CN114470761A

CN114470761A - Method and device for controlling virtual object in game and electronic equipment

Info

Publication number: CN114470761A
Application number: CN202210096180.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 何俊乐; 周天域
Original assignee: Netease Hangzhou Network Co Ltd
Current assignee: Netease Hangzhou Network Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-01-26
Filing date: 2022-01-26
Publication date: 2022-05-13

Abstract

The invention provides a method and a device for controlling a virtual object in a game and electronic equipment, relates to the technical field of games, and solves the technical problem of low operation efficiency of virtual object placement. The method comprises the following steps: responding to the placing operation aiming at the virtual object, and controlling the virtual object to be placed at a corresponding placing position in the to-be-placed area; in response to the virtual object being placed in the placement position, displaying a copy control for the virtual object in the graphical user interface; and responding to the first specified operation aiming at the copy control, and controlling to continuously place the virtual object corresponding to the copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the copy parameter of the copy control, wherein the copy parameter is a parameter set in response to the setting instruction.

Description

Method and device for controlling virtual object in game and electronic equipment

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of game technologies, and in particular, to a method and an apparatus for controlling a virtual object in a game, and an electronic device.

Background

In many games, a player can place virtual objects in the games through placing operations, for example, in simulated operation games such as fantasy western games and simulated anthropology, the player can place a plurality of virtual objects of the same type into an integral pattern, so that the game operation requirements can be met, and the aim of integral attractiveness can be fulfilled. For example, if a player were to place ten identical pieces of furniture in a circular arrangement in a game scene, a target piece of furniture could be selected from the layout bar and dragged to the game scene, repeating the dragging operation ten times.

However, with the existing virtual object placement method, the operation of placing the virtual object is complicated, which results in low operation efficiency of the player and influences the game experience of the player.

Disclosure of Invention

The application aims to provide a method and a device for controlling a virtual object in a game and an electronic device, so as to relieve the technical problem of low operation efficiency of placing the virtual object in the game.

In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a virtual object in a game, where a terminal device provides a graphical user interface, and a game scene of the game includes the virtual object and a to-be-placed area of the virtual object; the method comprises the following steps:

responding to the placing operation aiming at the virtual object, and controlling the virtual object to be placed at a corresponding placing position in the to-be-placed area by the placing operation;

in response to the virtual object being positioned at the positioning location, displaying a copy control for the virtual object in the graphical user interface;

and responding to a first specified operation aiming at the copy control, and controlling to continuously increase and place the virtual object corresponding to the copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the copy parameter of the copy control, wherein the copy parameter is a parameter set in response to a setting instruction.

In one possible implementation, the copy control is displayed in an area of the graphical user interface that is less than a preset distance from the virtual object.

In one possible implementation, the step of controlling, in response to the first specified operation for the copy control, to continuously place the virtual object corresponding to the copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the copy parameter of the copy control includes:

and responding to a first specified operation aiming at the copy control, continuously placing the virtual objects corresponding to the copy parameters in the to-be-placed area according to the copy parameters of the copy control, and displaying the copy control aiming at the newly-placed virtual objects in the graphical user interface.

In one possible implementation, a plurality of virtual objects placed are stacked;

increasing the stacking display level of the virtual object placed in the stacking state to be higher than the original virtual object before the virtual object is placed;

the stacking operation level of the copy control corresponding to the virtual object which is added and placed in the stacking state is higher than that of the copy control corresponding to the original virtual object which is added and placed before.

In one possible implementation, a prompt identifier is correspondingly displayed on the virtual object in the stacking state, and the prompt identifier is used for indicating that the virtual object in the stacking state cannot be confirmed to be fixedly placed currently.

responding to the condition that the operation duration aiming at the copy control exceeds a first preset duration, and displaying a plurality of copy quantity identifications corresponding to the copy control in the graphical user interface;

and responding to the selection operation aiming at the target copy number identifier, and continuously placing the virtual objects corresponding to the target copy parameters in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameters corresponding to the target copy number identifier.

In one possible implementation, the step of, in response to the selection operation for the target copy number identifier, continuously placing the virtual object corresponding to the target copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameter corresponding to the target copy number identifier includes:

responding to a sliding operation aiming at the copy number identification, and displaying a plurality of copy number identifications corresponding to the sliding operation in the graphical user interface;

and responding to the selection operation aiming at the target copy number identifier in the plurality of copy number identifiers, and continuously placing the virtual object corresponding to the target copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameter corresponding to the target copy number identifier.

responding to an editing operation aiming at the copy number identification to be edited in the copy number identification, and displaying a target copy number identification edited by the editing operation in the graphical user interface;

in response to a first selection operation aiming at a target copy quantity identifier, displaying a target copy parameter corresponding to the target copy quantity identifier in the copy control;

and responding to a second selection operation of the copy control containing the target copy parameter, and continuously placing the virtual object corresponding to the target copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameter.

In one possible implementation, after the step of continuously placing the virtual object corresponding to the target copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameter corresponding to the target copy number identifier in response to the selection operation for the target copy number identifier, the method further includes:

and confirming that the virtual objects are placed fixedly and hiding the copy control in response to a second specified operation aiming at the area except the virtual objects and all controls in the graphical user interface.

In one possible implementation, the second specified operation includes any one or more of:

single click operation, multiple click operation, operation with the operation duration being longer than a second preset duration, and sliding operation.

In one possible implementation, a put batch confirmation control for a plurality of the virtual objects is displayed in the graphical user interface; after the step of continuously placing the virtual object corresponding to the target copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameter corresponding to the target copy number identifier in response to the selection operation for the target copy number identifier, the method further includes:

and confirming that the placing of the virtual objects is fixed and hiding the copy control in response to the operation of the placing batch confirmation control.

In one possible implementation, an adjustment control for the virtual object is displayed in the graphical user interface while the copy control is displayed; the adjustment control comprises any one or more of the following items:

a placement cancellation control, a placement fixation confirmation control, a placement steering control, a placement size adjustment control, and a placement position adjustment control.

The second aspect provides a control device for a virtual object in a game, which provides a graphical user interface through a terminal device, wherein a game scene of the game comprises the virtual object and a to-be-placed area of the virtual object; the device comprises:

the first control module is used for responding to the placing operation aiming at the virtual object and controlling the virtual object to be placed at the placing position corresponding to the placing operation in the to-be-placed area;

a display module to display a copy control for the virtual object in the graphical user interface in response to the virtual object being positioned in the positioned position;

and the second control module is used for responding to the first specified operation aiming at the copy control and controlling the virtual objects corresponding to the copy parameters to be continuously placed in the to-be-placed area according to the copy parameters of the copy control, wherein the copy parameters are parameters set in response to a setting instruction.

In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides an electronic device, which includes a memory and a processor, where the memory stores a computer program that is executable on the processor, and the processor implements the steps of the method according to the first aspect when executing the computer program.

In a fourth aspect, embodiments of the present application further provide a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when invoked and executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of the first aspect.

The embodiment of the application brings the following beneficial effects:

according to the method, the device and the electronic equipment for controlling the virtual object in the game, the virtual object can be controlled to be placed at the corresponding placing position of the placing operation in the to-be-placed area in response to the placing operation for the virtual object, then the copy control for the virtual object is displayed in the graphical user interface in response to the virtual object being placed at the placing position, and further the virtual object corresponding to the copy parameter is controlled to be continuously placed in the to-be-placed area in response to the first specified operation for the copy control according to the copy parameter of the copy control, wherein the copy parameter is a parameter set in response to a setting instruction. In the scheme, after the player places the virtual objects to the corresponding placement positions in the to-be-placed areas, the copy control for the virtual objects is displayed on the graphical user interface, the player can perform first appointed operation on the copy control, batch copy of the virtual objects is achieved, the same type of virtual objects are placed in batches continuously, the player can perform batch placement of the same type of virtual objects in a game quickly, the same placing operation does not need to be repeated for a large number of players of the same type of virtual objects, the batch placement operation of the player is more convenient and rapid, and the technical problem that the operation efficiency of placing the virtual objects in the game is low is solved.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the detailed description of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings needed to be used in the detailed description of the present application or the prior art description will be briefly introduced below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of an application scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a virtual object in a game according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device displaying a graphical user interface provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an electronic device displaying another graphical user interface provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device displaying another graphical user interface provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device displaying another graphical user interface provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device displaying another graphical user interface provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device displaying another graphical user interface provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device displaying another graphical user interface provided by an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 11 is a structural diagram of a control device for a virtual object in a game according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

To make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are some, but not all embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, as referred to in the embodiments of the present application, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of steps or elements is not limited to only those steps or elements but may alternatively include other steps or elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

In the simulated operation games such as fantasy western games, simulated anthropogenic games and the like, a player can put a plurality of furniture of the same type into an integral pattern so as to achieve the aim of integral attractiveness. In the existing technical scheme, two methods are mainly used for realizing the placement of furniture. The first method is that a player selects and drags out furniture from the arrangement column, for example, if the player needs 10 pieces of furniture, the player needs to drag the furniture 10 times, and this method has the advantages of simple implementation and reduced interactive operation on the furniture itself, but for a large amount of similar pieces of furniture, the furniture needs to be dragged out from the arrangement column repeatedly, resulting in low operation efficiency and not intuitive enough, and the player cannot perceive that the furniture can be dragged out from the arrangement column; the second method is that a player clicks the screen to place the furniture, and the method has the advantages of simple implementation mode, simplified operation steps for repeatedly placing the furniture, capability of completing placement only by entering a corresponding mode, and easiness in mistaken touch because the whole screen is a hot area and can be placed by clicking after entering a batch placement mode.

The defects can be known that the operation of placing virtual objects such as furniture is complex, and the operation efficiency of placing the virtual objects is low.

Based on this, the embodiment of the application provides a method and a device for controlling a virtual object in a game and an electronic device, and the technical problem of low operation efficiency of placing the virtual object in the game can be solved by the method.

The method for controlling the virtual object in the game in one embodiment of the application can be executed on a local terminal device or a server. When the control method of the virtual object in the game runs on the server, the method can be implemented and executed based on a cloud interaction system, wherein the cloud interaction system comprises the server and the client device.

In an optional embodiment, various cloud applications may be run under the cloud interaction system, for example: and (5) cloud games. Taking a cloud game as an example, a cloud game refers to a game mode based on cloud computing. In the running mode of the cloud game, a running main body of a game program and a game picture presenting main body are separated, the storage and the running of a control method of a virtual object in the game are finished on a cloud game server, and a client device is used for receiving and sending data and presenting a game picture, for example, the client device can be a display device with a data transmission function close to a user side, such as a mobile terminal, a television, a computer, a palm computer and the like; but the cloud game server which performs information processing is a cloud. When a game is played, a player operates the client device to send an operation instruction to the cloud game server, the cloud game server runs the game according to the operation instruction, data such as game pictures and the like are encoded and compressed, the data are returned to the client device through a network, and finally the data are decoded through the client device and the game pictures are output.

In an optional implementation manner, taking a game as an example, the local terminal device stores a game program and is used for presenting a game screen. The local terminal device is used for interacting with the player through a graphical user interface, namely, a game program is downloaded and installed and operated through an electronic device conventionally. The manner in which the local terminal device provides the graphical user interface to the player may include a variety of ways, for example, it may be rendered for display on a display screen of the terminal or provided to the player through holographic projection. For example, the local terminal device may include a display screen for presenting a graphical user interface including a game screen and a processor for running the game, generating the graphical user interface, and controlling display of the graphical user interface on the display screen.

In a possible implementation manner, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a virtual object in a game, where a graphical user interface is provided through a terminal device, where the terminal device may be the aforementioned local terminal device, and may also be the aforementioned client device in a cloud interaction system.

For example, as shown in fig. 1, fig. 1 is a schematic view of an application scenario provided in the embodiment of the present application. The application scenario may include a touch terminal (e.g., a cell phone 102) and a server 101, and the touch terminal may communicate with the server 101 through a wired network or a wireless network. The touch terminal is used for operating a virtual desktop, and can interact with the server 101 through the virtual desktop to control virtual roles in the server 101.

The touch terminal of the present embodiment is described by taking the mobile phone 102 as an example. The handset 102 includes Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry 210, memory 220, a touch screen 230, a processor 240, and the like. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the handset configuration shown in fig. 2 is not intended to be limiting and may include more or fewer components than those shown, or may combine certain components, or split certain components, or arranged in different components. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the touch screen 230 is part of a User Interface (UI) and that the cell phone 102 may include fewer than or the same User Interface as illustrated.

The RF circuitry 210 may also communicate with networks and other devices via wireless communications. The wireless communication may use any communication standard or protocol, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile communication (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), email, Short Messaging Service (SMS), and the like.

The memory 220 may be used for storing software programs and modules, and the processor 240 executes various functional applications and data processing of the cellular phone 102 by operating the software programs and modules stored in the memory 220. The memory 220 may mainly include a storage program area and a storage data area, wherein the storage program area may store an operating system, an application program required for at least one function, and the like; the stored data area may store data created from use of the handset 102, and the like. Further, the memory 220 may include high speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one magnetic disk storage device, flash memory device, or other volatile solid state storage device.

The touch screen 230 may be used to display a graphical user interface and receive user operations with respect to the graphical user interface. A particular touch screen 230 may include a display panel and a touch panel. The Display panel may be configured in the form of a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED), or the like. The touch panel may collect contact or non-contact operations of a user on or near the touch panel (for example, as shown in fig. 3, operations of the user on or near the touch panel using any suitable object or accessory such as a finger 301, a stylus pen, etc.), and generate preset operation instructions. In addition, the touch panel may include two parts of a touch detection device and a touch controller. The touch detection device detects the touch direction and gesture of a user, detects signals brought by touch operation and transmits the signals to the touch controller; the touch controller receives touch information from the touch sensing device, converts the touch information into information that can be processed by the processor, sends the information to the processor 240, and receives and executes commands sent from the processor 240. In addition, the touch panel may be implemented by various types such as a resistive type, a capacitive type, an infrared ray, a surface acoustic wave, and the like, and may also be implemented by any technology developed in the future. Further, the touch panel may overlay the display panel, a user may operate on or near the touch panel overlaid on the display panel according to a graphical user interface displayed by the display panel, the touch panel detects the operation thereon or near, and then the touch panel transmits the operation to the processor 240 to determine a user input, and the processor 240 provides a corresponding visual output on the display panel in response to the user input. In addition, the touch panel and the display panel can be realized as two independent components or can be integrated.

The processor 240 is the control center of the handset 102, connects various parts of the entire handset using various interfaces and lines, and performs various functions and processes of the handset 102 by running or executing software programs and/or modules stored in the memory 220 and calling data stored in the memory 220, thereby performing overall monitoring of the handset.

Embodiments of the present application are further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 4 is a schematic flowchart of a method for controlling a virtual object in a game according to an embodiment of the present application. The method can be applied to a terminal device (for example, the mobile phone 102 shown in fig. 2) capable of presenting a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface is provided through the terminal device, and a game scene of the game includes a virtual object and a to-be-placed area of the virtual object. As shown in fig. 4, the method includes:

and step S410, responding to the placing operation aiming at the virtual object, and controlling the virtual object to be placed at the placing position corresponding to the placing operation in the to-be-placed area.

For example, as shown in fig. 5, after the game enters the putting mode, the game interface is divided into two areas, namely, an arrangement column area 501 below the dotted line and an area to be put 502 above the dotted line, and a player may first click a chair 503 (virtual object) in the arrangement column area 501, and then drag the chair 503 to a putting position 504 corresponding to the area to be put 502 through a sliding operation (putting operation), so as to put the chair 503 at the putting position 504 corresponding to the area to be put 502.

In practical applications, the placing operation may include multiple kinds, and the player may further place the chair 503 at the placing position 504 corresponding to the to-be-placed area 502 by first clicking the chair 503 (virtual object) in the arrangement bar area 501 and then clicking the placing position 504 corresponding to the to-be-placed area 502 again.

Step S420, in response to the virtual object being placed at the placement position, displaying a copy control for the virtual object in the graphical user interface.

Illustratively, as shown in FIG. 5, after the player places the chair 503 (virtual object) at the placement position 504, the copy control 505 for the chair 503 will be displayed in the graphical user interface.

The display position of the copy control may be any position near the virtual object, may be above the virtual object, or may be below the virtual object, and the embodiment of the present application is described with the copy control on the right side of the virtual object as an example. The shape of the copy control is not limited in the embodiments of the present application, and the copy control may be in any shape.

And step S430, responding to the first specified operation aiming at the copy control, and controlling to continuously place the virtual object corresponding to the copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the copy parameter of the copy control.

In practical applications, the first designated operation may include various operations, such as a single-click operation, a double-click operation, and the like, and may be specifically set according to the operation habits of the player.

Wherein the copy parameter is a parameter set in response to the setting instruction. The copy parameter may be any number, i.e., the copy control may set the copy to one or more at a time. Illustratively, the copy parameter is one, and as shown in fig. 5, the player can click on the copy control 505, so that another chair (virtual object) can be placed in the to-be-placed area 502 in series.

In the embodiment of the application, after the player places the virtual object to the corresponding placement position in the area to be placed, the copy control for the virtual object is displayed on the graphical user interface, the player can perform first specified operation on the copy control, so that batch copy of the virtual object is realized, the same kind of virtual object is placed continuously in batches, the player can rapidly place the same kind of virtual object in batches in a game, the same placing operation does not need to be repeated for a large number of players of the same kind of virtual object, the batch placing operation of the player is more convenient and rapid, and the technical problem that the operation efficiency for placing the virtual object in the game is lower is solved.

The above steps are described in detail below.

In some embodiments, a copy control may be displayed proximate to the virtual object to prompt the player that the player may operate the copy control to achieve a quick copy of the virtual object, to facilitate the player in distinguishing the virtual object for which the copy control is directed, and to avoid occlusion of other controls in the game scene. As one example, the copy control is displayed in an area of the graphical user interface that is less than a preset distance from the virtual object.

Illustratively, as shown in FIG. 5, copy control 505 may be displayed immediately to the right of virtual object 504. It should be noted that the preset distance may be any distance, and may be a distance of 10 pixels in the graphical user interface, or may be a distance of 20 pixels in the graphical user interface. The preset distance can be adjusted according to the operation habits of the player.

By displaying the copy control in an area of the graphical user interface that is less than a preset distance from the virtual object, the player may be prompted that the copy control corresponds to the virtual object, and the player may operate the copy control to achieve rapid copying of the virtual object. And the copy control is displayed closely to the virtual object, so that other controls and pictures in the game scene can be prevented from being shielded.

In some embodiments, for a newly added duplicate virtual object, a corresponding duplicate control may also be displayed around the newly added duplicate virtual object, so that the player may quickly duplicate the duplicate virtual object again. As an example, the step S430 may specifically include the following steps:

and a), responding to a first specified operation aiming at the copy control, continuously placing the virtual objects corresponding to the copy parameters in the to-be-placed area according to the copy parameters of the copy control, and displaying the copy control aiming at the newly placed virtual object in the graphical user interface.

Illustratively, as shown in the left half of fig. 6, the player may click on the copy control 602 of the virtual object 601 (chair) to thereby effect the copying of the virtual object 601 (chair). The copied game scene is as shown in the right half of fig. 6, a virtual object 603 to be placed is added in the area to be placed, and a copy control 604 for the virtual object 603 to be placed is displayed in the graphical user interface. It will be appreciated that the system treats the virtual object 601 and the corresponding copy control 602 as a whole, and copies them together during the copying process.

By displaying the corresponding copy control around the newly added copied virtual object, the player can quickly copy the copied virtual object again, and the function of quickly adding the virtual object is realized.

Based on the step a), the copied virtual objects can be displayed in a stacked state, the highest level of the display layer is the newly added virtual object and the copy control thereof, that is, the newly added virtual object is displayed at the top of the stack layer and has a higher operation priority, so that the player can perform the copy operation on the newly added virtual object preferentially. As one example, a plurality of placed virtual objects are in a stacked state; the stacking display level of the virtual object added to be placed in the stacking state is higher than that of the original virtual object added to be placed; the stacking operation level of the copy control corresponding to the virtual object added and placed in the stacking state is higher than that of the copy control corresponding to the original virtual object added and placed before.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 6, the plurality of copied virtual objects are stacked, and the stacking order is in reverse order, that is, the last copied virtual object will be displayed at the top of the stacked virtual object, and the first copied virtual object will be displayed at the bottom of the stacked virtual object. As shown in fig. 6, the virtual object 603 is the last copied virtual object and is displayed at the top of the stacked virtual object, and the virtual object 605 is the first copied virtual object and is displayed at the bottom of the stacked virtual object. Moreover, the chair 603 (virtual object) is the last copied virtual object, and the corresponding copy control 604 has the highest stack operation level, that is, only after the operations of moving, adjusting and placing the virtual object 603 are completed, the operation on the virtual object in the next layer can be continued until the virtual object 605 is operated in the last layer.

The copied virtual objects are displayed in a stacked state and are sorted in the reverse order, so that the newly added virtual objects are displayed at the top of the stacked layer and have higher operation priority, a player can orderly perform operations such as size adjustment and position shifting on the virtual objects layer by layer, the overall layout of the virtual objects is realized, and the game experience of the player is improved.

In some embodiments, the virtual objects in the stacked state are not confirmed to be placed fixedly, and the system can prompt the player that the virtual objects in the stacked state are not confirmed to be placed fixedly through a special identifier, so that omission of confirmation of placement fixation is avoided, and the player can conveniently confirm and place the virtual objects fixedly. As an example, a prompt identifier is correspondingly displayed on the virtual object in the stacking state, and the prompt identifier is used to indicate that the virtual object in the stacking state cannot be confirmed to be fixed in place currently.

Illustratively, as shown in the right half part of fig. 6, 4 chairs (virtual objects) are in a stacked state, and a prompt pop-up window can be displayed in the game scene, wherein the prompt pop-up window displays that "4 chairs cannot be placed due to stacking. "is used as a prompt. When the player moves the chair 603 (virtual object) to another position to confirm the fixed placement, the number of the chairs in the stacked state is changed to 3, and the prompt information in the prompt pop-up window is changed to: "there are 3 chairs because pile up, can't put. ".

In practical applications, the system may also perform special displays for the 4 chairs in the stacked state in fig. 6, the special displays including but not limited to: red outlining, flashing, highlighting, vibration, and the like.

The system correspondingly displays the prompt identification on the virtual object in the stacking state, so that a player is prompted that the virtual object in the stacking state cannot be confirmed to be placed and fixed in the current game scene, the player is guided to move and adjust the virtual object in the stacking state, the placement is determined to be fixed, and the overall layout of the virtual objects is achieved.

In some embodiments, the copy operation may copy any selectable number of virtual objects at a time, for example, a player may invoke a plurality of copy number identifiers corresponding to the copy control in a game scene by performing a long-press operation on the copy control, and the fast copy of the plurality of virtual objects is realized by selecting a number to fast copy the virtual objects in batches, with a simple operation. As an example, the step S430 may specifically include the following steps:

and b), responding to the condition that the operation time for the copy control exceeds the first preset time, and displaying a plurality of copy quantity identifications corresponding to the copy control in the graphical user interface.

And c), responding to the selection operation aiming at the target copy number identifier, and continuously placing the virtual objects corresponding to the target copy parameters in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameters corresponding to the target copy number identifier.

For example, as shown in fig. 7, a player may perform a long press operation on the copy control 701, and when the press duration exceeds a first preset duration of 1 second, a copy number identification area 702 corresponding to the copy control 701 is displayed in the graphical user interface, where the copy number identification area 702 includes a plurality of copy number identifications, i.e., a plurality of selectable numbers (selectable copy parameters), and the player may select to copy 2 or copy 3 virtual objects in addition to the initial default copy of 1 virtual object. After the player clicks the "+ 2" identifier in the copy number identifier area 702, the system will add 2 virtual objects placed in the area to be placed according to the copy number (copy parameter) selected by the player; if the player clicks on the "+ 3" identification in the copy number identification area 702, the system will add 3 placed virtual objects in the area to be placed according to the number of copies (copy parameters) selected by the player.

It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, the first preset time period is not limited, and may be 0.5 second or 1 second, and the embodiment of the present application takes 1 second as an example to describe, and in practical application, the first preset time period may be specifically adjusted according to the operation habits of the player.

The operation duration of the player for the copy control exceeds the first preset duration, the plurality of copy quantity identifications corresponding to the copy control are displayed in the graphical user interface, a plurality of optional quantities (optional copy parameters) are given to the player, the player can copy a plurality of virtual objects through one operation without copying only one virtual object at a time, the operation steps of the player are simplified, the quick batch copy of the virtual objects is realized, and the game experience of the player is improved.

Based on the above steps b) and c), the player can also conveniently and quickly select the copy number (copy parameter) through the sliding operation, for example, the player can browse and select the copy number (copy parameter) through sliding the copy number identifier, so that the system can quickly copy the virtual objects in batch according to the number, and quickly copy a plurality of virtual objects through simple operation. Exemplarily, the step c) may specifically include the following steps:

and d), responding to the sliding operation aiming at the copy number identifications, and displaying a plurality of copy number identifications corresponding to the sliding operation in the graphical user interface.

And e), responding to the selection operation aiming at the target copy number identifier in the plurality of copy number identifiers, and continuously placing the virtual objects corresponding to the target copy parameters in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameters corresponding to the target copy number identifier.

As an example, as shown in fig. 7, the copy number identification area 702 may include several copy number identifications, and the player may perform a sliding operation on the copy number identifications in the copy number identification area 702, so that more copy number identifications are displayed in the copy number identification area 702. The display mode may be that the size of the copy number identification area is not changed, the copy number identification with a fixed number is displayed in the copy number identification area 703 with a fixed size, the player performs a sliding operation on the copy number identification in the copy number identification area 703 with a fixed size to browse the selectable number, and when the player clicks the "+ 4" identification in the copy number identification area 703 with a fixed size, the system adds 4 virtual objects to be placed in the area to be placed according to the copy number (copy parameter) selected by the player.

As another example, as shown in fig. 7, the player may perform a sliding operation on the copy number indicator in the copy number indicator area 702, thereby causing more copy number indicators to be displayed in the copy number indicator area 702. The display mode may be that the size of the copy number identification area is changed, all the copy number identifications are displayed in the enlarged copy number identification area 704, and when the player clicks the "+ 4" identification in the enlarged copy number identification area 704, the system will add 4 virtual objects to be placed in the area to be placed according to the copy number (copy parameter) selected by the player.

By responding to the sliding operation of the player for the copy number identification, the plurality of copy number identifications corresponding to the sliding operation are displayed in the graphical user interface, and more optional numbers (optional copy parameters) are given to the player, so that the player can copy more virtual objects through one operation without copying only a small number of virtual objects at one time, the operation steps of the player are simplified, the quick batch copy of the virtual objects is realized, and the game experience of the player is improved.

Based on the above steps b) and c), the player can also conveniently and quickly determine the copy number (copy parameter) capable of meeting the requirement of the special number through editing operation, for example, the player can input the number to be copied in the copy number identifier, so that the system can quickly copy the virtual objects in batch according to the number, and the quick copy of a plurality of virtual objects is realized through concise operation. As an example, the step c) may specifically include the following steps:

and f), responding to the editing operation aiming at the copy number identification to be edited in the copy number identification, and displaying the target copy number identification edited by the editing operation in the graphical user interface.

And g), responding to the selection operation aiming at the target copy number identifier, and continuously placing the virtual objects corresponding to the target copy parameters in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameters corresponding to the target copy number identifier.

For example, as shown in fig. 8, the copy number identifier may further include a copy number identifier 801 to be edited, and the player may enter a numerical editing mode by clicking the copy number identifier 801 to be edited, and input the number of copies to be edited. For example, after the player clicks the number of copies to be edited indicator 801 and inputs the number 10, the target number of copies indicator 802 edited by the editing operation will be displayed in the graphical user interface, the number of copies (copy parameter) "+ 10" edited by the player will be displayed in the target number of copies indicator 802, and when the player clicks the target number of copies indicator 802, the system will add 10 virtual objects placed in the area to be placed according to the number of copies (copy parameter) selected by the player.

By responding to the editing operation of the player on the copy number identifier to be edited in the copy number identifier and displaying the target copy number identifier edited by the editing operation in the graphical user interface, the player can input the number (copy parameter) to be copied without being limited by the optional number (optional copy parameter) provided by the system, and can copy more virtual objects by one operation, thereby simplifying the operation steps of the player, realizing the rapid batch copy of the virtual objects and improving the game experience of the player.

Based on the above steps b) and c), the copy operation may be performed in two steps, the player may first select the number to be copied (parameter to be copied), and then confirm that the copy is performed based on the number, so as to improve the fault tolerance of the selection of the number to be copied (copy parameter). As an example, the step c) may specifically include the following steps:

and h), responding to the first selection operation aiming at the target copy number identification, and displaying the target copy parameters corresponding to the target copy number identification in the copy control.

And i), responding to a second selection operation aiming at the copy control containing the target copy parameter, and continuously placing the virtual objects corresponding to the target copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameter.

For example, as shown in fig. 9, after the player clicks the "+ 2" identifier corresponding to the target copy number identifier 901, the corresponding copy number (copy parameter) "+ 2" will also be displayed in the copy control 902, and the copy number identifier area 903 will be hidden and displayed, and when the player clicks the "+ 2" identifier in the copy control 902 again, the system will add 2 virtual objects placed in the area to be placed according to the copy number (copy parameter) selected by the player; if the player clicks on the "+ 3" flag corresponding to the target copy number flag 904, the corresponding copy number (copy parameter) "+ 3" will be displayed in the copy control 902, and the copy number flag area 903 will be hidden from display, and when the player clicks on the "+ 3" flag in the copy control 902 again, the system will add 3 virtual objects placed in the area to be placed according to the copy number (copy parameter) selected by the player.

In practical applications, the first and second designated operations may include various operations, such as single-click operation, double-click operation, long-press operation, and the like, and may be specifically set according to the operation habits of the player.

The method has the advantages that the target copy parameters corresponding to the target copy quantity identifications are displayed in the copy control in response to the first selection operation of the player for the target copy quantity identifications, so that the effect of prompting the player can be achieved, the currently selected copy quantity (copy parameters) is displayed for the player, and then the virtual objects placed in the to-be-placed area are added according to the target copy parameters in response to the second selection operation of the copy control containing the target copy parameters, so that the secondary confirmation effect is achieved, misoperation of the player is avoided, the virtual objects with wrong quantity are prevented from being copied, and the game experience of the player is improved.

Based on the above steps b) and c), the player can also perform one-time batch fixation on the placement of the multiple virtual objects through one-time operation, so as to improve the operation efficiency of fixation of placement, for example, after the multiple copied virtual objects are added, the player can quickly complete fixation placement of the multiple virtual objects through relatively simple and convenient designated operation, and hide and display the copied control in a game scene, so as to avoid blocking the game picture. As an example, after the step c) above, the method may further include the steps of:

and j) responding to a second specified operation aiming at the areas except the virtual objects and all the controls in the graphical user interface, confirming that the placement of the virtual objects is fixed, and hiding the copy controls.

Illustratively, as shown in the left half of fig. 10, there are 3 virtual objects in the game scene, and the player can perform a second specifying operation on the area (e.g., the blank area 1001) in the graphical user interface except for the virtual objects and all the controls, and after the second specifying operation, as shown in the right half of fig. 10, the system confirms that the placement of the 3 virtual objects is fixed and the copy control is hidden.

The method and the device have the advantages that the placement of the virtual objects is determined to be fixed and the copy control is hidden in response to the second specified operation of the player on the areas except the virtual objects and all the controls in the graphical user interface, so that the player can complete the fixed placement of the virtual objects quickly through simple and convenient operation, the confirmation of the player by one is avoided, the copy control is hidden and displayed in a game scene, and the game picture is prevented from being blocked.

Based on the step j), the operation modes of one-time batch fixing can be various, so that the operation is more flexible, for example, the second specified operation can comprise various operation types, so that the placing of a plurality of virtual objects can be quickly fixed in various flexible modes, and the copy control can be hidden, so that the operation habits of different players can be adapted. As an example, the second specified operation includes any one or more of:

single click operation, multiple click operation, operation with the operation time length longer than a second preset time length, and sliding operation.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 10, a player may confirm that the placement of multiple virtual objects is fixed and hide copy controls by a single click on a blank area 1001 excluding the virtual objects and all controls; the player can also confirm that the placement of the virtual objects is fixed and the copy control is hidden by double-clicking the blank area 1001 except the virtual objects and all controls; the player can also make the system confirm that the placement of the virtual objects is fixed and the copy control is hidden by long-pressing the blank area 1001 except the virtual objects and all controls; the player may also perform a sliding operation in any direction in the blank area 1001 except for the virtual objects and all the controls, so that the system confirms that the placement of the virtual objects is fixed, and hides the copy control.

Through making the second appointed operation cover multiple operation type, be adapted to different operation habits of different players, can realize fixing putting of a plurality of virtual objects fast through multiple nimble mode to and to the hiding of duplicating the controlling part, improve player's gaming experience.

Based on the step b) and the step c), the player can also realize one-time batch fixation by placing the batch confirmation control, so that the batch fixation operation is more flexible, for example, batch confirmation keys can be displayed in a game scene, and the player can place a plurality of virtual objects by clicking one batch confirmation key, so that the rapid placement of the plurality of virtual objects is realized by simple and convenient operation. As one example, a put batch validation control for a plurality of virtual objects is displayed in the graphical user interface; after the step c), the method may further include the steps of:

and k), confirming that the placement of the plurality of virtual objects is fixed and hiding the copy control in response to the operation of placing the batch confirmation control.

Illustratively, as shown in the left half of fig. 10, there are 3 virtual objects in the game scene, the game scene further includes a batch confirmation control 1002, and after the player performs a click operation on the batch confirmation control 1002, as shown in the right half of fig. 10, the system confirms that the placement of the 3 virtual objects is fixed, and the copy control is hidden.

The batch confirmation control is placed in the graphical user interface in response to the operation of the player, the placement of the virtual objects is fixed, the copy control is hidden, the player can be helped to quickly complete the fixed placement of the virtual objects in a simpler and more convenient operation, the player is prevented from confirming one virtual object, the copy control is hidden and displayed in a game scene, and the game picture is prevented from being blocked.

In some embodiments, in addition to the copy control, other controls for the same virtual object may be displayed in the graphical user interface, for example, a size adjustment control, a position adjustment control, and the like, so that a player may flexibly perform operations such as size adjustment and position adjustment on the virtual object according to preferences. As an example, while the copy control is displayed, an adjustment control for the virtual object is also displayed in the graphical user interface; the adjustment control comprises any one or more of the following:

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 5, the system displays a copy control 505 and a placement cancel control 506 in the graphical user interface, and the player can cancel placement of the virtual object 504 by clicking the placement cancel control 506; a placement fixation confirmation control 507 is also displayed, and a player can realize the placement fixation confirmation of the virtual object 504 by clicking the placement fixation confirmation control 507; a placing steering control 508 is also displayed, and the player can adjust the placing direction of the virtual object 504 by clicking the placing steering control 508; the player may also effect a resizing of virtual object 504 by clicking on an edge of virtual object 504; the player may also effect a drop position adjustment for virtual object 504 by dragging virtual object 504.

Besides the copy control, the graphical user interface also comprises various other adjusting controls, such as a size adjusting control, a position adjusting control and the like, so that a player can flexibly perform operations such as size adjustment, position adjustment and the like on the virtual object according to preferences, and the game experience of the player is improved.

Fig. 11 provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a control device 1100 for virtual objects in a game. The device can be applied to electronic terminal equipment capable of running game programs, a graphical user interface is provided through the terminal equipment, and a game scene of a game comprises virtual objects and areas to be placed of the virtual objects. As shown in fig. 11, the in-game virtual object control apparatus 1100 includes:

the first control module 1101 is configured to, in response to a placing operation for a virtual object, control the virtual object to be placed at a placing position corresponding to the placing operation in the to-be-placed area.

A display module 1102 for displaying a copy control for the virtual object in the graphical user interface in response to the virtual object being placed in the placement position.

A second control module 1103, configured to, in response to the first specified operation for the copy control, control to continuously place, in the to-be-placed area, the virtual object corresponding to the copy parameter according to the copy parameter of the copy control, where the copy parameter is a parameter set in response to the setting instruction.

In some embodiments, the copy control is displayed in an area of the graphical user interface that is less than a preset distance from the virtual object.

In some embodiments, the second control module 1103 is specifically configured to:

and responding to the first specified operation aiming at the copy control, continuously placing the virtual objects corresponding to the copy parameters in the to-be-placed area according to the copy parameters of the copy control, and displaying the copy control aiming at the newly-placed virtual object in the graphical user interface.

In some embodiments, a plurality of placed virtual objects are in a stacked state;

the stacking display level of the virtual object added to be placed in the stacking state is higher than that of the original virtual object added to be placed;

the stacking operation level of the copy control corresponding to the virtual object added and placed in the stacking state is higher than that of the copy control corresponding to the original virtual object added and placed before.

In some embodiments, a prompt identifier is correspondingly displayed on the virtual object in the stacking state, and the prompt identifier is used to indicate that the virtual object in the stacking state cannot be confirmed to be placed and fixed currently.

responding to the fact that the operation duration aiming at the copy control exceeds a first preset duration, and displaying a plurality of copy quantity identifications corresponding to the copy control in a graphical user interface;

responding to the sliding operation aiming at the copy number identification, and displaying a plurality of copy number identifications corresponding to the sliding operation in a graphical user interface;

and responding to the selection operation aiming at the target copy number identifier in the plurality of copy number identifiers, and continuously placing the virtual objects corresponding to the target copy parameters in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameters corresponding to the target copy number identifier.

responding to the editing operation aiming at the copy number identification to be edited in the copy number identification, and displaying a target copy number identification edited by the editing operation in a graphical user interface;

responding to a first selection operation aiming at the target copy number identification, and displaying a target copy parameter corresponding to the target copy number identification in a copy control;

and responding to a second selection operation aiming at the copy control containing the target copy parameter, and continuously placing the virtual objects corresponding to the target copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameter.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises:

and the first hiding module is used for responding to a second specified operation aiming at the areas except the virtual objects and all controls in the graphical user interface, confirming that the virtual objects are fixedly placed and hiding the copy controls after responding to the selection operation aiming at the target copy number identifier and continuously placing the virtual objects corresponding to the target copy parameters in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameters corresponding to the target copy number identifier.

In some embodiments, the second specified operation comprises any one or more of:

In some embodiments, a put batch validation control for a plurality of virtual objects is displayed in the graphical user interface; the device also includes:

and the second hiding module is used for responding to the operation of selecting the target copy number identifier, continuously placing the virtual objects corresponding to the target copy parameters in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameters corresponding to the target copy number identifier, responding to the operation of placing the batch confirmation control, confirming that the placement of the plurality of virtual objects is fixed, and hiding the copy control.

In some embodiments, while the copy control is displayed, an adjustment control for the virtual object is also displayed in the graphical user interface; the adjustment control comprises any one or more of the following:

The control device for the in-game virtual object provided by the embodiment of the application has the same technical characteristics as the control method for the in-game virtual object provided by the embodiment, so that the same technical problems can be solved, and the same technical effects can be achieved.

Corresponding to the method for controlling the virtual object in the game, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, where the computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, and when the computer-executable instructions are called and executed by a processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to execute the steps of the method for controlling the virtual object in the game.

The control device of the virtual object in the game provided by the embodiment of the application can be specific hardware on the device, or software or firmware installed on the device, and the like. The device provided by the embodiment of the present application has the same implementation principle and technical effect as the foregoing method embodiments, and for the sake of brief description, reference may be made to the corresponding contents in the foregoing method embodiments where no part of the device embodiments is mentioned. It can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that, for convenience and simplicity of description, the specific working processes of the system, the apparatus and the unit described above may all refer to the corresponding processes in the method embodiments, and are not described herein again.

In the embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and method may be implemented in other ways. The above-described embodiments of the apparatus are merely illustrative, and for example, the division of the units is only one logical division, and there may be other divisions when actually implemented, and for example, a plurality of units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted, or not executed. In addition, the shown or discussed mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection may be an indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units through some communication interfaces, and may be in an electrical, mechanical or other form.

For another example, the flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of apparatus, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present application. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems which perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

The units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and parts displayed as units may or may not be physical units, may be located in one place, or may be distributed on a plurality of network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of the embodiment.

In addition, functional units in the embodiments provided in the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist alone physically, or two or more units are integrated into one unit.

The functions, if implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as a stand-alone product, may be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solution of the present application or a part of the technical solution may be essentially implemented in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to enable a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device) to execute all or part of the steps of the method for controlling a virtual object in a game according to the embodiments of the present application. And the aforementioned storage medium includes: various media capable of storing program codes, such as a usb disk, a removable hard disk, a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

It should be noted that: like reference numbers and letters refer to like items in the following figures, and thus once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further defined and explained in subsequent figures, and moreover, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used merely to distinguish one description from another and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above-mentioned embodiments are only specific embodiments of the present application, and are used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, but not to limit the technical solutions, and the scope of the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, although the present application is described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that: those skilled in the art can still make modifications or changes to the embodiments described in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some features, within the technical scope of the present disclosure; such modifications, changes or substitutions do not depart from the scope of the embodiments of the present application. Are intended to be covered by the scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A control method of a virtual object in a game is characterized in that a terminal device provides a graphical user interface, and a game scene of the game comprises the virtual object and a to-be-placed area of the virtual object; the method comprises the following steps:

and responding to a first specified operation aiming at the copy control, and controlling to continuously place the virtual object corresponding to the copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the copy parameter of the copy control, wherein the copy parameter is a parameter set in response to a setting instruction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the copy control is displayed in an area of the graphical user interface that is less than a preset distance from the virtual object.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of controlling continuous placement of the virtual object corresponding to the copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the copy parameter of the copy control in response to the first specified operation for the copy control comprises:

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a plurality of the virtual objects are placed in a stacked state;

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a prompt identifier is correspondingly displayed on the virtual object in the stacked state, and the prompt identifier is used for indicating that the virtual object in the stacked state cannot be confirmed to be fixed in position currently.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of controlling continuous placement of the virtual object corresponding to the copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the copy parameter of the copy control in response to the first specified operation for the copy control comprises:

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of, in response to the selection operation for the target copy number identifier, successively placing the virtual object corresponding to the target copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameter corresponding to the target copy number identifier comprises:

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of, in response to the selection operation for the target copy number identifier, successively placing the virtual object corresponding to the target copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameter corresponding to the target copy number identifier comprises:

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of, in response to the selection operation for the target copy number identifier, successively placing the virtual object corresponding to the target copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameter corresponding to the target copy number identifier comprises:

responding to a first selection operation aiming at a target copy quantity identifier, and displaying a target copy parameter corresponding to the target copy quantity identifier in the copy control;

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein after the step of successively placing the virtual object corresponding to the target copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameter corresponding to the target copy number identifier in response to the selection operation for the target copy number identifier, the method further comprises:

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second specified operation comprises any one or more of:

12. The method of claim 6, wherein a put batch validation control for a plurality of the virtual objects is displayed in the graphical user interface; after the step of continuously placing the virtual object corresponding to the target copy parameter in the to-be-placed area according to the target copy parameter corresponding to the target copy number identifier in response to the selection operation for the target copy number identifier, the method further includes:

13. The method of claim 1, wherein an adjustment control for the virtual object is displayed in the graphical user interface concurrently with the display of the copy control; the adjustment control comprises any one or more of the following items:

14. A control device of a virtual object in a game is characterized in that a terminal device provides a graphical user interface, and a game scene of the game comprises the virtual object and a to-be-placed area of the virtual object; the device comprises:

15. An electronic device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program operable on the processor, and wherein the processor implements the steps of the method of any of claims 1 to 13 when executing the computer program.

16. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions which, when invoked and executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute the method of any of claims 1 to 13.