Image generation method, program, and information storage medium

• US 7,088,366 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2002
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc.
• Inventors: Okubo, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimbinh T.
• Application Number:
  US10/206,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20030022715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 345/619, 345/621, 345473-475, 463/31
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings

Abstract

The shape of a model object specified by a motion processing is changed depending on the shape of a landform so that at least one (foot or hand) of part objects forming the model object does not sink under the surface of the landform. The model object is disposed at a height in which any part object to be located on a lower surface of the landform is in contact with the surface of the landform. When any other part object sinks under the surface of the landform due to such a disposition, the shape of the model object is changed by the inverse kinematics so that the other part object is brought into contact with the surface of the landform. When the model object is in its jumping state, a judgment point for determining a disposing height of the model object is fixed at the representative point in the model object. The jumping orbit is changed depending on the height of the landform by changing the disposing height of the model object depending on the height of the landform at the position of the representative point.

Claims

1. A method of generating an image, comprising:

performing a motion processing which causes a model object to perform a motion, the model object being formed of part objects;

selecting a part object among the part objects;

disposing the model object at such a height that the selected part object is in contact with a surface of a landform;

changing a shape of the model object specified by the motion processing depending on a shape of an uneven landform; and

generating an image within an object space at a given viewpoint.

2. The method as defined by claim 1, further comprising:

disposing the model object at such a height that one part object to be located on a lower surface of the landform among the part objects is in contact with the surface of the landform, and changing the shape of the model object so that another of the part objects is brought into contact with the surface of the landform when the other of the part objects sinks under the surface of the landform due to the disposition of the model object.

3. The method as defined by claim 2, further comprising:

selecting candidate part objects among the part objects within a given range of height from a part object located at the lowest position in the shape of the model object specified by the motion processing, and disposing the model object at such a height that one of the selected candidate part objects to be located on a lowest surface of the landform is in contact with the surface of the landform.

4. The method as defined by claim 1 further comprising:

changing a disposing height of the model object depending on a height of the landform; and

changing an orbit of air movement depending on the height of the landform at a position of the model object even when the model object is in an air moving state.

5. The method as defined by claim 1, further comprising:

changing a disposing height of the model object depending on a height of the landform;

changing the disposing height of the model object depending on the height of the landform at a position in which a part object is disposed when the model object is in a normal moving state in which the model object is moving with the part object in contact with a surface of the landform; and

fixing a judgment point for determining the disposing height of the model object at a representative point of the model object when the model object is in an air moving state, and changing the disposing height of the model object depending on the height of the landform at a position of the representative point.

6. The method as defined by claim 1, further comprising:

changing a disposing height of the model object depending on a height of the landform; and

changing the disposing height of the model object with a rate of change lower than a rate of change for height of the landform.

7. The method as defined by claim 1,

wherein the model object is a character in a game,

the method further comprises:

changing a disposing height of the model object depending on a height of the landform; and

increasing the disposing height of the model object so that a hip part object of the model object is brought into contact with the surface of the landform when the model object is disposed at a height obtained based on the height of the landform and the hip part object sinks under the surface of the landform.

8. The method as defined by claim 7, further comprising changing the shape of the model object so that a height of the part objects other than the hip part object are lower than a height of the hip part object.

9. A method of generating an image, comprising:

changing a disposing height of a model object depending on a height of a landform;

performing a motion processing which causes the model object to perform a motion;

generating an image within an object space at a given viewpoint; and

changing an orbit of air movement depending on the height of the landform at a position of the model object even when the model object is in an air moving state;

wherein a time required to complete the orbit after changing the orbit is dependent upon the time required to complete the orbit had the orbit not been changed.

10. A method of generating an image, comprising:

changing a disposing height of a model object depending on a height of a landform;

performing a motion processing which causes the model object to perform a motion;

generating an image within an object space at a given viewpoint;

changing the disposing height of the model object depending on the height of the landform at a position in which a part object is disposed when the model object is in a normal moving state in which the model object is moving with the part object in contact with a surface of the landform; and

fixing a judgment point for determining the disposing height of the model object at a representative point of the model object when the model object is in an air moving state, and changing the disposing height of the model object depending on the height of the landform at a position of the representative point.

11. A program recorded on a computer readable information storage medium for a computer to realize:

a motion processing which causes a model object to perform a motion, the model object being formed of part objects;

a processing which selects a part object among the part objects;

a processing which disposes the model object at such a height that the part object is in contact with a surface of a landform;

a processing which changes a shape of the model object specified by the motion processing depending on a shape of an uneven landform; and

a processing which generates an image within an object space at a given viewpoint.

12. The program as defined by claim 11,

wherein the model object is disposed at such a height that one part object to be located on a lower surface of the landform among the part objects is in contact with the surface of the landform, and the shape of the model object is changed so that another of the part objects is brought into contact with the surface of the landform when the other of the part objects sinks under the surface of the landform due to the disposition of the model object.

13. The program as defined by claim 12,

wherein candidate part objects are selected among the part objects within a given range of height from a part object located at the lowest position in the shape of the model object specified by the motion processing, and the model object is disposed at such a height that one of the selected candidate part objects to be located on a lowest surface of the landform is in contact with the surface of the landform.

14. The program as defined by claim 11,

wherein a disposing height of the model object is changed depending on a height of the landform, and

wherein an orbit of air movement is changed depending on the height of the landform at a position of the model object even when the model object is in an air moving state.

15. The program as defined by claim 11,

wherein a disposing height of the model object is changed depending on a height of the landform,

wherein the disposing height of the model object is changed depending on the height of the landform at a position in which a part object is disposed when the model object is in a normal moving state in which the model object is moving with the part object in contact with a surface of the landform, and

wherein a judgment point for determining the disposing height of the model object is fixed at a representative point of the model object when the model object is in an air moving state, and changing the disposing height of the model object depending on the height of the landform at a position of the representative point.

16. The program as defined by claim 11,

wherein a disposing height of the model object is changed depending on a height of the landform, and

wherein the disposing height of the model object is changed with a rate of change lower than a rate of change for height of the landform.

17. The program as defined by claim 11,

wherein the model object is a character in a game,

wherein a disposing height of the model object is changed depending on a height of the landform, and

wherein the disposing height of the model object is increased so that a hip part object of the model object is brought into contact with the surface of the landform when the model object is disposed at a height obtained based on the height of the landform and the hip part object sinks under the surface of the landform.

18. The program as defined by claim 17,

wherein the shape of the model object is changed so that a height of the part objects other than the hip part object are lower than a height of the hip part object.

19. A program recorded on a computer readable information storage medium for a computer to realize:

a processing which changes a disposing height of a model object depending on a height of a landform;

a motion processing which causes the model object to perform a motion; and

a processing which generates an image within an object space at a given viewpoint,

wherein an orbit of air movement is changed depending on the height of the landform at a position of the model object even when the model object is in an air moving state; and

wherein a time required to complete the orbit after changing the orbit is dependent upon the time required to complete the orbit had the orbit not been changed.

20. A program recorded on a computer readable information storage medium for a computer to realize:

a processing which changes a disposing height of a model object depending on a height of a landform;

a motion processing which causes the model object to perform a motion; and

a processing which generates an image within an object space at a given viewpoint,

wherein the disposing height of the model object is changed depending on the height of the landform at a position in which a part object is disposed when the model object is in a normal moving state in which the model object is moving with the part object in contact with a surface of the landform, and

wherein a judgment point for determining the disposing height of the model object is fixed at a representative point of the model object when the model object is in an air moving state, and changing the disposing height of the model object depending on the height of the landform at a position of the representative point.