Game processing system, game processing method, game processing apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium having game processing program stored therein

• US 8,882,593 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2012
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamashita, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce, Damon
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, JEFFREY KEITH
• Application Number:
  US13/354,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20130109470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 463/32, 463/31
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• 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 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6653 for altering the visibility of an object, e.g. preventing the occlusion of an object, partially hiding an object
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/40 Hidden part removal

Abstract

An exemplary game system and the like which do not impair ease of playing a game are provided. The exemplary game system displaying a scene including a predetermined object located in a virtual space includes: an object locating section configured to locate a polygon model as the object in the virtual space, the polygon model including a first portion and a second portion set to correspond to a surface which can be determined as a hidden surface in the first portion on the basis of a normal vector; a game processing section configured to perform game processing; a transparent processing section configured to increase transparency of the first portion of the object when a predetermined condition is met in the game processing; and a rendering processing section configured to render the first portion on the basis of the set transparency and to render a polygon of the second portion.

Claims

1. A game system for displaying a scene including a predetermined object located in a virtual space, the game system comprising:

an object locating section configured to locate a polygon model as the object in the virtual space, the polygon model including a first portion and a second portion;

a normal vector evaluation section configured to perform evaluation by determining whether a direction of a normal vector associated with each polygon of the model is indicative of a hidden surface in the first portion;

hidden surface determining section configured to determine a hidden surface of the first portion as being a part of said second portion based on a result of a performed evaluation;

a game processing section configured to perform game processing;

a transparent processing section configured to increase transparency of the first portion of the object when a predetermined condition is met in the game processing; and

a rendering processing section configured to render the first portion on the basis of the set transparency and to render a polygon of the second portion.

2. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the first portion includes the second portion.

3. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the second portion is a model which has a feature of being able to be rendered so as to correspond to at least a portion of an edge of a polygon model of the first portion.

4. The game system according to claim 1, wherein transparency of the second portion is constant regardless of the condition.

5. The game system according to claim 4, wherein the second portion is constantly opaque.

6. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the game processing includes an operation process of controlling a player character on the basis of an operation of a player, and

the transparent processing section increases the transparency of the first portion of the object on the basis of a relative positional relationship between the player character and the object.

7. The game system according to claim 6, wherein when the object hides a portion or the entirety of the player character from a virtual camera for rendering a scene including the virtual space, the transparent processing section increases the transparency of the first portion of the object.

8. The game system according to claim 6, wherein when the player character is close to the object, the transparent processing section increases transparency of the object.

9. The game system according to claim 6, wherein the operation process is an operation process of controlling a plurality of player characters on the basis of operations of a plurality of players.

10. An image processing system for displaying a scene including a predetermined object located in a virtual space, the image processing system comprising:

an object locating section configured to locate a polygon model as the object in the virtual space, the polygon model including a first portion and a second portion;

a vector evaluation section configured to perform a surface normal vector direction evaluation by determining for each polygon of the model whether a direction of a surface normal vector associated with each polygon is indicative of a hidden surface of the first portion;

hidden surface determining section configured to determine a hidden surface of the first portion as being a part of said second portion based on a result of a performed vector direction evaluation;

a transparent processing section configured to cause the first portion of the object to be translucent; and

a rendering processing section configured to render the first portion on the basis of the set transparency and to render a polygon of the second portion.

11. A game controlling method, implemented using an information processing apparatus having one or more processor, for displaying a scene including a predetermined object located in a virtual space, the game controlling method comprising:

locating a polygon model as the object in the virtual space, the polygon model including a first portion and a second portion;

performing surface normal vector direction evaluations for each poly on of the model, using said one or more processor, to determine for each polygon of the model whether direction of a surface normal vector associated with each polygon is indicative of a hidden surface of the first portion,

determining a hidden surface of the first portion as being part of said second portion based on a result of a performed normal vector direction evaluation;

performing game processing;

increasing transparency of the first portion of the object when a predetermined condition is met in the game processing; and

rendering the first portion on the basis of the set transparency and rendering a polygon of the second portion.

12. The game controlling method according to claim 11, wherein the first portion includes the second portion.

13. The game controlling method according to claim 11, wherein the second portion is a model which has a feature of being able to be rendered so as to correspond to at least a portion of an edge of a polygon model of the first portion.

14. The game controlling method according to claim 11, wherein transparency of the second portion is constant regardless of the condition.

15. The game controlling method according to claim 14, wherein the second portion is constantly opaque.

16. The game controlling method according to claim 11, wherein the game processing includes an operation process of controlling a player character in response to an input operation of a player, and

wherein the transparency of the first portion of the object is increased based upon a relative positional relationship between the player character and the object.

17. The game controlling method according to claim 16, wherein when the object hides a portion or the entirety of the player character from a virtual camera for rendering a scene including the virtual space, the transparency of the first portion of the object is increased.

18. The game controlling method according to claim 16, wherein when the player character is close to the object, transparency of the object is increased.

19. The game controlling method according to claim 16, wherein the operation process is a process of controlling a plurality of player characters based upon one or more input operations of a plurality of players.

20. An image processing method, implemented using one or more computer processor, for displaying a scene including a predetermined object located in a virtual space, the image processing method comprising:

locating a polygon model as the object in the virtual space, the polygon model including a first portion and a second portion;

performing vector evaluations for each polygon of the model, using said one or more computer processor, to determine whether a direction of a surface normal vector associated with each polygon is indicative of a hidden surface of the first portion;

determining a hidden surface of the first portion based on a result of a performed surface normal vector direction evaluation;

causing the first portion of the object to be translucent; and

rendering the first portion on the basis of the set transparency and rendering a polygon of the second portion.

21. A game apparatus for displaying a scene including a predetermined object located in a virtual space, the game apparatus comprising:

an object locating section configured to locate a polygon model as the object in the virtual space, the polygon model including a first portion and a second portion;

a vector evaluation section configured to perform surface normal vector direction evaluation by determining for each polygon of the model whether a direction of a surface normal vector associated with each polygon is indicative of a hidden surface of the first portion;

hidden surface determining section configured to determine a hidden surface of the first portion as being a part of said second portion based on a result of a performed surface normal vector direction evaluation;

a game processing section configured to perform game processing;

a transparent processing section configured to increase transparency of the first portion of the object when a predetermined condition is met in the game processing; and

a rendering processing section configured to render the first portion on the basis of the set transparency and to render a polygon of the second portion.

22. An image processing apparatus for displaying a scene including a predetermined object located in a virtual space, the image processing apparatus comprising:

an object locating section configured to locate a polygon model as the object in the virtual space, the polygon model including a first portion and a second portion;

a vector evaluation section configured to perform surface normal vector direction evaluation by determining for each polygon of the model whether a direction of a surface normal vector associated with each polygon is indicative of a hidden surface of the first portion;

hidden surface determining section configured to determine a hidden surface of the first portion as being a part of said second portion based on a result of a performed surface normal vector direction evaluation;

a transparent processing section configured to cause the first portion of the object to be translucent; and

a rendering processing section configured to render the first portion on the basis of the set transparency and to render a polygon of the second portion.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a program executable by a computer of a game system for displaying a scene including a predetermined object located in a virtual space, the program causing the computer to operate as:

an object locating section configured to locate a polygon model as the object in the virtual space, the polygon model including a first portion and a second portion;

a vector evaluation section configured to perform surface normal vector direction evaluation by determining for each polygon of the model whether a direction of a surface normal vector associated with each polygon is indicative of a hidden surface of the first portion;

hidden surface determining section configured to determine a hidden surface of the first portion as being a part of said second portion based on a result of a performed surface normal vector direction evaluation;

a game processing section configured to perform game processing;

a transparent processing section configured to increase transparency of the first portion of the object when a predetermined condition is met in the game processing; and

a rendering processing section configured to render the first portion on the basis of the set transparency and to render a polygon of the second portion.

24. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 23, wherein the first portion includes the second portion.

25. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 23, wherein the second portion is a model which has a feature of being able to be rendered so as to correspond to at least a portion of an edge of a polygon model of the first portion.

26. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 23, wherein transparency of the second portion is constant regardless of the condition.

27. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 26, wherein the second portion is constantly opaque.

28. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 23, wherein the game processing includes an operation process of controlling a player character based upon an input operation of a player, and

wherein the transparent processing section increases the transparency of the first portion of the object based upon a relative positional relationship between the player character and the object.

29. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 28, wherein when the object hides a portion or the entirety of the player character from a virtual camera for rendering a scene including the virtual space, the transparent processing section increases the transparency of the first portion of the object.

30. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 28, wherein when the player character is close to the object, the transparent processing section increases transparency of the object.

31. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 28, wherein the operation process is an operation process of controlling a plurality of player characters based upon one or more input operations of a plurality of players.

32. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a program executable by a computer of an image processing system for displaying a scene including a predetermined object located in a virtual space, the program causing the computer to operate as:

an object locating section configured to locate a polygon model as the object in the virtual space, the polygon model including a first portion and a second portion;

a vector evaluation section configured to perform surface normal vector direction evaluation by determining for each polygon of the model whether a direction of a surface normal vector associated with each polygon is indicative of a hidden surface of the first portion;

hidden surface determining section configured to determine a hidden surface of the first portion as being a part of said second portion based on a result of a performed vector evaluation;

a transparent processing section configured to cause the first portion of the object to be translucent; and

a rendering processing section configured to render the first portion on the basis of the set transparency and to render a polygon of the second portion.