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Drawing with constraints

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Abstract

The success of constraint-based approaches to drawing has been limited by difficulty in creating constraints, solving them, and presenting them to users. In this paper, we discuss techniques used in theBriar drawing program to address all of these issues. Briar's approach separates the problem of initially establishing constraints from the problem of maintaining them during subsequent editing. We describe how non-constraint-based drawing tools can be augmented to specify constraints in addition to positions. These constraints are then maintained as the user drags the model, which allows the user to explore configurations consistent with the constraints. Visual methods are provided for displaying and editing the constraints.

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Gleicher, M., Witkin, A. Drawing with constraints. The Visual Computer 11, 39–51 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01900698

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