Design of a shape dependent snapping algorithm

Abstract

Many layout design applications support snapping functionalities to help users align objects precisely. Currently, the center location of the object’s bounding box is used for aligning the object. Users, however, may not perceive the bounding box center as the center of a shape, especially if that shape lacks symmetry. In this paper, we report on the results of our experiment, which examines how users perceive the center of a shape, and discuss how the research outcome can be applied to improve snapping algorithms for layout applications.