JP2011175489A - Image generating apparatus and method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image generating apparatus for zooming up or zooming down a background image of an object while suppressing variation of a display position and a display size of the object displayed on a screen. <P>SOLUTION: A first image is generated which represents a virtual space viewed from a virtual camera in the case that a position and a field angle of the virtual camera are set to a first position and a first field angle. A second image is generated which represents the virtual space viewed from the virtual camera in the case that the position and the image angle of the virtual camera are set to a second position made by moving from the first position in a direction substantially opposite to the line of sight of the virtual camera and set to a second field angle smaller than that of the first image angle. The image to be displayed on a display means is switched between the first field and the second field. The distance between the first position and the second position and the difference between the first image angle and the second image angle are set, so that the display positions and the display sizes of a predetermined object among objects arranged in the virtual space become almost the same as those of the first image and the second image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image generation apparatus, an image generation method, and a program.

  There is known an image generation apparatus that generates an image representing a state in which an object arranged in a virtual space is viewed from a virtual camera. For example, a game device is known that generates an image representing a state in which an object operated by a player is viewed from a virtual camera.

JP 2001-96062 A

  In the image generation apparatus as described above, for example, when the virtual camera is zoomed up while the object is displayed at the edge of the screen, the object moves toward the outside of the screen. Therefore, when the virtual camera is zoomed up, the object may go out of the screen and the object may not be displayed on the screen. In addition, when the virtual camera is zoomed up, the display size of the object becomes too large, and a large part of the screen is occupied by this object, and other parts may be hidden.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to zoom up or zoom in on the background of a predetermined object while suppressing changes in the display position and display size of the predetermined object displayed on the screen. An object of the present invention is to provide an image generation apparatus, an image generation method, and a program that can be downed.

  In order to solve the above problems, an image generation apparatus according to the present invention sets the position of a virtual camera to a first position in a virtual space, and sets the angle of view of the virtual camera to a first angle of view. A first image generating means for generating a first image representing the virtual space viewed from the virtual camera, and the position of the virtual camera in a direction substantially opposite to the direction of the line of sight of the virtual camera. When viewed from the virtual camera when the virtual camera is set to a second position that is moved from the position of the camera and the angle of view of the virtual camera is set to a second angle of view smaller than the first angle of view. Second image generation means for generating a second image representing the virtual space; and switching means for switching an image to be displayed on the display means between the first image and the second image, A predetermined object among the objects arranged in the virtual space A distance between the first position and the second position so that a display position and a display size of the first image are substantially the same between the first image and the second image, A difference between the angle of view and the second angle of view is set.

  The image generation method according to the present invention provides the virtual camera when the position of the virtual camera is set to the first position in the virtual space and the angle of view of the virtual camera is set to the first angle of view. A first image generation step for generating a first image representing the virtual space viewed from the position, and the position of the virtual camera is moved from the first position in a direction substantially opposite to the visual line direction of the virtual camera. And a virtual space viewed from the virtual camera when the angle of view of the virtual camera is set to a second angle of view smaller than the first angle of view. A second image generating step for generating two images, and a switching step for switching an image to be displayed on the display means between the first image and the second image, and is arranged in the virtual space. The given object among the objects The distance between the first position and the second position, and the first angle of view so that the display and display size are substantially the same between the first image and the second image. A difference from the second angle of view is set.

  In addition, the program according to the present invention is viewed from the virtual camera when the position of the virtual camera is set to the first position in the virtual space and the angle of view of the virtual camera is set to the first angle of view. A first image generating means for generating a first image representing the virtual space; a second image generated by moving the position of the virtual camera from the first position in a direction substantially opposite to the visual line direction of the virtual camera; A second image representing the virtual space viewed from the virtual camera when the angle of view of the virtual camera is set to a second angle of view smaller than the first angle of view. The computer functions as a second image generation unit that generates the image and a switching unit that switches the image displayed on the display unit between the first image and the second image, and is arranged in the virtual space. A given object The display position and the display size of the first image and the second image are substantially the same, the distance between the first position and the second position, and the first image The difference between the angle and the second angle of view is set.

  An information storage medium according to the present invention is a computer-readable information storage medium recording the above program.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to zoom up or down the background of a predetermined object while suppressing changes in the display position and display size of the predetermined object displayed on the screen.

  In one aspect of the present invention, a boundary of the visual field of the virtual camera when the position and the angle of view of the virtual camera are set to the first position and the first angle of view, the position of the virtual camera, and When the angle of view is set to the second position and the second angle of view, the intersection with the boundary of the visual field region of the virtual camera is a position corresponding to the position of the predetermined object. The distance between the first position and the second position and the difference between the first angle of view and the second angle of view may be set.

  In this aspect, the coordinate value in the axial direction corresponding to the line-of-sight direction in the viewpoint coordinate system of the intersection is substantially the same as the coordinate value in the axial direction in the viewpoint coordinate system of the position of the predetermined object. As described above, the distance between the first position and the second position and the difference between the first angle of view and the second angle of view may be set.

  In the aspect of the invention, the second image generation unit may be configured such that an object other than the predetermined object among the objects arranged in the virtual space determines the position and angle of view of the virtual camera. The virtual camera is included in the visual field region of the virtual camera when set to the second position and the second angle of view, and the position and angle of view of the virtual camera are the first position and the first angle of view. When it is not included in the visual field area of the virtual camera when set, a limiting unit for limiting display of the other object in the second image may be included.

  In one aspect of the present invention, means for executing a collision determination process between the predetermined object and another object among the objects arranged in the virtual space, and a process based on the result of the collision determination process And the other object is included in the visual field of the virtual camera when the position and angle of view of the virtual camera are set to the second position and the second angle of view, and When the virtual camera's position and angle of view are not included in the visual field of the virtual camera when the first position and the first angle of view are set, the collision between the predetermined object and the other object And a means for restricting execution of the determination process or the process based on the result of the collision determination process.

It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of the game device (image generation apparatus) which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of virtual space. It is a figure which shows an example of a normal screen. It is a figure which shows an example of a zoom-up screen. It is a functional block diagram of the game device (image generation device) concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure for demonstrating a 1st image generation part. It is a figure for demonstrating a 2nd image generation part. It is a figure for demonstrating the setting of the distance between a 1st position and a 2nd position, and the setting of the difference of a 1st view angle and a 2nd view angle. It is a figure for demonstrating a viewpoint coordinate system. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process which a game device performs. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the memory content of a data storage part.

  Hereinafter, examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, a case where the present invention is applied to a game device which is an aspect of an image generation device will be described. The game device according to the embodiment of the present invention is realized by, for example, a home game machine (stationary game machine), a portable game machine, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a personal computer. Here, a case where the game device according to the embodiment of the present invention is realized by a consumer game machine will be described.

  FIG. 1 shows a hardware configuration of a game device (image generation device) according to an embodiment of the present invention. A game apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a consumer game machine 11, a display unit 32, an audio output unit 34, and an optical disc 36 (information storage medium). The display unit 32 and the audio output unit 34 are connected to the consumer game machine 11. As the display unit 32, for example, a home television receiver or a liquid crystal display is used, and as the audio output unit 34, for example, a speaker or headphones incorporated in the home television receiver is used.

  The home game machine 11 is a known computer system. The home game machine 11 includes a bus 12, a control unit 14, a main memory 16, an image processing unit 18, an input / output processing unit 20, an audio processing unit 22, an optical disk drive 24, a hard disk 26, a communication interface 28, and a controller 30. .

  The control unit 14 includes one or a plurality of microprocessors. The control unit 14 executes control processing and information processing of each unit based on a program read from the optical disc 36. The main memory 16 includes, for example, a RAM, and a program and data read from the optical disk 36 are written into the main memory 16. The main memory 16 is also used as a working memory for the control unit 14. The bus 12 is for exchanging addresses and data among the units of the consumer game machine 11.

  The image processing unit 18 includes a VRAM, and draws a screen on the VRAM based on the image data supplied from the control unit 14. The screen drawn on the VRAM is converted into a video signal and output to the display unit 32 at a predetermined timing.

  The input / output processing unit 20 is an interface for the control unit 14 to access the audio processing unit 22, the optical disk drive 24, the hard disk 26, the communication interface 28, and the controller 30. The sound processing unit 22 includes a sound buffer, and outputs sound data read from the optical disc 36 to the sound buffer from the sound output unit 34. The communication interface 28 is an interface for connecting the consumer game machine 11 to a communication network such as the Internet by wire or wireless.

  The optical disk drive 24 reads programs and data recorded on the optical disk 36. Here, the optical disc 36 is used to supply programs and data to the consumer game machine 11, but other information storage media such as a memory card may be used. Further, for example, a program or data may be supplied to the consumer game machine 11 from a remote place via a communication network. The hard disk 26 is a general hard disk device (auxiliary storage device). Programs and data described as being stored in the optical disk 36 may be stored in the hard disk 26.

  The controller 30 is an operation unit for receiving an operation. A plurality of controllers 30 can be wired or wirelessly connected to the home game machine 11. The controller 30 includes a plurality of operation members such as a plurality of buttons and a plurality of levers (sticks). The input / output processing unit 20 scans the state of each operation member of the controller 30 at regular intervals (for example, every 1/60 seconds), and supplies an operation signal representing the scan result to the control unit 14 via the bus 12. The control unit 14 determines the player's operation based on the operation signal.

  In the game apparatus 10, a game in which an object operated by a player moves in a virtual space (game space) is executed based on a game program read from the optical disc 36.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of a virtual space. The virtual space 40 shown in FIG. 2 is a virtual three-dimensional space in which three coordinate axes (Xw axis, Yw axis, and Zw axis) orthogonal to each other are set. The position of the object arranged in the virtual space 40 is specified by the coordinate values of these three coordinate axes.

  In the virtual space 40 shown in FIG. 2, a ground 42 that is an object representing the ground is arranged. On the ground 42, a wall 44 that is an object representing a wall, a player character 46 that is an object operated by the player, and an enemy character 48 that is an object representing an enemy character are arranged. On the side surface of the wall 44, a hatched pattern portion 44a is formed.

  The player character 46 moves in the virtual space 40 according to the player's operation. In the state shown in FIG. 2, the player character 46 is positioned in front of the pattern portion 44 a of the wall 44. The enemy character 48 autonomously moves in the virtual space 40 according to a predetermined algorithm.

  In the above game, for example, when the player character 46 is attacked by the enemy character 48, the physical strength parameter of the player character 46 decreases. For this reason, the player moves the player character 46 in the virtual space 40 so that the player character 46 is not attacked by the enemy character 48.

  A virtual camera 50 (viewpoint and line-of-sight direction 52) is set in the virtual space 40. In the state shown in FIG. 2, the wall 44 (pattern portion 44a) and the player character 46 are located in the visual field area of the virtual camera 50, and the player character 46 is located between the virtual camera 50 and the wall 44 (pattern portion 44a). Located in the area between. In the state shown in FIG. 2, the enemy character 48 is located in the area behind the virtual camera 50 (the direction opposite to the line-of-sight direction 52).

  A screen representing the virtual space 40 viewed from the virtual camera 50 is displayed on the display unit 32. In other words, a screen representing the virtual space 40 when the line-of-sight direction 52 is viewed from the viewpoint is displayed on the display unit 32. FIG. 3 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 32. The screen shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to the state shown in FIG. Since an image representing the state of the field of view of the virtual camera 50 is displayed on the screen, the player character 46 is displayed on the screen shown in FIG. 3, and the wall 44 is displayed as the background of the player character 46.

  The virtual camera 50 moves based on the movement of the player character 46 so that the player character 46 is always displayed on the screen.

  In particular, in the game apparatus 10, when the player presses a predetermined button (hereinafter referred to as “zoom button”) of the controller 30, the screen display mode is switched from “normal mode” to “zoom-up mode”. Yes. Hereinafter, a screen in the normal mode is referred to as a “normal screen”, and a screen in the zoom-up mode is referred to as a “zoom-up screen”. The screen shown in FIG. 3 is an example of a normal screen.

  In the zoom-up mode, the background of the player character 46 is zoomed up without changing the display position and display size of the player character 46. FIG. 4 shows an example of the zoom-up screen. The zoom-up screen shown in FIG. 4 is a zoom-up screen that is displayed when the player presses the zoom button while the normal screen shown in FIG. 3 is displayed. In the zoom-up screen shown in FIG. 4, the display position and display size of the player character 46 are substantially the same as the display position and display size of the player character 46 on the normal screen, and the background of the player character 46 (the pattern portion of the wall 44). Only 44a) is zoomed up.

  The zoom-up screen is displayed over a period during which the player keeps pressing the zoom button. When the player releases the zoom button, the screen display mode is switched from “zoom-up mode” to “normal mode”, and the normal screen is displayed. In this case, the background of the player character 46 (the pattern portion 44a of the wall 44) is zoomed down while maintaining the display position and display size of the player character 46.

  As described above, in the game apparatus 10, the background of the player character 46 is zoomed up or down without changing the display position and display size of the player character 46. Hereinafter, a configuration for realizing this function will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram mainly showing functional blocks related to the above functions among the functional blocks realized by the game apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. 5, the game apparatus 10 includes a data storage unit 60, an object state data update unit 62, and a display control unit 64. The data storage unit 60 is realized by, for example, the main memory 16 and the optical disc 36, and other functional blocks are realized by the control unit 14 executing a program read from the optical disc 36.

  The data storage unit 60 stores various data. For example, data regarding each object arranged in the virtual space 40 is stored in the data storage unit 60. Specifically, the shape data of each object arranged in the virtual space 40 is stored in the data storage unit 60. Further, data indicating the position of a static object (for example, the ground 42 and the wall 44) whose position does not change is stored in the data storage unit 60.

  Further, data (hereinafter referred to as “object state data”) indicating the current state of dynamic objects (for example, the player character 46 and the enemy character 48) whose position and posture change are stored in the data storage unit 60. The object state data includes, for example, data indicating the position, posture, moving direction, moving speed, and the like of the player character 46 and the enemy character 48. The object state data includes, for example, data indicating parameters (for example, physical strength parameters) of the player character 46.

  The object state data update unit 62 updates the object state data stored in the data storage unit 60. For example, the object state data update unit 62 updates the state data (for example, position) of the player character 46 based on the player's operation, and updates the state data of the enemy character 48 based on a predetermined algorithm.

  Further, for example, the object state data update unit 62 executes a collision determination process between the player character 46 and another object (for example, the enemy character 48), and executes a process based on the result of the collision determination process.

  Specifically, the object state data update unit 62 determines whether or not a part of the enemy character 48 (for example, a hand or a foot) has hit the player character 46, so that the player character 46 is attacked by the enemy character 48. It is determined whether or not. When a part of the enemy character 48 hits the player character 46 (that is, when the player character 46 is attacked by the enemy character 48), the object state data update unit 62 sets the parameter of the player character 46 (for example, a physical strength parameter). ).

  The display control unit 64 generates a screen representing the virtual space 40 viewed from the virtual camera 50 based on the stored contents of the data storage unit 60 and displays the screen on the display unit 32. As shown in FIG. 5, the display control unit 64 includes a first image generation unit 66, a second image generation unit 68, and a switching unit 70.

  The first image generation unit 66 is a functional block corresponding to the normal mode. In the present embodiment, the image generated by the first image generation unit 66 corresponds to the normal screen (FIG. 3). FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the first image generation unit 66. FIG. 6 corresponds to the state shown in FIG.

  The first image generation unit 66 sets the position of the virtual camera 50 to the first position 50a in the virtual space 40, and sets the angle of view (horizontal angle of view) of the virtual camera 50 to the first angle of view. A first image representing the virtual space 40 viewed from the virtual camera 50 when set to θ1 is generated. In other words, the first image generation unit 66 represents the state of the visual field region 80 of the virtual camera 50 when the position and the angle of view of the virtual camera 50 are set to the first position 50a and the first angle of view θ1. Generate an image of

  Here, the first position 50a is set based on the position of the player character 46, for example. For example, when the screen display mode is the normal mode, the first position 50a is set so that the positional relationship between the virtual camera 50 and the player character 46 is a fixed positional relationship. On the other hand, the first angle of view θ1 is set in advance, for example.

  The second image generation unit 68 is a functional block corresponding to the zoom-up mode. In the present embodiment, the image generated by the second image generation unit 68 corresponds to the zoom-up screen (FIG. 4). FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the second image generation unit 68. FIG. 7 also corresponds to the state shown in FIG.

  The second image generation unit 68 sets the position of the virtual camera 50 to the second position 50b in the virtual space 40, and sets the angle of view (horizontal angle of view) of the virtual camera 50 to the second angle of view. A second image representing the virtual space 40 viewed from the virtual camera 50 when set to θ2 is generated. That is, the second image generation unit 68 represents the state of the visual field region 84 of the virtual camera 50 when the position and the angle of view of the virtual camera 50 are set to the second position 50b and the second angle of view θ2. Generate an image of

  Here, the second position 50 b is a position formed by moving from the first position 50 a in the opposite direction 88 to the visual line direction 52 of the virtual camera 50. The second field angle θ2 is smaller than the first field angle θ1. Note that the line-of-sight direction 52 of the virtual camera 50 in this case matches the line-of-sight direction 52 of the virtual camera 50 in the normal mode.

  The distance D between the first position 50a and the second position 50b and the difference Δθ between the first field angle θ1 and the second field angle θ2 are set as described below. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the setting of the distance D and the difference Δθ.

  The distance D and the difference Δθ are determined by the first image generated by the first image generation unit 66 and the second image (zoom-up screen) generated by the second image generation unit 68. The display position and display size of the character 46 (predetermined object) are set to be substantially the same. In other words, when the position and angle of view of the virtual camera 50 are set to the first position 50a and the first angle of view θ1, the position and angle of view of the virtual camera 50 are set to the second position 50b and the second angle of view. The distance D and the difference Δθ are set so that the drawing range near the player character 46 is substantially the same when the angle θ2 is set.

  Specifically, the boundary 82 of the visual field region 80 of the virtual camera 50 and the position and image of the virtual camera 50 when the position and angle of view of the virtual camera 50 are set to the first position 50a and the first angle of view θ1. The intersection 90 with the boundary 86 of the visual field region 84 of the virtual camera 50 when the angle is set to the second position 50b and the second angle of view θ2 is a position corresponding to the position of the player character 46. The distance D and the difference Δθ are set. That is, when the position and angle of view of the virtual camera 50 are set to the first position 50a and the first angle of view θ1, the visual field region 80 of the virtual camera 50 and the position and angle of view of the virtual camera 50 are set to the second position. The distance D and the difference Δθ are set so that the position of the player character 46 is included in the plane 92 that intersects the visual field area 84 of the virtual camera 50 when set to 50b and the second angle of view θ2.

  More specifically, the coordinate value of the intersection 90 in the viewpoint coordinate system (see FIG. 9) in the Z-axis direction (the axial direction corresponding to the line-of-sight direction 52) is the Z of the position of the player character 46 in the viewpoint coordinate system. The distance D and the difference Δθ are set so as to be substantially the same as the coordinate value in the axial direction. As shown in FIG. 9, the viewpoint coordinate system has a viewpoint (first position 50a or second position 50b) as an origin, a line-of-sight direction 52 as a Z-axis direction, a horizontal direction as an X-axis direction, and a vertical direction. Is a coordinate system in which Y is the Y-axis direction.

  In the game apparatus 10, as a result of setting the distance D and the difference Δθ as described above, a drawing range (corresponding to the surface 92) near the player character 46 is generated by the first image generation unit 66. The first image and the second image generated by the second image generation unit 68 are substantially the same. As a result, the display position and display size of the player character 46 are substantially the same on the normal screen and the zoom-up screen.

  Further, in the game apparatus 10, as a result of setting the second angle of view θ2 to be smaller than the first angle of view θ1, the region 94 behind the player character 46 (in other words, the intersection 90), that is, Regarding the region 94 in which the Z-axis coordinate value in the viewpoint coordinate system is larger than the Z-axis coordinate value of the position of the player character 46 (in other words, the intersection 90), the second image generated by the second image generating unit 68 is used. The drawn range 96 is narrower than the drawn range 98 on the first image generated by the first image generating unit 66. As a result, on the zoom-up screen, the background of the player character 46 (for example, the pattern portion 44a of the wall 44) is zoomed up.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the second image generation unit 68 includes a restriction unit 72. The restriction unit 72 includes the virtual camera 50 among the objects included in the visual field region 84 of the virtual camera 50 when the position and the angle of view of the virtual camera 50 are set to the second position 50b and the second angle of view θ2. The second image generation unit 68 generates a display of an object that is not included in the visual field region 80 of the virtual camera 50 when the position and the angle of view are set to the first position 50a and the first angle of view θ1. The second image is limited. That is, when an object other than the player character 46 is included in the visual field area 84 and not included in the visual field area 80, the restriction unit 72 is generated by the second image generation unit 68. In the second image, the display of the other object is restricted.

  Here, “restrict object display” includes, for example, not displaying an object and increasing the transparency of the object.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the enemy character 48 is located in the visual field region 84 of the virtual camera 50 when the position and the angle of view of the virtual camera 50 are set to the second position 50b and the second angle of view θ2. Is located. Therefore, the enemy image 48 is originally included in the second image generated by the second image generation unit 68. However, since the enemy character 48 is not located in the visual field region 80 of the virtual camera 50 when the position and the angle of view of the virtual camera 50 are set to the first position 50a and the first angle of view θ1, the restriction unit 72 Restricts the display of the enemy character 48 in the second image generated by the second image generation unit 68. As a result, the enemy character 48 is not displayed on the zoom-up screen (FIG. 4).

  When the display mode of the screen is switched from the normal mode to the zoom-up mode, an object that is not displayed on the normal screen (for example, the enemy character 48 located behind the virtual camera 50 in the normal mode) is zoomed in. If displayed, the player may feel uncomfortable. If an object that is not displayed on the normal screen (for example, the enemy character 48) is displayed on the zoom-up screen, the object that was originally displayed on the normal screen (for example, the player character 46) is hidden by the object. Therefore, it may be difficult to see the object originally displayed on the normal screen. In this regard, the game apparatus 10 is provided with the limiting unit 72 so that the above-described disadvantages do not occur.

  The switching unit 70 displays an image to be displayed on the display unit 32 between the first image generated by the first image generation unit 66 and the second image generated by the second image generation unit 68. Switch with. That is, the switching unit 70 switches the screen displayed on the display unit 32 between the normal screen and the zoom-up screen.

  For example, when the first image generated by the first image generation unit 66 is displayed on the display unit 32, the switching unit 70 determines whether or not the first switching condition is satisfied. When it is determined that the first switching condition is satisfied, the switching unit 70 switches the image displayed on the display unit 32 to the second image generated by the second image generation unit 68.

  For example, when the second image generated by the second image generation unit 68 is displayed on the display unit 32, the switching unit 70 determines whether or not the second switching condition is satisfied. If it is determined that the second switching condition is satisfied, the switching unit 70 switches the image displayed on the display unit 32 to the first image generated by the first image generation unit 66.

  In the present embodiment, the “first switching condition” is, for example, a condition indicating whether or not the first switching operation has been performed, and the “second switching condition” is, for example, the second switching condition. This is a condition whether or not an operation has been performed. Specifically, the “first switching operation” is an operation for pressing the zoom button, and the “second switching operation” is an operation for releasing the pressing of the zoom button. The “first switching operation” and the “second switching operation” may be the same operation. For example, both the “first switching operation” and the “second switching operation” may be operations for pressing the zoom button.

  The “first switching condition” may be a condition indicating whether or not the game situation has become a predetermined situation. For example, the “first switching condition” may be a condition indicating whether or not a predetermined game event has occurred. Further, for example, the “first switching condition” may be a condition as to whether or not the position of the player character 46 is within the reference area. The “second switching condition” is the same as the “first switching condition”. Note that the “second switching condition” is whether or not the elapsed time after the image displayed on the display unit 32 is switched to the image generated by the second image generation unit 68 has reached a predetermined time or more. It may be the condition.

  Next, processing executed by the game apparatus 10 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart mainly showing processing related to the present invention among processing executed by the game apparatus 10 every predetermined time (for example, 1/60 seconds). The control unit 14 executes the process shown in FIG. 10 according to the program read from the optical disc 36. When the control unit 14 executes the process shown in FIG. 10, the object state data update unit 62 and the display control unit 64 are realized.

  As shown in FIG. 10, first, the control unit 14 (object state data update unit 62) updates the object state data (S101). In this step S101, for example, the state data of the player character 46 is updated based on the operation signal supplied from the controller 30. Further, for example, the state data of the enemy character 48 is updated based on a predetermined algorithm.

  In step S <b> 101, for example, it is determined whether or not the player character 46 has been attacked by the enemy character 48 by executing a collision determination process between the player character 46 and the enemy character 48. When the player character 46 is attacked by the enemy character 48, the parameters (for example, physical strength parameters) of the player character 46 are updated.

  Thereafter, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the screen display mode is the normal mode (S102). In this step S102, for example, flag information indicating the current screen display mode is read from the main memory 16, and it is determined based on this flag information whether or not the screen display mode is the normal mode.

  When the screen display mode is the normal mode, the control unit 14 (switching unit 70) determines whether or not the first switching condition is satisfied (S103). For example, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the zoom button is pressed based on an operation signal supplied from the controller 30. When the zoom button is pressed, the control unit 14 determines that the first switching condition is satisfied.

  When it is determined that the first switching condition is not satisfied, the control unit 14 (first image generation unit 66) generates a normal screen on the VRAM (S104). That is, the control unit 14 sets the position of the virtual camera 50 to the first position 50a, and sets the field angle of the virtual camera 50 to the first field angle θ1. Then, the control unit 14 generates an image representing the virtual space 40 viewed from the virtual camera 50 on the VRAM as a normal screen.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the first switching condition is satisfied, the control unit 14 (second image generation unit 68) generates a zoom-up screen on the VRAM (S106). The process of step S106 will be described later.

  When it is determined in step S102 that the screen display mode is not the normal mode, that is, when the screen display mode is the zoom-up mode, the control unit 14 (switching unit 70) satisfies the second switching condition. It is determined whether or not (S105). For example, the control unit 14 determines whether or not the zoom button has been released based on an operation signal supplied from the controller 30. When the zoom button is released, the control unit 14 determines that the second switching condition is satisfied.

  When it is determined that the second switching condition is satisfied, the control unit 14 (first image generation unit 66) generates a normal screen on the VRAM (S104).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the second switching condition is not satisfied, the control unit 14 (second image generation unit 68) generates a zoom-up screen on the VRAM (S106). That is, the control unit 14 sets the position of the virtual camera 50 to the second position 50b, and sets the field angle of the virtual camera 50 to the second field angle θ2. Then, the control unit 14 generates an image representing the virtual space 40 viewed from the virtual camera 50 on the VRAM as a zoom-up screen.

  In step S106, when the image representing the virtual space 40 viewed from the virtual camera 50 is generated, the position and the angle of view of the virtual camera 50 are set to the second position 50b and the second angle of view θ2. Among objects included in the visual field area 84 of the virtual camera 50, the virtual camera 50 is included in the visual field area 80 when the position and the angle of view of the virtual camera 50 are set to the first position 50a and the first angle of view θ1. Do not draw unrecognized objects. That is, only the objects included in both the visual field region 84 and the visual field region 80 are drawn.

  The objects included in the visual field region 80 include the position of each object, the position of the virtual camera 50 (first position 50a), the line-of-sight direction 52, and the angle of view (first angle of view θ1). Identified based on. Similarly, the objects included in the visual field region 84 include the position of each object, the position of the virtual camera 50 (second position 50b), the line-of-sight direction 52, and the angle of view (second angle of view θ2). Specified based on.

  After the process of step S104 or S107 is completed, the screen generated in step S104 or S107 is displayed on the display unit 32 (S107). This process is complete | finished above.

  According to the game device 10 described above, the background of the player character 46 can be zoomed up or down without changing the display position and display size of the player character 46 displayed on the screen.

  Further, according to the game apparatus 10, when the screen displayed on the display unit 32 is switched from the normal screen to the zoom-up screen, it is possible to prevent an object that was not displayed on the normal screen from being displayed on the zoom-up screen. become. As a result, according to the game apparatus 10, it is possible to ensure that the player does not feel uncomfortable. Further, according to the game apparatus 10, when the screen displayed on the display unit 32 is switched from the normal screen to the zoom-up screen, the object originally displayed on the normal screen is changed depending on the object not displayed on the normal screen. It is also possible to guarantee that it will not be difficult to see.

[Other Embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.

  (A) For example, when the second image generated by the second image generation unit 68 is displayed on the display unit 32, the position and angle of view of the virtual camera 50 are set to the second position 50b and the second image. Of the objects included in the visual field area 84 of the virtual camera 50 when set to the angle θ2, the virtual camera 50 is set to the first position 50a and the first angle of view θ1. You may make it restrict | limit execution of the collision determination process between the object which is not contained in the visual field area | region 80 of the camera 50, and the player character 46. FIG. Further, the execution of the process based on the result of the collision determination process may be limited.

  For example, in a state where the zoom-up screen is displayed on the display unit 32, when the enemy character 48 is included in the visual field region 84 and not included in the visual field region 80, the control unit 14 determines that the player character The execution of the collision determination process between 46 and the enemy character 48 may be suppressed. Further, the control unit 14 may suppress execution of the update process of the physical strength parameter of the player character 46 based on the result of the collision determination process.

  (B) In the above description, it is assumed that the positional relationship between the virtual camera 50 and the player character 46 is constant in the normal mode. However, the positional relationship between the virtual camera 50 and the player character 46 may be changed in the normal mode.

  In this case, the data storage unit 60 associates with the condition (positional relation condition) regarding the positional relationship between the virtual camera 50 and the player character 46, and information regarding the setting of the position or / and the angle of view of the virtual camera 50 in the zoom-up mode. (Setting information) may be stored. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the contents stored in the data storage unit 60.

  Here, the “positional relationship condition” is a condition relating to the direction and distance from the virtual camera 50 to the player character 46, for example. On the other hand, the “setting information” indicates the position of the virtual camera 50 in the zoom-up mode (second position 50b) based on the position of the virtual camera 50 in the normal mode (first position 50a) or the position of the player character 46. Contains information to set. For example, the “setting information” includes information regarding the distance D between the first position 50a and the second position 50b. The “setting information” sets the angle of view (second angle of view θ2) of the virtual camera 50 in the zoom-up mode based on the angle of view (first angle of view θ1) of the virtual camera 50 in the normal mode. Contains information for. For example, the “setting information” includes information regarding the difference Δθ between the first field angle θ1 and the second field angle θ2.

  The “positional condition” and “setting information” are set in consideration of the display position and display size of the player character 46 being substantially the same between the normal screen and the zoom-up screen. That is, the “positional relationship condition” and the “setting information” are set so that the drawing range near the player character 46 is substantially the same in the normal mode and the zoom-up mode.

  Specifically, an intersection 90 between the boundary 82 of the visual field region 80 of the virtual camera 50 in the normal mode and the boundary 86 of the visual field region 84 of the virtual camera 50 in the zoom-up mode corresponds to the position of the player character 46. The “positional relationship condition” and “setting information” are set so that In other words, the “positional relationship condition” is set such that the position of the player character 46 is included in the plane 92 where the visual field area 80 of the virtual camera 50 in the normal mode and the visual field area 84 of the virtual camera 50 in the zoom-up mode intersect. "And" setting information "are set.

  More specifically, the coordinate value in the Z-axis direction of the intersection 90 in the viewpoint coordinate system (see FIG. 9) is substantially the same as the coordinate value of the position of the player character 46 in the Z-axis direction in the viewpoint coordinate system. As described above, the “positional condition” and the “setting information” are set.

  In the modification (b), when the screen display mode is switched from the normal mode to the zoom-up mode, the second image generation unit 68 determines the position of the virtual camera 50 (first position 50a) and the player character in the normal mode. The setting information associated with the positional relationship condition that satisfies the positional relationship with the position 46 is read. The second image generation unit 68 then sets the virtual camera 50 in the zoom-up mode based on the setting information and the position of the virtual camera 50 in the normal mode (first position 50a) or the position of the player character 46. A position (second position 50b) is set. Furthermore, the second image generation unit 68 uses the setting information and the angle of view of the virtual camera 50 in the normal mode (first angle of view θ1) to determine the angle of view (first of the virtual camera 50 in the zoom-up mode). 2 angle of view θ2) is set.

  In this way, even if the positional relationship between the virtual camera 50 and the player character 46 in the normal mode changes, the background of the player character 46 is zoomed up without changing the display position and display size of the player character 46. It becomes possible.

  (C) For example, the zoom-up screen (FIG. 4) is normally displayed, and the normal screen (FIG. 3) may be displayed only in a specific case. That is, normally, a screen in which the background of the player character 46 is zoomed up is displayed, and the background of the player character 46 may be zoomed out only in a specific case. In this way, the screen display mode is normally set to the zoom-up mode, and the screen display mode may be set to the zoom-out mode only in specific cases.

  In the modification (c), as in the modification (b), the positional relationship between the virtual camera 50 and the player character 46 in the zoom-up mode may be changed.

  Also in this case, the data storage unit 60 associates the condition (position relation condition) with respect to the positional relation between the virtual camera 50 and the player character 46 (position relation condition) or the position of the virtual camera 50 in the zoom-down mode (first position 50a) or / And information (setting information) related to the setting of the angle of view (first angle of view θ1) may be stored. Here, the “positional relationship condition” is the same as in the modification (b).

  On the other hand, the “setting information” is based on the position (first position) of the virtual camera 50 in the zoom-down mode based on at least one of the position of the virtual camera 50 (second position 50b) and the position of the player character 46 in the zoom-up mode. Information for setting the position 50a). For example, the “setting information” includes information regarding the distance D between the first position 50a and the second position 50b. The “setting information” sets the angle of view (first angle of view θ1) of the virtual camera 50 in the zoom-down mode based on the angle of view (second angle of view θ2) of the virtual camera 50 in the zoom-up mode. Contains information to do. For example, the “setting information” includes information regarding the difference Δθ between the first field angle θ1 and the second field angle θ2.

  As in the modification example (b), the “positional condition” and the “setting information” are used when the screen display mode is the zoom-up mode and when the screen display mode is the zoom-down mode. The display position and display size of the player character 46 are set to be substantially the same.

  In the modification (c), when the screen display mode is switched from the zoom-up mode to the zoom-down mode, the first image generation unit 66 uses the virtual camera 50 (second position 50b) and the player character in the zoom-up mode. The setting information associated with the positional relationship condition that satisfies the positional relationship with 46 is read out. The first image generation unit 66 then uses the virtual camera 50 in the zoom-down mode based on the setting information and the position of the virtual camera 50 (second position 50b) or the position of the player character 46 in the zoom-up mode. Is set (first position 50a). Further, the first image generation unit 66, based on the setting information and the angle of view of the virtual camera 50 in the zoom-up mode (second angle of view θ2), the angle of view of the virtual camera 50 in the zoom-down mode ( A first angle of view θ1) is set.

  In this modification (c), the limiting unit shown in FIG. 5 may be omitted.

  (D) For example, in the above description, the example in which the background of the player character 46 is zoomed up or down while the display position and the display size of the player character 46 displayed on the screen are not changed has been described. However, the background of the other object may be zoomed up or down while keeping the display position and display size of other objects other than the player character 46 from changing.

  (E) The present invention can be applied to various games. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to image generation apparatuses other than the game apparatus 10. The present invention can be applied to an image generation apparatus that generates an image representing a virtual space viewed from a virtual camera (viewpoint).

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Game device, 11 Home-use game machine, 12 Bus, 14 Control part, 16 Main memory, 18 Image processing part, 20 Input / output processing part, 22 Sound processing part, 24 Optical disk drive, 26 Hard disk, 28 Communication interface, 30 Controller , 32 Display unit, 34 Audio output unit, 36 Optical disc, 40 Virtual space, 42 Ground, 44 Wall, 44a Pattern part, 46 Player character, 48 Enemy character, 50 Virtual camera, 52 Gaze direction, 60 Data storage unit, 62 Object Status data update unit, 64 display control unit, 66 first image generation unit, 68 second image generation unit, 70 switching unit, 72 restriction unit.

Claims (7)

A first position representing the virtual space viewed from the virtual camera when the position of the virtual camera is set to the first position in the virtual space and the angle of view of the virtual camera is set to the first angle of view. First image generating means for generating an image;
The position of the virtual camera is set to a second position that is moved from the first position in a direction substantially opposite to the viewing direction of the virtual camera, and the angle of view of the virtual camera is set to the first position Second image generating means for generating a second image representing the virtual space viewed from the virtual camera when set to a second angle of view smaller than the angle of view;
Switching means for switching an image to be displayed on the display means between the first image and the second image;
Including
Among the objects arranged in the virtual space, the first position and the second position are set so that a display position and a display size of a predetermined object are substantially the same between the first image and the second image. And a difference between the first angle of view and the second angle of view is set. The image generation apparatus according to claim 1,
The boundary of the visual field region of the virtual camera when the position and angle of view of the virtual camera are set to the first position and the first angle of view, and the position and angle of view of the virtual camera to the second position And the first position and the second position so that the intersection of the virtual camera field-of-view region boundary when set to the second angle of view is a position corresponding to the position of the predetermined object. An image generating apparatus, wherein the distance between the position and the difference between the first angle of view and the second angle of view are set. The image generation apparatus according to claim 2,
The coordinate value in the axial direction corresponding to the line-of-sight direction in the viewpoint coordinate system of the intersection is substantially the same as the coordinate value in the axial direction in the viewpoint coordinate system of the position of the predetermined object. An image generating apparatus, wherein the distance between a first position and the second position and the difference between the first angle of view and the second angle of view are set. In the image generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The second image generation means is configured so that an object other than the predetermined object among the objects arranged in the virtual space determines the position and angle of view of the virtual camera as the second position and the second as the second object. Of the virtual camera when the virtual camera is included in the field of view of the virtual camera when the angle of view is set, and the position and angle of view of the virtual camera are set to the first position and the first angle of view. An image generating apparatus comprising: a restricting unit that restricts display of the other object in the second image when it is not included in the visual field region. In the image generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Means for executing a collision determination process between the predetermined object and another object among the objects arranged in the virtual space;
Means for executing processing based on the result of the collision determination processing;
The other object is included in the visual field of the virtual camera when the position and angle of view of the virtual camera are set to the second position and the second angle of view, and the position of the virtual camera and When the angle of view is not included in the visual field of the virtual camera when the first position and the first angle of view are set, the collision determination process between the predetermined object and the other object, or the collision Means for restricting execution of processing based on the result of determination processing;
An image generation apparatus comprising: A first position representing the virtual space viewed from the virtual camera when the position of the virtual camera is set to the first position in the virtual space and the angle of view of the virtual camera is set to the first angle of view. A first image generating step for generating an image;
The position of the virtual camera is set to a second position that is moved from the first position in a direction substantially opposite to the viewing direction of the virtual camera, and the angle of view of the virtual camera is set to the first position A second image generation step of generating a second image representing the virtual space viewed from the virtual camera when set to a second angle of view smaller than the angle of view;
A switching step of switching an image to be displayed on the display means between the first image and the second image;
Including
Of the objects arranged in the virtual space, the first position and the second position are such that the display position and display size of a predetermined object are substantially the same in the first image and the second image. And a difference between the first angle of view and the second angle of view is set. A first position representing the virtual space viewed from the virtual camera when the position of the virtual camera is set to the first position in the virtual space and the angle of view of the virtual camera is set to the first angle of view. First image generating means for generating an image;
The position of the virtual camera is set to a second position that is moved from the first position in a direction substantially opposite to the viewing direction of the virtual camera, and the angle of view of the virtual camera is set to the first position Second image generation means for generating a second image representing the virtual space viewed from the virtual camera when set to a second angle of view smaller than the angle of view; and
Switching means for switching an image to be displayed on the display means between the first image and the second image;
Function as a computer
Of the objects arranged in the virtual space, the first position and the second position are such that the display position and display size of a predetermined object are substantially the same in the first image and the second image. And a difference between the first angle of view and the second angle of view is set.

Images