JP5322078B2 - Image generating apparatus and image generating program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image generator and an image generation program for reducing an arithmetic operation processing amount without performing an unnatural display. <P>SOLUTION: The image generator for generating a display image obtained by performing perspective projection conversion of an object placed in a virtual three-dimensional space includes: a stationary condition determination part 302 for determining whether or not the object satisfies a stationary condition that it can be kept stationary; and a movement prohibition control unit 303 for prohibiting the movement of the object when it is determined that it satisfies the stationary condition. Thus, a whole arithmetic operation processing amount can be reduced in comparison with the case when it is not made stationary. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image generation apparatus suitable for a gaming machine, and more particularly to a technique for reducing the burden of three-dimensional CG image processing.

  Conventionally, an invention for reducing the movement of a character object has been made to reduce the burden of producing a game program. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-349175 describes a technology that stops the movement of an object other than a character that moves centrally while a viewpoint setting for displaying a specific character object is large. (Patent Document 1, paragraphs 0008 and 0010).

According to such technology, an object whose movement is stopped is out of the field of view, and the movement of the object is prevented from changing. For example, an unexpected game development for a player by moving where the opponent object is not visible (Patent document, paragraph 0017).
JP-A-2005-349175 (paragraphs 0008, 0010, 0017)

  However, in the above prior art, the movement of the object is stopped in order to reduce the burden of producing the game program or prevent the unexpected movement from being seen by the player. In addition, the operation of the object must be set in consideration of the arithmetic processing capability of the apparatus.

  In other words, the image generation device mounted on a gaming machine or game machine uses relatively inexpensive hardware, so that there is a limit in arithmetic processing capability, but it is generated by applying a three-dimensional computer graphics technology. When generating a stereoscopic image as if it was seen from a predetermined viewpoint by perspective projection of a virtual three-dimensional space onto a two-dimensional plane, the amount of calculation processing is large, and sometimes the limit of the calculation processing capability of the device may be exceeded. There is a problem.

  On the other hand, since the stereoscopic image is a moving image, there is neither an original nor a child so that the movement of the object is conspicuous. There is a demand for reducing the amount of calculation processing so that the player is not aware of it.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an image generation apparatus and an image generation program for reducing the amount of calculation processing without causing an unnatural display.

To achieve the above object, an image generating apparatus of the present invention is an image generating device for generating a display image by perspective projection conversion of objects arranged in a virtual three-dimensional space, the object is possible stationary still and determining a stationary condition determination section whether meets the condition, if it is determined that meets the stationary condition, and a motion prohibition control unit for prohibiting the movement of the object, wherein The stationary condition is set so that there are a predetermined number of dynamic objects that are allowed to move in addition to the object to be determined, so that the entire calculation processing amount can be reduced as compared to the case where the stationary object is not stationary. Yes.

Similarly, the image generation program of the present invention is an image generation program that causes a computer to operate as an image generation apparatus that generates a display image obtained by perspective projection conversion of an object arranged in a virtual three-dimensional space. A function for determining whether or not the object satisfies a stationary condition that can be stopped, and a function for prohibiting the movement of the object when it is determined that the stationary condition is satisfied. Compared to the case where the stationary condition is not stationary, the stationary condition is set such that there are a predetermined number of dynamic objects allowed to move in addition to the object to be determined. The processing amount can be reduced.

According to such a configuration, when calculating the new position of the object, it is determined for each object whether or not the object has reached a stationary condition in which the object can be stationary. Processed to prohibit. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the calculation processing amount consumed for the movement of the object.
In particular, according to the invention, when the number of dynamic objects increases, the amount of calculation processing increases. When the predetermined number of dynamic objects is reached, the movement of the objects is prohibited, and thus is defined by the predetermined amount. The object is moved as much as possible until the processing capacity of the apparatus is full, and processing is stopped only when there is a possibility that the processing capacity will be exceeded. Therefore, unnatural still display is eliminated as much as possible.

  Here, the “still condition” that can be stopped is a condition that may be stopped (the entire object and the position of each part are fixed at each image update timing), and the object stops on the display screen without moving. A condition that makes it inconspicuous.

  For example, the stationary condition is that the object to be determined is arranged outside the range in which the perspective projection conversion is performed on the display image in the virtual three-dimensional space. According to such an invention, if it is out of the perspective projection conversion range, it cannot be rendered in a display image, and therefore it is not visually recognized even if the movement of the object is prohibited.

  Further, for example, the still condition is that the object to be determined is an object other than the object assigned as the main character. According to such an invention, if it is not assigned as the main character, the degree of importance in production is low, and even if the movement of the object is stopped, it does not stand out visually.

  Here, each of the objects is an object represented by a set of polygons that are set with a skeletal structure for controlling movement and are defined by a relative position with respect to the skeletal structure. Such an object is an object that is animated in a skeleton structure, that is, a skeleton system defined by bones and joints, and is an object that is basically assumed to move. The purpose is to reduce the amount of calculation processing by prohibiting the movement of an object that can be moved if it is intended to move.

  The image generation program of the present invention is stored and distributed in a storage medium. Such a storage medium is a computer-readable medium, such as various types of ROM, USB memory with flash memory, USB memory, SD memory, memory stick, memory card, FD, CD-ROM, ± R / Physical storage media such as W, RAM, DVD-ROM, ± R / W, RAM, etc. are included. In addition, the broad recording medium includes a transmission medium such as the Internet capable of transmitting the program. This is because the program (downloaded) transmitted through the transmission medium is stored in the memory as it is and executed by the computer.

  According to the present invention, when calculating a new position of an object, it is determined for each object whether or not the object has reached a stationary condition in which the object can be stationary. Since processing is performed so as to be prohibited, it is possible to reduce the amount of calculation processing without causing an unnatural display.

  Hereinafter, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an image generation apparatus realized by executing an image generation program of the present invention on a gaming machine (slot machine) installed in a game hall or the like will be exemplified. The following embodiments are merely examples of application of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and can be applied with various modifications.

(Definition)
The terms used in this specification are defined as follows.

  “Game” refers to a series of operations from the insertion of a medal to the operation of a stop switch before the next medal is inserted.

  “Normal game” refers to a “game” executed with an expected value set for a default state.

  The “special game” is a “game” that is different from the “normal game” and is advantageous to the player.

  “Lottery” refers to a process in which a computer draws a lottery with a predetermined expected value using a random number or the like when a gaming machine reaches a predetermined condition (switch operation state or the like).

  “Winning” refers to a case where the result of the “lottery” is a win, in particular, a case where a win is obtained by a computer lottery. In the present embodiment, it is distinguished from “winning” determined mechanically.

  “Winning” means that a combination of symbols on the active line indicated by the stopped reels is in a state indicating a specific combination.

  The “combination” is to specify the type of winning when the result of the lottery is winning. It is also called “winning role” when the “winning role” or the design is complete.

  The “special role” is a role for shifting to “special game”.

  The “small role” is a role for paying out to the player the number of medals corresponding to the type of the small role.

  “Replay” is a role for giving the right to replay while maintaining the number of medals inserted in the previous game.

  The “effective line” indicates the arrangement of the stopped symbols for the sake of convenience, and indicates whether the symbol is a specific “combination” or “losing” depending on the combination of symbols arranged on the effective line. When a plurality of “effective lines” are set, they are collectively referred to as “effective line group”.

(Case configuration)
First, the case configuration common to the embodiments will be described.
FIG. 1 is a front view showing an appearance of the slot machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, a front panel 20 is attached to a front surface portion of a housing of the slot machine 10 according to the present embodiment so as to be freely opened and closed. It is a display area in which an effect display device 40 having a display function is provided in the upper part of the front panel 20, and an operation unit is provided in the center.

  An effect display device 40 having a display function is provided in the upper part of the housing. The effect display device 40 is configured to include, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and is configured to be able to display images for various effects and information necessary for the game on the display screen. The effect display device 40 is provided with one transparent display window 21. The area of the display window 21 is not provided with a liquid crystal for displaying an image, a member constituting the liquid crystal (such as a polarizing plate), or a circuit for controlling the liquid crystal, and transmits light. It is an area that cannot physically display an image.

  Three reels (rotating drums) are arranged in a position inside the housing and visible through the display window 21. From the left side when viewed from the front, the left reel 31L, the middle reel 31C, and the right reel 31R are arranged in this order.

  The reels 31L, 31C and 31R are formed in a ring-shaped hollow structure. The outer periphery of the reel is formed in the width of the reel tape that is affixed to the outer peripheral surface, and a plurality of openings are provided on the outer peripheral surface in accordance with the shape of the pattern printed on the reel tape. The inside of the reel is hollow, and the rotating shaft is supported by a frame extending from the outer peripheral surface.

  Each reel tape on which a winning symbol (a symbol constituting a winning combination) is printed is affixed to the outer peripheral surface of the reel. On each reel tape, for example, 21 symbols are printed at regular intervals. The arrangement of the symbols is different for each reel tape. The design of the reel tape corresponds to the opening provided on the outer peripheral surface of the reel. From the display window 21, the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are observed through the display window. The size of the display window 21 is such that three consecutive symbols in the vertical direction of the outer peripheral surface of each reel can be seen. Is set. In FIG. 1, a circle shown on the reel group 31 (meaning a group of reels 31L, 31C, and 31R) represents one symbol.

  Stepping motors (not shown) are connected to the respective rotation shafts of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R. This stepping motor is capable of rotating the reels 31L, 31C and 31R at an arbitrary speed or stopping at an arbitrary angle (position). When each reel rotates, the symbols of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are visually recognized as moving up and down in the display window 21.

  A back lamp (not shown) is provided inside the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R. Three back lamps are arranged for each reel, and light is emitted through the openings on the outer peripheral surface of the reel for a total of nine symbols visible from the display window 21 when the reels are stopped.

  A broken line on the display window 21 shown in FIG. 1 indicates an effective line group 22 including effective lines 22a, 22b, and 22c. The effective line group 22 includes a horizontal effective line 22a in the horizontal direction, two effective lines 22b in the upper and lower horizontal directions, and two effective lines 22c in the diagonally downward and leftward directions. ing. The symbols attached to the reels 31L, 31C and 31R are spaced so that all nine symbols visible from the display window 21 are positioned on these effective line groups 22 when the reels 31L, 31C and 31R are stopped. Is arranged in.

  A medal slot 23 is provided at a position corresponding to the lower right side of the effect display device 40 in the center of the casing of the slot machine 10. When medals are inserted from the medal insertion slot 23, one to five lines of the effective lines 22a, 22b and 22c are activated according to the number of inserted medals. That is, the inserted number of medals is collected as a premium. When one medal is inserted, one effective line 22a is effective. When two medals are inserted, three horizontal effective lines 22a and 22b are effective. In total, including two effective lines 22c in the direction, five effective lines 22a to 22c become effective. These controls are performed by a later-described main CPU (central processing unit) 51 (see FIG. 2). For example, when three medals are inserted, if a combination of specific symbols is stopped on at least one of the effective lines 22a to 22c when the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are stopped, the combination is selected. It will be a prize for the corresponding role.

  Various operation switches operated by the player are provided at the center of the housing. For example, in this embodiment, a start switch 41, a stop switch group 42, and a bet switch group 43 are provided.

  The start switch 41 is a switch operated by the player when starting the rotation of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R, for example, a button or a lever. The stop switch group 42 includes a left stop switch 42L that is operated when stopping the left reel 31L, a middle stop switch 42C that is operated when stopping the middle reel 31C, and a right stop that is operated when stopping the right reel 31R. Switch 42R. These stop switches 42L, 42C, and 42R are juxtaposed as buttons, for example.

  The bet switch group 43 is a switch group for designating the number of bets (the number of bets) when the player inserts a medal in the credit. The bet switch group 43 includes a 1-bet / 2-bet switch 43a and a MAX bet switch (3-bet switch) 43b. It is configured. These bet switches 43a and 43b are also arranged as buttons, for example. When the 1-bet / 2-bet switch 43a is operated, one or two medals are bet (collected as a game amount), and when the MAX bet switch 43b is operated, the maximum 3 bets Medals are bet. That is, the number of bets designated by operating the bet switch group 43 is collected from the number of medals that are credited, and the credit is subtracted by the number of bets.

  Further, a medal payout opening 90 is provided at the center of the lower part of the housing, and speakers 71 (left speaker 71L and right speaker 71R) are provided on both sides of the medal payout opening 90. During the game (game), various effects, for example, lighting of a back lamp, image display using the effect display device 40, output of sound from the speaker 71, and the like are performed. Further, as such an effect, there is a case where a notification effect of the possibility of winning is performed.

  An outline of the normal game executed in the slot machine having these configurations will be briefly described.

  In the slot machine 10, when a player inserts a medal from the medal insertion slot 23 or operates the bet switch group 43, the effective lines 22a to 22c are activated according to the number of bets.

  When the player who has designated the bet number operates the start switch 41, a winning combination according to the bet number is performed and the reels 31L, 31C and 31R start to rotate. When the player operates the stop switches 42L, 42C, and 42R, the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R stop rotating according to the operated button. At this time, if the lottery result of the combination being performed simultaneously with the operation of the start switch 41 is a winning combination, the combination of symbols arranged on the activated effective line group 22 is a predetermined combination of combinations. The reels are controlled so as to match the combination of symbols, and medals are paid out according to the winning combination.

(System configuration)
Next, a system configuration such as an internal configuration of the slot machine 10 will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the slot machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Inside the casing of the slot machine 10, a main control board 50, a sub control board 60, a reel board 11, a central display board 12, and a power supply board 13 connected to the main control board 50 are arranged.

(Main control board 50)
The main control board 50 is provided with a main CPU 51, ROM 52, RAM 53, and interface circuit (I / F circuit) 54, which are connected to each other via a bus 55.

  The main CPU 51 reads (fetches), interprets (decodes), and executes instructions constituting the program. The main CPU 51 reads out programs, data, and the like stored in the ROM 52, and controls the entire slot machine 10 based on these.

  The ROM 52 stores software programs and data necessary for lottery processing and other game controls based on operations as shown in the flowchart of FIG. The RAM 53 is used when the main CPU 51 performs various controls, and is configured to be able to temporarily store data and the like.

  The I / F circuit 54 performs timing control and the like when signals are transmitted and received between the main control board 50, the sub control board 60, the reel board 11, the central display board 12, and the power supply board 13. It is like that.

(Sub control board 60)
The sub control board 60 includes a sub CPU 61, ROM 62, control RAM 63, image control processor 64, ROM 65, video RAM 66, image data ROM 67, sound source circuit 68, sound ROM 72, amplifier 70, and interface circuit (I / F circuit) 69. Is provided. The sub CPU 61, ROM 62, RAM 63, image control processor 64, and I / F circuit 69 are connected to each other via a bus 73. The ROM 65, the video RAM 66, the image data ROM 67, and the sound source circuit 68 are connected to the image control processor 64, and the amplifier 70 and the sound ROM 72 are connected to the sound source circuit 68.

  The sub-control board 60 is roughly divided into an effect control board 60a and an image sound generation board 60b. The effect control board 60a includes the sub CPU 61, ROM 62, RAM 63, and I / F circuit 69, and the image sound generation board 60b includes the image control processor 64, ROM 65, video RAM 66, image data ROM 67, sound source circuit 68, and amplifier 70. , And a sound ROM 72. The effect control board 60 a operates based on the effect control program stored in the ROM 62, and the image sound generation board 60 b operates based on the image generation program stored in the ROM 65.

  The sub CPU 61 is an arithmetic element that controls the operation of the effect control board 60a. The sub CPU 61 reads (fetches) and interprets (decodes) instructions constituting the effect control program stored in the ROM 62, and stores the data stored in the ROM 62. Reading and effect control are performed. Note that there are no restrictions on the processing capability or development language of the sub CPU 61.

  The ROM 62 stores an effect control program and data as shown in a flowchart described later for the sub CPU 61 to execute. The RAM 63 is used when the sub CPU 61 performs various controls, and is configured to be able to temporarily store data and the like.

  The sub CPU 61, ROM 62, and RAM 63 have the same functions as the main CPU 51, ROM 52, and RAM 53 provided on the main control board 50, respectively. Note that the ROM 62 and the RAM 63 may be the same as the ROM 52 and the RAM 53, respectively, but those having a larger capacity may be used.

  The I / F circuit 69 performs timing control and the like when receiving a signal from the main control board 50. As described above, the signal is transmitted from the main control board 50 to the sub control board 60, but the signal is not transmitted from the sub control board 60 to the main control board 50. That is, only one-way transmission is possible.

  The image control processor 64 is a dedicated arithmetic element that controls the operation of the image sound generation board 60 b. The image control processor 64 reads (fetches) and interprets (decodes) instructions constituting the image generation program stored in the ROM 65, and stores them in the image data ROM 67. The stored data is read to generate an image. A command is sent to the sound source circuit 68 to generate sound. Note that there are no restrictions on the processing capability or development language of the image control processor 64.

  The ROM 65 stores an image generation program and data as shown in a flowchart described below to be executed by the image control processor 64.

  The image data ROM 67 stores original image data for generating image data such as characters, characters and backgrounds for image production. The video RAM 66 is used when the image control processor 64 generates image data to be displayed on the effect display device 40, and the image data generated based on the original image data read from the image data ROM 67 is developed as frame image data. It has come to be. The effect display device 40 is connected to the sub-control board 60 so that the frame image data stored in the video RAM 66 can be displayed.

  The sound source circuit 68 generates sound under the control of the image control processor 64. Specifically, the sound source circuit 68 includes a sound generation circuit for a predetermined number of channels, for example, eight acoustic channels, and can simultaneously reproduce phrases corresponding to the number of acoustic channels. The sound source circuit 68 reads predetermined sound source data from the sound ROM 72 based on the sound effect information from the image control processor 64 and generates sound signals for the right channel and the left channel. Then, it is D / A converted and output as an analog sound signal. The amplifier 70 amplifies the analog sound signals of the left and right channels, and sends the stereo sound to the right speaker 71R and the left speaker 71R.

(Reel board 11)
A stepping motor (not shown) for driving the left reel 31L, the middle reel 31C, and the right reel 31R is connected to the reel substrate 11. Each stepping motor is further connected to the rotation shafts of these reels 31L, 31C and 31R. Control signals for controlling the operations of the reels 31L, 31C and 31R are supplied from the main CPU 51 to the reel substrate 11.

(Central display board 12)
The central display substrate 12 is attached to, for example, a central portion on the back side of the front panel 20.

  The central display board 12 includes a selector 81, a 1-bet / 2-bet switch 43a, a MAX bet switch (3-bet switch) 43b, a start switch (lever) 41, a left stop switch (button) 42L, and a middle stop switch (button) 42C. A right stop switch (button) 42R, a setting display section 82, and a setting change switch 83 are connected.

  The selector 81 is configured to identify whether or not the medal inserted from the medal insertion slot 23 is a genuine one, and to eliminate an illegal medal. The setting display unit 82 is arranged so as to be visible from the back side of the front panel 20, and displays settings relating to probability and payout (for example, settings 1 to 6). The setting change switch 83 is a switch operated when changing the setting related to the probability and the payout.

(Power supply board 13)
A setting change enabling switch 91, a power switch 92, a hopper device 93, and a power device 94 are connected to the power device board 13.

  The setting change enable switch 91 is a switch that is operated when a setting change using the setting change switch 83 is enabled. That is, the setting change using the setting change switch 83 can be performed only when the setting change enable switch 91 is in the ON state. The power switch 92 is a switch for switching on / off the power supply device 94. The hopper device 93 is a device for storing and paying out medals. Based on an instruction from the main CPU 51 via the power supply device board 13, a predetermined number of medals are stored in the medal payout opening 90 from medals stored in advance. It comes to pay out.

(Function block on main control board)
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the main control board 50.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, for example, the main CPU 51 executes an effect control program recorded in the ROM 52, whereby the following control unit 101, role lottery unit 103, reel control unit 106, winning determination The unit 107, the gaming state control unit 108, and the payout control unit 109 are functionally realized. For example, the RAM 53 functions as the following flag information storage unit 105, and the following lottery table 102 data is stored in the ROM 52, for example.

(Role lottery section 103)
The role lottery unit 103 is a functional block for performing lottery of a role (special role, small role, replay, etc.). The combination lottery unit 103 obtains one random number after generating a random number internally for each game, refers to the lottery table 102 stored in the ROM 52, and determines the combination of the combination based on the area to which the acquired random number belongs. The presence / absence of winning and the winning combination are determined.

  For example, the role lottery unit 103 performs a lottery when the start switch 41 is operated, and determines whether the “game” is “winning” or “losing” and “winning” when it is “winning”. decide. That is, the role lottery unit 103 generates a random number within a predetermined range (for example, 0 to 65535 in decimal notation) when the start switch 41 is pressed, and the predetermined lot is selected when the predetermined condition is satisfied. Get a random value. In the lottery table 102, a special role winning area, a small role winning area, a replay winning area, a non-winning area (losing) area, and the like are set at a predetermined ratio with respect to random numbers that can be acquired by the role lottery unit 103. ing.

  Furthermore, if the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are “winned” after each of the stop switches 42L, 42C, and 42R is pressed, the winning lottery unit 103 arranges symbols representing the winning combination. The stop is controlled so that the winning combination is won. Further, when the lottery result is “losing” (non-winning), stop control is performed so that the symbol arrangement does not represent any combination. In any case, the stop symbol does not change even if the pressing timing of the stop switches 42L, 42C, and 42R is changed.

  The lottery performed by the combination lottery unit 103 may be performed only once per game and may be determined up to the combination, but may be configured to perform a plurality of lotteries.

  In addition to the configuration led by the role lottery unit 103 in which a lottery is performed at the timing of pressing the start switch 41 or the stop switches 42L, 42C, and 42R and the lottery result is determined, the reels can be operated without any special pull-in operation. The group 31 may be stopped, and as a result, the winning determination unit 107 may detect the positions where the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are stopped, and determine whether there is a winning or a winning combination. In this case, there is no concept of lottery or winning combination, and the combination lottery unit 103 may not exist. Further, depending on the type of game, whether or not the role lottery unit 103 is led, that is, whether to make a lottery or make a winning determination by reel may be switched.

(Control unit 101)
The control unit 101 is a central functional block that controls the operation timing of the combination lottery unit 103, the reel control unit 106 and the winning determination unit 107, which will be described later.

  For example, on the condition that the start switch 41 is operated, the control unit 101 causes the combination lottery unit 103 to perform combination lottery, causes the reel control unit 106 to start the rotation of the reel group 31, and the stop switch. The reel control unit 106 is controlled to stop the reel group 31 on the condition that the group 42 has been operated, and further, the winning determination unit 107 performs the winning determination on the condition that the reel group 31 has stopped. It is.

  Note that the operation of the control unit 101 is not limited to these, and governs general control required for the main control board 50.

(Flag information storage unit 105)
The flag information storage unit 105 is configured to be able to store the type of the winning combination and the fact that the flag is turned on when a flag for a certain combination is turned on by the lottery result of the combination lottery unit 103.

(Reel control unit 106)
The reel control unit 106 is a functional block that controls the rotation and stop of the reel group 31 (reels 31L, 31C, and 31R) based on an instruction from the control unit 101.

  More specifically, the reel control unit 106 has a gaming state (for example, a normal gaming state, a special gaming state, etc.), a lottery result by the combination lottery unit 103, and a stop switch group 42 (stop switches 42L, 42C, and 42R). Based on the operated timing, etc., the stop positions of the reels 31L, 31C and 31R are determined, and the driving of the stepping motor is controlled to stop the rotation of the reels 31L, 31C and 31R at the determined positions. It has become.

  For example, if the winning lottery unit 103 results in “losing” and no winning combination is won, each reel is set so that the combination of symbols of any winning combination is not stopped on the activated effective line. The stop positions of 31L, 31C and 31R are determined, and each reel is stopped at the determined position. On the other hand, if a winning combination is selected for a certain role, the symbol combination is determined so that the winning symbol combination is stopped on the active line that is active, and the symbol combination is valid at that time. The stop positions of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are determined so as to appear in the effective lines, and each reel is stopped at the determined position.

  In particular, when the special combination is “winned”, the stop combinations of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R are controlled so that the combination of the special combination symbols is stopped on the active line that is enabled (for example, (Within 4 symbols), pull-in control is performed so that the symbols related to the special role are aligned as much as possible. However, even if the special role is “winned”, the combination of symbols of the special role will not stop on the activated active line when “winning” for a small role or replay. Then, stop positions of the reels 31L, 31C and 31R are determined, and stop control is performed.

  Such control when stopping the reels 31L, 31C and 31R may be performed using a reel control table.

(Winning determination unit 107)
The winning determination unit 107 is a functional block for determining the final winning state.

  The winning determination unit 107 determines whether or not a combination of symbols in the active line group 22 is arranged in any of the active lines that are active, and if there is an in-line combination, it is determined in the game. It is determined that the winning combination has been won. The lottery of the combination is determined in advance by the combination lottery unit 103. However, when a mechanical reel is used, the reel may not be stopped as scheduled, so the position of the finally stopped reel is detected. Because you have to do it.

  The winning determination unit 107 determines a symbol positioned on the active line by detecting, for example, an angle at the time when the stepping motor is stopped, the number of steps, and the like, and based on this, determines the presence / absence of a winning combination.

  Instead of pre-determining a combination by the combination lottery unit 103 and stopping the reels 31L, 31C and 31R together, the reels are stopped one after another at a retractable position, and finally the actual reels 31L, The positions of 31C and 31R may be detected, and the winning determination unit 107 may determine the combination of symbols and determine the combination.

(Game state control unit 108)
The gaming state control unit 108 is a functional block for controlling the special game from the next game until the predetermined end condition is satisfied when the winning determination unit 107 has won a special role as a result of the determination. It is.

  For example, the game state control unit 108 causes the reel control unit 106 to perform reel control for special games according to the lottery result of the role lottery unit 103 during the special game, or causes the sub control board 60 to perform special game effects. Or let it be done.

(Payout control unit 109)
The payout control unit 109 is a functional block for causing the hopper device 93 to pay out medals according to the winning combination as a result of the determination by the winning determination unit 107.

(Embodiment 1)
The image generation apparatus of the present invention relates to a sub control board.
Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the image generation apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, it is determined whether or not each object to be processed is located within a range subjected to perspective projection conversion at a functional block level realized by executing the image generation program, and the range The present invention relates to an invention for prohibiting the movement of an object when outside.

First, the principle in the first embodiment will be described.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a range subjected to perspective projection conversion in the virtual three-dimensional space. FIG. 6 is a plan view thereof.

  As shown in these drawings, the image generation apparatus targets only objects that fall within a certain spatial range with respect to a predetermined viewpoint C arranged in a virtual three-dimensional space. This fixed space range defines a range in which an object arranged in the virtual three-dimensional space is subjected to perspective projection conversion to a two-dimensional plane, and is referred to as a view volume (View Volume) 500. The horizontal width (X-axis direction) and the vertical width (Y-axis direction) of the viewing volume 500 correspond to the size of the display screen. The front clipping plane 502 for excluding objects that are too close to the viewpoint C from the imaging target and the rear clipping plane 504 for preventing too many objects from being imaged are viewed. The volume 500 is provided.

  The setting of the visual volume 500 and the rendering of the object belong to the operation process of the image control processor 64 (here, the mapping unit 309). When a viewpoint is given, the image control processor 64 grasps the visual volume 500 centered on the Z-axis direction and performs rendering processing on the object modeled in the volume.

  Conventionally, modeling processing executed by an image generation program has been performed on the entire virtual three-dimensional space. The part of the modeled, that is, the virtual three-dimensional space is determined and the image control processor 64 enters the view volume from the object whose posture is determined is rendered and imaged. Conventionally, the calculation of changing the posture of an individual object has been performed at each image display timing regardless of whether the object is imaged. For this reason, calculation processing has been expended for processing objects that are not visually recognized.

  Therefore, in the first embodiment, the functional block executed by the image generation program recognizes the visual volume 500 and moves only with respect to an object that is assumed to be placed inside the visual volume 500 (virtual three-dimensional space). Change of the position and orientation of the object), and movement is prohibited for an object estimated to be placed outside the visual volume 500. The image control processor 64 recognizes the viewing volume 500 when the viewpoint position and the Z-axis direction are given. By referring to the information of the visual volume 500 recognized by the image control processor 64, the functional block side can grasp whether or not the specific object is inside the visual volume 500.

  In the example of FIGS. 5 and 6, objects 401 and 402 are shown. The object 401 is disposed inside the viewing volume 500, and the object 402 is disposed outside the viewing volume 500. In this example, the movement of the object 402 is prohibited and the movement of the object 401 is permitted.

  Here, as with the object 403 in FIG. 6, regarding the processing in the case where the object is arranged across the boundary of the visual volume 500, whether to permit or prohibit the movement may be arbitrarily set in advance. For example, if a part of the object is slightly outside the visual volume 500, the movement of the entire object can be prohibited. Conversely, when even a part of the object falls inside the visual volume 500, the movement of the object may be permitted. Furthermore, the presence or absence of movement prohibition may be determined according to the ratio of the object outside the viewing volume 500. Furthermore, the presence or absence of movement of the object may be determined depending on whether an important part (part) in the object, for example, a part corresponding to the “face” is inside or outside the visual volume 500. Hereinafter, functional blocks in the first embodiment will be described.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the sub-control board 60 according to the first embodiment.
The sub control board 60 is separated into an effect control board 60a and an image sound generation board 60b.

  The effect control unit 201 is included in the effect control board 60a. The effect control unit 201 is functionally realized by the sub CPU 61 executing an effect control program readable by the computer recorded in the ROM 62.

  The image sound generation board 60b includes a stationary condition storage unit 301, a stationary condition determination unit 302, a motion prohibition control unit 303, an object data storage unit 304, a modeling unit 305, a coordinate conversion unit 306, a perspective projection conversion unit 307, and a texture data storage. Unit 308 and mapping unit 309. Among these, the stationary condition storage unit 301 corresponds to the ROM 65, and the object data storage unit 304 and the texture data storage unit 308 correspond to the image data ROM 67. Other functional blocks are functionally realized by the image control processor 64 executing the image generation program stored in the ROM 65.

(Production control unit 201)
The effect control unit 201 is a functional block that determines an effect pattern according to the lottery result of the main control board 50 by lottery.

  Specifically, the production control unit 201 receives lottery result information from the role lottery unit 103 of the main control board 50, performs a lottery based on a random number according to the winning combination, etc. Or a lottery effect pattern according to the winning combination or gaming state in response to the lottery result information from the winning determination unit 107 and the special role game control unit 108 of the main control board 50. To decide.

  Here, the production pattern is usually a state in which the start switch 41 or each stop switch 42 is pressed, a stop state of the reels 31L, 31C, and 31R, a lottery result, a type of a determined role, whether a normal game or a special game, etc. It is selected according to the gaming state.

  The effect control unit 201 outputs the image effect information that determines the effect contents of the image and the sound effect information that determines the sound effect contents. The image effect information is information that defines which object is arranged in what position and in what posture in the virtual three-dimensional space at the next image update timing.

(Still condition storage unit 301)
The stationary condition storage unit 301 is a functional block that stores stationary conditions when the movement of an object is prohibited. This stationary condition is a condition that does not cause the player to feel visual unnaturalness and the presence or absence of movement of the object is not noticeable even if the object is stopped without moving on the display screen. . In particular, in the first embodiment, the stationary condition is that the object to be determined is arranged outside the range in which perspective projection conversion is performed on the display image in the virtual three-dimensional space.

  In the first embodiment, the stationary condition is that an object is arranged outside the visual volume 500 described above. This is because the modeling process for such an object is a wasteful process and should be prohibited because the object is not imaged if it is located outside the view volume.

  Note that the stationary condition when an object is arranged across the boundary of the visual volume 500 is set by selecting one of the above-described options.

(Still condition determination unit 302)
The stationary condition determination unit 302 is a functional block that refers to the stationary conditions stored in the stationary condition storage unit 301 and determines whether the object meets the stationary conditions.

  In the first embodiment, the stationary condition determination unit 302 determines whether the target object is disposed inside or outside the visual volume 500 based on the stationary condition. Further, in the case of an object to be arranged at the boundary of the visual volume 500, it is determined in view of the stationary condition whether the movement of the object is prohibited or allowed at the time of such arrangement. Whether or not the object is arranged inside the view volume can be determined, for example, based on whether the position coordinates of the object determined at the previous image update timing are located inside or outside the view volume. .

(Movement prohibition control unit 303)
The movement prohibition control unit 303 is a functional block that prohibits the movement of the object when it is determined that the stationary condition is met.

  When the stationary condition determination unit 302 determines that the movement of the object is prohibited, the movement prohibition control unit 303 maintains the object in a stationary posture. A normal object is defined by a skeletal structure including bones and joints, and a series of movements are set by changing the position coordinates of each image update timing of the bones and joints. Even when such a series of movements is set, the movement prohibition control unit 303 ignores the sequence for changing the movement of an object that matches the stationary condition. For example, the motion prohibition control unit 303 temporarily stores the reference coordinates or the relative position of the polygon with respect to the bone or joint at the image update timing when the motion is prohibited from the motion permitted state. By continuing modeling using the relative position information of the polygon temporarily stored until the prohibition of movement is canceled, an object with a stationary posture can be displayed.

(Modeling unit 305)
The modeling unit 305 is a functional block that performs modeling conversion for placing an object in a virtual three-dimensional space with reference to object data stored in the object data storage unit 304.

  The modeling unit 305 performs a coordinate conversion operation for arranging the object specified by the image effect information output from the effect control unit 201 in the virtual three-dimensional space. Object data stored in the object data storage unit 304 is defined by individual modeling coordinate systems (local coordinate system, object coordinate system, body coordinate system). Modeling conversion is a coordinate conversion process for defining objects defined in independent coordinate systems in a world coordinate system that defines the same virtual three-dimensional space, that is, a world coordinate system (global coordinate system).

  Here, the object data is data defined by the skeleton system, which is one of the animation methods. The bone (bone), joint (joint), skin (skin), and muscle (muscle as needed) ) Constitutes an object. A skin is composed of a set of polygons in a surface model. The bones and joints are data used when controlling the movement (posture) of the object, and the basic posture of the object is determined by moving the position coordinates of the bones and joints. If the posture of an object is determined by determining the position coordinates of bones and joints, the arrangement of skins whose relative positions are defined with respect to the bones and joints is inevitably determined.

  First, the modeling unit 305 determines the position coordinates of the bone and the joint at the next image update timing with reference to the image effect information in the modeling coordinate system. Next, coordinate conversion processing is performed on the position coordinates of the skin (polygon) relatively determined in the same coordinate system, and the position coordinates in the world coordinate system are calculated. The position of the polygon is determined by calculating its vertex coordinates.

  When the movement prohibition control unit 303 prohibits the movement of the object, the modeling unit 305 temporarily stores bone and joint modeling coordinates at the image update timing immediately before the movement is prohibited. Until the prohibition of the movement of the object is released, the temporarily stored bone and joint coordinates are read out and converted into global coordinates. By this process, unless the movement is released, the posture of the object is kept fixed.

(Coordinate conversion unit 306)
The coordinate conversion unit 306 is a function for performing modeling conversion on object data subjected to modeling conversion, viewing conversion for conversion into a viewpoint coordinate system (viewing coordinate system) centered on the viewpoint, and normalization conversion for conversion into a normalized coordinate system. It is a block. The processing after the coordinate conversion is a drawing process for generating a two-dimensional image and relates to the rendering process.

  At this time, the coordinate conversion unit 306 performs a clipping process to exclude an object or a part of the object that is not included in the normalized view volume from the coordinate conversion target. That is, in the viewing volume 500 in FIGS. 5 and 6, an object located on the viewpoint side from the front clipping plane 502, an object placed behind the rear clipping plane 504, and an object placed outside the viewing volume 500 are projected in perspective. Excluded from conversion. Objects that are set as stationary targets by the motion inhibition control unit 303 in advance by clipping processing as being objects placed outside the visual volume are excluded from the coordinate conversion targets.

(Perspective projection conversion unit 307)
The perspective projection conversion unit 307 is a functional block that performs projection conversion for projecting an object defined in the normalized coordinate system onto a two-dimensional projection plane corresponding to the display screen.

  The perspective projection conversion includes perspective projection conversion such as one-point perspective projection, two-point perspective projection, and three-point perspective projection, and parallel projection, and projection conversion suitable for the purpose of the image generation apparatus is applied. By perspective projection conversion, an object observed from the viewpoint is projected onto a two-dimensional projection plane, that is, a view screen.

  In addition, when the physical space area of the display screen is set to an area different from the view screen subjected to the perspective projection conversion, the viewport conversion for cutting out only the space area of the display screen is performed.

(Mapping unit 309)
The mapping unit 309 is a functional block that reads the texture data stored in the texture data storage unit 308 and maps the pattern onto the object surface after perspective projection conversion.

  The mapping unit 309 maps the texture data to polygons using a known image texture mapping method. Since the texture data is defined as a two-dimensional image having a predetermined area, a lap mapping method is applied to this texture by performing interpolation processing such as deformation, rotation, enlargement, reduction, etc. to match the polygon shape. Other mapping methods can be variously selected according to the purpose. Solid texture mapping can be used instead of image texture mapping, and parallel projection, UV, iteration, etc. can be mapped instead of lap mapping. In addition, it is possible to use mapping such as color, bump, displacement, transparency, environment, etc., and mapping such as multiplex and mip.

  Note that the mapping unit 309 may use shading processing and shadowing processing together with texture mapping.

  The two-dimensional image data generated by the mapping process is transferred to the effect display device 40 and displayed on the display screen at the image update timing.

(Description of operation)
Next, image generation processing in the first embodiment will be described.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an image generation process executed on the image sound generation board 60b of the sub-control board 60. This process is performed at every image update timing.
In step S <b> 201, the image sound generation board 60 b reads the effect control command from the effect control unit 201. Next, the process proceeds to step S <b> 202, and the stationary condition determination unit 302 reads information related to the stationary condition from the stationary condition storage unit 301. In the first embodiment, this stationary condition indicates that the object is outside the view volume.

  In step S203, the image sound generation board 60b specifies the object to be determined next. When this determination is made for the first time at the image update timing (during the frame period), the first object in the arbitrarily set order is specified as the determination target object.

  In step S204, the modeling unit 305 determines whether the motion prohibition flag is set. This motion prohibition flag is a flag that is set in a later step S209 and is reset in step S211 and is a flag that determines whether the object is handled statically or dynamically. That is, if the motion prohibition flag is set, the motion processing of the object is stopped, and if the motion prohibition flag is reset, the flag is for permitting a series of actions originally scheduled for the object.

  If the motion prohibition flag is set in step S204 (YES), it is determined that the object is handled as a static object, the process proceeds to step S205, and the modeling unit 305 stores the previous temporarily stored in the subsequent step S210. Read the modeling coordinates of the object at the image update timing. In this case, modeling coordinates that are temporarily stored are used without changing the positions of bones and joints.

  On the other hand, if the motion prohibition flag is reset in step S204 (NO), it is determined that the object is handled as a dynamic object, the process proceeds to step S206, and the modeling unit 305 stores object data from the object data storage unit 206. The coordinates are converted into a posture for expressing an operation according to the presentation control command. That is, change the position of bones and joints to create the movement of the entire object.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S207, where the modeling unit 305 performs a coordinate conversion operation for converting each of the object data expressed by the modeling coordinates, that is, the vertex coordinates of the polygons constituting the surface into the world coordinate system. By this processing, the object is arranged in the virtual three-dimensional space. Whether the object is a static object or a dynamic object, the arrangement of the object itself in the world coordinate system is determined according to the effect control command.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S208, and the stationary condition determination unit 302 determines whether or not the identified object matches the stationary condition. That is, as a result of the modeling conversion in step S207, it is determined whether the object arranged at a new position in the virtual three-dimensional space is located outside or inside the view volume.

  As a result of this determination, if it is determined that the object matches the stationary condition, that is, is located outside the visual volume (YES), the process proceeds to step S209, and the motion prohibition control unit 303 sets a motion prohibition flag. . In step S210, the modeling unit 305 temporarily stores the modeling coordinates obtained by the modeling conversion so that the modeling coordinates can be reused at the next image update timing. With this process, when the routine is called at the next image update timing, the object is handled as a static object.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S208 that the stationary condition is met, the object does not meet the stationary condition, that is, if it is determined that the object is located inside the visual volume (NO), the process proceeds to step S211 and the motion inhibition control unit 303 is performed. Resets the motion inhibition flag. With this process, when the routine is called at the next image update timing, the object is handled as a dynamic object.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S212, where it is determined whether or not the modeling conversion of all objects has been completed. If there are remaining objects (NO), the series of processes for the next object (S203 to S211). Is executed.

  If the modeling conversion of all the objects has been completed in step S212 (YES), the process proceeds to step S213, and the coordinate conversion unit 306 performs a viewing conversion operation on the object defined in the world coordinate system. Perform normalization transformation operations.

  In step S214, the perspective projection conversion unit 307 performs a perspective projection conversion operation on the object defined in the normalized coordinate system to calculate a projection position on the view screen.

  In step S215, the mapping unit 309 performs mapping on the polygon surface of the object subjected to perspective projection conversion while referring to the texture data stored in the texture data storage unit 308. When the objects are overlapped, a hidden surface removal process for prioritizing the color information of the pixel closer to the viewpoint is performed with reference to the Z value. As a result of these processes, one frame image is stored in the frame buffer in the video RAM 66.

  Finally, the process proceeds to step S216, where the effect display device 40 displays the frame image in the frame buffer on the display screen.

(Advantages of this embodiment)
According to this embodiment, there are the following advantages.

  (1) According to the first embodiment, it is determined for each object whether or not the object has reached a stationary condition in which the object can be stationary, and the movement of the object is prohibited with respect to the object that is determined to be stationary. Since the processing is performed, it is possible to reduce the amount of calculation processing consumed for calculating the motion of the object.

  (2) According to the first embodiment, the stationary condition is that the object to be determined is arranged outside the range of the visual volume, and the posture calculation of the object that is out of the visual volume in the modeling conversion is omitted. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the calculation processing amount.

  (3) According to the first embodiment, the object whose movement can be prohibited is also a dynamic object defined by the skeleton model, and the presence / absence of the object movement and the amount of calculation are controlled by setting / resetting the movement prohibition flag. Is possible.

(Embodiment 2)
The second embodiment relates to an invention that prohibits or permits movement according to the type of object.

  The functional block diagram of the second embodiment is almost the same as the functional block diagram of the first embodiment described in FIG. However, the stationary condition stored in the stationary condition storage unit 301 referred to by the stationary condition determining unit 302 is that the object to be determined is an object other than the object assigned as the main character. That is, if the main character plays the central role of the production, the movement is permitted, and if the sub character is only the auxiliary role of the production, the movement is prohibited.

  The operation in the second embodiment is also substantially the same as the flowchart of the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. However, the stationary condition used for determining whether or not the stationary condition is met in step S208 is that the object to be determined is an object other than the main object, that is, a sub character, as described above.

  Therefore, if the target object is a sub character, it is determined that the stationary condition is met in step S208 (YES), and a motion prohibition flag is set to treat the target object as a static object (step S209).

  On the other hand, if the object to be determined is the main character, it is determined in step S208 that the stationary condition is not met (NO), and the motion prohibition flag indicating that the target object is handled as a dynamic object is reset (step S208). S211).

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the movement is prohibited when the object is a sub character. However, the sub character is an auxiliary role compared to the main character, and the player feels uncomfortable even when the object is not moving. As a whole, the calculation processing amount can be reduced.

(Embodiment 3)
The third embodiment relates to an invention for controlling the prohibition of movement of an object according to the number of objects permitted to move.

  The functional block diagram of the third embodiment is almost the same as the functional block diagram of the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. However, the stationary condition stored in the stationary condition storage unit 301 referred to by the stationary condition determination unit 302 is that there are a predetermined number of dynamic objects permitted to move in addition to the object to be determined.

  Here, it is preferable that the predetermined number of dynamic objects that allow movement is determined according to the computing capability of the apparatus. A large number of objects can be modeled at the same time with a device with a relatively high processing speed, so a large number of objects can be modeled. A device with a relatively slow processing speed cannot model many objects. Yes, the predetermined number decreases. From the viewpoint of increasing the number of dynamic objects as much as possible, it is preferable to increase the predetermined number as long as the calculation capability of the image generation apparatus allows.

  The operation of the third embodiment is also substantially the same as the flowchart of the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. However, if a predetermined number of dynamic objects that are allowed to move in addition to the target object have already been set, it is determined in step S208 that the stationary condition is met (YES), and the target object is treated as a static object. The motion prohibition flag is set (step S209). In the subsequent processing, all objects are handled as stationary objects.

  On the other hand, if the predetermined number of dynamic objects allowed to move in addition to the object to be determined has not reached, it is determined in step S208 that the stationary conditions do not match (NO), and the target object is determined as a dynamic object. The motion prohibition flag for handling is reset (step S211). That is, the object is treated as a dynamic object until the predetermined number is reached.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment, if the number of dynamic objects has not reached the predetermined number, the dynamic objects are handled dynamically. If the number has already reached the predetermined number, the subsequent movement of the objects is prohibited. Therefore, if this predetermined number is set appropriately according to the processing capacity of the device, the object will be handled dynamically as much as possible until the limit of the processing capacity, and only when there is a possibility of exceeding the processing capacity Processed to stop movement. Therefore, unnatural still display is eliminated as much as possible.

(Embodiment 4)
The fourth embodiment relates to an invention in which a moving object and a non-moving object are distinguished and displayed at the same time.

  FIG. 8 shows a functional block diagram of the fourth embodiment.

  As functional blocks of this embodiment, the production control device 201, the first object data storage unit 311, the second object data storage unit 312, the modeling unit 305, the coordinate conversion unit 306, the perspective projection conversion unit 307, and the texture data storage unit 308 are used. , And a mapping unit 309. Among these, the modeling unit 305, the coordinate conversion unit 306, the perspective projection conversion unit 307, the texture data storage unit 308, and the mapping unit 309 have almost the same functions as those in the first embodiment.

  In the fourth embodiment, two types of object data are stored in the storage unit.

  That is, the first object storage unit 311 stores a first object that is a dynamic object, and the second object storage unit 312 stores a second object that is a static object. The first object is an object expressed by a set of polygons defined at relative positions with respect to the skeleton structure, and includes skeleton structure information for controlling movements such as bones and joints by the skeleton system. The second object is expressed by a set of polygons defined by relative positions with respect to the reference coordinates, does not have a skeletal structure such as a bone or a joint in the skeleton system, and has no information for motion control.

  In other words, the object stored in the first object storage unit 311 is an object that can be controlled in motion and capable of animation display that changes its position and orientation in the moving image, whereas the second object storage. The object stored in the unit 312 can be observed as a three-dimensional object from any direction by changing the viewpoint position as a three-dimensional image, but the posture is not changed over time.

  Since it is not necessary to control the movement, each vertex position of the polygon is defined by relative coordinates with respect to the reference point in the modeling object coordinate system. The vertex position of the polygon is not changed with respect to the reference point. Therefore, although it is possible to change the arrangement in the virtual three-dimensional space by world coordinate transformation of the entire second object, the attitude of the second object itself cannot be changed.

  The modeling unit 305 reads the first object data stored in the first object data storage unit 311 and changes the posture based on the effect control command, and arranges the first object at the position indicated by the effect control command. The modeling unit 305 reads the second object data stored in the second object data storage unit 312 and arranges the second object at the position indicated by the effect control command. However, the posture of the second object cannot be changed.

  In the operation of the fourth embodiment, the stationary condition is not determined as in the above embodiments. That is, steps S202, S204 to S206, and S208 to S211 are not necessary in the flowchart of FIG. In the modeling conversion in step S207, the modeling unit 305 simply reads out the first object data from the first object data storage unit 311 for modeling conversion, and reads out the second object data from the second object data storage unit 312 for modeling. Convert.

  For example, a conspicuous character such as a main character may be applied to the first object, and an inconspicuous character such as a sub character may be applied to the second object.

  9 to 12 show image display examples that are examples of the fourth embodiment. In these figures, the position of the viewpoint is changed around the main character from the front (FIG. 9) to diagonally forward (FIG. 10), diagonally rear (FIG. 11), and rear (FIG. 12), and the angles are different. Shows how it looks.

  In the display screen 600, reference numeral 602 is a main character, which is an object representing “commander”. Reference numeral 604 denotes a sub character, which is an object representing “infantry”. In this way, a configuration in which there is one main character and a plurality of sub characters is common. The main character 602 performs operations such as “breathing” and “shaking the body” over time. On the other hand, the sub character 604 is kept in an upright and stationary posture. The main character 602 is drawn relatively large, while the sub character 604 is drawn relatively small. The movement of the main character 602 is conspicuous when the movement is prohibited, whereas the movement of the sub character 604 is hardly noticed. Therefore, it is enough to move the main character. Even if the number of subcharacters that do not require motion control is increased, the amount of calculation processing hardly increases, so that a large number of subcharacters can be arranged.

  As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the first object that is assumed to be moved and the second object that is assumed not to be moved are stored in advance and are displayed in a mixed manner. Although the number of objects is increased, it is possible to reduce the overall calculation processing amount because there are objects that are not motion control targets.

(Modification)
The present invention is not limited to the above and can be implemented with various modifications.

  For example, in the above embodiment, some stationary conditions are exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, if there is a state that does not give visual unnaturalness even if the movement of the object is prohibited, the condition for satisfying such a state may be stored as a stationary condition, and the calculation processing amount of the entire apparatus is reduced. It is possible to achieve the effect of the present invention to reduce.

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a gaming machine. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to a general apparatus including a computer capable of executing a program related to the image processing apparatus / method. For example, the present invention can be applied to a game device or a simulation device.

The front view of the slot machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention The block diagram which shows the system configuration | structure of the slot machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. Functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the main control board Functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the sub-control board (Embodiments 1 to 3) The perspective view which shows the relationship between the visual volume and object arrangement | positioning in Embodiment 1. The top view which shows the relationship between the visual volume and object arrangement | positioning in Embodiment 1. Flowchart showing image generation processing (Embodiments 1 to 3) Functional block diagram showing functional configuration of sub-control board (Embodiment 4) Example of image display (front) as an example of Embodiment 4 Example of image display that is an example of Embodiment 4 (before diagonally) Image display example (diagonally behind) which is an example of Embodiment 4 Example of image display (back) as an example of the fourth embodiment

Explanation of symbols

10 slot machine 21 display window 31 reel 31L left reel 31C middle reel 31R right reel 40 effect display device 50 main control board 51 main CPU
52, 62 ROM
53, 63 RAM
54, 69 I / F circuit 60 Sub control board 60a Production control board 60b Image sound generation board 101 Control section 102 Lottery table 103 Role lottery section 105 Flag information storage section 106 Reel control section 107 Winning determination section 108 Game state control section 201 Production Control unit 301 Static condition storage unit 302 Static condition determination unit 303 Movement prohibition control unit 304 Object data storage unit 305 Modeling unit 306 Coordinate conversion unit 307 Perspective projection conversion unit 308 Texture data storage unit 309 Mapping unit

Claims (5)

An image generation device that generates a display image obtained by perspective projection conversion of an object arranged in a virtual three-dimensional space,
A stationary condition determining unit that determines whether or not the object satisfies a stationary condition where the object can be stationary;
If it is determined that meets the stationary condition, e Bei a motion prohibition control unit for prohibiting the movement of the object, and
The stationary condition is set such that there are a predetermined number of dynamic objects that are allowed to move in addition to the object to be determined, so that the entire calculation processing amount can be reduced as compared with the case where the stationary object is not stationary. An image generation apparatus characterized by comprising:   The image generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stationary condition is that an object to be determined is arranged outside a range in which the projection projection conversion is performed on the display image in a virtual three-dimensional space.   The image generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stationary condition is that an object to be determined is an object other than an object assigned as a main character. The object is an object represented by a set of polygons, in which a skeletal structure for controlling movement is set and defined at a relative position with respect to the skeletal structure.
The image generation apparatus according to claim 1. An image generation program that causes a computer to operate as an image generation apparatus that generates a display image obtained by perspective projection conversion of an object arranged in a virtual three-dimensional space,
In the computer,
A function for determining whether or not the object satisfies a stationary condition capable of being stationary;
Wherein when it is determined that meets the stationary condition is for executing a function of inhibiting the movement of the object, and
In addition to the object to be determined, the stationary condition is set such that there are a predetermined number of dynamic objects that are allowed to move, so that the entire calculation processing amount can be reduced compared to the case where the stationary object is not stationary. ing,
Image generation program.