Method and apparatus for editing data used in creating a three-dimensional virtual reality environment

• US 6,466,239 B2
• Filed: 09/24/1998
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US09/155,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20020085041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/333, 345/334, 345/335, 345/339, 345/340, 345/342, 345/346, 345/348, 345/352, 345/353, 345/355, 345/356, 345/357, 345/967, 345/419, 345/433, 345/437, 345/438, 345/439, 345/440, 345/700, 345/744, 345/747, 345/762-765, 345/781, 345/788, 345/798-800, 345/804-805, 345/810, 345/835, 345/841, 345/848, 345/850, 345/852-854, 345/619, 345/649-650, 345/653, 345/655, 345/660-661, 345/664, 345/671-672, 345/676, 345/679, 345/681
• US Class Current: 715/850
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/10 Geometric effects

Abstract

The present invention relates to a POI (point of interest) operation for moving an object corresponding to a selected node to the center of an editing window as pre-processing for changing the viewpoint of an object displayed in three-dimensional virtual space in a window of a display device. A node displayed in a pop-up menu in a first window is selected by a mouse 262. A model editing tool 420 displays an object corresponding to the selected node in a second window. After a confirmation operation by the user by the mouse 262, the model editing tool 420 preferably enlarges and moves the display of the object to the center of the second window. Next, when the user selects a “Rotate”, “Move”, “Scale”, or other operation mode in the “Conductors” window by the mouse and draws on or clicks the inside of the display screen by the mouse 262, the model editing tool 420 rotates, moves, or enlarges the image of the object in accordance with the operation mode of the mouse and the operation of the user. As a result, the object can be viewed from different viewpoints.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing graphic data in a virtual reality environment, the apparatus comprising:

a display device;

graphical user interface (GUI) means for displaying, on the display device in a form of a window, image data for preparing virtual reality modeling language (VRML) content of a three-dimensional (3D) virtual space;

window means including (A) a conductor window and (B) a 3D perspective view window;

editing means for editing image data displayed in the 3D perspective view window by instructing an operation in the conductor window to produce graphic data of an object in the 3D virtual space, a script and an interaction program thereof;

scene graph database means for storing the edited data, for managing the stored edited data, and for providing the stored edited data to the editing means;

working tool means for confirming produced content and for producing VRML content, the scene graph database means providing stored edited data to the working tool means; and

a script preparation means for compiling, and for confirming the operation and debugging of, the script produced by the editing means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the working tool means includes:

a browser emulating means for emulating a VRML browser to provide emulated VRML content, by instructing an operation in the conductor window.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the editing means includes:

selecting means for selecting an object of image data by instructing a selection operation in the conductor window to display the selected object in the 3D perspective view window; and

positioning arid moving means for positioning the object to a center of the 3D perspective view window, and for moving the object in the 3D perspective view window, by instructing an operation in the conductor window.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein editing means includes:

rotating means for rotating the object in the 3D perspective view window by instructing an operation in the conductor window.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein editing means includes:

navigating means for navigating the object in the 3D perspective view window by instructing an operation in the conductor window.

6. An apparatus as sat forth in claim 3, wherein editing means includes:

size changing means for changing a size of the object in the 3D perspective view window by instructing an operation in the conductor window.

7. A method for processing graphic data in a virtual reality environment, the method comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) processing step including displaying image data for preparing virtual reality modeling language (VRML) content of a three-dimensional (3D) virtual space on a display device in a form of a window including a conductor window and a 3D perspective view window;

an editing step including editing the image data displayed in the 3D perspective view window by instructing an operation in the conductor window, to produce graphic data of an object in the 3D virtual space, a script and an interaction program thereof;

a scene graph data base step including storing the edited data, managing the stored edited data, and providing the stored edited data to the editing step;

a working tool step including confirming produced content and producing VRML content, the scene graph data base step including providing the stored edited data to the working tool step; and

a script preparation step including compiling, and confirming the operation and debugging of the script produced in the editing step.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the working tool step includes:

a browser emulating step including emulating a VRML browser to provide emulated VRML content, by instructing an operation in the conductor window.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the editing step includes:

a selecting step including selecting an object of image data by instructing a selection operation in the conductor window to display the selected object in the 3D perspective view window; and

a positioning and moving step including positioning the object to a center of the 3D perspective view window and moving the object in the 3D perspective view window, by instructing an operation in the conductor window.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein editing step includes:

a rotating step for rotating the object in the 3D perspective view window by instructing an operation in the conductor window.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein editing step includes:

a navigating step including navigating the object in the 3D perspective view window by instructing an operation in the conductor window.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein editing step includes:

a size changing step including changing a size of the object in the 3D perspective view window by instructing an operation in the conductor window.