METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EDITING DATA USED IN CREATING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL VIRTUAL REALITY ENVIRONMENT

• US 20020085041A1
• Filed: 09/24/1998
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: ISHIKAWA, MASAYUKI
• Granted Patent: US 6,466,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/804
• 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 “Conductor” 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. A graphic data generating apparatus comprising:

a display processing means (31, 40) for displaying information in a first window and second window of a screen of a display device (24);

a selecting means (262) for selecting a node displayed in the first window of the display device; and

an editing processing means (420) for processing to display a graphic of an object corresponding to a node selected by the selecting means in the second window;

the editing processing means selecting an object corresponding to a node selected by the selecting means, operating linked with the selecting means to display this in the second window, and successively moving the object corresponding to the selected node to predetermined positions of the second window.

2. A graphic data generating apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the editing processing means and the display processing means enlarge to a certain size and display the graphic of the object corresponding to the node at the center of the second window.

3. A graphic data generating apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the selecting means includes a mouse operating linked with the display device.

4. A graphic data generating apparatus as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

an operation instructing means for giving instructions (Rotate, Move, Navigate, Scale) so that an object displayed in the second window of the display device can be viewed from different viewpoints and

wherein after the graphic of the selected object is shown moved to a predetermined position of the second window, the editing processing means and the display processing means display the object displayed in virtual space in the second window of the display device from a different viewpoint in accordance with an operation instruction from the operating instructing means.

5. A graphic data generating apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the operation instructing means includes an operating means for making the object rotate, an operating means for making the object move, and a means for changing the size of the object.

6. A graphic data generating apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the means for changing the size of the object has a means for enlarging the size of the object and/or a means for reducing the size of the object.

7. A graphic data generating apparatus as set forth in any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the operation instructing means has a Rotate means, Move means, Navigate means, and Scale means displayed on the screen of the display device.

8. A graphic data generating method including the steps of:

displaying selectable nodes in a first window of a display device (24),

attaching a node selected by a selecting means (262) for selecting a predetermined node from nodes displayed in the first window, and

moving display for displaying an object corresponding to a received selected node in a second window and successively moving it to predetermined positions in the second window.

9. A graphic data generating method as set forth in claim 8, wherein, in the moving display step, a graphic of the object corresponding to the node is displayed at the center of the second window enlarged to a predetermined size.

10. A graphic data generating method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the selecting means (262) includes a mouse operating linked with the display device.

11. A graphic data generating method as set forth in any one of claims 8 to 10, which, after moving the graphic of the selected object to a redetermined position in the second window for the display, enables viewing of the object displayed in virtual space in the second window of the display device from a different viewpoint in accordance with an instruction (Rotate, Move, Navigate, Scale) of an operation instructing means so that the object displayed in the second window of the display device can be viewed from different viewpoints.

12. A graphic data generating method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the operation instruction includes an instruction for making the object rotate, an instruction for making the object move, and an instruction for changing the size of the object.

13. A graphic data generating method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the instruction for changing the size of the object includes an instruction for enlarging the size of the object or an instruction for reducing the size of the object.

15. A medium for mediating a program for executing a graphic data generating method as set forth in claim 14, wherein, in the moving display step, a graphic of the object corresponding to the node is displayed at the center of the second window enlarged to a predetermined size.

16. A medium for mediating a program for executing a graphic data generating method as set forth in claim 15, wherein after moving the graphic of the selected object to a predetermined position in the second window for the display, the program enables viewing of the object displayed in virtual space in the second window of the display device from a different viewpoint in accordance with an instruction (Rotate, Move, Navigate, Scale) of an operation instructing means so that the object displayed in the second window of the display device can be viewed from different viewpoints.

17. A medium for mediating a program for executing a graphic data generating method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the operation instruction includes an instruction for making the object rotate, an instruction for making the object move, and an instruction for changing the size of the object.

18. A medium for mediating a program for executing a graphic data generating method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the instruction for changing the size of the object includes an instruction for enlarging the size of the object or an instruction for reducing the size of the object.

14. A medium for mediating a program executing the graphic data generating method including the steps of:

displaying selectable nodes in a first window of a display device (24),

attaching a node selected by a selecting means (262) for selecting a predetermined node from nodes displayed in the first window, and

moving display step of displaying an object corresponding to a received selected node in a second window and successively moving it to predetermined positions in the second window.