Patent ID: 7495667

Claim:
A system for integrating video, three-dimensional animation and sound file formats into a unified environment for performing manipulations on said files, said system comprising a unified visual manipulation working environment, wherein said environment comprises: an import module for receiving a plurality of visual content objects encoded with a respective original source format within a plurality of different media formats, wherein the plurality of visual content objects comprises at least one two-dimensional video stream and at least one three-dimensional, time varying animated object; a unified timeline module for combining the plurality of visual content objects in time synchronization to be played on a single timeline; a processing module enabling separate manipulation of at least two selected visual content objects within the plurality of visual content in a non destructive manner retaining the respective original source format characteristics of each of the visual content objects; and a Visual Three-Dimensional Integration Interface adapted to simultaneously display a combination of the plurality of visual content objects in a three-dimensional environment, the Visual Three-Dimensional Integration Interface adapted to integrate and manipulate respective timelines of at least one visual content object within the plurality of visual content objects and preview a two-dimensional representation of the combination, wherein said Visual Three-Dimensional Integration Interface includes: a two-dimensional video surface layer adapted to display the at least one two-dimensional video stream, a three-dimensional animation view platform adapted to display the at least one three-dimensional, time varying animated object, and a consolidation layer for displaying the combination, wherein the three-dimensional animation view platform is illustrated as a space between the consolidation layer and the video surface layer and is adapted to manipulate in three dimensions, in response to operator input, the at least one three-dimensional, time varying animated object with respect to the at least one two-dimensional, video stream simultaneously displayed on the two-dimensional video surface layer, and wherein frames of the consolidation layer and of the video surface layer are locked together and are manipulated via a scale control adapted to at least one of either increase and decrease a relative size of images and three-dimensional time varying objects within confines of the consolidation layer and the two-dimensional video surface layer as compared to one another, and change a relative positioning of images and three-dimensional, time varying objects displayed in the consolidation layer and the two-dimensional video surface layer as compared to one another, the images and three-dimensional, time varying object comprising three-dimensional animation objects sitting on the three-dimensional animation platform and at least one two-dimensional video stream sitting on the two-dimensional video surface layer.