JP4250537B2 - Image creating method, image creating apparatus, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image creation method, an image creation device, and a program for creating a character by pasting a face image on a character image.

There are cases where a character is displayed as an animation on a display device of a computer to notify an incoming mail, a schedule, a fortune telling, or the like. In this case, it is convenient if the user can appropriately change the character to be displayed.
For this reason, a technique in which a user generates a character moving image data set is disclosed (see Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-208024 A

However, it is cumbersome to create each character moving image set separately.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an image creation method, an image creation apparatus, and a program that can facilitate creation of an image set of a character.

A. In order to achieve the above object, an image creation method according to the present invention includes a face image input step for inputting a character's face image, and an input in the face image input step corresponding to the face orientation of the entire image of the character. A face image pasting step for converting the pasted face image and pasting it on the whole image.
A plurality of character images can be created from one face image by converting the face image corresponding to the face orientation of the entire character image and pasting it on the entire image.

Here, the conversion of the face image may be performed for each block that divides the face image.
Image conversion processing can be easily performed by dividing a face image into blocks.

This block may be represented by three grid points. The block shape is represented by a parallelogram by these three lattice points. As a result, image conversion can be performed by linear combination of pixel coordinates, and conversion processing is facilitated.
That is, assuming that the coordinates of the pixels before and after conversion are (x0, y0) and (x1, y1), the conversion of the image is expressed by x1 = a · x0 + b · y0 + c, y1 = d · x0 + e · y0 + f, and the calculation is easy. Done.

B. An image creation apparatus according to the present invention includes an image storage unit that stores an entire image of a character, a face image input unit that inputs a face image of the character, and a face orientation of the entire image stored in the image storage unit. Correspondingly, an image conversion table for converting a face image and a face image input by the face image input unit are converted based on the image conversion table and pasted to a character image stored in the image storage unit. And a face image pasting unit.
A plurality of character images can be created from one face image by converting the face image corresponding to the face orientation of the entire character image and pasting it on the entire image.

C. The program according to the present invention corresponds to a face image input step of inputting a face image of a character, and a plurality of character images each representing a character having a different face direction stored in the image storage unit, This is for causing the computer to execute the face image pasting step of converting the face image input in the face image input step and pasting it on the character image.
A plurality of character images can be created from one face image by converting the face image corresponding to the face orientation of the entire character image and pasting it on the entire image.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image creation method, an image creation apparatus, and a program that can facilitate creation of an image set of a character.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a character image creation device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The character image creation device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a north bridge 12, a memory (RAM: Random Access Memory) 13, a graphic card 14, a display device 15, a south bridge 16, and a hard disk (HDD: Hard Disk Drive) 17 and an input unit 18.

The CPU 11 performs sequential control, arithmetic and logical operations. The CPU 11 functions as a face image pasting unit by being combined with a program for operating this.
The north bridge 12 is an element that connects the CPU 11, the memory 13, and the graphic card 14 to perform data bridging, and is connected to the south bridge 16 via a bus.
The memory 13 is a main storage device of the CPU 11.
The graphic card 14 is an interface that outputs image information to the display device 15.
The display device 15 is an image display device such as a CRT or LCD.

The south bridge 16 is composed of elements having a function of integrating various I / O controllers.
The hard disk 17 is a kind of external storage device, and stores an OS (Operating System) for operating the CPU 11, an image conversion program, an image conversion table, and data for conversion (face image data, entire image data). ing.
The image conversion program causes the CPU 11 to operate and function as an image pasting unit. That is, the CPU 11 converts the face image and pastes it on the entire image under the control of the image conversion program.
The image conversion table is a table representing the correspondence between images before and after conversion when a face image is converted by an image conversion program. Details of the image conversion table and the like will be described later.
The input unit 18 is an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, and an image input device, and can input face image data and the like.

(Details of data stored on the hard disk)
The details of data stored in the hard disk 17 will be described below.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a character face image. Although a single image is shown here, a plurality of face images are stored in the hard disk 17 and selected and converted as necessary.
This face image is a two-dimensional image, which is input by the input unit 18 and stored in the hard disk 17. Elements (eyes, mouth, etc.) constituting the character's face are arranged in the frame. This frame itself represents the range in which the face is drawn, and is not a component of the face itself.
The face image is converted by the image conversion table, and the character image is formed by embedding it in the entire image. This conversion is performed for each block divided by a grid as will be described later.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a set of entire images of a series of characters. 3A, 3B, and 3C each show a two-dimensional whole image with the face facing the front direction, the left direction, and the right direction.
Here, only three images are shown as a set of whole images. However, since these sets of images are used for character animation, these intermediate images (for example, front-facing and left-facing) The number of images (for example, 20 images) is preferable.
In these figures, a frame (face image area) representing a face portion is indicated by a broken line, but this conceptually represents a position where the face image is embedded and is directly included in the image itself. Not a translation. It should be noted that the embedding of the face image is performed for each block in which the face image area is divided by a grid as will be described later.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an image conversion table. Block (I, J) that divides the face image, face image before conversion (FIG. 2), front face image after conversion (FIG. 3A), left face image (FIG. 3B), right direction The relationship with the face image (FIG. 3C) is represented.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the correspondence between the lattice points of these blocks (I, J).

6 to 9 are a face image before conversion (FIG. 2), a front face image after conversion (FIG. 3A), a left face image (FIG. 3B), and a right face image (FIG. 3), respectively. C)) It is a schematic diagram showing the block B (I, J) which divides each.
The original face image is divided into 24 blocks B (1,1) to B (6,4), 6 in the horizontal direction and 4 in the vertical direction. This block B (I, J) can be divided appropriately, and for example, a finer division can be adopted. Each of these blocks B (I, J) is represented by four lattice points P01 (X01, Y01) to P04 (X04, Y04).
The converted image is also divided into a total of 24 blocks B (1, 1) to (6, 4) corresponding to the face image before conversion, six in the horizontal direction and four in the vertical direction. Each of these blocks B (I, J) is represented by four lattice points PK1 (XK1, YK1) to PK4 (XK4, YK4) (K = 1 to 3).

At the time of image conversion, pixels at lattice points P01 (X01, Y01) to P04 (X04, Y04) of the original face image are converted into lattice points Pk1 (Xk1, Yk1) to Pk4 (Xk4, Yk) of the converted face image. ). Other points in block (I, J) are copied as well.
At this time, if the block B (I, J) is a parallelogram, these blocks B (I, J) have three lattice points P01 (X01, Y01) to P03 (X03, Y03), Pk1 (Xk1, Yk1) to Pk3 (Xk3, Yk3). In this case, so-called linear conversion can be used for the conversion from the block B0 (I, J) to the block Bk (I, J) (k = 1 to 3). In the linear transformation, the relationship between the coordinates (X0, Y0) before the transformation and the coordinates (X1, Y1) after the transformation is expressed by a linear combination of X1 = a · X0 + b · Y0 + c and Y1 = d · X0 + e · Y0 + f. Therefore, the calculation of conversion is easy.

(Operation of Character Image Creation Device 10)
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process of generating a character image by converting a face image and embedding it in the entire image by the character image creating apparatus 10. This process is performed by the CPU 11 operating by an image conversion program.
After the conversion program is activated (step S11), a character face image used for conversion is selected (step S12). This face image is input from the input unit 18 in advance and stored in the hard disk 17. This face image selection is performed using the input unit 18 when there are a plurality of face images stored in the hard disk 17 and is not performed when there is a single face image stored in the hard disk 17.

The selected face image (see FIG. 2) is read from the hard disk 17 into the memory 13 (step S13), and the entire images 1 to Nk (see FIG. 3) such as the front and side surfaces of the character to be converted are also stored from the hard disk 17. 13 is read (step S14). Nk is the total number of images, and Nk = 3 in FIG.
Next, an image conversion table (see FIG. 4) for converting the face image into the entire image is read from the hard disk 17 into the memory (step S15). Thereafter, initialization for conversion is performed (step S16).

Based on the read image conversion table, block B (I, J) of the face image is converted and copied to block B (I, J) of the entire image (step S17). This is performed by shifting the block B (I, J) in the horizontal direction (steps S18 and S19). When the block reaches the rightmost block, block B (I, J) is shifted in the vertical direction to perform image conversion and copying (steps S20 to S22).
When the image conversion of the blocks B (1, 1) to B (6, 4) is completed, the conversion destination whole image is changed and image conversion and copying are performed (steps S23 to S25).
When the above is completed, the converted entire image on the memory 13 is stored in the hard disk 17 and the conversion program ends (step S26).
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the created character image.
The created character image is used for an animation for calling attention to a computer user.

  According to the embodiment described above, based on the front face image, a character image in another direction such as not only in the front but also in the horizontal direction is generated. Accordingly, it is possible to save the user from drawing the character image in all directions. As a result, the character used by the user can be easily given uniqueness.

(Other embodiments)
Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be expanded and modified. The expanded and modified embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

It is a block diagram showing the character image creation apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing an example of the face image of a character. It is a figure showing an example of the set of the whole image of a character. It is a figure showing an image conversion table. It is a figure showing the correspondence of the lattice point of the block which divides | segments an image. It is a schematic diagram showing the block which classifies the face image before conversion. It is a schematic diagram showing the block which classifies the front-facing face image after conversion. It is a schematic diagram showing the block which classifies the left face image after conversion. It is a schematic diagram showing the block which classifies the rightward face image after conversion. It is a flowchart showing the process of producing | generating the image of a character by the character image production apparatus. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the produced | generated character image.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Character image creation apparatus, 11 ... CPU, 12 ... North bridge, 13 ... Memory, 14 ... Graphic card, 15 ... Display apparatus, 16 ... South bridge, 17 ... Hard disk, 18 ... Input part

Claims (5)

A step of inputting a character's face image;
Dividing the face image into a plurality of regions;
Generating an output face image by performing linear transformation on the face image of each of the divided regions;
Combining the generated output face image and the entire character image to generate a character image, and
A coefficient in the linear transformation varies depending on a face direction and the region in the whole image. The image creating method according to claim 1, wherein a region into which the face image is divided is a parallelogram. Selecting an input face image from a plurality of face images;
The image creating method according to claim 1, further comprising: An input means for inputting a character's face image;
Dividing means for dividing the face image into a plurality of regions;
First generating means for generating an output face image by performing linear transformation on the face image of each of the divided regions;
Combining the generated output face image and the entire character image to generate a character image; and
The coefficient in the linear transformation differs according to the face direction and the region in the whole image. A step of inputting a character's face image;
Dividing the face image into a plurality of regions;
Generating an output face image by performing linear transformation on the face image of each of the divided regions;
Combining the generated output face image and the entire character image to generate a character image, and
A program for causing a computer to execute an image creation method in which coefficients in the linear transformation differ depending on a face direction and the region in the entire image.

Images