Patent ID: 7907146

Claim:
A method to represent a graphical user interface element on a display device communicatively coupled to a programmable control device, comprising: receiving, at a programmable control device, a first plurality of values for each of a first plurality of display attributes associated with a graphical user interface object, the first plurality of display attributes specifying first display characteristics of the graphical user interface object; associating a first one of the first plurality of values with a first attribute, wherein the first value is further associated with a first display resolution and affects the display characteristics of the graphical user interface object when the graphical user interface object is displayed at the first display resolution; associating a second one of the of first plurality of values with the first attribute, wherein the second value is further associated with a second display resolution and affects the display characteristics of the graphical user interface object when the graphical user interface object is displayed at the second display resolution; receiving, at the programmable control device, a second plurality of values for a material map, the material map for use with the graphical user interface object; associating each of the second plurality of values with a display attribute of the material map, the second plurality of values sufficiently complete to permit the material map to be rendered; and storing the first and second plurality of display attributes and their associated values in a file.