Recording medium storing 3D image processing program, the program, 3D image processing method and video game apparatus

• US 20030038800A1
• Filed: 08/12/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Inventors: Kawahara, Mitsuru
• Granted Patent: US 6,952,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/420
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/663 for simulating liquid objects, e.g. water, gas, fog, snow, clouds
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/04 Texture mapping

Abstract

A background image generator 51 renders a first 3D model representing a landscape to generate a background image, an image generator 52 generates a second 3D model to be located between a camera viewpoint and the first 3D model, an image adhering unit 53 selects a specified range of the background image and adheres the background image within the selected range as a texture to the second 3D model, and a combined image generator 54 renders the second 3D model having the background image within the specified range adhered thereto and combines the rendered model with the background image to generate a combined image.

Claims

1. A recording medium which stores a 3D image processing program for processing a 3D image, said program causes a video game apparatus to function as:

background image generating means for rendering a first 3D model representing a landscape to generate a background image,

image generating means for generating a second 3D model to be located between a camera viewpoint and the first 3D model,

image adhering means for selecting a specified range of the background image and adhering the background image within a selected range as a texture to the second 3D model, and

combined image generating means for rendering the second 3D model having the background image within the specified range adhered thereto and combining the rendered model with the background image to generate a combined image.

2. A recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the second 3D model includes at least a convex portion, and the image adhering means adheres the background image within the selected range as a texture to the convex portion after reducing it in size.

3. A recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the image adhering means adheres an inverted image obtained by inverting the background image within the selected range as a texture to the second 3D model.

4. A recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the image generating means generates a plurality of second 3D images and changes a ratio of an area taken up by the respective second 3D images to a display screen.

5. A recording medium according to claim 2, wherein the image generating means changes the height of the convex portion.

6. A 3D image processing method processing a 3D image, the method comprising the steps of:

background image generating step in which a video game apparatus renders a first 3D model representing a landscape to generate a background image,

image generating step in which the video game apparatus generates a second 3D model to be located between a camera viewpoint and the first 3D model,

image adhering step in which the video game apparatus selects a specified range of the background image and adheres the background image within the selected range as a texture to the second 3D model, and

combined image generating step in which the video game apparatus renders the second 3D model having the background image within the specified range adhered thereto and combines the rendered model with the background image to generate a combined image.

7. A video game apparatus for processing a 3D image, comprising:

background image generating means for rendering a first 3D model representing a landscape to generate a background image,

image generating means for generating a second 3D model to be located between a camera viewpoint and the first 3D model,

image adhering means for selecting a specified range of the background image and adhering the background image within the selected range as a texture to the second 3D model, and

combined image generating means for rendering the second 3D model having the background image within the specified range adhered thereto and combining the rendered model with the background image to generate a combined image.

8. A 3D image processing program for processing a 3D image, characterized by causing a video game apparatus to function as:

background image generating means for rendering a first 3D model representing a landscape to generate a background image,

image generating means for generating a second 3D model to be located between a camera viewpoint and the first 3D model,

image adhering means for selecting a specified range of the background image and adhering the background image within the selected range as a texture to the second 3D model, and

combined image generating means for rendering the second 3D model having the background image within the specified range adhered thereto and combining the rendered model with the background image to generate a combined image.