US 7,543,235 B2
Methods and systems for creating skins
Michael J. Novak, Redmond, Wash. (US); David M. Nadalin, Redmond, Wash. (US); Kipley J. Olson, Mercer Island, Wash. (US); Kevin P. Larkin, Mercer Island, Wash. (US); and Frank G. Sanborn, Seattle, Wash. (US)
Assigned to Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash. (US)
Filed on May 13, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/128,759.
Application 11/128759 is a division of application No. 09/773456, filed on Jan. 31, 2001, granted, now 7,073,130.
Prior Publication US 2005/0210398 A1, Sep. 22, 2005
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06F 13/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 715—744  [715/234; 715/713; 715/727; 715/746; 715/768] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for one or more computers to provide a skin model for use in rendering a skin, the method comprising:
receiving a skin definition file that contains information associated with a skin, and multiple other files that are associated with the skin, wherein a subset of the multiple other files comprise art files, the art files comprising:
a primary image; and
a mapping image comprising color regions, each color region specifying a clickable region of the skin that when clicked, causes a skin related event to occur, wherein the skin related event is associated with the color of the color region;
providing at least some of the multiple files directly into computer memory avoiding file access through a computer file system; and
processing the skin definition file to provide a hierarchical data structure that describes the skin, wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises:
at least one tag pair that contains information that identifies the mapping image; and
at least one tag pair that contains information that establishes a color mapping relationship between the skin related event and the associated color region, wherein when the skin is rendered, each color region of the mapping image defines an area of the skin that is dedicated to its associated skin related event.