Patent ID: 7911481

Claim:
A processor based method for graphical object selection, the method comprising: generating a respective selection overlay for each of a plurality of graphical objects, wherein each graphical object is assigned to a respective layer and each selection overlay defines a selectable region for an associated graphical object; sorting the selection overlays into respective layers over the layers of the graphical objects, wherein the sorting is based on characteristics of the graphical objects other than the layers to which the graphical objects are assigned; displaying the plurality of graphical objects and selection overlays; in response detecting entry of a user-directed pointer into overlapping portions of at least two of the selection regions associated with at least two graphical objects in different layers, selecting for user manipulation one of the at least two graphical objects associated with one of the at least two selection regions based on the layers to which the two or more selection regions are assigned; and displaying the graphical object associated with the one selection overlay in an updated state in response to user manipulation of the graphical object; wherein the method further comprising determining each selection overlay based on transparency levels of image data of the associated graphical object, and wherein the determining further comprises applying image erosion and image dilation to the image data of the associated graphical object.