JP4350719B2 - Image generating apparatus, image generating method, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image generation apparatus, an image generation method, and a program for realizing these on a computer, which are suitable for generating an image that presents an injection object emitted from a position different from the viewpoint without a sense of incongruity.

Conventionally, various shooting games have been proposed. Techniques relating to such games are disclosed in the following documents, for example.
Japanese Patent No. 3325265

  [Patent Document 1] discloses a technique related to a shooting game for shooting a target. In the shooting game, aiming is performed by setting a half line from the viewpoint set in the virtual world to the aim, or a half line of the line of sight so as to cross the target object. The crossing position is the position of the target point of the trajectory. In a gun shooting game, a bullet advances toward a target point called a target.

  In addition, in the virtual world, a game has been proposed in which a magic hand, a tow beam, a whip, a belt, a lasso, a hook with a trimochi, etc. are used to grab a distant object. In the case of a magic hand or the like, the “arm” or the like of the magic hand advances toward a target point of a distant object.

  Here, even if the path to the target point is displayed on the screen as starting from the viewpoint, it will be displayed as a simple point on the screen, and the depth of how far the target point is The information is often difficult for the player to grasp. Therefore, the starting point of the path, that is, the bullet injection point, or the end point on the near side of the magic hand or the like (hereinafter, such an end point is also referred to as the “eject point”) can be set different from the viewpoint. Has been done. For example, when the player is right-handed, the emission point is widely set to the lower right as viewed from the viewpoint and line of sight.

  In the game as described above, since the aim is aimed using the human eye, the target point is generally located at a position where it can be seen from the viewpoint in the virtual space. In this case, there is no obstacle between the viewpoint and the target point.

  On the other hand, the emission point is at a position different from the viewpoint. Therefore, even when there is no obstacle between the viewpoint and the target point, there may be an obstacle between the emission point and the target point. In such a case, if the screen is displayed so that the path between the injection point and the target point is obstructed by an obstacle, it is contrary to the intuition of the player and makes the player feel uncomfortable. Occurs.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and is an image generation apparatus suitable for generating an image that presents an injection object emitted from a position different from the viewpoint without a sense of incongruity, It is an object of the present invention to provide an image generation method and a program for realizing these on a computer.

  In order to achieve the above object, the following invention is disclosed in accordance with the principle of the present invention.

  An image generation apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a storage unit and an image generation unit, and is configured as follows.

That is, the storage unit stores a plurality of objects arranged in the virtual space.
Each of these objects is composed of a plurality of polygons and their textures, and the shape, position, orientation, etc. of each polygon can be acquired from information stored in the storage unit.

On the other hand, the image generation unit generates an image obtained by viewing the plurality of objects from a viewpoint in the virtual space.
In other words, as with normal three-dimensional graphics technology, the crossing or concealment relationship between polygons constituting an object is determined, and in two polygons, the one closer to the viewpoint may be hidden from the viewpoint. The image representing the state in the virtual space is generated using the relationship that the reverse is not true.

Here, the plurality of objects include an emission object that travels from an emission point at a position different from the viewpoint to a target point at a position different from the viewpoint and the emission point.
The shooting object is a bullet that goes to the target along the trajectory in the shooting game, and in the remote control game, the magic hand, the whip, the tow beam, and the tip trimochi that goes from the handle at the hand toward the object to be grasped or the object to be grasped. Tsubaki can be considered. The injection point may be a muzzle from which an injection object is injected, an end point on the hand side of a magic hand, a whip, a spear, or the like, a launching port of a tow beam, and the like.

The image generation unit generates the image by regarding the emission object as being closer to the viewpoint than any other object regardless of the distance between the emission object and the viewpoint in the virtual space. .
In other words, because the emitted object pretends to be closer to the viewpoint than any other object regardless of the distance to the viewpoint, the polygons that make up the emitted object hide the polygons that make up the other objects. You can do it, but not the other way around. Therefore, the injection object does not collide with other objects or be hidden by other objects.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to generate an image in line with a user's intuition such that an injection object directed to a target point is always displayed.

  In the image generation apparatus of the present invention, the emission object can be configured to have a line segment shape or a curve shape connecting the emission point and the target point.

  The present invention relates to a preferred embodiment of the above-described invention. For example, in a remote control game, a magic hand, a whip, a pulling beam, and a tip trimochi that are directed from a handle at a handle to an object to be grasped or an object to be grasped. A kite or the like can be used as the injection object.

  In the image generation apparatus of the present invention, the emission object can be configured to move from the emission point to the target point.

  The present invention relates to a preferred embodiment of the above invention. For example, in a shooting game, a bullet or a missile that is directed to a target along a trajectory can be employed as an ejection object.

  In the image generation device of the present invention, the image generation unit sorts the plurality of objects according to the distance from the viewpoint, and draws each of the plurality of objects in order of increasing distance from the viewpoint. It can be configured to generate an image.

  The so-called Z buffer method is used to generate an image. However, for an emitted object, it is assumed that the object is closer to the viewpoint than other objects regardless of the distance to the viewpoint. This sort of imitation is applied as it is when sorting. Therefore, the ejected object is the object closest to the viewpoint in the Z buffer.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily realize drawing of an injection object by devising a comparison function for sorting objects in the Z buffer method.

  In the image generation device of the present invention, the image generation unit sorts the objects other than the emission object among the plurality of objects according to the distance from the viewpoint, and sets each of the plurality of sorted objects to the It can be configured to draw in order of increasing distance from the viewpoint, and then draw the emitted object to generate the image.

  In the stage of generating an image by the so-called Z-buffer method, objects other than the emission object are processed, and after drawing of these objects, the injection object that is not the Z-buffer processing object is drawn. .

  According to the present invention, the injection object is removed from the processing target of the Z buffer, and after the drawing of the object to be processed in the Z buffer is finished, the injection object is drawn, thereby easily realizing the drawing of the injection object. Will be able to.

  The image generation apparatus of the present invention further includes an input receiving unit and a target setting unit, and can be configured as follows.

That is, the input receiving unit receives an instruction input.
This instruction input corresponds to, for example, a trigger in a shooting game or a gripping operation in a magic hand.

In addition, when the instruction input is received, the target setting unit sets, as the target position, the position of the object at which a predetermined half line extending from the viewpoint in the virtual space first intersects among the plurality of objects. .
That is, the target point is set to the position of the object hit by the shooting, the position of the object grasped by the magic hand, or the like.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately set target points such as a trajectory, a magic hand arm, and a traction beam in various games.

  An image generation method according to another aspect of the present invention is executed by an image generation apparatus having a storage unit and an image generation unit, includes an image generation step, and is configured as follows.

  That is, the storage unit stores a plurality of objects arranged in the virtual space.

  On the other hand, in the image generation step, the image generation unit generates an image obtained by viewing the plurality of objects from the viewpoint in the virtual space.

  Further, the plurality of objects include an emission object that travels from an emission point at a position different from the viewpoint to a target point at a position different from the viewpoint and the emission point.

  Then, in the image generation step, regardless of the distance between the emission object and the viewpoint in the virtual space, the emission object is regarded as being closer to the viewpoint than any other object, and the image is generated. .

  A program according to another aspect of the present invention is configured to cause a computer to function as the above-described image generation device and to cause the computer to execute the above-described image generation method.

  The program of the present invention can be recorded on a computer-readable information storage medium such as a compact disk, flexible disk, hard disk, magneto-optical disk, digital video disk, magnetic tape, and semiconductor memory.

  The above program can be distributed and sold via a computer communication network independently of the computer on which the program is executed. The information storage medium can be distributed and sold independently from the computer.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image generation apparatus, an image generation method, and a program for realizing these on a computer, which are suitable for generating an image that presents an injection object emitted from a position different from the viewpoint without a sense of incongruity. can do.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In the following, for ease of understanding, an embodiment in which the present invention is realized using a game information processing device will be described. However, the embodiment described below is for explanation, and the present invention is described. It does not limit the range. Therefore, those skilled in the art can employ embodiments in which each or all of these elements are replaced with equivalent ones, and these embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a typical information processing apparatus that performs functions of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention by executing a program. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIG.

  The information processing apparatus 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, an interface 104, a controller 105, an external memory 106, an image processing unit 107, and a DVD-ROM. (Digital Versatile Disc ROM) drive 108, NIC (Network Interface Card) 109, audio processing unit 110, and microphone 111.

  When a DVD-ROM storing a game program and data is loaded into the DVD-ROM drive 108 and the information processing apparatus 100 is turned on, the program is executed and the apparatus according to the present embodiment is realized. The

  The CPU 101 controls the overall operation of the information processing apparatus 100 and is connected to each component to exchange control signals and data. Further, the CPU 101 uses arithmetic operations such as addition / subtraction / multiplication / division, logical sum, logical product, etc. using an ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) (not shown) for a storage area called a register (not shown) that can be accessed at high speed. , Logic operations such as logical negation, bit operations such as bit sum, bit product, bit inversion, bit shift, and bit rotation can be performed. In addition, the CPU 101 itself is configured so that saturation operations such as addition / subtraction / multiplication / division for multimedia processing, vector operations such as trigonometric functions, etc. can be performed at a high speed, and those provided with a coprocessor. There is.

  The ROM 102 records an IPL (Initial Program Loader) that is executed immediately after the power is turned on, and when this is executed, the program recorded on the DVD-ROM is read out to the RAM 103 and execution by the CPU 101 is started. The The ROM 102 stores an operating system program and various data necessary for operation control of the entire information processing apparatus 100.

  The RAM 103 is for temporarily storing data and programs, and holds programs and data read from the DVD-ROM and other data necessary for game progress and chat communication. Further, the CPU 101 provides a variable area in the RAM 103 and performs an operation by directly operating the ALU on the value stored in the variable, or temporarily stores the value stored in the RAM 103 in the register. Perform operations such as performing operations on registers and writing back the operation results to memory.

  The controller 105 connected via the interface 104 receives an operation input performed when the user executes the game. Details of the controller 105 will be described later.

  The external memory 106 detachably connected via the interface 104 stores data indicating game play status (past results, etc.), data indicating game progress, and log of chat communication in the case of a network match ( Data) is stored in a rewritable manner. The user can record these data in the external memory 106 as appropriate by inputting an instruction via the controller 105.

  A DVD-ROM mounted on the DVD-ROM drive 108 stores a program for realizing the game and image data and audio data associated with the game. Under the control of the CPU 101, the DVD-ROM drive 108 performs a reading process on the DVD-ROM loaded therein, reads out necessary programs and data, and these are temporarily stored in the RAM 103 or the like.

  The image processing unit 107 processes the data read from the DVD-ROM by an image arithmetic processor (not shown) included in the CPU 101 or the image processing unit 107, and then processes the processed data on a frame memory ( (Not shown). The image information recorded in the frame memory is converted into a video signal at a predetermined synchronization timing and output to a monitor (not shown) connected to the image processing unit 107. Thereby, various image displays are possible.

  The image calculation processor can execute a two-dimensional image overlay calculation, a transmission calculation such as α blending, and various saturation calculations at high speed.

  In addition, when the virtual space is configured in three dimensions, polygon information that is arranged in the three-dimensional space and to which various texture information is added is rendered by the Z buffer method, and a predetermined viewpoint position is used. It is also possible to perform a high-speed execution of a calculation that obtains a rendering image obtained by looking down at a polygon arranged in the virtual space in the direction of a predetermined line of sight.

  Further, the CPU 101 and the image arithmetic processor operate in a coordinated manner, so that a character string can be drawn as a two-dimensional image in a frame memory or drawn on the surface of each polygon according to font information that defines the character shape. is there.

  The NIC 109 is used to connect the information processing apparatus 100 to a computer communication network (not shown) such as the Internet, and is based on the 10BASE-T / 100BASE-T standard used when configuring a LAN (Local Area Network). To connect to the Internet using an analog modem, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) modem, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) modem, cable television line A cable modem or the like, and an interface (not shown) that mediates between them and the CPU 101 are configured.

  The audio processing unit 110 converts audio data read from the DVD-ROM into an analog audio signal and outputs the analog audio signal from a speaker (not shown) connected thereto. Further, under the control of the CPU 101, sound effects and music data to be generated during the progress of the game are generated, and sound corresponding to this is output from the speaker.

  When the audio data recorded on the DVD-ROM is MIDI data, the audio processing unit 110 refers to the sound source data included in the audio data and converts the MIDI data into PCM data. If the compressed audio data is in ADPCM format or Ogg Vorbis format, it is expanded and converted to PCM data. The PCM data can be output by performing D / A (Digital / Analog) conversion at a timing corresponding to the sampling frequency and outputting it to a speaker.

  Furthermore, a microphone 111 can be connected to the information processing apparatus 100 via the interface 104. In this case, the analog signal from the microphone 111 is subjected to A / D conversion at an appropriate sampling frequency so that processing such as mixing in the sound processing unit 110 can be performed as a PCM format digital signal.

  In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 uses a large-capacity external storage device such as a hard disk so as to perform the same function as the ROM 102, the RAM 103, the external memory 106, the DVD-ROM mounted on the DVD-ROM drive 108, and the like. You may comprise.

  The information processing apparatus 100 described above corresponds to a so-called “consumer video game apparatus”, but the present invention can be realized as long as it performs image processing to display a virtual space. Therefore, the present invention can be realized on various computers such as a mobile phone, a portable game device, a karaoke apparatus, and a general business computer.

  For example, a general computer, like the information processing apparatus 100, includes an image processing unit that includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, DVD-ROM drive, and NIC and has simpler functions than the information processing apparatus 100. In addition to having a hard disk as an external storage device, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a magnetic tape, and the like can be used. Further, not the controller 105 but a keyboard or a mouse is used as an input device.

  In the present embodiment, a controller 105 that can measure various parameters such as a position and posture in an actual space is employed.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the external appearance of the controller 105 and the information processing apparatus 100 that can measure various parameters such as position and posture in the actual space. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIG.

  The controller 105 includes a combination of the grip module 201 and the light emitting module 251, and the grip module 201 is connected to the information processing apparatus 100 through wireless communication so that the light emitting module 251 is wired. Is communicably connected. The sound and image of the processing result of the information processing apparatus 100 are output and displayed by the television apparatus 291.

  The grip module 201 has an appearance similar to the remote controller of the television device 291, and a CCD camera 202 is disposed at the tip thereof.

  On the other hand, the light emitting module 251 is fixed to the upper part of the television device 291. Light emitting diodes 252 are disposed at both ends of the light emitting module 251, and emits light when power is supplied from the information processing apparatus 100.

  The CCD camera 202 of the grip module 201 takes a picture of the light emitting module 251.

  Information on the captured image is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 100, and the information processing apparatus 100 determines the position of the grip module 201 with respect to the light emitting module 251 based on the position at which the light emitting diode 252 is captured in the captured image. To get.

  In addition, an acceleration sensor, an angular acceleration sensor, an inclination sensor, and the like are built in the grip module 201, and the posture of the grip module 201 itself can be measured. This measurement result is also transmitted to the information processing apparatus 100.

  A cross-shaped key 203 is arranged on the upper surface of the grip module 201, and the player can input various directions by pressing the cross-shaped key 203. In addition to the A button 204, various buttons 206 are also arranged on the upper surface, and an instruction input associated with the button can be performed.

  On the other hand, the B button 205 is disposed on the lower surface of the grip module 201 and, in combination with the depression formed on the lower surface of the grip module 201, simulates a trigger in a handgun or a magic hand. Typically, the B button 205 is used to input an instruction for firing with a handgun or holding with a magic hand in a virtual space.

  Further, the indicator 207 on the upper surface of the grip module 201 presents to the player the operation status of the grip module 201 and the status of wireless communication with the information processing apparatus 100.

  A power button 208 prepared on the upper surface of the grip module 201 turns on / off the grip module 201 itself, and the grip module 201 is operated by a built-in battery (not shown).

  In addition, a vibrator (not shown) is prepared inside the grip module 201 so that the presence or absence and strength of vibration can be controlled based on an instruction from the information processing apparatus 100. .

  The following description is based on the assumption that the controller 105 that is a combination of the grip module 201 and the light emitting module 251 is used to measure the position and orientation of the controller 105 in the real world. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described form, and even when the position and orientation of the controller 105 in the real world are measured using, for example, ultrasonic waves, infrared communication, GPS (Global Positioning System), or the like. Included in the range.

(Outline of the game)
Below, the outline | summary of the game to which this invention is applied is demonstrated. In this game, one object is to move an object placed in the virtual space from one place to another place held by the magic hand. In this game, the character holds the handle of the magic hand in response to the player holding the controller.

  Here, the magic hand has a rod-shaped “arm” that extends over a wider area than the reach of human hands, and “sucks” an object with the “hand” placed at the end of the “arm”. It means something that can be transported or stopped. Therefore, the magic hand can be considered to have a trimochi attached to the tip of the heel so that a distant object can be acquired by the trimochi. Hereinafter, in order to facilitate understanding, a state in which an object is being carried by a magic hand will be referred to as “a magic hand is grasping an object” in accordance with daily text expressions.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the correspondence between the virtual space and the real world in such a game. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIG.

  In the virtual space 301, a magic hand 302 and an object 303 to be grasped by this are arranged. The magic hand 302 includes a handle 304 and a traction beam, and the traction beam occupies most of the entire length of the magic hand 302. The “traction beam” is used as a setting in comics and animations, and means that the object can be grabbed by the tip of the tow beam and pulled.

  The tow beam of the magic hand 302 in this game has a rod shape. And when this tow beam does not hold any object, the exit port at one end of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 until it collides with any object (including objects of various obstacles such as walls). It extends in a straight line. Accordingly, the direction in which the magic hand 302 emits the traction beam is determined by the posture of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302.

  Here, when the player in the real world changes the position / posture of the grip module 201, the position / posture of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 also changes accordingly. Therefore, in this game, the position and posture of the grip module 201 are measured with the grip module 201 as the measurement target, the pattern 304 of the magic hand 302 is the target of the instruction, and the instruction “change in posture of the grip module 201” is given. Based on this, the position and posture of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 are changed in the virtual space 301.

  The player fixes the grip module 201 at a position where it is most easily gripped at the start of the game. Then, in response to this, the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 is arranged at a position relatively determined with respect to the viewpoint 305 and the line of sight 306 arranged in the virtual space 301 with the most natural posture.

  At this time, in the real world, the grip module 201 is arranged at the “reference position” with respect to the player. In the virtual world 301, the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 is “reference” with respect to the viewpoint 305 and the line of sight 306. "Position".

  This “reference position” is determined relative to the viewpoint 305 and the line of sight 306 in the virtual space. This is because the position where the player holds the grip module 201 in the most natural posture is determined. It corresponds to being determined relative to the position.

  The viewpoint 305 and the line of sight 306 in the virtual space 301 are the eyes of the character in the virtual space (also referred to as the subjective viewpoint) operated (played) by the player, and the eyes looking at the character from behind (both the objective viewpoint and the background spirit viewpoint). This eye corresponds to the eye of the player. Therefore, the reference position of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 is typically lower right or lower left than the viewpoint 305 depending on the dominant hand of the player.

  When proceeding from the viewpoint 305 in the direction of the line of sight 306, the virtual projection plane 307 is orthogonal to the line of sight 306. The state of the virtual space 301 is presented to the player by an image obtained by perspectively projecting the object 303 to be displayed on the screen and the tow beam of the magic hand 302 onto the projection plane 307.

  As a perspective projection method, a single point concentrated projection using a point where a straight line connecting the viewpoint 305 and the object 303 etc. intersects the projection plane 307 is typical, but the viewpoint 305 is arranged at infinity and the object 303 is arranged. Parallel projection using a point that passes through the line 306 and intersects the projection plane 307 with a straight line parallel to the line of sight 306 may be employed.

  As described above, since the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 is disposed at the lower right (lower left) of the viewpoint, in a normal situation, the pattern 304 is perspectively projected outside the range displayed on the screen of the projection surface 307. The Therefore, the pattern 304 of the magic hand 302 is generally not displayed on the screen.

  When the player changes the position or posture of the grip module 201 from the reference position in the real world, the information processing apparatus 100 refers to the measurement result and determines the position and posture of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 as the reference. Move from the position by a corresponding amount (typically the same amount as in the real world).

  Accordingly, the relative position and posture of the handle 304 with respect to the viewpoint 305 and the line of sight 306 are linked to changes in the position and posture of the grip module 201. The player uses the grip module 201 as an operation target, and changes the position and posture of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 that is an instruction target.

  The player changes the position and posture of the grip module 201 and operates the traction beam extending from the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 to collide with a desired object 303. Then, the B button 205 of the grip module 201 is pressed. Then, the tip of the magic hand 302 grasps the object 303.

  As described above, the tow beam of the magic hand 302 is directed from the injection point at one end of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 with the position of the grasped object 303 as a target point. Accordingly, the target position to which the tow beam should go is set by pressing the B button 205, which corresponds to a state in which a trigger is pulled in the shooting game. In the present embodiment, when the B button 205 is not pressed, the position of the object 303 that the tow beam of the magic hand 302 collides for the first time is set as the target position of the tow beam.

Thereafter, a motion simulation for the object 303 is started. The external force applied to the object 303 is as follows.
(1) Gravity in virtual space. Typically down.
(2) A linear force that connects the handle 304 (or the viewpoint 305) of the magic hand 302 and the object 303 in the virtual space. It corresponds to so-called traction and repulsion. This corresponds to the force of approaching the player and the force of moving away from the player on the screen display, and is determined by the distance between the object 303 and the handle 304 (or the viewpoint 305) of the magic hand 302, that is, the expansion and contraction of the magic hand 302.
(3) A force in a direction orthogonal to a straight line connecting the handle 304 (or viewpoint 305) of the magic hand 302 and the object 303 in the virtual space. On the screen display, this corresponds to a force directed upward, downward, leftward, and rightward, and is determined by the direction in which the magic hand 302 is bent and its size.
(4) A force applied in the direction opposite to the moving direction while the object 303 is moving. It corresponds to the so-called dynamic friction force.
(5) A force applied by the same magnitude in the opposite direction to the external force while the object 303 is stationary. This corresponds to a so-called static friction force.

  Here, the expansion and contraction and bending of the magic hand 302 will be described in more detail. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 and the object 303 and the direction of the force.

  As shown in the figure, the magic hand 302 holding the object 303 expands and contracts or bends when the player changes the position or posture of the handle 304. On the other hand, as described above, when the traction beam of the magic hand 302 is not grasping anything, the traction beam goes straight from the injection port provided at one end of the handle 304.

  Therefore, in the following, the direction 311 of the posture of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 is defined as “from the injection port provided at one end of the handle 304 when it is assumed that the tow beam of the magic hand 302 is not grasping anything. It is defined as “straight direction”.

  In general, when the tow beam of the magic hand 302 is gripping the object 303, the tow beam is deflected by the weight of the object 303. Therefore, the orientation direction 311 of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 and the handle 304 toward the object 303 are directed. There is a deviation from the direction.

  Therefore, the traction beam is fired so as to be in contact with the direction 311 of the posture of the handle 304, and then smoothly bends to draw a curve that reaches the object 303. As such a curve, various curves such as a spline curve obtained by spline interpolation and an arc can be used. At this time, the direction of the traction beam in the object 303 can be easily calculated as a so-called open end.

  Considering the distance between the pattern 304 (or the viewpoint 305) and the object 303 at the moment when the magic hand 302 starts grasping the object 303 as the natural length of the magic hand 302, the natural length and the pattern 304 in the current virtual space. If the distance between the object 303 and the object 303 is compared, a traction force (repulsive force) 411 corresponding to a spring can be simulated. That is, if a traction force (a repulsive force having an absolute value when the sign is negative) 411 is obtained by multiplying a value obtained by subtracting the natural length from the distance, a predetermined integer constant, it is simple. Simulation can be performed.

  On the other hand, the force 412 for moving the object 303 up, down, left and right includes the posture of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 (the direction in which the tow beam extends when the object 303 is not held) and the handle 304 (or the viewpoint). 305) to the object 303.

  That is, the direction of the up / down / left / right force 412 is the direction of the vector 323 obtained by subtracting the direction vector 322 in the direction from the handle 304 (or the viewpoint 305) to the object 303 from the direction vector 321 in the orientation direction 311 of the handle 304. The magnitude is proportional to the vector 323.

  When considering the actual physical phenomenon, if the vertical and horizontal force 412 is further proportional to the distance between the handle 304 (or the viewpoint 305) and the object 303, a simple simulation can be performed. Can do.

  If the external force applied to the object 303 can be calculated because it is held by the magic hand 302 in this way, the gravity, static friction force, and dynamic friction force are calculated in the same manner as in a normal physical simulation. , The acceleration applied to the object 303 can be calculated, whereby the position of the object 303 can be updated. As a result, the object 303 is moved.

  When the object 303 moves to a desired position, the finger 303 is released to release the pressing operation of the B button 205. As a result, the magic hand 302 stops gripping the object 303, and the tow beam extends in the direction 311 of the posture of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 as before.

(Magic hand handle posture)
Now, the shape of the pulling beam of the magic hand 302 is semi-linear when the object 303 is not grasped and shows the direction 311 of the posture of the handle 304. Other methods for presenting the orientation direction 311 of the handle 304 to the player are required. Therefore, a cursor (indicating indicator) is used.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a cursor (indicating sign), a magic hand, and an object are displayed on the screen. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIG.

  In this figure, the state in which the magic hand 302 is holding the object 303 is shown. In the screen 501, the direction 311 of the handle 304 does not coincide with the direction of the traction beam. That is, the cursor 308 is displayed on a straight line indicating the direction 311 of the handle 304, but this is not on the traction beam of the magic hand 302.

  Since the image displayed on the screen 501 shows the shape of the object projected onto the projection plane 307, the position of the cursor 308 in the projection plane 307 extends from the pattern 304 to the posture direction 311 of the pattern 304. The position of the point where the half line intersects the projection plane 307 may be used. As a result, the player can appropriately understand the direction of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 only by looking at the screen.

  When the magic hand 302 is holding the object 303, the direction 311 of the handle 304 coincides with the direction of the traction beam. The cursor 308 will be displayed on the tow beam of the magic hand 302. Such a display example will be described later (FIG. 8B).

  In the embodiment in which the cursor 308 is displayed, the following modifications can be applied to the operation method of the magic hand 302. That is, while the B button 205 is not pressed, the tow beam of the magic hand 302 is not emitted, and the display position of the cursor 308 in the screen 501 changes when the position or posture of the handle 304 changes.

  The display position of the cursor 308 employs a position where the orientation direction 311 of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 intersects with the projection plane 307. In this embodiment, “the orientation direction 311 of the orientation of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 is A position where a straight line passing through the position of the surface of another object 303 that collides for the first time and the start point 305 intersects the projection plane 307 may be adopted. In the latter case, it is possible to obtain an operational feeling as if an object in the room is pointed with a laser pointer.

  When the B button 205 is pressed, a traction beam is emitted from the exit of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302, and if the object 303 that the traction beam collides for the first time is movable, it is adsorbed. When the display position of the cursor 308 adopts an aspect in which an object is pointed by a laser pointer, the object 303 displayed by overlapping the cursor 308 becomes the object 303 to be picked up, which is easy for the player to understand. The movement of the attracted object 303 is the same as described above.

  In addition, the operation of continuing to press the B button 205 may be troublesome for the player. In such a case, when the B button 205 is pressed and released, the traction beam is launched and suction is performed, and when the object 303 is moved to a desired position, the B button 205 is pressed again. It is also possible to adopt a form in which the tow beam of the magic hand 302 is erased and the object 303 is released.

  In the above embodiment, “start of instruction input reception” corresponds to “start of pressing operation of B button 205”, and “end of reception of instruction input” corresponds to “end of pressing operation of B button 205”, respectively. However, in this mode, “start of instruction input reception” is “operation to press and release the B button 205 when the traction beam is not emitted”, “end reception of instruction input” is “ This corresponds to the operation of pressing and releasing the B button 205 in the ejected state.

  Which operation system is adopted can be appropriately changed depending on the proficiency level of the player and the type of game. In addition, the assignment of a button for issuing an instruction input or the like can be appropriately changed according to the application, such as using the A button 204 instead of the B button 205.

(Moving the position of the viewpoint)
In the above description, the position of the viewpoint 305 has not changed, but the object 303 cannot be moved to a desired position simply by changing the position of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 relative to the viewpoint 305. There is a case. In such a case, in order to move the viewpoint 305 itself in the virtual space, there may be a method of using the cross key 203. However, in this game, a more intuitive movement method is adopted for the player.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the relationship between the position of the handle 304 of the magic hand and the direction of movement of the viewpoint 305. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIG.

  At the start of the game, a reference position 313 of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 is determined relative to the viewpoint 305 and line of sight 306 in the virtual space 301.

  Thereafter, when the player changes the position of the grip module 201, the position of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 also changes.

  Therefore, the viewpoint is moved in the direction of a vector 314 obtained by subtracting the position vector of the reference position 313 from the position vector of the current pattern 304 position.

  For this reason, the vector 314 (or a vector obtained by multiplying this by a constant) is regarded as a speed vector of the moving speed of the viewpoint 305, and the viewpoint 305 is moved by an amount obtained by multiplying the predetermined unit time by the speed vector. Is the simplest.

  In addition, assuming a predetermined plane in the virtual space 301 (typically, although it is equivalent to “the ground” in the virtual space 301, but is not limited to this), the vector 314 (or the like) Processing may be performed by regarding the component in the predetermined plane direction of the vector multiplied by a constant as the velocity vector of the moving speed.

  In addition, the movement of the viewpoint 305 itself is considered as an external force vector applied to the character including the viewpoint 305 or an acceleration vector (in these cases, it is typical to consider only a component parallel to the ground). Can also be simulated.

  When a player watching the television apparatus 291 moves the grip module 201 backward (in the direction of the back), the character having the viewpoint 305 in the virtual space 301 moves backward. Therefore, the magic hand 302 that holds the object 303 extends somewhat. In general, an attractive force toward the character having the viewpoint 305 is applied to the object 303, and the object 303 also moves from the back of the screen toward the front. Will move.

  When the player moves the grip module 201 forward (to approach the television device 291), the character having the viewpoint 305 in the virtual space 301 moves forward. Then, the magic hand 302 holding the object 303 is somewhat shrunk. In general, a repulsive force is applied to the object 303 to move away from the character having the viewpoint 305, and the object 303 is also moved from the front of the screen. It will go to the back.

  However, it is not always necessary to assume the traction force / repulsive force due to the expansion / contraction between the handle 304 between the object 303 and the magic hand 302, and an instruction input for changing the length of the magic hand 302 itself is given by the A button. 204 or various buttons 206 may be used.

According to the above form
(1) Move the character having the viewpoint 305 back and forth in the virtual space 301. (2) In the virtual space 301, the relative position of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 with respect to the viewpoint 305 and the line of sight 306 Changing the posture (3) In the virtual space 301, the object 303 can be grasped and released by the tip of the flexible magic hand 302 extending from the handle 304. With these functions, the object 303 can be moved from a position in the virtual space 301 to another position.

  In the following, according to the principle of the present invention, new functions to be added to these functions will be described in order.

(Gaze direction control)
In the above form, the player often wants to change the direction of the character, that is, the direction of the line of sight 306. In the above embodiment, since the character can be moved back and forth simply by moving the grip module 201 back and forth in the real space, the cross key 203 or the like can be used with the same simple operation. I want to be able to change the gaze direction. Hereinafter, such a technique will be described in detail.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the posture of the pattern 304 is displayed on the screen 501 by the cursor 308. The cursor 308 can easily change the position displayed on the screen 501 only by the player changing the posture of the grip module 201. Therefore, in the present technology, the direction of the character, that is, the direction of the line of sight 306 is changed based on the position where the cursor 308 is displayed in the screen 501.

Here, returning to FIG. 5, the screen 501 is divided into five regions: an upper edge portion 511, a right edge portion 512, a left edge portion 513, a lower edge portion 514, and a central portion 515. The player gives an instruction to move in the direction of the line of sight 306 by changing the posture of the grip module 201 as follows.
(A) When it is desired to move the line of sight 306 upward, the posture of the grip module 201 is changed so that the cursor 308 is displayed on the upper edge 511,
(B) When it is desired to move the line of sight 306 to the right, the posture of the grip module 201 is changed so that the cursor 308 is displayed on the right edge 512,
(C) When it is desired to move the line of sight 306 to the left, the posture of the grip module 201 is changed so that the cursor 308 is displayed on the left edge 513,
(D) When moving the line of sight 306 downward, change the posture of the grip module 201 so that the cursor 308 is displayed on the lower edge 514,
(E) When the direction of the line of sight 306 becomes a desired direction, the posture of the grip module 201 is changed so that the cursor 308 is displayed on the central portion 515.

  That is, while the indication mark (cursor 308) is displayed in a predetermined display area (upper edge 511, right edge 512, left edge 513, lower edge 514) in the screen 501, the display area When the direction of the line of sight 306 is moved in the upper right and lower left directions associated with each of the directions, the indication mark (cursor 308) is displayed in an area (central part 515) other than a predetermined display area in the screen 501. The movement in the direction of the line of sight 306 is stopped.

  The information processing apparatus identifies in which area in the screen 501 the position of the cursor 308 is included at every unit time (for example, every vertical synchronization interrupt cycle). If necessary, the direction of the line of sight 306 is changed to the movement amount and direction assigned to the area.

  As a result, the direction of the line of sight 306 is changed. Thereafter, the direction of the posture 311 of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 in the virtual space is changed so that the display position of the cursor 308 in the screen 501 does not change. It is desirable to update.

  FIGS. 7A and 7B are explanatory views sequentially showing the state of moving the direction of the line of sight 306 to the right as seen from the upper side of the virtual space 301. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIG.

That is,
(1) First, before changing the direction of the line of sight 306, the position and posture of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 relative to the viewpoint 305 and the line of sight 306 are acquired (this figure (a)).
(2) After changing the direction of the line of sight 306 around the viewpoint 305 and changing the direction of the character (this figure (b)),
(3) The position and posture of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 with respect to the changed viewpoint 305 and line of sight 306 are updated to the position and posture previously acquired in (1) ((c) in this figure). Therefore, the position and posture of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 change with respect to the virtual space 301.

  By such processing, the position and posture of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 with respect to the viewpoint 305 and the line of sight 306 are maintained at the same value before and after the movement in the direction of the line of sight 306.

  For example, when the player wants to turn the character to the right, the posture of the grip module 201 is changed so that the cursor 308 moves to the right edge 512.

  Then, when the direction of the line of sight 306 starts to move to the right, if the posture of the grip module 201 is fixed as it is, the direction of the character (the direction of the line of sight 306) is updated, and even if the direction gradually changes to the right, The position where the cursor 308 is displayed in the screen 501 does not change.

  Finally, when the character orientation (the direction of the line of sight 306) reaches a desired orientation, the posture of the grip module 201 may be changed so that the cursor 308 is returned to the central portion 515 of the screen 501. Such an extremely intuitive operation makes it possible to easily change the direction of the character.

  The width of each of the upper edge portion 511, the right edge portion 512, the left edge portion 513, and the lower edge portion 514 and the amount of movement per unit time in the direction of the line of sight 306 per unit time depend on the application field and the proficiency level of the player. It can be changed as appropriate. Further, the amount of movement per unit time may be small near the center 515 and larger as the distance from the edge of the screen 501 is approached.

  Further, when the player (the direction of the line of sight 306) faces upward or downward, an appropriate upper limit or lower limit is provided, and when the limit is reached, the direction of the line of sight 306 may not be changed any more. Various restrictions can also be imposed, for example, only the right and left can be changed.

  In addition, as a method of dividing the edge of the screen 501, in addition to this, area division that extends in a fan shape from the center of the screen 501 is performed, and each area is assigned a movement amount per unit time in the direction viewed from the center of the screen. It may be possible to move in an oblique direction.

(Switching object gripping action)
In the above description, when the player presses the B button 205 and the magic hand 302 grips the object 303, the grip state is maintained until the B button 205 is released, but the magic hand 302 is considered to be a tow beam. When the beam is blocked by some other obstacle, it may be more natural that the tow beam is interrupted and the state of grasping the object 303 is naturally released.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the object 303, the magic hand 302, and the obstacle.

  In this figure (a), there is no obstacle 309 between the object 303 and the handle 304 of the magic hand 302. Therefore, on the screen 501, the tow beam of the magic hand 302 is drawn between the two.

  On the other hand, in this drawing (b), an obstacle 309 exists between the object 303 and the handle 304 of the magic hand 302. In the game setting as described above, it is determined whether or not the object in the virtual space expressing the tow beam of the magic hand 302 intersects with another object.

  As a result, when it is determined that the object that intersects closest to the handle 304 is not the grasped object 303 but the obstacle 309, it is assumed that the tow beam is blocked by the obstacle, Is released.

  In the screen 501 shown in FIG. 4B, the object 303 is dropped because the tow beam of the magic hand 302 is blocked by the obstacle 309 and the gripped state is released. In addition, the traction beam is not bent and is straight.

  On the other hand, when a player tries to grasp an object in a virtual space, it is often natural to consider the field of view as a reference. That is, the tow beam is regarded as a kind of “shooting”.

  In this case, the fact that the tow beam of the magic hand 302 is “hit” (gripped) on the object 303 is the projection plane 307 when the virtual space 301 is viewed in the direction from the viewpoint 305 to the line of sight 306. If you are hit in the state of the object projected onto the object), even if the tow beam is obstructed by another obstacle object, it is more natural for the player to maintain the grip state In some cases.

  In such a case, it is necessary to devise the order of projecting the tow beam of the magic hand 302 and other objects onto the projection plane 307 and the process of determining the crossing between objects.

  That is, when the objects in the virtual space 301 are projected onto the projection plane 307, the objects are sorted according to the distance from the viewpoint 305, and projected onto the projection plane 307 in order from the object far from the viewpoint 305. This expresses a situation in which a nearby object hides a distant object. This method is called a Z buffer method and is widely used.

  The Z buffer can also be used when determining whether or not objects cross each other. This is because the objects crossing each other are considered to have the same distance from the viewpoint 305, and the order in the Z buffer after sorting is close.

  When the Z buffer method is used more strictly, each of the polygons constituting the object is considered as an “object”, the polygons of all objects are sorted based on the distance between the viewpoint 305 and the polygon, and the polygon far from the viewpoint 305 Are sequentially projected onto the projection plane 307, and the texture assigned to the polygon is pasted. Also, if the polygons that make up the object are made finer, the cross relationship between the objects can be approximated simply by drawing a state in which the polygons are concealed.

  Therefore, with respect to the pulling beam of the magic hand 302 when the object 303 is grasped, the distance from the viewpoint 305 is not the distance itself in the virtual space 301 but is virtually “a distance closer to the viewpoint 305 than any object. Will be adopted.

  In this way, when projecting the state of the object onto the projection plane 307, the tow beam of the magic hand 302 is drawn last, and the tow beam of the magic hand 302 does not collide with any obstacle. Become. The detailed technique of such a Z buffer method will be described later.

  The state of the image thus generated on the projection plane 307 is shown on a screen 501 in FIG. In this figure (c), as in this figure (b), there is an obstacle 309 between the handle 304 and the object 303 of the magic hand 302. While the object is changed like a “picture” and the object 303 is grasped (and the object 303 is directly visible from the viewpoint 305 and the line of sight 306 does not collide with the obstacle 309 halfway), the tow beam of the magic hand 302 is maintained. It is.

  Even in a general shooting game, the position of a handgun or a light gun is often moved from the center of the screen to the lower right or lower left in order to display the trajectory easily. On the other hand, aiming and hit determination of shooting games are considered based on the viewpoint and line of sight. The grip module 201 can also be applied to such a shooting game. In this case, the B button 205 is assigned to a trigger, and a bullet or a light beam is fired each time the B button 205 is pressed.

  In such a shooting game, it is often determined that the player is hit when the aim is over the target. The fact that the aim is overlapping the target also means that there are no obstacles between the target and the viewpoint. Nevertheless, it is unnatural from the viewpoint of the player that the trajectory of the bullet beam is blocked by other obstacles.

  However, the position of the handgun or the like is not arranged at the viewpoint position as described above. Therefore, the path connecting the handgun or the like and the target may collide with another object even though it is hit.

  Although the virtual space of the game is a simulation of the real world, it is better to prioritize the player's intuition than the strict cross-over relationship or the hidden relationship between objects, so that the enjoyment of the game is not impaired. In many cases, the player can be immersed in the virtual space.

  Therefore, in order to prevent such collisions, the bullets and light rays that move along the trajectory are the objects closest to the viewpoint, and the screen display is devised so that collisions with objects other than the target object do not occur. Thus, the degree of immersion of the player is improved.

  In addition, as described above, such a fraudulent picture processing includes not only a tow beam expression of the magic hand 302 but also a shooting game using a handgun, a light gun, a bow and arrow, a throwing game for throwing a ball or a stone, and the like. Can be applied to games. In this case, the shape of the tow beam corresponds to the path of the bullet, the arrow, the ball, the stone, and the shape of the emitted light beam.

  Therefore, it is not always necessary to have elasticity like a tow beam, and when performing a ballistic calculation or ray shape calculation according to the game world and performing graphics display, the hidden relationship between objects or When determining the crossover relationship, it is only necessary to change the sorting procedure so that an object such as a bullet is located closest to the viewpoint in the Z buffer, and project and draw the object.

  Note that when such a tricky pictorial expression is adopted in a shooting game or the like, an instruction input corresponding to triggering a handgun or the like is accepted by pressing the B button 205 of the grip module 201. In addition, the aim is that the line of sight 306 is aligned with the object that first intersects in the virtual space 301. Therefore, when an instruction input by the B button 205 is accepted, a position where an object where the line of sight 306 intersects for the first time is a target point.

(Presentation of perspective with objects)
In the aspect as described above, even when the virtual space 301 of the game is displayed on the screen 501, the three-dimensional world is displayed on the two-dimensional screen 501, and thus the sense of distance in the depth direction is transmitted to the player. Things remain difficult. In particular, when the object 303 is held by the magic hand 302, information on whether the object 303 is approaching or moving away is extremely important for the player. Therefore, a technique for presenting such information to the player by performing various devices on the display is required.

  First, in order to determine whether the grasped object 303 is approaching or moving away, either the velocity vector or acceleration vector of the object is used. In the following, it is assumed that a velocity vector is used.

  Then, the component of the velocity vector of the object 303 from the object 303 toward the magic hand pattern 304 (or the viewpoint 305) is calculated.

  If this component is negative, the object 303 is moving away, and if it is positive, the object 303 is moving closer.

  When the velocity vector is adopted, a change in the distance between the pattern 304 (or the viewpoint 305) and the object 303 is immediately reflected in the above-described determination criterion. However, when the acceleration vector is adopted, the future prediction of what will happen from now on. Judgment. Therefore, an appropriate method may be selected as appropriate according to the content of the game.

  The simplest method for providing this information to the player based on the determination of whether the player is approaching or moving away is to express it in color. For example, the tow beam of the magic hand 302 is displayed in blue when approaching, and the tow beam of the magic hand 302 is displayed in red when moving away.

  In addition, there may be a method of keeping the pattern on the tow beam. FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a state in which a pattern is given to the pulling beam of the magic hand 302.

  In this figure (a), a stripe pattern is drawn on the pulling beam. When the object is approaching, the striped pattern moves in the direction from the object 303 to the handle 304, and when the object is moving away, it moves in the opposite direction.

  In this figure (b), the tow beam has a change in thickness, and the thick part moves forward or back depending on whether the object approaches or moves away, like a snake grabbing an egg. It is something to do.

  This figure (c) arrange | positions a sphere in a semi-transparent traction beam like a cocoon egg, and this sphere moves inside the traction beam.

  By these methods, the behavior of the object 303 that may be difficult to grasp by the display on the two-dimensional screen 501 can be appropriately transmitted to the player.

(Processing procedure)
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the game apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a control flow of processing executed by the game apparatus. Hereinafter, description will be given with reference to these drawings.

  The game device 901 includes a storage unit 902, a measurement unit 903, a change unit 904, a movement unit 905, an update unit 906, an image generation unit 907, a display unit 908, and an input reception unit 909. The game device 901 also functions as an image generation device in the sense of generating an image to be presented to the player.

  The storage unit 902 stores information such as positions and postures of various objects arranged in the virtual space 301, and is realized by the RAM 103 or the like. The CPU 101 appropriately initializes these pieces of information when the game is started (step S951).

  On the other hand, the measurement unit 903 and the input receiving unit 909 are realized by the controller 105 including the grip module 201 under the control of the CPU 101, and the position and posture of the grip module 201 in the real world, and the B button The pressing state 205 is acquired (step S952).

  Next, the changing unit 904 changes the position and posture of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 stored in the RAM 103 in accordance with the measured position and posture of the grip module 201 (step S953). Therefore, the CPU 101 functions as the changing unit 904 in cooperation with the RAM 103 and the like.

  Further, the CPU 101 determines whether the acquired pressed state of the B button 205 is a state in which the pressing is started, a state in which the pressing is completed, or the state is the same as the previous time (step S954), and the pressing starts. If so (step S954; grasping start), the RAM 103 is updated so as to grasp the object 303 existing in the orientation direction 311 of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 (step S955), and the process proceeds to step S957. On the other hand, if the pressing has ended (step S954; end of gripping), the RAM 103 is updated so that the object 303 existing in the orientation direction 311 of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 is released (step S956), and step S957. Proceed to If the state is the same as the previous time (step S954; same), the process proceeds directly to step S957.

  The image generation unit 907 acquires the position and orientation of each object with reference to the RAM 103 under the control of the CPU 101, and performs sorting using the Z buffer (step S957). At this time, as described above, if it is necessary to perform a fraudulent pictorial expression, the tow beam of the magic hand 302 is sorted in the Z buffer regardless of the distance from the viewpoint 305 in the virtual space 301. Sort as closest to the viewpoint 305.

  Then, the image generation unit 907 generates an image by projecting the object onto the projection plane 307 in “distant order” in the Z buffer (step S958).

  Further, the display unit 908 places the generated image in the frame buffer and outputs the screen 501 to the television device 291 (step S959).

  When an image is generated as described above (step S958), the position of the cursor 308 in the screen 501 is determined. Therefore, the CPU 101 that implements the moving unit 905 determines whether or not to change the direction of the line of sight 306 according to the position of the cursor 308 in the screen 501 in cooperation with the RAM 103 (step S960).

  When changing (step S960; Yes), first, the relative position and posture of the pattern 304 with respect to the current viewpoint 305 and line of sight 306 in the virtual space 301 are acquired (step S961), and then according to the position of the cursor 308. The direction of the line of sight 306 is changed by the changed amount (step S962), and the relative position and posture of the pattern 304 with respect to the changed viewpoint 305 and line of sight 306 are updated to those acquired in step S961. (Step S963), the process proceeds to step S965.

  On the other hand, when the direction of the line of sight 306 is not changed (step S960; No), the update unit 906 changes the position of the viewpoint 305 according to the measured displacement of the grip module 201 and the reference position (step S964). . Accordingly, the CPU 101 functions as the update unit 906 in cooperation with the RAM 103 and the like.

  When the updating of the positional relationship is completed, the calculation based on the physical simulation is performed to update the information stored in the RAM 103 (step S965), and after waiting for a predetermined time (step S966), the process returns to step S952.

  Note that the process of changing the direction of the line of sight 306 and the process of changing the position of the viewpoint 305 are performed exclusively in the control flow. This is to deal with a player with a low level of proficiency. Depending on the content of the game, the determination in step S960 may be omitted, and after step S963, the process may proceed to step S964.

  Hereinafter, the drawing of an object using the Z buffer in steps S957 to S958 will be described in more detail. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing details of the control flow of processing of the Z buffer method in the present embodiment. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIG.

As described above, each object arranged in the virtual space 301 is composed of a plurality of polygons and textures assigned to the polygons. The Z buffer is an array having a structure having the following elements as members.
(A) Polygon RAM 103 address, identification number, etc.
(B) The distance between the polygon and the viewpoint 305.

  Hereinafter, the i (i ≧ 0) -th element of this Z buffer is registered in the Z buffer as Z [i], and each member of the element is registered as Z [i] .p, Z [i] .d. The number of polygons is written as #Z.

  When this process is started, the Z buffer and counter variable i prepared in the RAM 103 are cleared (step S1001). As a result, # Z = 0 and i = 0.

  Next, the following processing is repeated for each of the objects arranged in the virtual space 301 (steps S1002 to S1011).

First, it is checked whether or not the type of the object currently being processed is a “spoofed picture object” (step S1003). As described above, there are the following two types of objects in the virtual space 301.
(A) A fraudulent picture object such as a tow beam of a magic hand 302, a bullet of a handgun in a shooting game, and a ray of a light gun. A fringe picture object is an object that connects or moves a path from one end of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 or an injection port of a handgun, a light gun, or the like to the target. Even if there is a collision with another object, it will be ignored. In an aspect such as the situation, the fraudulent picture object can be considered to correspond to an injection object emitted from an injection point such as one end of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302.
(B) An object that is not a fraudulent picture object.

  If it is a fraudulent picture object (step S1003; Yes), -1 is set to the flag variable f prepared in the RAM 103 (step S1004). Otherwise (step S1003; No), it is prepared in the RAM 103. The flag variable f is set to +1 (step S1005), and the process proceeds to step S1006.

  It should be noted that the “viewpoint” for generating an image for displaying the state of the virtual space 301 and the “viewpoint” for aiming are arranged at different locations, and the state of the virtual space 301 is displayed by two cameras. In this case, any “viewpoint” may be the viewpoint 305 in the present embodiment.

  Next, the following processing is repeated for each of the polygons constituting the object being processed (steps S1006 to S1010).

  First, the distance d between the polygon currently being processed and the viewpoint 305 is calculated (step S1007).

Next, for the i-th element of the Z buffer,
Z [i] .d ← f × d ；
Z [i] .p ← Substitution is made like the address of the polygon (step S1008), the value of i is incremented by 1 (step S1009), the polygon is registered in the Z buffer, and the polygons constituting the object are Until all the processes are completed, the process returns to step S1006 and is repeated (step S1010).

  As a result of such processing, the distance from the viewpoint 305 is negative for a fraudulent picture object, and the distance from the viewpoint 305 is positive for a normal object that is not.

  Now, until the processing is completed for all the objects arranged in the virtual space 301, the processing returns to step S1002 and the processing is repeated (step S1011). After that, the elements of the Z buffer are assigned in ascending order based on the value of the member d. Sorting is performed (step S1012).

  That is, when sorting, it is necessary to compare the magnitude relationship between the xth element and the yth element of the Z buffer. At this time, compare Z [x] .d and Z [y] .d. To do.

  As described above, since the polygons constituting the fraudulent picture object are set to have a negative distance from the viewpoint 305, the Z buffer index is moved closer to 0 (the side with the smaller index) by sorting. As a result, the polygons composing a normal object are sorted so that the subscript of the Z buffer is closer to #Z (the side with the larger subscript).

  When the sorting is finished, the value of i is set to # Z-1 (step S1013), and the following processing is repeated while Z [i] .d ≧ 0 (steps S1014 to S1019).

  That is, information on the polygon whose address or the like is Z [i] .p is acquired (step S1015), the projection destination of the polygon on the projection plane 307 is calculated (step S1016), and the drawing associated with the projection destination is performed. Buffer (typically prepared in the RAM 103, but when the image processing unit 107 has a double buffer frame memory, the frame memory on the side not currently displayed can be used.) The texture of the polygon is drawn in the area (step S1017). Then, the value of i is decreased by 1 (step S1018), and while Z [i] .d ≧ 0, the process returns to step S1014 to repeat the process (step S1019).

  The reason for not checking the range of the subscript i of the array is that the element about the polygon of the fraudulent picture object is Z [i] .d <0, and it works as a “guardian”.

  Now, after the drawing for the normal object (steps S1014 to S1019) is finished, the drawing for the fraudulent picture object is performed next. That is, the value of i is set to 0 (step S1020), and the following processing is repeated while Z [i] .d <0 (steps S1021 to S1026).

  That is, information on the polygon whose address or the like is Z [i] .p is acquired (step S1022), the projection destination of the polygon on the projection plane 307 is calculated (step S1023), and the drawing associated with the projection destination is performed. Buffer (typically prepared in the RAM 103, but when the image processing unit 107 has a double buffer frame memory, the frame memory on the side not currently displayed can be used.) The texture of the polygon is drawn in the area (step S1024). Then, the value of i is incremented by 1 (step S1025), and while Z [i] .d <0, the process returns to step S1014 and is repeated (step S1026).

  The reason for not checking the range of the array index i is that the element for the polygon of the normal object is Z [i] .d ≥ 0 and works as a guard. In the programming industry, in general terms, when performing an array scanning process, an element that “always fails” is intentionally placed in an element that is out of the scanning target so that it is not necessary to check the range of the subscript. A technique may be used. This “always failing condition” element is called the “sentinel”.

  In this way, other necessary information (for example, status information such as the character's physical strength gauge) on which the state of each object has been drawn in the drawing buffer is appropriately drawn (step S1027), and the frame memory is stored. Transfer (step S1028), and this process is terminated. Then, in step S958, the image processing unit 107 displays a virtual world image on the screen based on the information transferred to the frame memory.

  Note that each element of the Z buffer may be provided with a flag area indicating whether the object to which the polygon belongs is a fraudulent picture object, and sorting may be performed with reference to the flag area. The above aspect corresponds to using a sign bit of a numerical expression representing the distance from the viewpoint as a flag area indicating whether the object to which the polygon belongs is a fraudulent picture object.

  Also, prepare a Z buffer for a fraudulent picture object and a Z buffer for a normal object, and distribute polygons, draw the latter in order from the viewpoint, and then draw the former in the order from the viewpoint. A technique of drawing can also be adopted.

  In the above embodiment, when the target is visible from the viewpoint 305, the collision is ignored even if the path followed by the tow beam collides with another object. This is because once the target is set, that is, while the tow beam of the magic hand 302 is attracting the target object, the target object may not be visible from the viewpoint 305 due to the presence of some obstacle. Continue.

  However, when the target disappears from the viewpoint 305, the tow beam of the magic hand 302 is cut off, regardless of whether the tow beam collides with any object in the virtual space 301 or not. The “traction beam” may collide with one of the objects in a “coffin picture”.

  For example, a tow beam is drawn on the line connecting the collision point of the object where the line connecting the viewpoint 305 and the target collides with the emission point of the pattern 304 of the magic hand 302 (regardless of the direction 311 of the posture of the pattern 304). What should I do?

  In addition, while the magic hand 302 is not attracting the object 303, the position of the cursor 308 on the projection plane 307 may be set as a target point, and the same “fried picture” process may be performed.

  In the following, other drawing methods for “cooking pictures” will be described. In the above embodiment, a fraudulent picture object such as an object constituting a pulling beam emitted from the emission point of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 is considered to be closer to the viewpoint 305 than any normal object, and generates an image. In addition, a device has been added to the sort order in the Z buffer.

  However, when the shape of the traction beam is a geometrically simple shape such as an elastic cylinder or band, the following modes can be adopted.

  That is, the polygons that make up a normal object are sorted using the Z buffer, the areas projected onto the projection plane 307 are determined in order from the viewpoint 305, and textures are pasted into the areas in the image buffer. Draw. This is the same as normal three-dimensional graphics processing.

  When drawing of all normal objects in the image buffer is completed, the shape of the curve connecting the injection point of the handle 304 of the magic hand 302 and the attracted object 303 is obtained two-dimensionally and overwritten in the image buffer. Draw.

  For example, when the traction beam has a cylindrical shape, the thickness of the section projected onto the projection plane 307 is inversely proportional to the distance from the viewpoint 305. In addition, the curve shape passing through the center of the traction beam can be obtained by spline interpolation or the like. If the distance between each point on the center curve in the obtained virtual space (three-dimensional space) and the viewpoint 305 is obtained. The size when the cross section centered on the point is projected onto the projection surface 307 can also be obtained. As a result, the pulling beam having a cylindrical shape is drawn in the image buffer with a perspective in terms of three-dimensional graphics. Even when it has a shape other than a cylinder, drawing can be performed by the same processing.

  In this embodiment, since the normal picture object is considered to be closer to the viewpoint 305 than any normal object, the normal picture object is drawn on the image buffer and then the normal picture object is drawn.

  By adopting such a drawing method, the fraudulent picture object is not concealed by any normal object, so that it can be considered closer to the viewpoint 305 than any normal object.

  At this time, it is not necessary for the fraudulent picture object to be subject to sorting in the Z buffer, and when the fraudulent picture object has a relatively simple geometric shape, the image buffer can be obtained by simple calculation. It is possible to draw a fraudulent picture object for.

  The embodiment described above relates to one of the embodiments according to the present invention, and even when various processes are added and various processes are added, the scope of the present invention is included.

  As described above, according to the present invention, an image generation apparatus, an image generation method, and a method suitable for generating an image that presents an ejected object ejected from a position different from the viewpoint comfortably. Can be provided.

It is a mimetic diagram showing the outline composition of the typical information processor which fulfills the function of the device concerning the embodiment of the present invention by running a program. It is explanatory drawing which shows the external appearance of the controller and information processing apparatus which are utilized in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the correspondence of virtual space and the real world. It is explanatory drawing which shows the positional relationship between the pattern of a magic hand and an object, and the direction of force. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that a cursor, a magic hand, and an object are displayed on a screen. It is explanatory drawing explaining the relationship between the position of the pattern of a magic hand, and the direction of a viewpoint movement. It is explanatory drawing which shows what looked at the mode of moving the direction of a gaze direction to the right from the upper side of virtual space. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between an object, a magic hand, and an obstruction. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the pattern was given to the pulling beam of the magic hand. It is a mimetic diagram showing the outline composition of the game device concerning this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of control of the process performed with the said game device. It is a flowchart which shows in detail the flow of control of the process relevant to Z buffer performed with the said game device.

Explanation of symbols

100 Information processing apparatus 101 CPU
102 ROM
103 RAM
104 Interface 105 Controller 106 External Memory 107 Image Processing Unit 108 DVD-ROM Drive 109 NIC
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 110 Sound processing part 111 Microphone 201 Grasping module 202 CCD camera 203 Cross-shaped key 204 A button 205 B button 206 Various buttons 207 Indicator 208 Power button 251 Light emitting module 252 Light emitting diode 291 Television apparatus 301 Virtual space 302 Magic hand 303 Object 304 Pattern 305 Viewpoint 306 Line of sight 307 Projection plane 308 Cursor 309 Obstacle 311 Pattern posture direction 313 Reference position 314 Vector representing displacement from the reference position 321 Pattern posture direction vector 322 Pattern to object direction vector 323 Up / down / left / right displacement Vector 411 representing tractive force (repulsive force)
412 Up / Down / Left / Right Force 501 Screen 511 Upper Edge 512 Right Edge 513 Left Edge 514 Lower Edge 515 Center 901 Game Device 902 Storage Unit 903 Measurement Unit 904 Change Unit 905 Move Unit 906 Update Unit 907 Image Generation Unit 908 Display Department 909 Input Reception Department

Claims (8)

A storage unit for storing a plurality of objects arranged in a virtual space;
An image generation apparatus including an image generation unit configured to generate an image of the plurality of objects viewed from a viewpoint in the virtual space in a line of sight.
The plurality of objects include an emission object heading from the injection point at a position different from the viewpoint to the target point from when the target point is set in the virtual space until the setting is canceled. And
The image generation unit determines whether the emission object is any other, regardless of the distance between the emission object and the viewpoint in the virtual space, until the setting is canceled after the target point is set. Assuming that the viewpoint is closer to the object than the object, generate the image,
A target setting unit that cancels the setting of the target point when an object that is neither the object at the target point nor the emitting object is disposed between the target point and the viewpoint; Image generation device. The image generation apparatus according to claim 1,
An input receiving unit for receiving instruction inputs is further provided,
In the case where the instruction input is an instruction input indicating that an object should be grasped, the target setting unit determines, among the plurality of objects, the position of an object where a predetermined half line extending from the emission point in the virtual space intersects for the first time. To the target point,
The injection object has a line-shaped shape that connects the injection point and the object that intersects for the first time while the setting of the target point is cancelled, and while the target point is set, the injection object An image generation apparatus characterized by forming a line-like or curved shape connecting a point and the target point. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
In the virtual space, a force is applied to the object at the position of the target point to keep the distance between the target point and the injection point at a predetermined length, and the target point is determined based on the applied external force. An image generating apparatus characterized in that the object at the position of is moved. The image generation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The image generation unit sorts the plurality of objects according to the distance from the viewpoint, and generates the image by drawing each of the plurality of objects in order of increasing distance from the viewpoint. Image generation device. The image generation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The image generation unit sorts the objects other than the emission object among the plurality of objects according to the distance from the viewpoint, and draws each of the sorted objects in order of increasing distance from the viewpoint. Thereafter, the image is generated by drawing the injection object and generating the image. The image generation apparatus according to claim 2 ,
If the instruction input is an instruction input indicating that the viewpoint or line of sight should be moved, the position of the viewpoint or the direction of the line of sight in the virtual space is moved based on the instruction input, and the relative position with respect to the viewpoint and the line of sight An image generating apparatus, further comprising a moving unit that moves the position of the injection point so as to maintain a stable position. An image generation method executed by an image generation apparatus having a storage unit, an image generation unit, and a target setting unit, wherein the storage unit stores a plurality of objects arranged in a virtual space,
The image generation unit includes an image generation step of generating an image in which the plurality of objects are viewed in the direction of the line of sight from a viewpoint in the virtual space;
The plurality of objects include an emission object heading from the injection point at a position different from the viewpoint to the target point from when the target point is set in the virtual space until the setting is canceled. And
In the image generation step, the target object is set to any other one regardless of the distance between the target object and the viewpoint in the virtual space from when the target point is set until the setting is canceled. Assuming that the viewpoint is closer to the object than the object, generate the image,
A target setting step in which the target setting unit further cancels the setting of the target point when an object that is neither the object at the target point nor the injection object is disposed between the target point and the viewpoint; An image generation method comprising: Computer
A storage unit for storing a plurality of objects arranged in a virtual space;
A program that functions as an image generation unit that generates an image of the plurality of objects viewed from the viewpoint in the virtual space in the direction of the line of sight.
The plurality of objects include an emission object heading from the injection point at a position different from the viewpoint to the target point from when the target point is set in the virtual space until the setting is canceled. And
The image generation unit determines whether the projecting object is any other object regardless of the distance between the projecting object and the viewpoint in the virtual space from when the target point is set until the setting is canceled. Assuming that the object is closer to the viewpoint than the object, the program functions to generate the image.
When an object that is neither the object at the target point nor the emission object is placed between the target point and the viewpoint, the target point setting unit is further functioned as a target setting unit that cancels the setting of the target point. Program to do.

Images