GENERATING DIGITAL ELEMENTS USING NON-DETERMINISTIC SELECTION

• US 20160117865A1
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Inventors: Nair, Srikumar M.B., Borovikov, Igor, Wrotek, Pawel Piotr
• Granted Patent: US 10,238,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar

Abstract

A list of attribute categories associated with a plurality of graphical assets to construct a simulated element of a graphical simulation is received. An element profile for the simulated element using the list of attribute categories is determined, wherein the element profile comprises an attribute value for each attribute category of the list of attribute categories. A list of graphical assets from the plurality of graphical assets that match the element profile is identified. A set of graphical assets from the identified list of graphical assets to be used to construct the simulated character is selected non-deterministically from the list, and the simulated element is subsequently constructed using the selected set of graphical assets.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a list of attribute categories associated with a plurality of graphical assets to construct a simulated character of a graphical simulation, wherein a graphical asset comprises a 3D geometry associated with a graphic rendering of a portion of the simulated character;

determining, by the processing device, a character profile for the simulated character using the list of attribute categories, wherein the character profile comprises an attribute value for each attribute category of the list of attribute categories;

identifying, by the processing device, a list of graphical assets from the plurality of graphical assets that match the character profile;

selecting, by the processing device, a set of graphical assets from the identified list of graphical assets to be used to construct the simulated character, wherein the set of graphical assets are selected non-deterministically from the list; and

constructing the simulated character using the selected set of graphical assets.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the character profile comprises:

selecting the attribute value from a list of valid values for each attribute category of the list of attribute categories, wherein each attribute value is selected non-deterministically from the list of valid values.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the character profile comprises:

selecting the attribute value from a list of valid values for each attribute category of the list of attribute categories, wherein at least one attribute value is selected non-deterministically and at least one attribute value is predetermined.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the list of graphical assets comprises:

receiving a list of graphical asset categories;

identifying, for each of the received graphical asset categories, the graphical assets with associated attribute values for each attribute category that match the attribute values of each corresponding attribute category of the character profile; and

determining the list of graphical assets for each graphical asset category using the identified graphical assets.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting the set of graphical assets comprises:

selecting, for each of the graphical asset categories, one of the graphical assets from the list of graphical assets; and

determining the set of graphical assets to be used to construct the simulated character using the selected graphical asset for each of the graphical asset categories.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the list of graphical assets further comprises:

determining a priority order for the list of attribute categories;

determining that no graphical assets have associated attribute values for each attribute category that match the attribute values of each corresponding attribute category of the character profile;

determining a modified character profile by removing the attribute category from the character profile with the lowest priority in the priority order;

identifying, for each of the received graphical asset categories, the graphical assets with associated attribute values for each attribute category that match the attribute values of each corresponding attribute category of the modified character profile; and

determining the list of graphical assets for each graphical asset category using the identified graphical assets.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the character profile comprises:

receiving the character profile from a first parent simulated character and the character profile from a second parent simulated character;

determining a list of inherited attribute values for each attribute category using the attribute values for the corresponding attribute category in the character profile from the first parent simulated character and the character profile from the second parent simulated character; and

selecting the attribute value from a list of inherited attribute values for each attribute category of the list of attribute categories, wherein each attribute value is selected non-deterministically from the list of inherited attribute values.

8. The method of claim 8, wherein the component part comprises at least one of the 3D geometry of a portion of the body of the simulated character, a shoe, a boot, a garment bottom, a garment top, a hat, or hair.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

receive, by the processing device, a list of label categories used to label component parts to construct a simulated character of a graphical simulation;

determine, by the processing device, a character profile for the simulated character by either randomly or pseudo-randomly selecting values for each of the categories from the list of categories;

select, by the processing device, a random or pseudo-random set of component parts with labels that match the character profile; and

construct, by the processing device, the simulated character using the selected component parts.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein to determine the character profile, the processing device is to:

select values for the categories from the list of categories, wherein at least one value is selected either randomly or pseudo-randomly and at least one value is predetermined.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein to select the random set of component parts, the processing device is to:

receive a list of component part categories;

identify, for each of the received component part categories, the component parts with values for each label category that match the values of each corresponding category of the character profile;

determining a list of component parts for each component part category using the identified component parts; and

select, for each of the component part categories, one of the component parts from the list of component parts randomly.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the processing device is further to:

determine a priority order for the list of label categories;

determine that no component parts have values for each label category that match the values of each corresponding category of the character profile;

determine a modified character profile by removing the label category from the character profile with the lowest priority in the priority order;

identify, for each of the received component part categories, the component parts with values for each label category that match the values of each corresponding category of the modified character profile; and

determine the list of component parts for each component part category using the identified component parts.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein to determine the character profile, the processing device is to:

receive the character profile from a first parent simulated character and the character profile from a second parent simulated character;

determine a list of inherited label values for each label category using the label values for the corresponding label category in the character profile from the first parent simulated character and the character profile from the second parent simulated character; and

select the label value from a list of inherited label values for each label category of the list of label categories, wherein each label value is selected randomly from the list of inherited label values.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory, to execute the instructions, wherein the processing device is to;

receive, by a processing device, a list of attribute categories associated with a plurality of graphical assets to construct a simulated element of a graphical simulation, wherein a graphical asset comprises a 3D geometry associated with a graphic rendering of a portion of the simulated element;

determine, by the processing device, an element profile for the simulated element using the list of attribute categories, wherein the element profile comprises an attribute value for each attribute category of the list of attribute categories;

identify, by the processing device, a list of graphical assets from the plurality of graphical assets that match the element profile;

select, by the processing device, a set of graphical assets from the identified list of graphical assets to be used to construct the simulated character, wherein the set of graphical assets are selected non-deterministically from the list; and

construct the simulated element using the selected set of graphical assets.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein to determine the element profile, the processing device is to:

select the attribute value from a list of valid values for each attribute category of the list of attribute categories, wherein each attribute value is selected non-deterministically from the list of valid values.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein to determine the element profile, the processing device is to:

select the attribute value from a list of valid values for each attribute category of the list of attribute categories, wherein at least one attribute value is selected non-deterministically and at least one attribute value is predetermined.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein to identify the list of graphical assets, the processing device is to:

receive a list of graphical asset categories;

identify, for each of the received graphical asset categories, the graphical assets with associated attribute values for each attribute category that match the attribute values of each corresponding attribute category of the character profile; and

determine the list of graphical assets for each graphical asset category using the identified graphical assets.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein to select the set of graphical assets, the processing device is to:

select, for each of the graphical asset categories, one of the graphical assets from the list of graphical assets; and

determine the set of graphical assets to be used to construct the simulated character using the selected graphical asset for each of the graphical asset categories.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein to identify the list of graphical assets, the processing device is further to:

determine a priority order for the list of attribute categories;

determine that no graphical assets have associated attribute values for each attribute category that match the attribute values of each corresponding attribute category of the element profile;

determine a modified element profile by removing the attribute category from the character profile with the lowest priority in the priority order;

identify, for each of the received graphical asset categories, the graphical assets with associated attribute values for each attribute category that match the attribute values of each corresponding attribute category of the modified element profile; and

determine the list of graphical assets for each graphical asset category using the identified graphical assets.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein determine the element profile, the processing device is to:

receive the element profile from a first parent simulated element and the element profile from a second parent simulated element;

determine a list of inherited attribute values for each attribute category using the attribute values for the corresponding attribute category in the element profile from the first parent simulated element and the element profile from the second parent simulated element; and

select the attribute value from a list of inherited attribute values for each attribute category of the list of attribute categories, wherein each attribute value is selected non-deterministically from the list of inherited attribute values.