done in real-time to further the illusion of depth within the environment as the character moves between the layers. 
         [0019]    The following discussion is intended to provide a brief, general description of a suitable machine in which embodiments of the disclosed technology can be implemented. As used herein, the term “machine” is intended to broadly encompass a single machine or a system of communicatively coupled machines or devices operating together. Exemplary machines can include computing devices such as personal computers, workstations, servers, portable computers, handheld devices, tablet devices, communications devices such as cellular phones and smart phones, and the like. These machines may be implemented as part of a cloud computing arrangement. 
         [0020]    Typically, a machine includes a system bus to which processors, memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and other state-preserving medium), storage devices, a video interface, and input/output interface ports can be attached. The machine can also include embedded controllers such as programmable or non-programmable logic devices or arrays, Application Specific Integrated Circuits, embedded computers, smart cards, and the like. The machine can be controlled, at least in part, by input from conventional input devices, e.g., keyboards, touch screens, mice, and audio devices such as a microphone, as well as by directives received from another machine, interaction with a virtual reality (VR) environment, biometric feedback, or other input signal. 
         [0021]    The machine can utilize one or more connections to one or more remote machines, such as through a network interface, modem, or other communicative coupling. Machines can be interconnected by way of a physical and/or logical network, such as an intranet, the Internet, local area networks, wide area networks, etc. One having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that network communication can utilize various wired and/or wireless short range or long range carriers and protocols, including radio frequency (RF), satellite, microwave, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 545.11, Bluetooth, optical, infrared, cable, laser, etc. 
         [0022]    Embodiments of the disclosed technology can be described by reference to or in conjunction with associated data including functions, procedures, data structures, application programs, instructions, etc. that, when accessed by a machine, can result in the machine performing tasks or defining abstract data types or low-level hardware contexts. Associated data can be stored in, for example, volatile and/or non-volatile memory (e.g., RAM and ROM) or in other storage devices and their associated storage media, which can include hard-drives, floppy-disks, optical storage, tapes, flash memory, memory sticks, digital video disks, biological storage, and other tangible, non-transitory physical storage media. Certain outputs may be in any of a number of different output types such as audio or text-to-speech, for example. 
         [0023]    Associated data can be delivered over transmission environments, including the physical and/or logical network, in the form of packets, serial data, parallel data, propagated signals, etc., and can be used in a compressed or encrypted format. Associated data can be used in a distributed environment, and stored locally and/or remotely for machine access. 
         [0024]    Having described and illustrated the principles of the invention with reference to illustrated embodiments, it will be recognized that the illustrated embodiments may be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles, and may be combined in any desired manner. And although the foregoing discussion has focused on particular embodiments, other configurations are contemplated. In particular, even though expressions such as “according to an embodiment of the invention” or the like are used herein, these phrases are meant to generally reference embodiment possibilities, and are not intended to limit the invention to particular embodiment configurations. As used herein, these terms may reference the same or different embodiments that are combinable into other embodiments. 
         [0025]    Consequently, in view of the wide variety of permutations to the embodiments described herein, this detailed description and accompanying material is intended to be illustrative only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. What is claimed as the invention, therefore, is all such modifications as may come within the scope and spirit of the following claims and equivalents thereto.