Abstract:
An integrated development environment (IDE) feature is described that provide relevant information regarding the various purposing masks in an intuitive manner. A user selects one or more target media types for the content being worked on in the IDE. When these target media are selected, masks corresponding to the selected target media are displayed over the content. The IDE monitors the position information identifying a display location of each mask. When the user performs some kind of information event associated with an identified display location of one of the masks, the IDE detects this event and displays an information box that contains media type information regarding the target media related to the specific mask at the identified display location.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is related to co-pending and commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/512,567, Attorney Docket No. B266, entitled “IDENTIFICATION OF COMMON VISIBLE REGIONS IN PURPOSING MEDIA FOR TARGETED USE” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates, in general, to media development environments, and, more specifically, to providing rollover information for media purposed for a specific use. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In today&#39;s information-driven world, it is often desirable to present information in various different media. “Media” or “medium” as used herein, refers to any mechanism for presenting content. Examples of media include non-electronic media such as paper, etc on which content may be presented (e.g., content may be printed, painted, or otherwise presented on such non-electronic media). A further example of media includes electronic media, such as electronic devices operable to display content stored on a computer readable medium, etc. Content refers to any type of information that may be present on a media, such as images (still, moving, video, etc), text, etc. 
         [0004]    Content created by a content author, such as a designer, developer, programmer, graphic artist, and the like, may be created specifically for presentation on multiple different devices or in multiple different formats. These different displays and formats may have several different presentation variables, such as display size, aspect ratio, resolution, size, pixel shape and size, and the like. The content author would generally create. reshape, or recreate the content for each different targeted format. 
         [0005]    Content may also have been originally created for print or for traditional broadcast media or used in print, but later thought to be useful for use or presentation in different ways, such as on a computer screen, mobile phone screen, electronic time varying display, or the like. In creating this print content, it may have been created or printed specifically for a certain size, such as letter size. However, it may also be useful for presentation on postcard-size paper, A4 paper, PAL, NTSC, or the like, or in a different media type entirely, such as on a standard computer screen, mobile phone, electronic time varying display, or the like. In order to repurpose this content, content authors typically reshape or reformat the original layout to meet the size or layout restrictions of the new, targeted use, device, or media type. This process is significantly compounded when repurposing video as thousands of individual frames must be considered. 
         [0006]    Creation and modification of such content is typically accomplished using computers and graphics design or page layout applications, such as Adobe Systems Incorporated&#39;s ACROBAT®, PAGEMAKER®, ILLUSTRATOR®, FREEHAND®, FRAMEMAKER®, FLASH®, AFTER EFFECTS®, PREMIERE PRO®, DREAMWEAVER®, GOLIVE®, Microsoft Corporation&#39;s FRONT PAGE®, and the like. The user generally creates, copies, opens, or scans the content into the development area and graphically generates or manipulates the content and layout to fit the desired target size or specific media presentation aspect for the targeted use. For example, if a company desires to create marketing pamphlets in various paper sizes and also for display on its websites, the author would create the graphics and other content for the pamphlet in an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), such as one of the design applications noted above, and then manipulate the graphics of the pamphlet to make it fit onto the desired target size or device in a pleasing or logical manner. Similar approaches are made when using or converting vide images. The author would generally use multiple editing sessions resulting in multiple files to accommodate all of the intended target formats. The resulting content would then be printed, stored, or placed into whatever other kind of medium or format for which it was intended. 
         [0007]    Another relevant example is the purposing, i.e., creation or repurposing, of content for electronic devices, including personal computers (PCs), and mobile electronic devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable media devices, such as Apple Computer Inc.&#39;s IPOD®, Creative Technology Ltd.&#39;s ZEN VISION™, iRiver Inc.&#39;s CLIX™, and the like. As these electronic devices become more rich media capable, they become a natural place to consume time varying, interactive, and rich media information. Therefore, content authors are involved in creating new and repurposing existing content specifically for certain target electronic devices, such as target mobile electronic devices. Typically, content authors will make decisions on the layout, presentation, or format of information on a per device basis. With so many devices having multiple different presentation variables (e.g., different display sizes, etc.), there is a considerable amount of time designing and then fitting the designed content for multiple devices. 
         [0008]    The wide variety of aspect ratios and resolutions available across various media today, and in particular, across mobile phones and other mobile devices creates an enormous number of variations for any content that is intended to reach multiple media devices. Because a developer purposing content for multiple media devices would generally create several hundred different variations of the content, content creation and repurposing is a very repetitive process that can be very tedious and time consuming. The potential costs to purposing content may, therefore, limit the amount of such authoring that is done and, as a result, reduce the potential benefit that new consumers may have in using content in multiple, different media. Moreover, the time constraints involved in bringing content to the market may result in coarse design decisions being made which may produce an inconsistent quality of information and content display. This approach to handling many target formats authors typically make single sets of decisions for multiple target devices. Such coarsely designed content may be too large or too small for a useful or pleasant user experience. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0009]    The present invention and its various representative embodiments are directed to systems, methods, and computer program products that provide relevant information regarding the various purposing masks in an intuitive manner 
         [0010]    Briefly, as disclosed in co-pending, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/512,567, Attorney Docket No. B266, entitled “IDENTIFICATION OF COMMON VISIBLE REGIONS IN PURPOSING MEDIA FOR TARGETED USE”. A content author may begin the design process by electronically sketching the content in a development environment. A content author typically makes creative decisions with a specific format in mind. For example, in order to make the design process more efficient, the author may use a mask that allows him or her to see the visual dimensions of the various presentation variables for the target media. The author will either create a mask or use a pre-built mask for each mobile device with a separate mask for each device having different presentation variables. The mask is then used as a layer over the content. Part of the mask is typically translucent or opaque, which represents the space outside of the usable display space on the mobile device. A portion in the center of the mask typically shows the visible space available on the device. In this manner, when the user lays the mask over the content, he or she is able to see what will generally be viewable by a person using that particular mobile device. Any part of the content that ends up behind the translucent or opaque section will be content that a user of that particular device would not typically be able to see. The developer may then make the necessary modifications to the content design to fit into the visible display area. Typically, the user either changes the content to make it fit the mask, or changes the crop/mask area on top of the content. 
         [0011]    In order to keep track of the various masks and the associated formats that each mask represents, the user or developer typically relies on memory or customized names of either the mask or the layer in which the mask is placed. When working to purpose information into only a few different target formats, the ability to keep track of which masks represent the various target formats is relatively straight forward. However, when dealing with the purposing of information into tens or even hundreds of different target formats, keeping track of the various masks is extremely complicated, if not impossible in a single purposing session. A considerable amount of time is lost by repeating the purposing process with manageable groups of masks. This time expense would likely affect how many target formats are used for content to be purposed into. Thus, reducing the potential reach of information. 
         [0012]    A user selects one or more target medium for the content being worked on in an integrated development environment (IDE). When these target mediums are selected, masks corresponding to the selected target media are displayed over the content. The IDE monitors the position information identifying a display location of each mask and/or a cursor position relative to a mask. When the user performs some kind of information event associated with an identified display location of one of the masks, the IDE detects this event and displays an information box that contains media type information regarding the target media related to the specific mask at the identified display location. 
         [0013]    The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a block diagram illustrating a content purposing lifecycle; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2A  shows a screenshot illustrating a content purposing system configured according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2B  shows a screenshot illustrating a content purposing system configured according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2C  shows another screenshot illustrating a content purposing system according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2D  shows a screenshot illustrating a content purposing system configured according to an additional and/or alternative embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  shows a screenshot illustrating a content purposing system configured according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  shows a screenshot illustrating a purposing environment configured according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  shows a flowchart illustrating exemplary operation according to one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  shows a computer system adapted to use embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]      FIG. 1  shows a block diagram illustrating content purposing lifecycle  10 . Content takes on many different forms and is represented in many different media or target formats. Such content may be presented on various media, such as print media, such as page  101  or postcard  107 ; computer media, such as computer  102 , which may be electronic images or a complex Rich Internet Application (MA); television content, such as the content displayed on television  103 ; mobile device content, which may be displayed on mobile phones  104 - 110  and PDA  106 ; three-dimensional content such as hologram image  108  and block sculpture  109 . Content, thus, is any type of information that is eventually presented in a physical or sensory manner, whether through electronic devices or non-electronic devices (e.g. physical material). As used herein below, medium (media or other derivation) refers to the device upon which the content is presented to a user. 
         [0025]    In exemplary operation, a content author desires to create content for mobile phones  104  and  105  and also for PDA  106 . Instead of working with three different content files that are specifically targeted for each of the devices, the content author selects to display masks representing mobile phones  104  and  105  and PDA  106  on to the design area of an IDE implementing content purposing process  100 . For example, one such mask may provide a shaded region surrounding a clear region that represents the viewable area on the display of mobile phone  104 , while the other masks provide similar transparent and translucent regions representing the viewable areas on mobile phone  105  and PDA  106 . With each of the mask&#39;s transparent region intersecting into a common transparent region, the author may create the content to fit within the visible display areas of each of mobile phones  104  and  105  and PDA  106  by drafting the content within that common transparent region. Optionally, the content author may choose to include the majority of the content in the common transparent region, but allow some of the content to enter the overlapped translucent regions of selected ones of the target devices. For example, the author may design the content to fit squarely within the visible region of PDA  106 , but allow some of the content to extend into the translucent regions of mobile phones  104  and  105 . This extending of the content beyond the visible screen region of mobile phones  104  and  1135  may require the user of those mobile phones to use a scrolling function to view the entire content. 
         [0026]    Use of such masks and exemplary development applications that provide the masks are described in more detail in co-pending, commonly assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/512,567, Attorney Docket No. B266, entitled “IDENTIFICATION OF COMMON VISIBLE REGIONS IN PURPOSING MEDIA FOR TARGETED USE”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Thus, according to certain embodiments of the present invention masks may be provided into the IDE. 
         [0027]    During the purposing process the user may desire to view information corresponding to a mask or croup of masks that are present in the IDE This information may include information such as devices associated with the mask, demographic information related to the users associated with the devices, etc. This information can be used by the user in making decisions and/or understanding the impact a particular purposing operation may have on the viewers of the media. 
         [0028]    In purposing content for mobile devices, such as mobile phones  104 - 105 , several mobile phone displays may share the same or similar sizing requirements. Thus, purposing content for 20 different mobile phones may not require the creation of 20 differently-sized pieces of content. A few differently-sized files may be used to provide content to all 20 or more mobile device displays. 
         [0029]    In other circumstances, there may be content that is originally presented in a first medium that a content author desires to purpose for use in new medium. For example, if a content author desires to purpose the graphics content of a computer application that runs on computer  102  to adequately display on mobile phones  104 - 105  and PDA  106 , he or she may use content purposing process  100  to crop, modify, and the like, the graphics content and user interface (UI) graphics to fit onto the screens of mobile phones  104 - 105  and PDA  106 . In content purposing process  100 , which is configured according to one embodiment of the present invention, the author may display the application graphics onto a design screen and select multiple purposing masks that were generated to show what portion of the application graphics will fit in the viewing area of the particular mobile device. The user of the development system may select to layer this purposing mask on top of the application graphics. Any of the graphics that remain visible through the transparent region would, therefore, be visible when presented on mobile phone  104 . The user then either modifies, crops, or performs any other such editing on the images to accommodate the display size of mobile phone  104 . 
         [0030]    Additionally, the user could select to layer purposing masks that show the visible screen area for mobile phone  105  and PDA  106  on top of the mask representing the visible area of mobile phone  104 . In this process, the user can see the visible display area that is common to all of mobile phones  104 - 105  and PDA  106 . If the user desires to make a single content (e.g. application) that will be viewable on each of mobile phones  104 - 105  and PDA  106 , he or she could then crop or modify the content (e.g. application and UI graphics), or copies thereon to fit in the common visible regions. In other approaches the user may make decisions that are optimal on one device and acceptable on other devices. For example, the user can choose a well framed shot on the phone with the largest field of view, but still have both full heads framed on those with narrower frames. 
         [0031]    Content purposing may also be conducted in three-dimensions (3D) with physical items, such as block sculpture  109 . Purposing  31  content may comprise representing the content in another target 3D media, such as another physical item, a holographic image, an orthographic projection, or some other kind of 3D perspective projection. In operation, a content author may scan or draw an electronic, 3D representation of block sculpture  109  into an IDE that implements content purposing process  100 . The content author may then select the type and size of target medium desired, and a purposing mask or masks that represent those selected target medium would be layered on top of the scanned or drawn content. In the described example, the content author desires to create a hologram and a postcard that includes the image of block sculpture  109 . Masks for both target medium and presentation variables would be layered on top of the scanned or drawn image of block sculpture  109 , with the part of the image visible through the intersection of the transparent portions of the masks being the common region visible in both target mediums. The user may then crop, modify, rescale, or perform some other type of editing of the image to fit the resulting content into the target medium, i.e., hologram image  108  and postcard  107 . 
         [0032]    It should be noted that content purposing process  100  may be used to purpose content for any target formats, either through creating new content or repurposing existing content. It should further be noted that when operating content purposing process  100  with D) content, some 3D masks may be created from certain two-dimensional (2D) masks by extending the 2D mask into a 3D representation through an orthographic or other perspective projection. 
         [0033]    When purposing content for some target forms of medium, such as electronic media (e.g., mobile devices), the target devices are not always uniform in display-size or resolution. Because there is no uniformity, multiple variations of purposed content are typically created in order to conform to each of the presentation variables of the various target devices, such as display size, aspect ratio, density, pixel shape, resolution, and the like. Alternatively, a content author could select to purpose content to a certain single set of presentation variables, but do so in such a fashion that would accommodate the most devices possible. In other words, fewer versions of the content may be created if one or more of the versions are created (or purposed) such that they are suitable for presentation on multiple different device types (e.g. having different presentation variables). 
         [0034]      FIG. 2A  is a screenshot illustrating content purposing system  20  configured according to one embodiment of the present invention. Content purposing system  20  is implemented through IDE  200 . IDE  200  uses typical interface features, such as tool panels  210 - 212 , property inspector  213 , and design canvas  202 . For purposes of this example, a content author desires to purpose content  201 , which reads “GO Mobile,” for use oil a number of mobile phone devices. While this example allows the user to purpose content for mobile phone devices, the content purposing system may likewise be used to additionally or alternatively purpose content for other media types. The author begins, in this example by placing content  201  onto design canvas  202 . Using a pull-down menu or one of tool panels  210 - 212 , which may be assigned for content purposing, the author selects to purpose content  201  to a mobile device and selects the actual mobile phone device model or group of mobile devices that share the same display dimensions, such as for mobile phone  104  ( FIG. 1 ). Once selected, purposing mask  203 , which represents the display dimensions of mobile phone  104 , is layered on top of content  201 . Purposing mask  203  provides a transparent region, defined by transparent region  206 , that represents the display dimensions of mobile phone  104  ( FIG. 1 ). The author then selects two additional purposing masks, purposing masks  204  and  205 , which lay directly on top of purposing mask  203 . Purposing masks  204  and  205  provide transparent regions  207  and  208 , respectively, and represent the display dimensions for additional mobile phones that the author desires to purpose content  201  for. 
         [0035]    As transparent regions  206 - 208  either do not overlap or overlap fewer than all of the transparent regions of purposing masks  203 - 205 , some kind of visual indicator, such as shading, is applied to the portion of transparent regions  206 - 208  that do not share a totally common area. The portion common to all of transparent regions  206 - 208 , however, remains transparent, as represented by common visible region  209 . This identification of the common visible region shared by each of the purposing masks is described in co-pending and commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/512,567, Attorney Docket No. B266, entitled “IDENTIFICATION OF COMMON VISIBLE REGIONS IN PURPOSING MEDIA FOR TARGETED USE,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. By having the common display regions identified through common visible region  209 , the author is then able to position or edit content  201  in such a way so as to make content  201  visible in each of the desired mobile devices represented by purposing masks  203 - 205 . 
         [0036]    When purposing or re-purposing content for use on multiple, specific mobile devices, content authors typically must either remember which mask is associated with which particular device or provide a name to the mask that might indicate its related device. If the author used one mask per device and did not contemplate purposing for many different devices, these methods could be used to keep track of the purposing exercise. However, in practice, there are a number of different phones, from different manufacturers, that have the same physical screen dimensions or “aspect ratio”. Moreover, when a mobile content author desires to obtain the widest possible audience for his or her content, the author will typically be purposing or re-purposing that content for many different display sizes. This volume of different devices and display sizes makes it difficult for the author to either use his or her memory or naming of the masks as a viable way to maintain organization of the purposing exercise. IDE  200 , configured according to one embodiment of the present invention, offers a solution to the author. In sonic embodiments the user can specify a set of target mediums and the corresponding masks or set of masks can be provided. For example, the user could request for all mobile phones used by a service provider, or all phones associated with a desired demographic (such as devices used by 13 year old girls). 
         [0037]    If the content author desires to find out what mobile devices are represented by any particular purposing mask, he or she moves cursor  214  over the portion of the transparent region shared only by that particular purposing mask. For example,  FIG. 2A  illustrates cursor  214  hovering over the transparent region of purposing mask  205 , i.e., shaded transparent region  208 . As the author hovers cursor  214  over shaded transparent region  208 , information box  215  pops up which contains a listing of each specific mobile phone or mobile device represented by purposing mask  205 . In certain instances, many different devices may be represented, thus, causing a scrolling mechanism, such as scroll bar  216  to be provided for the user to scroll through the list. In some embodiments to aid in clarity, lists can be sub-setted (e.g., only show devices having a specific demographic range. In this manner, the user may easily find out which devices (or other information related to the mask) are represented by a particular purposing mask. 
         [0038]      FIG. 2B  is a screenshot illustrating content purposing system  20  configured according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the author desires to know which devices are represented by purposing mask  204 . Cursor  217  is moved to hover over transparent region  207 . Information box  218  appears displaying the make and model number of each device represented by transparent region  207 . In  FIG. 2C , which is another screenshot illustrating content purposing system  20 , the author has moved cursor  219  to hover over transparent region  206 . When cursor  219  so hovers, information box  220  pops up listing the single device make and model represented by purposing mask  203 . Information box  220  displays that an LG XT20 model mobile phone display is represented by transparent region  206  of purposing mask  203 . Thus, by hovering the cursor over specific portions of the displayed purposing masks, the author or developer has ready access to the exact mobile phone models represented by each of the masks. 
         [0039]      FIG. 2D  is a screenshot illustrating content purposing system  20  configured according to an additional and/or alternative embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiments described with respect to  FIGS. 2A-C , as the author hovered over the respective areas, an information box popped up within the viewing area of design canvas  202 . In the additional and/or alternative embodiment of the present invention illustrated in  FIG. 2D , as the user or author positions cursor  221  over a specific transparent area, such as transparent region  206 , and selects that area, information box  222  appears in property inspector  213 . 
         [0040]    It should be noted that in various additional and/or alternative embodiments of the present invention, the information with regard to the specific target device or medium may be displayed or presented to the user in various and multiple locations, the present invention is not limited to display only through popup boxes within the design canvas or presentation on the property inspector. 
         [0041]      FIG. 3  is a screenshot illustrating content purposing system  30  configured according to one embodiment of the present invention. A user may also desire to purpose various pieces of content for various different types of mediums. In the example embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 3 , content  31  is displayed on design canvas  32  of IDE  300 . The user desires to purpose content  3  I, not only for display on a PDA, but for a 4″×6″ postcard to use in an advertising campaign. In order to preview the viewing area of the PDA and postcard in relation to content  31 , the user selects to overlay mask  301  onto design canvas  32 . Mask  301  includes transparent region  302 . The user then selects to add masks  306  and  307  for purposing content  31  to additional medium types, which creates common visible region  303 . Once all the masks have been overlayed onto design canvas  32 , the user can easily determine the type of medium that each of masks  301 ,  306 , and  307  represent. The user positions cursor  304  over the shaded area of mask  301  and activates a special selector, such as the right mouse button, a function key, shortcut; or the like. In response to this selector activation, information box  305  pops onto the display of IDE  300 . Information box  305  displays the mediums represented by mask  301 , an HP IPAQ® 360 an a 4″×6″ postcard. 
         [0042]      FIG. 4  is a screenshot illustrating purposing environment  40  configured according to one embodiment of the present invention. In addition to handling typical 2 dimensional (2D) media, various embodiments of the present invention may also handle purposing 3-dimensional (3D) media. 3D object  41  is represented on design canvas  407  of IDE  400 . Using rotation tabs  405  and  406 , the user can rotate the view perspective of 3D object  41 . The user desires to plan manufacture of 3D object  41  in several different materials. Each material may require certain size or dimensions in order to provide a specific stiffness or hardness or other structural requirement. IDE  400  includes special software created for such manufacturing design tasks. The user accesses materials list  408  to select the materials he or she desires to use for 3D object  41 . After selecting each of the desired materials, a 3D mask is displayed over 3D object  41 . For example, 3D masks  403  and  404  are overlayed onto 3D object  41  with transparent regions  401  and  402 . Because the 3D masks would typically have the transparent regions in the middle of the non-transparent area, a section of the shaded or non-transparent area is removed in the line-of-sight between the user and 3D object  41 . With this section removed, the user can then see the intersection of transparent regions  401  and  402  at common target region  411 . If the user were to rotate the view of 3D object  41 , the portion of the non-transparent removed would also change to provide an unrestricted view of common target region  411  from the user&#39;s point-of-view. 
         [0043]    Once the desired masks are placed onto design canvas  407 , the user may find out which masks represent the various materials that were selected from materials list  408 . By hovering cursor  409  over transparent area  402 , information box  410  pops up showing that transparent area  402  represents the dimensions that will be used for plaster and also for concrete. Thus, the user will have ready availability of the specific material associated with each of the masks that have been placed onto design canvas  407 . 
         [0044]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating example steps executed to implement one embodiment of the present invention. Because the content purposing system of the present invention may be used in creating targeted content or repurposing existing content into a new targeted format, there are alternative beginning steps. In step  500 A, a content author begins creation of content targeted for one or more formats in an IDE. In step  500 B, a content author loads existing content that is designated to be modified for one or more formats. In step  501 , a visual list of a plurality of masks, such as in a menu, tool palette, pop-up window, or the like, is presented to a user of an IDE for selection of one or more desired masks where each of the masks represents one or more target formats and each mask has a transparent region representing a visible area of the target formats and a translucent region surrounding the transparent region. Selection of a first mask is received, in step  502 , where the first mask is placed in a separate layer than the content displayed in the IDE. Selection of one or more additional masks is received, in step  503 , to place in yet another layer separate from the content and the first mask, where a common intersection of the transparent region of the first mask and any other masks identifies a common visible part of the represented target formats. In step  504 , edit input is received such as cropping, scaling, shrinking (maintaining the same aspect ratio), non-linear scaling, clipping, extending, extrapolating, and the like, to modify the content to accommodate the common intersection. 
         [0045]    It should be noted that in alternative step  505 , edit input is received to accommodate a subset of target formats that are identified by selected overlapped translucent regions. By selecting the subset of target formats, the content author modifies the content to fit within the visible regions of those target formats. 
         [0046]    The program or code segments making up the various embodiments of the present invention may be stored in a computer readable medium or transmitted by a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, or a signal modulated by a carrier, over a transmission medium. The “computer readable medium” may include any medium that can store or transfer information. Examples of the computer readable medium include an electronic circuit, a semiconductor memory device, a ROM, a flash memory, an erasable ROM (EROM), a floppy diskette, a compact disk CD-ROM, an optical disk, a hard disk, a fiber optic medium, a radio frequency (m+) link, and the like. The computer data signal may include any signal that can propagate over a transmission medium such as electronic network channels, optical fibers, air, electromagnetic, RF links, and the like. The code segments may be downloaded via computer networks such as the Internet, Intranet, and the like. 
         [0047]      FIG. 6  illustrates computer system  600  adapted to use embodiments of the present invention, e.g. storing and/or executing software associated with the embodiments. Central processing unit (CPU)  601  is coupled to system bus  602 . The CPU  601  may be any general purpose CPU. However, embodiments of the present invention are not restricted by the architecture of CPU  601  as long as CPU  601  supports the inventive operations as described herein. Bus  602  is coupled to random access memory (RAM)  603 , which may be SRAM, DRM, or SDRAM. ROM  604  is also coupled to bus  602 , which may be PROM, SPROM, or EEPROM. RAM  603  and ROM  604  hold user and system data and programs as is well known in the art. 
         [0048]    Bus  602  is also coupled to input/output ( 110 ) controller card  605 , communications adapter card  611 , user interface card  608 , and display card  609 . The I/O adapter card  605  connects storage devices  606 , such as one or more of a hard drive, a CD drive, a floppy disk drive, a tape drive, to computer system  600 . The consumer identification information and/or media type information may be stored locally in such storage devices  606 . When the system is triggered to display the consumer identification or media type information, it may access storage devices  606  for this information. The I/O adapter  605  is also connected to a printer (not shown), which would allow the system to print paper copies of information such as documents, photographs, articles, and the like. Note that the printer may be a printer (e.g., dot matrix, laser, and the like), a fax machine, scanner, or a copier machine. Communications card  611  is adapted to couple the computer system  600  to a network  612 , which may be one or more of a telephone network, a local (LAN) and/or a wide-area (WAN) network, an Ethernet network, and/or the Internet network. In addition to retrieving the consumer identification and media type information from a local storage, such as storage devices  606 , the system may also retrieve such information from a remote storage (not shown) or network application (not shown) via the network or Internet. The system transmits a request for this information via communications card  611  over network  612 , and then receives the information through the same communications card  611 . User interface card  608  couples user input devices, such as keyboard  613 , pointing device  607 , and the like, to the computer system  600 . User interface card  608  also provides a means for a user to manually enter the consumer identification or media type information for use in the system. The system may use all, one, or any combination of these means for retrieving the consumer identification and/or media type information. The display card  609  is driven by CPU  601  to control the display on display device  610 . 
         [0049]    Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.