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A system, tool or method permitting a prospective purchaser of floor coverings or other surface coverings to engage in the contemporaneous manipulation and evaluation of various combinations of surface patterns, designs, colors, shapes, and the like as well as placement or orientations of the floor

A system, tool or method permitting a prospective purchaser of floor coverings or other surface coverings to engage in the contemporaneous manipulation and evaluation of various combinations of surface patterns, designs, colors, shapes, and the like as well as placement or orientations of the floor covering or surface covering elements prior to actual purchase and installation. For example, simulated tile elements having surface patterns corresponding to the surface patterns of the actual floor covering tile elements are provided in a manner such that each of the simulated tile elements may be rotated or replaced to simulate at least one alternative arrangement or layout.

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1. A display system for simulated presentation of a plurality of alternative arrangements of prospective actual independently displaceable floor covering elements across a flooring support surface, the display system comprising: a plurality of viewable and manipulatable simulated elements, wherein t

1. A display system for simulated presentation of a plurality of alternative arrangements of prospective actual independently displaceable floor covering elements across a flooring support surface, the display system comprising: a plurality of viewable and manipulatable simulated elements, wherein the simulated elements are viewed on a computer display device and are manipulated via a computer processor, and wherein said simulated elements have a shape and size substantially corresponding to a reduced to-scale version of the shape and size of the prospective actual independently displaceable floor covering elements and wherein said simulated elements further include a surface design or pattern comprising a reduced reproduction of a surface design or pattern of at least one prospective actual independently displaceable floor covering element, said simulated elements being arrangeable in a manipulatable array to simulate a first prospective actual arrangement of the prospective actual independently displaceable floor covering elements and such that said manipulatable array is alterable by means of rotating at least one of the simulated elements about the center of the simulated element 90, 180, or 270 degrees while maintaining the element placement location relative to the other simulated elements to simulate at least a second prospective arrangement of the prospective actual independently displaceable floor covering elements, andwherein at least a portion of the simulated elements within the manipulatable array are displayed in conjunction with a pile direction indicator independent of the surface design or pattern. 2. A system for the simulated presentation of a plurality of alternative arrangements of prospective actual floor covering tile elements across a flooring support surface, the system comprising: means for viewing and manipulating a plurality of viewable and manipulatable simulated tile elements comprising reduced dimension reproductions of the prospective actual floor covering tile elements, wherein the simulated tile elements are viewed on a computer display device and are manipulated via a computer processor, and wherein said simulated tile elements have a shape and size substantially corresponding to a reduced version of the shape and size of the prospective actual floor covering tile elements and wherein said simulated tile elements further include a surface design or pattern comprising a substantially complete reduced reproduction of a surface design or pattern of at least one prospective actual floor covering tile element, said simulated the elements being arrangeable in a manipulatable array to simulate a first prospective arrangement of the prospective actual floor covering tile elements across a flooring surface and such that said manipulatable array is alterable by rotating at least one of the simulated tile elements about the center of the simulated tile element 90, 180, or 270 degrees while maintaining the tile placement location relative to the other simulated tile elements to simulate at least a second prospective arrangement of the prospective actual floor covering tile elements across a flooring surface, andwherein at least a portion of the simulated elements within the manipulatable array are displayed in conjunction with a pile direction indicator independent of the surface design or pattern. 3. A method for simulating at least one prospective arrangement of floor covering tile elements across a flooring support surface, comprising: arranging a plurality of viewable and manipulatable simulated tile elements in an array substantially corresponding to at least a portion of the prospective arrangement of floor covering tile elements across a flooring support surface, wherein said simulated tile elements include a surface design, pattern or color corresponding to a surface design, pattern or color of a prospective floor covering tile element within said prospective arrangement of floor covering tile elements across a flooring support surface, said simulated tile elements being selectively replaceable and adjustable by manipulation of at least one of said simulated tile elements whereby said at least one of said simulated tile elements is selectively rotated about the center of the simulated tile element 90, 180, or 270 degrees while maintaining the tile placement location relative to the other simulated tile elements such that said array is alterable to simulate one or more alternative arrangements of floor covering tile elements, andwherein at least a portion of the simulated elements within the array are displayed in conjunction with a pile direction indicator independent of a surface design or pattern.