JPH10113468A - Three-dimensional game device and information storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a three-dimensional game device which has a good visual effect to prompt a player to continue a game. SOLUTION: This three-dimensional game device contains a movable body calculation section 110 which performs a calculation to move a movable body based on an operation information from an operation section 12 in an object space, and a viewpoint setting section 130 which sets the viewpoint and the view direction of a virtual camera following the movement of the movable body, and synthesizes and displays a visual field image of the virtual camera at the viewpoint and the view direction. The viewpoint setting section 130 sets a viewpoint so that inertia is given to the virtual camera.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a three-dimensional game device and an information storage medium capable of synthesizing a field-of-view image at a given viewpoint position and a line of sight in an object space.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a game apparatus that displays a game screen on a display and performs a chase game between the player and an enemy character operated by a player on a given game field. It has been known. The purpose of this game device is to clear a given game clear condition within a time limit while not being caught by an enemy character, and its popularity as a game is high because of its sense of speed.

However, in this game apparatus, since the game field in which the player and the enemy character move is two-dimensional, there is a problem that the visual effect given to the player and the dynamic feeling of game play are lacking. Also, lacking ingenuity to encourage players to replay,
There was also a problem that the player was easily bored.

[0004] As a method of encouraging the player to replay, for example, a method of displaying a two-dimensional picture for entertaining the player's eyes every time a game clear condition is satisfied can be considered. However, in this method, a picture displayed as a player's game clearing privilege is two-dimensional, so that there is a problem that the impact on the player is weak and the player is easily bored. In particular, in the case of a two-dimensional picture, there is a problem in that there is no change in the image that can be seen when the player's viewpoint is at any position, and lacks realism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above technical problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional game which has an excellent visual effect and can encourage a player to continuously play a game. It is to provide a game device and an information storage medium.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a three-dimensional game apparatus comprising: moving object calculating means for calculating a moving object in an object space based on operation information from operating means; The viewpoint position of the virtual camera that follows, viewpoint setting means for setting the line-of-sight direction, and the viewpoint position, means for synthesizing a view image viewed from the virtual camera in the line-of-sight direction, and the viewpoint setting means, It is characterized by giving inertia to the virtual camera.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the viewpoint setting means provides the virtual camera with inertia in a moving direction of the moving body.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first and second aspects, the viewpoint setting means sets a viewpoint position of the virtual camera behind the moving body, and moves when the moving body is moving at a high speed. It is characterized in that inertia is given to the viewpoint position so that the distance from the body is increased, and in the case of low speed, the distance to the moving body is reduced.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the viewpoint setting means includes:
At a position shifted in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the moving object, the viewpoint position of the virtual camera is made to follow the moving object, and the distance between the moving object and the viewpoint position in the moving direction of the moving object is determined by the moving object. It is characterized in that inertia is given to the viewpoint position so that the viewpoint is separated at a high speed and approached at a low speed.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the viewpoint setting means includes:
At a position shifted in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the moving body, the viewpoint position of the virtual camera is made to follow the moving body, and the distance between the moving body and the viewpoint position in the height direction of the moving body is determined by the moving body. It is characterized in that inertia is given to the viewpoint position so as to change based on the movement in the height direction.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information storage medium for storing at least information for synthesizing a visual field image,
In the object space, information for performing a calculation for moving the moving body based on operation information from the operation means,
The viewpoint position of the virtual camera that follows the movement of the moving object, viewpoint setting information for setting the line of sight, and the viewpoint position, information for synthesizing a view image viewed from the virtual camera in the line of sight, Wherein the viewpoint setting information includes information for giving inertia to the virtual camera.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect, the viewpoint setting information gives inertia to the virtual camera in a moving direction of the moving body.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the sixth and seventh aspects, the viewpoint setting information sets a viewpoint position of the virtual camera behind the moving body, and moves when the moving body is moving at a high speed. It is characterized in that inertia is given to the viewpoint position so that the distance from the body is increased, and in the case of low speed, the distance to the moving body is reduced.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, the viewpoint setting information includes:
At a position shifted in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the moving object, the viewpoint position of the virtual camera is made to follow the moving object, and the distance between the moving object and the viewpoint position in the moving direction of the moving object is determined by the moving object. It is characterized in that inertia is given to the viewpoint position so that the viewpoint is separated at a high speed and approached at a low speed.

[0015] In a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the ninth aspect,
The viewpoint setting information, from directly above the moving body, at a position shifted in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the moving body, causes the viewpoint position of the virtual camera to follow the moving body, the moving body and the viewpoint position In addition, inertia is given to the viewpoint position such that the distance in the height direction of the moving body is changed based on the movement of the moving body in the height direction.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A three-dimensional game device according to the present embodiment is based on operation information from operation means on a cover object provided so as to cover at least one three-dimensional object arranged in an object space. Moving object calculating means for performing an operation of moving a moving object by moving the moving object, and image information changing at least changing image information of the cover object in the specific area when the area for partitioning the cover object is specified by the movement of the moving object. Means for following a movement of the moving body around the cover object and synthesizing a view position image in a viewpoint position and a line of sight direction in which at least a part of an image change in the specific area is visible. And

According to this embodiment, the moving body moves on the cover object covering the three-dimensional object based on the operation information from the operation means, and this movement specifies, for example, an area desired by the player. Then, the image information in the specific area is changed. In this case, it is desirable to change the image information so that the image of the three-dimensional object covered by the cover object in the specific area can be seen. Viewpoint position to synthesize the view image,
The line-of-sight direction is set such that it follows the movement of the moving body and at least a part of the change in the image in the specific area is visible. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the player sees the image of the cover object that changes one after another by operating the moving object, or the image of the three-dimensional object covered by the cover object. You can enjoy the appearance and get excellent visual effects. In addition, since the player can enjoy the game by moving the moving object on the cover object which is a three-dimensionally formed game field, the thrill and dynamic feeling felt by the player can be greatly improved.

The three-dimensional game device according to the present embodiment has at least one three-dimensional game device arranged in an object space.
Moving object calculating means for performing an operation of moving the moving object based on operation information from the operating means on a cover object provided so as to cover the three-dimensional object; Image information changing means for at least changing the image information of the cover object in the specific area when the closed area having the edge as is specified, and a view image at a given viewpoint position and a line-of-sight direction in the object space are combined. And means for performing the operation.

According to the present embodiment, the area is specified by the intersection of the moving trajectories of the moving object, and the image information of the cover object in the specified area is changed. When a three-dimensional object is covered with a cover object, for example, by using a cover object without an edge, it is possible to prevent the three-dimensional object from being viewed from any viewpoint position at the start of the game. According to the present embodiment, even when such a cover object having no border is used, it is possible to easily specify an area.

Further, in this embodiment, when the cover information is constituted by a plurality of polygons or curved surfaces, the image information changing means displays or hides at least one polygon or curved surface in the specific area. Is switched.

According to the present embodiment, the image information is changed such that the display or non-display of the polygon or the curved surface constituting the cover object is switched. When the polygons and the like of the cover object are not displayed, it becomes possible to see the image of the three-dimensional object in a portion hidden by the polygons and the like, and an excellent visual effect can be obtained.

Further, in this embodiment, the image information changing means switches between opaque and transparent or changes the translucency of at least a part of the cover object in the specific area.

According to this embodiment, a part of the cover object is switched from opaque to transparent, or the translucency is changed. This allows the player to see the image of the three-dimensional object at that part. In particular, if the translucency is changed stepwise so that the image of the three-dimensional object gradually becomes visible, the visual effect can be further improved.

The three-dimensional game device according to the present embodiment has at least one 3D game device arranged in the object space.
Moving body calculating means for performing a calculation for moving the moving body on the dimensional object based on operation information from the operating means;
An image information changing unit configured to change at least image information of the three-dimensional object in the specific area when the area that divides the three-dimensional object is specified by the movement of the moving object; and the moving object around the three-dimensional object. And means for synthesizing a view position image and a view image in a line-of-sight direction that follow at least one of the above-mentioned movements and at least a part of the change of the image in the specific area is visible.

According to the present embodiment, the moving object moves on the three-dimensional object based on the operation information from the operation means, and the image information in the specified area is changed by this movement. In addition, since the viewpoint position and the like follow the movement of the moving body, the player can enjoy a three-dimensional image of the three-dimensional object that changes one after another by operating the moving body. In addition, since the player can enjoy the game by moving the moving object on the three-dimensional object, which is a game field formed three-dimensionally, the thrill and dynamic feeling felt by the player can be greatly improved.

The three-dimensional game device according to the present embodiment has at least one 3D game device arranged in the object space.
Moving body calculating means for performing a calculation for moving the moving body on the dimensional object based on operation information from the operating means;
Image information changing means for changing at least image information of the three-dimensional object in the specific area when a closed area having the edge as the edge is specified by intersection of the moving paths of the moving object; Means for synthesizing a field-of-view image at a given viewpoint position and line-of-sight direction.

According to the present embodiment, an area is specified by intersecting the trajectories of the moving object, and 3
The image information of the dimensional object is changed. According to the present embodiment, for example, when the surface of a three-dimensional object is a game field, it is possible to easily specify an area.

Further, in this embodiment, the image information changing means changes a texture mapped to at least a part of the specific area.

According to the present embodiment, by changing the texture to be mapped, it is possible to obtain a visual effect equivalent to, for example, a method of hiding a polygon of a cover object that covers a three-dimensional object. In changing the texture, the texture coordinates for designating the texture may be changed, or the texture itself may be redrawn.

Further, in this embodiment, when the moving object calculating means moves the moving object on an edge of the polygon when the cover object or the three-dimensional object is formed by a polygon. It is characterized in that it is performed based on the vertex position information of the polygon.

According to this embodiment, for example, based on the position information of the first vertex and the position information of the second vertex of the polygon, the position information of the moving body moving between these vertices is obtained. Accordingly, it is possible to perform the operation of moving the moving body on the edge connecting the first vertex and the second vertex. In particular, since the vertex position information of the polygon is used also in the display processing of the polygon, according to the present embodiment, the vertex position information used in the display processing can be effectively used.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a functional block diagram of this embodiment.
Here, the operation unit 12 is used by a player to input operation information by operating, for example, levers and buttons (see 1102 and 1104 in FIG. 18A), and the operation information obtained by the operation unit 12 Is output to the processing unit 100. The processing unit 100 performs an operation for setting an object space in which a plurality of objects representing display objects are arranged based on the operation information and a given program or the like.
In terms of hardware, it is composed of, for example, a CPU and a memory. The image synthesizing unit 200 performs an operation of synthesizing a view image at a given viewpoint position and a line of sight in the set object space, and includes, for example, an IC or CPU dedicated to image synthesis and a hardware. It is composed of a memory. At this time, when performing texture mapping, image synthesis is performed using the texture information stored in the texture information storage unit 210. The obtained visual field image is displayed on the display unit 10.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A,
(B), (A) and (B) of FIG. 4 show an example of a game screen (view image) obtained by the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2A, in an object space (virtual three-dimensional space), a three-dimensional object 40 representing a cow, a cover object 42 provided to cover the three-dimensional object 40 and serving as a game field, and a background (Not shown), etc., which represent the object. The process of arranging objects in the object space is performed by the object space setting unit 140 in FIG. And operation unit 1
Based on the operation information input by the player using No. 2, the moving body 44, which is its own device, moves on the cover object 42 as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the moving object 46 as the enemy character is also moving on the cover object 42. The calculation for moving these moving objects is shown in FIG.
Is performed in the moving body calculation unit 110.

In this embodiment, when the area for dividing the cover object is specified by the movement of the moving body, the image information of the cover object in the specific area is changed. This change of the image information is performed by the image information change unit 120 shown in FIG.
It is performed by In particular, in the present embodiment, when a closed area having the edge of the movement locus specified by the intersection of the movement locus of the moving object, the image information of the cover object in the specific area is changed. Specifically, for example, in FIG. 2B, an area 36 where one polygon is located is specified by the movement of the moving body 44, and an image in which the polygons located in this area 36 are hidden is displayed. Information changes have been made. In this case, the moving body 44 moves on the edge of the polygon arranged in the area 36, and the movement trajectory intersects to specify the area 36. By changing the image information in the area 36 and hiding the polygons in this area,
The player can see the image of the part (cow skin) hidden by the cover object 42 in the image of the three-dimensional object 40.

In the present embodiment, in particular, FIGS.
As is apparent from the change of the game screen to (A), the viewpoint position that follows the movement of the moving body 44 around the cover object 42 and in which the change of the image in the specific area is visible,
A field-of-view image in the line-of-sight direction is synthesized. In this case, the process of setting the viewpoint position and the line-of-sight direction at which the view image is synthesized includes:
This is performed by the viewpoint setting unit 130 in FIG. In the present embodiment, the viewpoint position and the like follow the movement of the moving body, and the player can see an image that changes in the specific area. For this reason, for example, the player can successively watch portions of the image of the three-dimensional object 40 that are hidden by the cover object 42 from various angles, and the conventional two-dimensional game device has Excellent visual effects can be obtained.

The moving body 44 sequentially hides the polygons forming the cover object 42 so as not to be caught by the moving body 46 which is an enemy character. And FIG.
As shown in (B), when all the polygons constituting the cover object 42 are hidden, one game stage ends, and the process proceeds to the next game stage.

2 (A), 2 (B), 3 (A),
In (B), one three-dimensional object 40 is covered by the cover object 42, but two or more three-dimensional objects may be covered by the cover object. For example, in FIGS. 4A and 4B, two three-dimensional objects 40 and 41 are covered by a cover object 42 imitating a milk pack, and the player operates the moving body 44 and is disposed inside. Until the three-dimensional objects 40 and 41 are completely visible, a play is performed in which the polygons constituting the cover object 42 are sequentially hidden.

In particular, when the three-dimensional objects 40 and 41 are completely covered by the cover object 42 as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the cover object 42 having no border is used. In such a case, it is particularly effective to specify an area by specifying an area having the moving locus as an edge by intersecting the moving locus of the moving object.

Next, a detailed example of this embodiment will be described.
In the present embodiment, a screen shown in FIG. 5A is displayed before the game of each game stage starts. On this screen, an identification image of a three-dimensional object to be played in each game stage is displayed on panels A to M and the like. For example, panel A shows the cow 3 shown in FIG.
A simplified version of the dimensional object 40 is displayed.

As shown in FIG. 5B, in this embodiment,
A plurality of segments are set between the game start and the game ending, and a plurality of game stages are arranged in each segment. For example, segments 1, 2, 3
, Stages A to C, D to F, and G to J are arranged.
These stages A to J correspond to panels A to J in FIG. The player first plays one game stage from the game stages A to C in the segment 1 at random or by arbitrary selection. If the player clears the game stage A, for example, the game shifts to the segment 2 without playing the other game stages B and C in the segment 1. Then, the player plays one game stage at random or arbitrarily from the game stages D to F in the segment 2.

For example, in a game in which the game stage has a two-branch structure, the player must repeat the first game stage many times in order to reach the game ending. On the other hand, according to the game stage configuration of the present embodiment, it is possible to move to the next segment without playing all the game stages included in one segment. Therefore, the player can play the elaborate game stage at the end of the game or watch the game ending without requiring much time and the number of times of playing, thereby greatly improving the fun of the game. In addition, when the player makes a round from the game start to the game ending and then replays again, the player can enjoy a different game development. In other words, the player starts the game again from the beginning because he wants to play another game stage that he did not play, and this can encourage the player to replay.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a game screen displayed after selecting a game stage. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, a cover object 42 serving as a game field is provided so as to cover the three-dimensional object 40. The cover object 42 is formed by a plurality of polygons, and the moving body 44 as its own machine and the moving bodies 46 to 54 as enemy characters move on a field frame which is an edge of these polygons. A timer display 56 indicating the remaining time limit is displayed on the game screen.

In this embodiment, even when the player has not depressed the lever (1102 in FIG. 18A) of the operation section 12, the moving body 44 of the player's own device moves forward at a constant speed. When the lever is tilted upward, the moving body 44 is accelerated, and when the lever is tilted downward, the moving body 44 is decelerated. In FIG. 7A, an intersection (vertex of polygon) of a field frame (edge of polygon) 58
When the lever is tilted to the left before 60, the lever advances in the direction of arrow 61; when the lever is tilted to the right, it advances in the direction of arrow 62. Otherwise, the lever advances in the direction of arrow 63. When the player presses a button (1104 in FIG. 18A) of the operation unit 12, FIG.
As shown in (B), a marker 64 is displayed at the position of the moving body 44 when the button is pressed. When the button is kept pressed, a line 66 is drawn between the marker 64 and the moving body 44. As shown in FIG. 7C, this line 66 extends as long as the button is kept pressed.

In FIG. 7D, the enemy moving bodies 46, 4
7 make a specific movement according to a given algorithm. However, as shown in FIG. 7 (E), when the moving body 44 of the own device comes into contact with the line 66 drawn, the moving body 44 follows the line 66 at high speed as shown in FIG. 7 (F). The moving body 44 explodes when it comes into contact with the enemy. When the remaining machines run out or the time limit expires, the game is over.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
When the player releases the button, the polygon that was in this area 68 is hidden. This allows the player to see the image of the three-dimensional object 40 (see FIG. 6) in this area 68 that has been hidden by the polygons arranged in the area 68. When the player releases the button, the enemy moving bodies 46 and 47 on the area 68 and the line 66 disappear.

In this embodiment, when the line 66 is drawn as shown in FIG. 8B, the polygons arranged in the areas 69 and 70 are not displayed. When the line 66 is drawn as shown in FIG. 8C, the polygon 71 is switched from display to non-display, and the polygons 72, 73 and 74 are switched from non-display to display. 8D, the polygon 76 is considered to be doubly surrounded by the line 66, and the display state is maintained. That is, the area surrounded by the line 66 a plurality of times is switched between display and non-display by the number of times.

The image information changing unit 120 only needs to change the image in at least the specific area. For example, when the number of polygons arranged in the area other than the specific area is larger than the number of polygons arranged in the specific area. May be switched between display and non-display of polygons in an area other than the specific area.

As shown in FIG. 9A, a bypass 59 may be provided in the field frame 58. FIG.
As shown in (B), the bypass 59 may allow the user to move back and forth between the two three-dimensional objects 40 and 41. Further, as shown in FIG. 9 (C), in order to enhance the effect of rendering, polygons to be hidden may be skipped separately.

Next, an example of a method of moving a moving object on a cover object will be described. In this embodiment, when the cover object is formed by a polygon, the operation of moving the moving body on the edge of the polygon is performed based on the vertex position information of the polygon. For this purpose, in this embodiment, first, a vertex relation list as shown in FIG. 10A is used. This vertex relation list has a storage area for each of the vertices of the polygon constituting the cover object. Each storage area has a vertex index for referring to the vertex, and a world (absolute) of the vertex.
The position information in the coordinate system, the indices of the vertexes on the lower, left, upper, and right sides of the vertex are stored. FIG.
Taking the vertex V7 of the polygon 78 constituting the cover object 42 shown in FIG. 0 (B) as an example, the vertex relation list includes the index V7 of the vertex V7 and the position information (X _V7 , Y
_V7 , _ZV7 ), and the indices V2, V6, V12, and V8 of the vertices on the lower, left, upper, and right sides of the vertex V7 are stored. Such a vertex relation list is a vertex position list which is one of the object information (see FIG. 11B).
Can be easily created based on the

Assume that the moving body 44 is moving toward the vertex V7 as shown in FIG. At this time, the mobile unit calculation unit 110 in FIG. 1 performs the operation when the mobile unit 44 reaches V7 or at a given time before the arrival.
Detects in which direction the lever is tilted. At this time, whether or not the moving body 44 has reached V7 is determined based on the position information of the vertices V2 and V7 stored in the storage area of the vertices V2 and V7 in the vertex relation list. For example, if it is assumed that the lever is tilted to the left at the time of detection, the moving body operation unit 110 reads the index of the vertex on the left side from the storage area of the vertex V7 in the vertex relationship list. In this case, since the vertex index on the left side is V6, the moving body operation unit 110 next reads the position information of the vertex V6 from the storage area of the vertex V6 in the vertex relationship list. Then, based on the position information of the vertices V6 and V7, the trajectory of the moving body 44 to be moved is obtained, and an operation of moving the moving body 44 on the trajectory every minute period (for example, every 1/60 second) is performed. Then, the moving body 44 moving on this orbit
Is sequentially output to the object space setting unit 140 in the world coordinate system. Object space setting unit 14
0 performs a process of arranging and setting a plurality of objects including the moving body 44 in the object space based on the position information and the like. The image synthesizing unit 200 performs image synthesis based on the setting information. In this way, an image of the moving body 44 moving on the field frame, which is the edge of the polygon, can be obtained.

On the other hand, when the lever is tilted to the right before reaching the vertex V7 or a predetermined time before, the storage area of the vertex V8 is read out, and the lever is not tilted to the left or right. In this case, the storage area of the vertex V12 is read, and the same processing as described above is performed. In addition, the process of moving the enemy moving object can be realized in the same manner as in the case of the own device.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the moving object is moved on the edge of the polygon by using the vertex position information of the polygon. Can be moved. In particular, the vertex relation list of FIG. 10A has an advantage that it can be easily created from the vertex position list of the cover object (see FIG. 11B), and that data can be shared between these lists.

Next, the process of changing the image information by the image information changing unit 120 will be described. In the present embodiment, the image information changing unit 120 performs a process of switching display or non-display of the polygon in the specific area of the cover object.

FIG. 11A shows the state of the cover object 42.
An example is shown below. In this example, the cover object 42 is composed of 12 polygons. In order to display the cover object 42, the object space setting unit 140 sets the vertex position list shown in FIG.
A polygon information list shown in FIG. 11C is created, and these are output to the image combining unit 200. The same applies to objects other than the cover object. Here, as shown in FIG. 11B, the vertex position list has a storage area for each of the vertices of the polygon constituting the object, and each storage area has an index for referencing the vertex, the vertex, Is stored in the world coordinate system. As shown in FIG. 11C, the polygon information list has a storage area for each of the polygons constituting the object. Each storage area has identification information of the polygon and an index of a vertex constituting the polygon. Information, the coordinates in texture space of the texture to be mapped to the polygon,
Polygon information including the translucency set for the polygon is stored. Taking the polygon P0 as an example, the arrangement information of the vertex indices is V0-V1-V7-V6, and the polygon P0 is constructed by referring to the vertex position list in FIG. 11B based on this information. The position information of the vertex to be specified can be specified. The texture coordinates of the polygon P0 are _{(U0 (P0)} , V0 _(P0) ) to _{(U3 (P0)} ,
V _{3 (P 0)} ), and the texture mapping unit 202 in the image synthesizing unit 200 uses (U _{0 (P 0)} , V _{0 (P 0)} ) to
By reading the texture information specified by (U _{3 (P 0)} , V _{3 (P 0)} ) from the texture information storage unit 210, texture mapping to the polygon P 0 is performed. The translucency of the polygon P0 is TP0, and the
The translucent operation unit 204 within 0 performs a given translucent operation using this TP0, thereby making the polygon P0 translucent. The translucency calculation is realized by, for example, performing a process of blending the color of a target polygon with the color of a display object located behind the polygon.

When performing brightness calculation processing such as Gouraud shading, vertex normal vector information or vertex brightness information (or their index) may be included in the polygon information.

The process of switching the display of the polygon in the specific area of the cover object from the display to the non-display is as shown in FIG.
This can be realized by deleting the storage area of the polygon to be hidden from the polygon information list of (C). For example, when the moving body moves on the edge of the polygon P1 and the polygon P1 is specified and it is determined that the polygon P1 should not be displayed, FIG.
The part of the storage area of the polygon P1 is deleted from the polygon information list of (C). By doing so, the image combining of the polygon P1 by the image combining unit 200 is omitted, and the polygon P1 can be hidden.

Next, the setting of the viewpoint position and the line-of-sight direction will be described. In the present embodiment, the viewpoint position and the line-of-sight direction are set so as to follow the movement of the moving body around the cover object and to see at least a part of the change of the image in the area specified by the movement of the moving body. This setting is performed by the viewpoint setting unit 130 in FIG. 1 based on the position information of the moving object obtained by the moving object calculation unit 110 and the like. FIG.
In (A), the viewpoint position 82 is the position of the virtual camera 80, and the line-of-sight direction 84 is the direction in which the virtual camera 80 faces. In the display unit 10, the viewpoint position 82 and the line-of-sight direction 84
Is displayed (see FIG. 2B). However, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that inertia acts on the movement of the virtual camera 80, and the viewpoint position 82 shown in FIG.
This is the target viewpoint position when this inertia function is ignored. This target viewpoint position is, as shown in FIG. 12A, a fixed distance L in a direction opposite to the traveling direction from right above the moving body 44 of the own device.
Is set to the shifted position.

As shown in FIG. 12 (B), the virtual camera 80 moves while maintaining a constant altitude with its own mobile unit 44. This altitude is set as the target viewpoint height. It is also assumed that inertia also acts on the movement of the virtual camera 80 in the height direction. As a result, as shown in FIG.
Moves across the game field at different altitudes.
The virtual camera 80 zooms as indicated by F in FIG. 2 (B).

In this embodiment, the speed of the moving body 44 is
When the lever is tilted down, the speed is low. When the lever is tilted, the speed is high. When nothing is done, the speed is medium. (When the lever is tilted down, it moves down. When it is tilted up, it moves up. If not, it may stop.) Depending on whether the moving body 44 is low speed, medium speed, or high speed, as shown in FIG. 12C, the distance L between the position directly above the moving body and the target viewpoint position (see also FIG. 12A). Change. The camera 80 is left behind for the moving body 44 moving at a high speed, and in the case of a low speed, a view image from a position close to right above is synthesized.

As described above, in this embodiment, the viewpoint position and the line-of-sight direction at which the view image is synthesized follow the movement of the moving body.
Then, as shown in FIG. 2B, the viewpoint position is set at a position where at least a part of the image change (display and non-display of the polygon in this example) in the area 36 specified by the movement of the moving body 44 is visible. The gaze direction is set. This allows the player to operate the moving body 44 by his / her own operation to specify an area desired by the player, and enjoy a change in the image in the specified area. In the example of FIG.
By hiding the polygon at, it is possible to obtain a pleasure of seeing the portion of the three-dimensional object that was hidden by the polygon of the area. Even if the moving body 44 moves to any position on the three-dimensionally formed cover object 42, the viewpoint position and the line-of-sight direction are changed to the moving body 4
Follow the movement of 4. As a result, cover object 4
The player can enjoy the state in which the three-dimensional object 40 of the portion covered by 2 gradually becomes visible,
Moreover, since the image seen at this time is a three-dimensional image, the fun of the game can be remarkably improved.

As described above, as an example of changing the image information in the specific area, the method of hiding the polygon in the area specified by the movement of the moving object has been described. In this method, as shown in FIG. 13A, among polygons (or curved surfaces) constituting a cover object 42 covering a three-dimensional object 40, polygons 8 arranged in a specific area are used.
Make 6 disappear. By doing so, it becomes possible to see the image of the three-dimensional object of the part hidden by the polygon 86 in the specific area. As described above, the image information changing unit 120 shown in FIG. 1 deletes or generates the polygon information of the polygon 86 from the polygon information list shown in FIG. This can be achieved by:

However, various other methods for changing the image information can be considered.

For example, in the image information changing method shown in FIG. 13B, the translucency of a polygon 86 arranged in a specific area among polygons (or curved surfaces) constituting a cover object is changed (to be transparent). May be). Even in this case, the image of the three-dimensional object 40 in the portion hidden by the polygon 86 can be seen. In particular, according to this method, the translucency is gradually changed from opaque to transparent, and the like.
A better visual effect than (A) can be obtained.
The translucency can be changed, for example, by changing the translucency included in the polygon information of the polygon 86 in the polygon information list in FIG.

In the method of changing image information shown in FIG. 13C, texture coordinates that specify a texture to be mapped to a polygon (or curved surface) 86 that is in a specific area and that constitutes the cover object 42 are specified, and a texture 87 is specified. The texture coordinates are changed from the texture coordinates to the texture coordinates specifying the texture 88. Here, the texture 88 is a transparent or translucent texture. By mapping the transparent or translucent texture 88 onto the polygon 86 in this manner, the portion hidden by the polygon 86 on which the opaque texture 87 is mapped The image of the three-dimensional object 40 can be seen. It is not necessary to make all of the texture 88 transparent or translucent, and only a part of the texture 88 may be transparent or translucent.
To change the texture to be mapped to the polygon, for example, in the polygon information list in FIG. 11C, the texture information included in the polygon information of the polygon 86 (UV coordinate on the texture plane; texture information in the texture information storage unit 210 is stored). Address) by the image information changing unit 120.

In the method of changing image information shown in FIG. 13D, the texture itself to be mapped on a part or all of the cover object 42 is rewritten from the texture 89 to the texture 90. The texture 90 is generated by redrawing the texture 89 and making the area 91 transparent or translucent. By mapping this texture 90 to the cover object 42, the area 91
The image of the three-dimensional object 40 can be seen at the portion corresponding to. The redrawing of the texture to be mapped on the cover object 42 is performed by the image information changing unit 120.
Is a texture information storage unit 2 composed of a RAM or the like.
10 can be realized by redrawing the contents of the texture information stored in the memory 10. That is, the texture stored at the texture coordinate position assigned to the cover object 42 is rewritten from the texture 89 to the texture 90. According to this method, unlike in FIGS. 13A to 13C, it is not always necessary to change the image information for each polygon. Therefore, for example, it is possible to easily realize that the moving body is moved not only on the edge of the polygon but also on an arbitrary position on the cover object 42 and the image information in the area specified by the movement is changed.

In the above description, the image information of the cover object covering the three-dimensional object is changed. However, the image information of the three-dimensional object itself may be changed without providing such a cover object. .

For example, in the method of changing image information shown in FIG. 14A, the texture coordinates specifying the texture to be mapped to the polygon (or curved surface) 92 constituting the three-dimensional object 40 are changed from the texture coordinates specifying the texture 93. The texture 94 is changed to the specified texture coordinates. Here, the texture 93 is shown in FIG.
The texture is the same as the texture mapped to the polygon 86 of the cover object 42 in (C). The texture 94 represents an image of the three-dimensional object 40 that is seen when the polygon 86 is made transparent or translucent in FIG. In the case of FIG. 2B as an example, the pattern of the cover object 42 becomes the texture 93,
3 when polygons in area 36 are hidden
The image of the dimensional object 40, that is, the cow skin pattern in the region 36 becomes the texture 94. By using such a method, it is possible to obtain almost the same visual effect as hiding the polygon of the cover object, changing the translucency of the polygon, and changing the texture mapped to the cover object. Can be. The change of the texture to be mapped to the polygon 92 is, for example, as shown in FIG.
In the polygon information list of FIG.
The image information changing unit 120 can change the texture coordinates included in the polygon information.

In the method of changing image information shown in FIG. 14B, the texture itself to be mapped on a part or all of the three-dimensional object 40 is changed from the texture 96 to the texture 97. The texture 96 and the texture 97 have different images in the area 98. Area 9
8 is redrawn to be the same as the image of the three-dimensional object 40 seen when the area 91 is made transparent or translucent in FIG. 13D, for example. Taking the case of FIG. 2B as an example, the texture in the area 98 is redrawn to a pattern representing cow skin. This makes it possible to obtain almost the same visual effect as hiding the polygon of the cover object. 3D object 40
Can be realized by the image information changing unit 120 redrawing the contents of the texture information stored in the texture information storage unit 210 including a RAM or the like. According to this method, unlike FIG. 14A, it is not always necessary to change the image information for each polygon. Therefore, for example, it is possible to easily realize that the moving body is moved not only on the edge of the polygon but also on an arbitrary position on the three-dimensional object 40 and the image information in the area specified by the movement is changed.

The method of changing the image information of the cover object shown in FIGS. 13A to 13D can be applied even when the shape of the three-dimensional object and the shape of the cover object are different. By combining a two-dimensional object with a plurality of cover objects, various different images can be obtained (three-dimensional objects can be shared). Only by switching between display and non-display of polygons (or curved surfaces) constituting the cover object, image information can be obtained. There are advantages such as being able to change. On the other hand, the method of changing the image information of the three-dimensional object shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B can be realized by a device having no transparent or translucent function that can save data capacity because a cover object is not required. There are advantages such as

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG.
It is a flowchart corresponding to the method of 3 (A)-(D). First, the player inputs operation information through the operation unit 12, and performs a process of moving the moving body on the cover object based on the operation information (steps S1 and S2).
When moving the moving body on the edge of the polygon, FIG.
As described in (A) and (B), the above processing is performed using the vertex position information of the polygon. Next, it is determined whether or not the area is specified by the movement of the moving body (step S3). For example, in the case of FIGS. 8A to 8D, a closed region having the moving locus as an edge is specified by the intersecting moving locus of the moving object. Then, when the area is specified, FIG.
The image information of the cover object is changed by various methods as shown in (A) to (D) (step S4). Then, a field-of-view image is synthesized at a given viewpoint position and line-of-sight direction, for example, a viewpoint position and line-of-sight direction that follow the moving object and in which a change in image is visible (step S5).

FIG. 16 is a flowchart corresponding to the method shown in FIGS. The difference from FIG. 15 is that the moving object is moved on the three-dimensional object instead of the cover object in step T2, and that the image information of the three-dimensional object is changed instead of the cover object in step T4.

Next, an example of the hardware configuration of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the device shown in the figure, a CPU 1000, a ROM 1002, a RAM 100
4. Information storage medium 1006, sound synthesis IC 1008, image synthesis IC 1010, I / O ports 1012, 1014
Are connected to each other via a system bus 1016 so that data can be transmitted and received therebetween. And the image synthesis IC 1010
Is connected to the display 1018, and the sound synthesis IC 10
08 is connected to a speaker 1020, and the I / O port 1
012 is connected to the control device 1022,
A communication device 1024 is connected to the O port 1014.

The information storage medium 1006 mainly stores a game program, image information for expressing a display object, and the like, and uses a CD-ROM, a game cassette, an IC card, an MO, an FD, a memory, and the like. Can be For example, a home-use game device uses a CD-ROM and a game cassette as an information storage medium for storing a game program and the like, and a business-use game device uses a memory such as a ROM.

The control device 1022 corresponds to a game controller, an operation panel, and the like, and is a device for inputting a result of a determination made by a player in accordance with the progress of a game to the main body of the device.

According to the game program stored in the information storage medium 1006, the system program (initialization information of the device main body) stored in the ROM 1002, the signal input by the control device 1022, the CPU 1
000 controls the entire apparatus and performs various data processing. RA
M1004 is a storage unit used as a work area or the like of the CPU 1000, and includes an information storage medium 1006 and an RO.
The given content of M1002, the calculation result of CPU 1000, and the like are stored. The vertex relation list (FIG. 10)
(A)), a data structure having a logical structure such as a vertex position list (FIG. 11B) and a polygon information list (FIG. 11C) must be constructed on the RAM or the information storage medium. become.

Furthermore, this type of device includes a sound synthesis IC 100
8 and an image synthesizing IC 1010 are provided so that a suitable output of a game sound and a game screen can be performed.
The sound synthesis IC 1008 includes an information storage medium 1006 and a ROM 1
This is an integrated circuit that synthesizes game sounds such as sound effects and background music based on the information stored in 002, and the synthesized game sounds are output by the speaker 1020. The image synthesis IC 1010 includes a RAM 1004,
This is an integrated circuit that synthesizes pixel information to be output to the display 1018 based on image information sent from the ROM 1002, the information storage medium 1006, and the like. Note that a so-called head-mounted display (HMD) can also be used as the display 1018.

The communication device 1024 exchanges various types of information used inside the game device with the outside. The communication device 1024 is connected to another game device to transmit and receive given information according to the game program. It is used for transmitting and receiving information such as a game program via a communication line.

FIGS. 2A and 2B to FIG.
The various processes described in (A) and (B) are described in FIGS.
6, an information storage medium 1006 storing a game program for performing the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6, a CPU 1000 operating according to the game program, and an image synthesizing IC 1
010 or the like. Note that the image synthesis IC 101
0, processing performed by the sound synthesis IC 1008, etc.
000 or a general-purpose DSP or the like.

FIG. 18A shows an example in which this embodiment is applied to an arcade game device. The player looks at the game screen projected on the display 1100,
Operate the lever 1102 and the button 1104 to enjoy the game. The IC board 1106 built in the device has a CP
U, an image synthesis IC, a sound synthesis IC, and the like are mounted. Then, information for moving the moving object on the cover object or the three-dimensional object, information for changing the image information of the cover object or the three-dimensional object in the specific area, a given viewpoint position in the object space, a line-of-sight direction ( Information for synthesizing a field-of-view image at a viewpoint position and a line-of-sight direction at which movement of the moving object can be followed and at least a part of the change in the image can be seen is stored in a memory as an information storage medium on the IC substrate 1106. 1108. Hereinafter, such information is referred to as stored information. The stored information includes at least one of a program code, image information, sound information, shape information of a display object, table data, list data, player information, and the like for performing the various processes described above.

FIG. 18B shows an example in which the present embodiment is applied to a home game machine. The player enjoys the game by operating the game controllers 1202 and 1204 while looking at the game screen displayed on the display 1200. In this case, the stored information is stored in a CD-ROM 1206, which is an information storage medium that is
It is stored in cards 1208, 1209 and the like.

FIG. 18C shows a host device 1300,
An example in which the present embodiment is applied to a game device including this host device 1300 and terminals 1304-1 to 1304-n connected via a communication line 1302 will be described. In this case, the storage information is stored in an information storage medium 1306 such as a magnetic disk device, a magnetic tape device, or a memory that can be controlled by the host device 1300. Terminals 1304-1 to 1
When the CPU 304-n has a CPU, an image synthesis IC, and a sound synthesis IC and can synthesize a game image and a game sound in a stand-alone manner, the host apparatus 1300 can synthesize the game image and the game sound. Are delivered to the terminals 1304-1 to 1304-n. on the other hand,
If the synthesis cannot be performed in a stand-alone manner, the host device 1
300 synthesizes a game image and a game sound, and
The data is transmitted to 304-1 to 1304-n and output at the terminal.

The present invention is not limited to those described in the above embodiments, but can be variously modified.

For example, the present invention can be applied not only to arcade game machines, but also to various things such as, for example, home game machines, simulators, and large attraction devices in which many players participate.

The processing performed by the processing unit, the image synthesizing unit, and the like described in this embodiment is merely an example in this embodiment, and the image synthesizing processing in the present invention is not limited to these. is not.

[0086]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an example of a functional block diagram of an embodiment.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are examples of a game screen (view image) generated according to the embodiment; FIG.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are also examples of a game screen generated according to the embodiment; FIG.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are also examples of a game screen generated according to the present embodiment.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a technique for selecting a game stage. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for describing a three-dimensional object, a cover object, and a moving object.

FIGS. 7A to 7F are diagrams for describing the specification of an area by the movement of a moving object and the relationship with an enemy moving object;

FIGS. 8A to 8D are diagrams for explaining a change in image information in an area specified by movement of a moving object;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining a bypass, and FIG. 9C is a diagram for explaining an effect technique when a polygon is eliminated.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are vertex relation lists,
FIG. 4 is a diagram for describing a method of moving a moving body on an edge of a polygon.

FIGS. 11A to 11C are vertex position lists,
FIG. 9 is a diagram for describing a polygon information list, a method of switching display / non-display of polygons, and a method of changing texture coordinates and translucency.

FIGS. 12A to 12C are diagrams for describing setting of a viewpoint position and a line-of-sight direction.

FIGS. 13A to 13D are diagrams for explaining a method of changing image information of a cover object.

FIGS. 14A and 14B are diagrams for explaining a method of changing image information of a three-dimensional object.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of this embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of this embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration that implements the present embodiment.

FIGS. 18A, 18B, and 18C are diagrams showing various types of game devices to which the present embodiment is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 display unit 12 operation unit 36 area (specific area) 40 3D object 42 cover object 44 moving object (own equipment) 46 moving object (enemy) 100 processing unit 110 moving object calculation unit 120 image information change unit 130 viewpoint setting unit 140 Object space setting unit 200 Image synthesis unit 202 Texture mapping unit 204 Translucent operation unit 210 Texture information storage unit

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Koharu Yamaguchi 2-8-5 Tamagawa, Ota-ku, Tokyo Namco Corporation

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A moving body calculating means for performing a calculation for moving a moving body based on operation information from an operating means in an object space, and setting a viewpoint position and a line of sight of a virtual camera which follows the movement of the moving body. A viewpoint setting unit for performing a three-dimensional operation, wherein the viewpoint setting unit adds inertia to the virtual camera. Game equipment. 2. The three-dimensional game device according to claim 1, wherein the viewpoint setting means gives the virtual camera inertia in a moving direction of the moving object. 3. The viewpoint setting unit according to claim 1, wherein the viewpoint setting unit sets a viewpoint position of the virtual camera behind the moving object, and sets a distance to the moving object when the moving object is moving at a high speed. A three-dimensional game device wherein the viewpoint position is given inertia so as to be separated from the moving body when the vehicle is at a low speed. 4. The viewpoint setting unit according to claim 1, wherein the viewpoint setting unit shifts a viewpoint position of the virtual camera from a position directly above the moving object in a direction opposite to a traveling direction of the moving object. The inertia is given to the viewpoint position so that the moving body follows the moving body, and the distance in the moving body moving direction between the moving body and the viewpoint position is increased when the moving body is at a high speed, and is decreased when the moving body is at a low speed. A three-dimensional game device characterized by the above-mentioned. 5. The viewpoint setting unit according to claim 1, wherein the viewpoint setting unit sets a viewpoint position of the virtual camera at a position shifted from a position directly above the moving object in a direction opposite to a traveling direction of the moving object. Following the moving body, the distance in the moving body height direction between the moving body and the viewpoint position, giving inertia to the viewpoint position so as to change based on the movement of the moving body in the height direction. 3D game device. 6. An information storage medium storing at least information for synthesizing a view image, wherein information for performing a calculation for moving a moving object based on operation information from an operation means in an object space; The viewpoint position of the virtual camera that follows the movement of the moving object, viewpoint setting information for setting the line of sight, and the viewpoint position, information for synthesizing a view image viewed from the virtual camera in the line of sight, The information storage medium, wherein the viewpoint setting information includes information for giving inertia to the virtual camera. 7. The information storage medium according to claim 6, wherein the viewpoint setting information gives the virtual camera inertia in a moving direction of the moving body. 8. The viewpoint setting information according to claim 6, wherein the viewpoint setting information sets a viewpoint position of the virtual camera behind a moving object, and sets a distance from the moving object when the moving object is at a high speed. An information storage medium characterized by giving inertia to the viewpoint position so as to be separated from the moving body at a low speed when the distance is low. 9. The viewpoint setting information according to claim 6, wherein the viewpoint setting information indicates a viewpoint position of the virtual camera at a position shifted from directly above the moving object in a direction opposite to a traveling direction of the moving object. The inertia is given to the viewpoint position so that the moving body follows the moving body, and the distance in the moving body moving direction between the moving body and the viewpoint position is increased when the moving body is at a high speed, and is decreased when the moving body is at a low speed. An information storage medium characterized by the above-mentioned. 10. The viewpoint setting information according to claim 9, wherein the viewpoint setting information follows the viewpoint of the virtual camera at a position shifted from directly above the moving object in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the moving object. An information storage medium, wherein inertia is given to the viewpoint position such that a distance in the height direction of the moving object between the moving object and the viewpoint position is changed based on movement of the moving object in the height direction.