JP2005322085A - Image processor, and image processing method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processor capable of displaying the place and posture of a hidden object intelligibly for a user without using a marker object when the object is hidden behind an object such as an obstacle object. <P>SOLUTION: This image processor for displaying a visual field image representing a virtual three-dimensional space 40 in which a first object 42 and a second object 46 at least a portion of which is formed in a flat plate shape are disposed, observed from a viewpoint VP set in the virtual three-dimensional space 40 includes a determining means for determining a color changed part corresponding to an area 44 obtained by orthogonally projecting the first object 42 onto the part where the second object 46 is formed in a flat plate shape in the image of the second object 46 represented on the visual field image, and a changing means for changing color information given to the color changed part in the image of the second object 46 represented in the visual field image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program, and relates to a technique for expressing the location of another object hidden behind an object in a virtual three-dimensional space in a visual field image.

  In the field of three-dimensional computer graphics, a technique is known in which when another object is hidden behind a certain object, a marker indicating the object is displayed on the field-of-view image. Specifically, in a game device to which 3D computer graphics is applied, when an enemy object is hidden behind an obstacle object, a marker object pointing to the enemy object is placed and displayed above the obstacle object. Some players let the player know where the enemy object is.

  However, in the marker object, it is impossible to determine which part of the obstacle object is hiding in which posture, and there may be no appropriate place for placing the marker object around the obstacle object.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to change the location and orientation of a user without using a marker object when another object is hidden behind an object such as an obstacle object. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program that can be displayed in an easily understandable manner.

  In order to solve the above problems, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a virtual three-dimensional space in which a first object and a second object at least part of which is formed in a flat plate shape are arranged. An image processing apparatus for displaying a field-of-view image representing a state viewed from a viewpoint set in a dimensional space, wherein the first object is a flat plate of the second object among the images of the second object represented in the field-of-view image. Determining means for determining a color change portion corresponding to a region orthogonally projected onto the portion formed in a shape, and color information given to the color change portion of the image of the second object represented in the field-of-view image And changing means for changing.

  In the image processing method according to the present invention, a virtual three-dimensional space in which a first object and a second object at least partially formed in a flat plate shape are arranged is set as the virtual three-dimensional space. In the image processing method for displaying a field-of-view image representing a state viewed from a viewpoint, a portion of the second object image represented in the field-of-view image, in which the first object is formed in a flat plate shape of the second object Determining a color change portion corresponding to a region orthogonally projected to the image, and changing color information given to the color change portion of the image of the second object represented in the visual field image. It is characterized by that.

  Further, the program according to the present invention provides a virtual three-dimensional space in which a first object and a second object at least a part of which is formed in a flat plate shape are arranged from a viewpoint set in the virtual three-dimensional space. In a program for causing a computer to function as an image processing device that displays a field-of-view image representing a view, a first object is a flat plate of the second object among images of the second object represented in the field-of-view image. Means for determining a color change portion corresponding to a region orthogonally projected onto the portion formed in a shape, and changing color information given to the color change portion of the image of the second object represented in the field-of-view image A program for causing the computer to function as a means for causing the computer to function.

  According to the present invention, the color information of the specific part of the image of the second object represented in the visual field image changes. This specific part is a part corresponding to an area obtained by orthogonally projecting the first object onto the flat part of the second object in the virtual three-dimensional space (for example, a part corresponding to the back surface of the area). According to the present invention, the portion where the color has changed is represented in the image of the second object represented in the visual field image. The shape of this portion corresponds to the outer shape of the first object, and the position thereof corresponds to the position of the first object. Therefore, according to the present invention, when another object is hidden behind an object such as an obstacle object, the location and orientation can be displayed in an easy-to-understand manner to the user without using the marker object. .

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a game device (image processing device) according to an embodiment of the present invention. A game apparatus 10 shown in the figure is an embodiment of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention, and a DVD-ROM 25 serving as an information storage medium is attached to a home game machine 11 connected to a monitor 18 and a speaker 22. It is constituted by. Here, the DVD-ROM 25 is used to supply the game program to the consumer game machine 11, but any other information storage medium such as a CD-ROM or a ROM card can be used. In addition, a game program and game data can be supplied to the consumer game machine 11 from a remote place via a communication network such as the Internet.

  The home-use game machine 11 is a known computer game system, in which a microprocessor 14, an image processing unit 16, a main memory 26, and an input / output processing unit 30 are connected to each other via a bus 12 so that mutual data communication is possible. The unit 30 is connected to a controller 32, an audio processing unit 20, and a DVD-ROM playback unit 24. Each component of the consumer game machine 11 other than the controller 32 is housed in a housing. For example, a household television receiver or the like is used for the monitor 18, and a built-in speaker or the like is used for the speaker 22, for example.

  The microprocessor 14 controls each part of the consumer game machine 11 based on an operating system stored in a ROM (not shown) and a game program read from the DVD-ROM 25. The bus 12 is for exchanging addresses and data among the units of the consumer game machine 11. The main memory 26 includes a RAM, and game programs (including game data) read from the DVD-ROM 25 are read and written as necessary, and various data are used for the operation of the microprocessor 14. It is read and written. The image processing unit 16 includes a VRAM. The image processing unit 16 receives the image data sent from the microprocessor 14 and draws a game screen on the VRAM. The image processing unit 16 converts the content into a video signal and sends it to the monitor 18 at a predetermined timing. Output.

  The input / output processing unit 30 is an interface for relaying data communication between the controller 32, the audio processing unit 20, the DVD-ROM playback unit 24, and the microprocessor 14. The controller 32 is an input means for a player to perform a game operation. The input / output processing unit 30 acquires operation states of various buttons of the controller 32 at a constant cycle (for example, every 1/60 seconds), and passes operation signals representing the operation states to the microprocessor 14 via the bus 12. The microprocessor 14 determines the player's game operation based on the operation signal. The sound processing unit 20 includes a sound buffer, and reproduces data such as music and game sound effects that are read from the DVD-ROM 25 and stored in the sound buffer in accordance with instructions from the microprocessor 14. 22 to output. The DVD-ROM playback unit 24 reads a game program recorded on the DVD-ROM 25 in accordance with an instruction from the microprocessor 14.

  Hereinafter, a technique for suitably displaying the state of an object hidden behind a certain object in three-dimensional computer graphics using the image processing apparatus having such a configuration will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the virtual three-dimensional space constructed on the main memory 26 of the game apparatus 10. As shown in the figure, a flat object 46 and a moving object 42 are arranged in the virtual three-dimensional space 40. The flat object 46 is an object to which an opaque texture is mapped, and is configured as a static object that does not change its position and posture even if time passes. The moving object 42 is an object to which an opaque texture is mapped, and is configured as a dynamic object that changes its position and / or posture with time. The moving object 42 may change its position and / or posture according to, for example, a computer algorithm, or may change its position and / or posture according to an operation signal input by the controller 32. In the virtual three-dimensional space 40, a viewpoint VP and a line-of-sight direction VD are also set. Here, the viewpoint VP is set on the front side of the flat object 46, and the line-of-sight direction VD faces the surface of the flat object 46. The moving object 42 is located on the back side of the flat plate object 46 when viewed from the viewpoint VP. A field-of-view image showing how the line-of-sight direction VD is viewed from the viewpoint VP is drawn on the VRAM by the image processing unit 16 and displayed on the monitor 18.

  In the present embodiment, an orthographic projection area 44 obtained by orthographically projecting the moving object 42 onto the flat object 46 is specified. In other words, the orthogonal projection area 44 is an area that passes when the flat object 46 is translated in the normal direction of the flat object 46. The orthographic projection region 44 calculates, for example, a (maximum) contour parallel to the flat object 46 of the moving object 42 (contour when the moving object 42 is viewed from the infinity to the normal direction of the flat object 46). A cylindrical body formed by translating the outline in the normal direction of the flat object 46 may be calculated and specified as a cross section of the cylindrical object by the flat object 46. Specifically, a stencil buffer having the same size as the visual field image (storage means having the same number of vertical and horizontal pixels as the visual field image and storing a stencil value corresponding to each pixel) is prepared, and the cylindrical body Are drawn in the stencil buffer. At this time, the side of the side facing the viewpoint VD and the side facing the back of the viewpoint VD are opposite in sign, and a value of the same size (for example, 1) is written to the stencil buffer as a stencil value. By doing so, a non-zero stencil value is written only in a portion corresponding to the orthographic projection region 44 (a color changing portion 45 described later) in the stencil buffer. In this way, the stencil buffer can be used as data for specifying the portion of the visual field image that changes the color information.

  In the present embodiment, the color information is changed in the field-of-view image for the part on the back surface side of the orthogonal projection region 44 in the flat object 46. FIG. 3 shows an example of a visual field image showing a state where the visual line direction VD is viewed from the viewpoint VP in the state of FIG. As shown in the figure, the portion representing the flat object 46 in the field-of-view image includes a color changing portion 45 whose color has changed. This color change portion 45 is a portion corresponding to the back side of the orthogonal projection region 44. In the present embodiment, the color information (RGB value) is changed for a pixel in which a non-zero stencil value is written (that is, a pixel constituting the color changing portion 45) while referring to the stencil buffer. The change in color information increases or decreases brightness, for example. Thus, by giving the color changing portion 45 corresponding to the position and orientation of the moving object 42 to a part of the visual field image, the user of the game apparatus 10 can understand the state of the moving object 42 hidden behind the flat object 46. Can be easily communicated.

  The flat object 46 and the moving object 42 may have any shape. For example, when the flat object 46 is a mud surface object representing a mud surface and the moving object 42 is a player character object that moves in the virtual three-dimensional space 40 in accordance with an operation signal input from the controller 32, the mud surface It is possible to easily tell the player which position and posture the sunken player character object is in. The moving object 42 may be an invisible object (hit check object or shadowing object) that follows the player character object, instead of the player character object itself.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing image processing by the game apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. The processing shown in the figure is executed at predetermined time intervals (for example, every 1/60 seconds) in accordance with a program stored in the DVD-ROM 25.

  In this process, environmental processing is first performed based on a program read from the DVD-ROM 25 (S101). In the environment processing, the positions and orientations of all static objects and dynamic objects in the virtual three-dimensional space 40 are calculated. In the environment processing (S101), the viewpoint VP, the line-of-sight direction VD, the field angle, and the field of view (calculated by the line-of-sight direction VD and the field angle) are also calculated. In the subsequent processing, only objects located within the visual field range are picked up and set as targets for subsequent image processing.

  Next, the game apparatus 10 performs geometry processing (S102). In the geometry processing, coordinate conversion from the world coordinate system to the viewpoint coordinate system (a coordinate system in which the viewpoint is the origin, the front of the viewpoint is the Z direction, the horizontal direction is the X direction, and the vertical method is the Y direction) is performed. Further, the color information of the vertices of each polygon constituting the object is corrected based on the light source information (light source color and position). Further, clipping processing is also performed. Furthermore, a visual field image is formed based on the vertex coordinates, vertex color information, texture coordinates, and alpha value of each polygon belonging to the visual field range, and is stored in the VRAM provided in the image processing unit 16 (S103).

  Next, the game apparatus 10 specifies the orthogonal projection area 44 (S104). Specifically, a stencil buffer having the same size as the visual field image stored in the VRAM is set in the image processing unit 16, and a stencil value that is not zero in the set stencil buffer is set for the pixel corresponding to the back side of the orthogonal projection region 44. Write. Then, for pixels in which a non-zero stencil value is written in the stencil buffer, for example, a process such as raising or lowering the brightness is applied to the field-of-view image (data storing RGB values of each pixel) stored in the VRAM. The color information of the change area 45 is changed (S105). The field-of-view image formed in the VRAM in this way is read at a predetermined timing and displayed on the monitor 18.

  According to the game apparatus 10 described above, a color changed portion, that is, a color changed portion 45 appears in the image of the flat object 46 shown in the visual field image. The shape of the color changing portion 45 corresponds to the outer shape of the moving object 42, and the position and posture thereof correspond to the position and posture of the moving object 42. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, when the moving object 42 is hidden behind the flat object 46, the location and orientation thereof can be easily displayed to the user without using the marker object.

It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of the image processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the mode of the three-dimensional space virtually constructed | assembled in the image processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the visual field image displayed in the image processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the image processing in the image processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  VP viewpoint, VD line-of-sight direction, 10 game device, 11 consumer game machine, 12 bus, 14 microprocessor, 16 image processing unit, 18 monitor, 20 audio processing unit, 22 speaker, 24 DVD-ROM playback unit, 25 DVD- ROM, 26 main memory, 30 input / output processing unit, 32 controller, 40 virtual three-dimensional space, 42 moving object, 44 orthographic projection area, 45 color changing part, 46 flat object.

Claims (3)

A visual field image showing a virtual three-dimensional space in which the first object and the second object at least a part of which is formed in a flat plate shape are viewed from a viewpoint set in the virtual three-dimensional space is displayed. In the image processing apparatus to
Determining means for determining a color change portion corresponding to an area obtained by orthogonally projecting the first object on a portion of the second object formed in a flat plate shape of the image of the second object represented in the field-of-view image; ,
Changing means for changing color information given to the color changing portion of the image of the second object represented in the field-of-view image;
An image processing apparatus comprising: A visual field image showing a virtual three-dimensional space in which the first object and the second object at least a part of which is formed in a flat plate shape are viewed from a viewpoint set in the virtual three-dimensional space is displayed. In the image processing method to
Determining a color change portion corresponding to a region obtained by orthogonally projecting the first object on a portion of the second object formed in a flat plate shape of the second object image represented in the visual field image;
Changing color information given to the color changing portion of the image of the second object represented in the field-of-view image;
An image processing method comprising: A visual field image showing a virtual three-dimensional space in which the first object and the second object at least a part of which is formed in a flat plate shape are viewed from a viewpoint set in the virtual three-dimensional space is displayed. In a program for causing a computer to function as an image processing apparatus,
Means for determining a color change portion corresponding to a region obtained by orthogonally projecting the first object on a portion formed in a flat shape of the second object in the image of the second object represented in the visual field image; and A program for causing the computer to function as means for changing color information given to the color change portion of the image of the second object represented in the visual field image.

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