Program product, image generation method and image generation system

• US 7,312,804 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc.
• Inventors: Murata, Shigeto
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Marik
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHU, DAVID H
• Application Number:
  US11/117,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20050270309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/632
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6638 for simulating particle systems, e.g. explosion, fireworks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera

Abstract

When the occurrence of an effect event in which an effect object is generated is determined, it is determined whether or not a virtual camera exists within an effect range set based on an occurrence position of the effect event. When the existence of the virtual camera within the effect range is determined, at least the effect object positioned outside a field of view of the virtual camera is moved and positioned within the field of view of the virtual camera.

Claims

1. A program product stored in a computer-readable information storage medium and executed by a computer for generating an image, the program product causing a computer to function as:

an event occurrence determination section which determines whether or not an effect event has occurred, an effect object being generated for the effect event;

a position determination section which determines whether or not a virtual camera or a player'"'"'s character operated by a player exists within a given effect range, when the event occurrence determination section determines that the effect event has occurred, the given effect range being set based on an occurrence position of the effect event;

an effect position processing section, when the event occurrence determination section determines that the virtual camera or the player'"'"'s character exists within the effect range and the effect object is outside an angle of view of the virtual camera, the effect position processing section positioning within the angle of view of the virtual camera at least the effect object or a dummy effect object provided in advance; and

an image generation section which generates an image viewed from the virtual camera in an object space.

2. The program product as defined in claim 1,

wherein, when a plurality of effect objects are generated based on the effect event, the effect position processing section moves and positions the effect objects within the angle of view of the virtual camera without changing at least a positioning order of the effect objects in a depth direction in a camera coordinate system.

3. The program product as defined in claim 2,

wherein a space between a first boundary surface set in front of the virtual camera in the camera coordinate system and a second boundary surface set behind the virtual camera in the camera coordinate system is set as a given depth range;

and

wherein the effect position processing section calculates depth information on the effect objects in the camera coordinate system based on a ratio of a first distance between the first boundary surface and a screen to a second distance between the first boundary surface and the second boundary surface so that the effect objects are positioned between the first boundary surface and the screen, and moves and positions the effect objects within the angle of view of the virtual camera based on the depth information, the effect objects having been positioned within the given depth range.

4. The program product as defined in claim 1,

wherein, when a plurality of effect objects are generated based on the effect event, the effect position processing section positions a plurality of dummy effect objects respectively corresponding to the effect objects within the angle of view of the virtual camera, according to at least a positioning order of the effect objects in a depth direction in a camera coordinate system.

5. The program product as defined in claim 4,

wherein a space between a first boundary surface set in front of the virtual camera in the camera coordinate system and a second boundary surface set behind the virtual camera in the camera coordinate system is set as a given depth range;

and

wherein the effect position processing section calculates depth information on the effect objects in the camera coordinate system when the effect objects are positioned between the first boundary surface and a screen, based on a ratio of a first distance between the first boundary surface and the screen to a second distance between the first boundary surface and the second boundary surface, and positions the plurality of dummy effect objects respectively corresponding to the effect objects within the angle of view of the virtual camera based on the depth information, the effect objects having been positioned within the given depth range.

6. The program product as defined in claim 1, the program product causing the computer to function as:

a translucent processing section which performs translucent blending processing based on depth information in a camera coordinate system on the effect object or the dummy effect object positioned by the effect position processing section so that transparency of the effect object or the dummy effect object is increased as a position of the effect object or the dummy effect object comes closer to a position of a screen or the virtual camera.

7. The program product as defined in claim 1, wherein:

a screen is divided to display first to Nth images (N is an integer greater than one);

the image generation section generates images viewed from first to Nth virtual cameras as the first to Nth images;

the position determination section determines whether or not the first to Nth virtual cameras or first to Nth player'"'"'s characters exist within the effect range set based on the occurrence position of the effect event; and

only when the position determination section determines that a Kth (1≦

K≦

N) virtual camera of the first to Nth virtual cameras or a Kth player'"'"'s character of the first to Nth player'"'"'s characters exists within the effect range and the effect object is outside the angle of view of the Kth virtual camera, the effect position processing section positions within the angle of view of the Kth virtual camera at least the effect object or the dummy effect object provided in advance.

13. The program product as defined in claim 1, wherein the effect object is positioned within the angle of view of the virtual camera by moving the effect object linearly along a z-axis of the virtual camera.

8. A program product stored in a computer-readable information storage medium and executed by a computer for generating an image, the program product causing a computer to function as:

an event occurrence determination section which determines whether or not an effect event has occurred, an effect object being generated for the effect event;

a position determination section which determines whether or not a virtual camera or a player'"'"'s character operated by a player exists within a given effect range, when the event occurrence determination section determines that the effect event has occurred, the given effect range being set based on an occurrence position of the effect event;

a virtual camera control section, when the event occurrence determination section determines that the virtual camera or the player'"'"'s character exists within the effect range and the effect object is outside a angle of view of the virtual camera, the virtual camera control section changing a position of the virtual camera so that at least the effect object is within the angle of view of the virtual camera; and

an image generation section which generates an image viewed from the virtual camera in an object space.

14. The program product as defined in claim 8, wherein the virtual camera control section changing a position of the virtual camera by moving the virtual camera linearly along a z-axis of the virtual camera so that at least the effect object is within the angle of view of the virtual camera.

9. An image generation system for generating an image, the image generation system comprising:

an event occurrence determination section which determines whether or not an effect event has occurred, an effect object being generated for the effect event;

a position determination section which determines whether or not a virtual camera or a player'"'"'s character operated by a player exists within a given effect range, when the event occurrence determination section determines that the effect event has occurred, the given effect range being set based on an occurrence position of the effect event;

an effect position processing section, when the event occurrence determination section determines that the virtual camera or the player'"'"'s character exists within the effect range and the effect object is outside a angle of view of the virtual camera, the effect position processing section positioning within the dangle of view of the virtual camera at least the effect object or a dummy effect object provided in advance; and

an image generation section which generates an image viewed from the virtual camera in an object space.

15. The image generation system as defined in claim 9, wherein the effect object is positioned within the angle of view of the virtual camera by moving the effect object linearly along a z-axis of the virtual camera.

10. An image generation system for generating an image, the image generation system comprising:

an event occurrence determination section which determines whether or not an effect event has occurred, an effect object being generated for the effect event;

a position determination section which determines whether or not a virtual camera or a player'"'"'s character operated by a player exists within a given effect range, when the event occurrence determination section determines that the effect event has occurred, the effect range being set based on an occurrence position of the effect event;

a virtual camera control section, when the event occurrence determination section determines that the virtual camera or the player'"'"'s character exists within the effect range and the effect object is outside a angle of view of the virtual camera, the virtual camera control section changing a position of the virtual camera so that at least the effect object is within the angle of view of the virtual camera; and

an image generation section which generates an image viewed from the virtual camera in an object space.

16. The image generation system product as defined in claim 10, wherein the virtual camera control section changing a position of the virtual camera by moving the virtual camera linearly along a z-axis of the virtual camera so that at least the effect object is within the angle of view of the virtual camera.

11. An image generation method, comprising:

determining whether or not an effect event has occurred;

generating an effect object for the effect event;

determining whether or not a virtual camera or a player'"'"'s character operated by a player exists within a given effect range, when the occurrence of the effect event is determined, the effect range being set based on an occurrence position of the effect event;

when the existence of the virtual camera or the player'"'"'s character within the effect range is determined and the effect object is outside a angle of view of the virtual camera, positioning within the angle of view of the virtual camera at least the effect object or a dummy effect object provided in advance; and

generating an image viewed from the virtual camera in an object space.

17. The image generation method as defined in claim 11, wherein the effect object is positioned within the angle of view of the virtual camera by moving the effect object linearly along a z-axis of the virtual camera.

12. An image generation method, comprising:

determining whether or not an effect event has occurred;

generating an effect object for the effect event;

determining whether or not a virtual camera or a player'"'"'s character operated by a player exists within a given effect range, when the occurrence of the effect event is determined, the effect range being set based on an occurrence position of the effect event;

when the existence of the virtual camera or the player'"'"'s character within the effect range is determined and the effect object is outside an angle of view of the virtual camera, changing a position of the virtual camera so that at least the effect object is within the angle of view of the virtual camera; and

generating an image viewed from the virtual camera in an object space.

18. The image generation method as defined in claim 12, wherein the virtual camera control section changing a position of the virtual camera by moving the virtual camera linearly along a z-axis of the virtual camera so that at least the effect object is within the angle of view of the virtual camera.