JPH0793579A - Formation system of three-dimensional simulation image - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To perform a processing for making background images relatively move to substantially still foreground images with high cost efficiency by combining a computer graphic modeller with video data processed by a digital video effect device. CONSTITUTION: The computer graphic modeller 30 forms computer graphic foreground scenes provided with a transparent part. The digital video effect devices 16A, 17A and 18A process the video data to be backgrounds and form the strings of video background images whose movement is controlled. A synthesis part 36 keys the computer graphic foreground images to the movement controlled video background images and form output image strings while making the background observable through the transparent part of the foreground. Thus, the processing for making the background images relatively move to the substantially still foreground images is performed with high cost efficiency.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming system for three-dimensional simulation.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Complex computer graphics modelers (general purpose or special purpose computer workstations equipped with appropriate computer graphics modeling software) are used to produce various three-dimensional structures, automobiles, etc. , They are widely used today to design them and plan marketing strategies. Computer graphics modelers are perceived as an effective way to educate customers, sales personnel and staff about what their final products will look like and are becoming more and more popular. ing. They have much more flexibility than do traditional blueprints or reduced models of end products. Computer graphics modelers are also used, for example, in flight and driving simulators. As described above, effective modeling of three-dimensional objects or scenes is required in many fields, and simulations of layouts of control panels of automobiles and airplanes and flight simulations are just examples.

For example, British Patent Application GB-A-2181.
According to 929 (Applicant Sony Corporation), it is proposed to manipulate video data representing the surface structure of an object and arrange it on the same plane as the surface shape of the object to form an image of the object. ing. GB-A-2181929 is
For example, it is related to the simulation of a moving object used in a flight simulator. In a vehicle or airplane control panel simulation, the observer's (or conceptual camera's) viewpoint is limited to the interior of the vehicle or cockpit. The modeling of cars, planes and other control panels and interiors is easily accomplished with wireframe models of computer graphics. However, usually a rendering model (ie one that draws not only the surface but also the edge details) is used because it gives much more realistic results. However, rendering a model of the landscape inside a car dashboard or part of a flight deck requires a large amount of computational effort, which can result in movement of what is being displayed or perspective of the model. The representation of change is limited by the processing power of the computer graphics modeler. In a normal system,
Approximately 2 frames per second change is possible.

[0004]

Computer graphics modelers are recognized as representing the optical realism of a model, including walls, panel structures, lighting and shading, furniture and the like. However, since it is required to draw details in detail, the load is placed on the computer graphics modeler, making it impossible to form an image in real time. Moreover, conventional computer graphics modelers have only created the model under consideration (eg, the interior of a car). Consider the case of a car control panel. Just above the control panel is the windscreen. It is desirable to be able to model not only the control panel itself, but also the scene that can be seen through the window in order to express the appearance of the control panel in a car with rich texture. However, in conventional computer graphics modelers, the background scene is either black filled or at best a static background image.

In considering the layout of a vehicle control panel, it would be useful, for example, to be able to draw a realistic scene that can be seen through the window of a vehicle. Ideally, the realistic scene that can be seen through the car window should be a moving scene. If the moving scene simulates monitoring various traffic environments and general road conditions, the layout of the control panel can be effectively and appropriately evaluated. Simulating an optically realistic modeling of a control panel in combination with an external scene not only makes the computer graphics modeler hardware very expensive, but it also takes a lot of time to model it. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide modeling of external scenes in addition to modeling of internal scenes in a realistic and cost-effective manner.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An image forming system of the present invention comprises a computer graphics modeler for forming a computer graphics foreground image including at least one transparent portion and at least one set of background video data. A digital video effect device for processing a sequence of motion-controlled video background images, and a computer graphics foreground image keyed against the motion-controlled video background image to provide a background through transparent portions of the foreground. And means for forming an output image sequence while allowing the images to be viewed.

In the image forming system according to the second aspect of the present invention, the computer graphics modeler forms a scene from a predetermined viewpoint in a predetermined direction of a three-dimensional model of computer graphics.
In the image forming system according to the third aspect of the present invention, each background video data set is viewed from a viewpoint through a transparent portion in the foreground, and at least one background video data set is mapped on each surface drawn by a line of sight in a three-dimensional space. Is a still video image of the. In the image forming system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, each surface on which an image is drawn has 3
It is at least a part of the inner surface of a hemisphere that surrounds a computer graphics model in a dimensional space. In an image forming system according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a digital video effect apparatus applies different linear scaling (scaling) and / or translation processing to a background video data set at different image timings. By doing so, a moving background video image is formed. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in a digital video effect device, the digital video effect device gives a different address to a memory for temporarily storing background video data and a memory for write and read operations to perform linear expansion or It is provided with addressing means for performing the reduction processing and the parallel movement processing. 7th of this invention
According to the position data from the computer graphics modeler, the image forming system according to the present invention comprises control means for generating control data for the digital video effect device, the control data defining processing to be performed in synchronization with successive images. It is a thing. In an image forming system according to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the computer graphics modeler forms a foreground image having a plurality of transparent portions divided by opaque portions, and the digital video effect device has a plurality of digital video effect units. Each unit processes its own set of background video data to form a set of constituent background images, respectively, and to combine the set of constituent components of the background image to form a controlled sequence of background images. It also has a means to do.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is a cockpit of a vehicle including a user controllable vehicle controller, at least one opening through which the background can be seen, and at least one set of background video. A vehicle simulator system comprising a digital video effect device for processing data and forming at least one motion-controlled sequence of video images in an aperture.

[0009]

In accordance with the present invention, by combining a computer graphics modeler with video data processed by a digital video effect device, the position of the viewpoint is constrained to the foreground and not to the background. Objects or structures such as control layouts can be constructed realistically and cost effectively. By using a digital video effect device,
It is more flexible than using the captured video image as is. If the captured video images are used as they are, a large number of imaging screens and mechanical devices that process these images at high speed in order to enable rapid changes in the screen and display of various movement directions during simulation. Will be required. By using a digital video effect device that only requires a linear digital video effect device, a much smaller set of captured images to handle scaling and translation is required, allowing for fast changes and a variety of motion directions. It becomes possible to do. The number of actual images used for a particular simulation depends on the details of this simulation.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle interior model formed by a conventional computer graphics modeler (eg, a computer workstation for general purpose or special purpose three-dimensional computer graphics modeling software). It is drawn in the 16: 9 format of high definition television. This computer graphics modeler is powered by the data that shape the car model. This model includes three-dimensional position information, surface structure information, and other elements such as a lighting environment. From this data, the Computer Graphics Modeler creates a two-dimensional image of the car. As shown in FIG. 1, this two-dimensional image includes a control panel 12, namely a car dashboard, a windscreen 16 and a window 1.
It consists of a frame 14 that surrounds 7, 18, the interior of the ceiling 15 and other internal details. However, the computer graphics modeler cannot depict the details of the scene observed through the windscreen 16 and the side windows 17 and 18. According to the present invention, there is provided a system capable of depicting the scene (sometimes moving scene) observed through these windows 16, 17, 18.

FIG. 2 illustrates the concept behind the present invention. More specifically, in addition to the computer graphics model 20 represented by the inner circle in FIG. 2 formed by the computer graphics modeler, a video image (sometimes a moving image) is mapped, ie on a virtual hemisphere. Projected onto the plane, possibly in part by a digital video effect device forming a background scene surrounding the model 20.
In practice, for the scene shown in FIG. 1, the position of the viewpoint is constrained in the model 20 so that it only has to form part of the scene visible through a window or aperture in the model. Good. This concept is illustrated by FIG. The background scene 16S can be seen through the window 16, and the background scenes 17S and 18S can be seen through the windows 17 and 18. FIG. 4 shows how these three scenes are arranged in relation to the windscreen and side windows of the model shown in FIG.

[0012] These scenes are preferably individually captured as a series of still video images of the moving scene from three different camera directions. A device such as that shown in FIG. 5 may be used to match the original video image captured to the state viewed through the appropriate view port. In other words, the original image may be corrected for distortions that appear in the camera lens and the non-linear digital video effect generator 23
May be used to match a particular viewing screen or viewing surface. The original captured image is the source video memory 22
It may be stored in (for example, a first video recorder) and then processed by the non-linear digital video effect device 23 before being stored in the background image memory 24 (for example, a second tape recorder). The processing performed by this non-linear digital video effect device is the controller 2
Determined by 2. The controller is programmed by the user to perform a special mapping teaching to fit the original captured image into a portion of the background.

The applied mapping is used to allow a seamless checkered pattern to be constructed for the scene viewed through the side windows as well as the scene viewed through the windscreen. In addition, when the original image was taken, color correction was made to remove any levels, which would change depending on how the aperture was set, the angle of the sun, etc. If the width of the separated part of the background (that is, the part of the window frame 14 in FIG. 1) is narrow, it is desirable to adopt a seamless checkerboard pattern to give the impression that the outside scene is continuous. . However, if the model has structural features (that is, if the individual scenes are distinct), then a seamless checkerboard image is not necessary, and a less dense pattern will result in a continuous outer scene. You can give the impression that it is a real thing.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of the image generating system of the present invention. With the system shown in FIG. 6, a sequence of preprocessed background video images is merged with the computer graphics model itself by using a method capable of constructing a moving background to be simulated. A conventional computer graphics modeler (eg, a computer workstation containing 3D modeling software) produces an output image that represents a scene from within an object (eg, the interior of a car in FIG. 1). Computer Graphics Modeler's computer workstation has a keyboard, mouse,
It has conventional user input means including one or more of a graphics tablet, light pen, etc. This computer graphics modeler includes a monitor for displaying the foreground, which typically does not include background information. The output from the computer graphics modeler 30 includes position information 31 for identifying the position and orientation in the three-dimensional space used to create the image of the model. The image pixel data 32 is associated with the model image, and the keying data 33 identifies the region of the model image that is associated with the foreground and the region of the model image that is associated with the background.

In principle, conventional computer-aided design software packages or other conventional three-dimensional modeling software can also be used to create this model image. Conventional computer graphics modeling software cannot output position information indicating the position and direction of a viewpoint in a three-dimensional space, that is, a key signal indicating which part of an object is transparent and which part is not transparent. Computer graphics modeling software needs to be modified to provide these features. Any computer graphics modeling software capable of providing an image of the model can obtain data representing the position and orientation of the viewpoint in three-dimensional space. Similarly, a computer graphics modeling system capable of surface rendering can obtain data representing which parts are transparent and which are not. Thus, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art how to transform computer graphics modeling software to form the output of these data. The position information is supplied to the control unit 34 and the plurality of digital video effect units 16A, 17A and 18A.
And corresponding background image memories 16V, 17V and 18V
Control each movement. Background video memory 16V,
Each 17V, 18V contains video data associated with one or more pre-processed still images to form the original scene viewed through a car window or opening. Note that one background video memory V and one digital video effect device A are allocated for each transparent part of the model of this embodiment.
The number of memories and digital video effect devices may be matched to different numbers of transparent parts (for example, if the model has four windows, four may be allocated to each). The video data stored in the background video memory can be formed by the pre-processing of the still image described with reference to FIG. Each of the background video memories may be in the form of a digital video tape recorder, for example.
The output from each of the background video memories is input to the respective digital video effect device.

The digital video effect device constitutes a suitable linear motion of the image viewed through a suitable window.
More specifically, the digital video effect device 16A, 1
7A and 18A are image memory units 16V, 17V, 1 according to the control information from the control unit 34.
Scaling and parallel processing are performed on the image from 8V to simulate a state in which the image is moving. The respective outputs from the digital video effect devices 16A, 17A, 18A are sent to a combiner 35, and the individual output information is combined to form a background image sequence. Each background image consists of background images 16S, 17S, 18S constructed according to the relationship shown by the dashed lines in FIG. The background images arranged in order are alternately supplied to the combiner 36 acting as a keyer. This synthesizer 36 operates in response to key information provided by the computer graphics modeler from line combiner 35 through line 33 to relate the pixels of the foreground image to the background image. The final output image for the display is output to the video monitor for the display. Each of the digital video effect devices 16A, 17A, 18A magnifies the image planarly and moves the image horizontally or vertically to simulate motion. In this case, the viewpoint or background can be moved by moving all of the background video images in unison, which can simulate the movement of a car, and a computer graphics modeler It is also possible to model the structure of.

FIG. 7 shows a typical digital video effect device 2.
FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of FIG. 3 and can be used as one of the digital video effect devices 16A, 17A, 18A in the system shown in FIG. 6 and as the digital video effect generator 23 shown in FIG. is there. Also, since this digital video effect device is conventional, it will not be described in detail here. In summary, the digital video effect generator works as follows. The video signal representing each source image for operation is input to the digital video effect generator 32. Processing of the source image is done in the digital video effect device by controlling the read and write addresses for addressing the memory 50 for temporarily storing the image data. As shown in FIG. 6, the address operation from the read side is adopted, and this is controlled by the address generator 52. Pixel interpolator 58 allows the output pixel values to be calculated, and address generator 52 provides memory 50
There is no one-to-one mapping between the storage area and the output pixel. The address formed by the address generator 52 includes an integer portion for addressing the memory 50 and a fractional portion for addressing the pixel interpolator 58.

In processing an image, compression of the image is also included in the operation, and compression of the image causes aliasing which degrades the quality of the output image when no size correction is performed. The filter 54 is provided to compensate for the effect of compression. The filter controller 56 determines the partial scale factor for controlling the filter 54. The address generator 52 determines an address for mapping the pixel data from the memory 50 according to a specific process performed according to the control data from the control unit 34. The data supplied from the control unit 34 to the digital video effect generator contains the contents of the mapping necessary for the address generator to generate the appropriate address. The control unit 34 may take the form of a personal computer or computer workstation equipped with suitable software and may be provided as an integral part of the digital video effect device or as a special purpose part of the hardware. The functionality of the control unit 34 may be integrated in the computer workstation of the computer graphics modeler, which may eliminate the separate control unit. The computer graphics modeler then provides the necessary control signals directly to the digital video effect device and other modeling system components.

The control unit 34 controls the digital video effects device by programming the computer graphics modeler to define output data that determines the position and orientation of the model with respect to the viewpoint and orientation in 3D space and the background. By being configured to generate the appropriate control data, it is possible to form a background image to be displayed in the transparent part of the image being modeled. If the viewpoint and direction and the position and orientation of the model change, the control unit acts on the digital video effect device and changes the background in response to the change (eg, simulating a car moving along a road). To change it. Details of the computer graphics model, such as the location of dials on the dashboard of the car being modeled, can be changed by redefining the modeler data on the computer graphics modeler by conventional methods.

Thus, with the image generation system shown in FIG. 6, a two-dimensional image of a scene from within a model sent from a computer graphics modeler is converted from a video image operated by a digital video effect device. It can be accompanied by a moving background as seen through a window, etc., making it possible to realistically portray models in this environment. Typically 1280 pixels and 1
024 lines or 2048 pixels and 15
By using a current imaging computer graphics generator with a resolution of 60 lines, it is more typical to have 1920 pixels and 1035 pixels.
By using the high-definition digital video effect device according to the book line, it becomes possible to display the control panel and other computer models in a real-time and realistic manner in an environment similar to the real world. Also, by changing the selected viewpoint and its direction, it is possible to perform a simulation of moving the model in a manner close to real time, and the modeling system forms an appropriate output image according to these changes.

FIG. 8 represents a simulator according to the invention for simulating a vehicle, here a car. The simulator comprises a model image 110 of the interior of a vehicle. In the model image, there is a handle, a shift lever,
A set of control switches and other control means is included. Inside the simulator, they are connected via a connecting line 112 with a sensor for producing an output signal intended to be supplied to the control unit 134. The control unit 134 generates a control signal on the connection line 112, and the first, second, and third background image memories 116V, 11 are generated.
7V, 118V and digital video effect device 116A,
117A, 118A to control the video screen 116
A video image is generated on the display on S, 117S, 118S. Similar to the modeling system described above, the control unit uses background image memories 116V, 117V, and 11V.
Video data from 8V is selected and signals are generated to control the digital video effect devices 116A, 117A, 118A to properly process the video data from the memory for display on screens 116S, 117S, 118S. . This video display screen 116S, 117
S and 118S are 110 windows 1 which are model images of the cockpit.
It is arranged at each space of 16, 117 and 118.
It will therefore be appreciated that the special processing to be done on the video data is the orientation of the video display screen with respect to the window (ie whether it is parallel to the window or at some angle). . Note that in the previous example of the invention, the display screen was coplanar with the foreground screen, but it was transformed to create the proper perspective effect.

In the case of a car simulator, the first, second and third background image memory units preferably contain identical video data, ie video data representing a matrix of video images mapped onto a spherical surface. , Provides a complete array of video images selected to be processed by a digital effects device. A separate background image memory is provided for each digital video effect device due to the bandwidth of the data. If there is a high frequency band background image memory that can extract the video data at a rate sufficient to support all digital video effect devices, then only one is sufficient.

9 and 10 show the outline of the image matrix. FIG. 9 shows horizontal coordinate axes i-1, i, i.
+1, i + 2, etc. and vertical coordinate axes j-1, j, j + 1, j
It shows a grid or matrix of images arranged with respect to the intersection of +2 and so on. Four images I are stored for each intersection. For example, four images Ii, j, w, Ii, j, e, Ii, j, n, Ii, j, s are stored for intersection points i and j. The image Ii, j, w represents an image observed and photographed from the west direction adjacent to the intersection points i, j. The image Ii, j, e represents an image observed and photographed from the east direction adjacent to the intersection points i, j. The image Ii, j, n represents an image observed and photographed from the north direction adjacent to the intersection points i and j. The image Ii, j, s represents an image observed and photographed from the south direction adjacent to the intersection points i and j.
The north, south, east, and west in this case are simply introduced for convenience of explanation. It should be appreciated that the image need not be taken from such a particular direction. In short, the purpose of capturing four images is to form the background image regardless of the direction in which the background image approaches the position adjacent to the intersection points i and j. This is done so that for each intersection in the matrix, and in order for the images to overlap at the intersection, as represented by the short lines that intersect the parallel lines representing each pair of images adjacent to the intersection, This is achieved by taking 4 images. Actually, the captured image is not stored in the background image memory in FIG. 7. Instead, the stored image data represents a picked-up image that is mapped to a spherical or cylindrical surface portion. This is shown slightly enlarged in FIG. 10 for the four images associated with intersections i and j. In this way, the captured image Ii,
j, w is stored as an image which is mapped and represented on the surface as surface I'i, j, w. The captured image Ii,
j, s is stored as an image which is mapped and represented on the surface as surface I'i, j, s. Similarly, image Ii, j,
The image e is stored as an image that is mapped and represented on the surface as the surface I′i, j, e, and the image Ii, j, n is mapped and displayed on the surface as the surface I′i, j, n. Stored as an image. Where surface I'i, j, e and surface I '
Note that i, j, n overlap. This also holds for other adjacent images. In this way, a continuous representation of the space is generated, and the background images can be formed at any position of the matrix by appropriately combining the background images. The motion is expressed by the process of scaling or moving the stored background image. Thus, as the viewpoint approaches the stored image, the required pixel information is expanded,
It is represented as if the observer were approaching the object represented in the image. Before the viewpoint actually touches the surface on which the image is projected, the next image in this direction is selected so that continuous motion is represented through the matrix.

FIG. 9 shows a case where adjacent images overlap each other to some extent. However, in many embodiments, when the degree of overlap is further increased to move from one background image to the next background image, the output background Make the motion smooth in the image. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the concept of the matrix of the image may be extended to three dimensions to handle the movement of the viewpoint in the vertical direction. The technique using the matrix of images described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 is also applicable to the image forming system described with reference to FIG. 6. Through the use of an image matrix, it is possible to construct a simulator that operates through a simulated three-dimensional space in which the image is taken by enlarging or reducing the image or moving the image horizontally or vertically. Become. The simulator of FIG. 8 moves through a cockpit window (eg, windscreen, side window, etc.) of a vehicle, such as a vehicle, airplane, or space vehicle, simulated from a video image processed by a digital video image effect device. The background image can be provided with high quality. High quality images can be produced from the real world environment by using current high definition digital video effects devices and by typically operating at a resolution of 1035 lines at 1920 pixels. In this way, it becomes possible to simulate the real world environment in real time according to the operation of the user control in the vehicle, and for the display on the view screen observed through the window of the vehicle simulator. Therefore, it is possible to form an appropriate image.

[0025]

According to the present invention, by combining a computer graphics modeler with video data processed by a digital video effect device, the viewpoint is positionally constrained to the foreground and positionally constrained to the background. Objects or structures, such as uncontrolled vehicle layouts such as control layouts, can be constructed in a realistic and cost-effective manner. If the captured video images are used as they are, a large number of imaging screens and mechanical devices that process them at high speed are required in order to enable rapid changes in the screens and various directions of motion during simulation. However, by using a digital video effect device, a much smaller set of captured images can be processed by scaling and moving, and it is possible to express fast changes and various motion directions. It will be possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a scene viewed from a viewpoint at a specific position in a model.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a concept of a scene simulation.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a concept of a scene simulation.

FIG. 4 is a sequence of three types of pre-processed video images,
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing how it is combined with the scene shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus for preprocessing video data.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of the system of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a digital video effect device.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle simulator according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an outline of an image matrix.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an outline of an image matrix.

[Explanation of symbols]

12 control panel 16 window screen 16A, 17A, 18A, 23, 116A, 117A,
118A Digital Video Effect Device 16V, 17V, 18V, 116V, 117V, 118
V background image memory 20 model 30 computer graphics modeler 35 synthesizer 36 compounder 50 memory 52 address generator 134 control unit

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Morgan William Amos David United Kingdom GU98NW, Surrey, Ridgeway Road Farnham 34

Claims (19)

[Claims] 1. A computer graphics modeler for forming a computer graphics foreground image including at least one transparent portion, and a sequence of motion controlled video background images for processing at least one set of background video data. A digital video effect device for forming an output image sequence while the computer graphics foreground image is keyed to the motion controlled video background image to allow the background to be viewed through the transparent portion of the foreground. And an image forming system including means for. 2. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the computer graphics modeler forms a scene from a predetermined viewpoint in a predetermined direction of a three-dimensional model of computer graphics. 3. Each of the background video data sets represents at least one still video image mapped onto each surface defined to view a three-dimensional space from the viewpoint through a transparent portion in the foreground. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein: 4. The background video data represents a matrix of video images.
Image forming system. 5. The image forming system according to claim 3, wherein each of the surfaces is at least a part of an inner surface of a hemisphere surrounding a computer graphics model in a three-dimensional space. 6. The digital video effect device moves by applying scaling and / or translating processing on different scales in synchronism with successive images to a background video data set. 6. Forming a background video image.
The image forming system according to any one of 1. 7. The digital video effect device comprises a memory for temporarily storing background video data and a linear scaling process by giving different addresses to the memory during write and read operations. 7. The image forming system according to claim 6, further comprising addressing means for performing a parallel movement process. 8. A control means for generating control data for the digital video effect device, the control data defining a process to be performed in synchronization with a continuous image according to position data from the computer graphics modeler. The image forming system according to claim 7, wherein: 9. The computer graphics modeler forms a foreground image having a plurality of transparent portions separated by opaque portions, the digital video effect device comprising a plurality of digital video effect units, each unit comprising a respective digital video effect unit. Means are provided for processing the background video data sets to form respective constituent background image sets and for combining the background image constituent sets to form a controlled background image sequence. The image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: 10. Each of the digital video effect units is configured to form a moving background image by performing different linear scaling processing and translation processing on the respective background video data in synchronization with successive images. The image forming system according to claim 9, wherein the image forming system is an image forming system. 11. Each of the video effect units generates a memory for temporarily storing background video data, and generates different addresses of the memory for writing and reading processes to perform the linear scaling and parallel moving processes. 11. The image forming system according to claim 10, further comprising addressing means for performing the operation. 12. A control means is provided for generating control data for each of the digital video effect devices, the control data defining a process to be performed in synchronism with a continuous image according to position data from the computer graphics modeler. The image forming system according to claim 11, wherein the image forming system comprises: 13. A vehicle cockpit including a user controllable vehicle controller and at least one opening, a viewing screen observable through the opening, and at least one set of background video data for display on the screen. And a digital video effect device for processing at least one set of motion-controlled sequences of video images. 14. Each said background video data set represents at least one still video image mapped onto each surface defined for viewing a three-dimensional space from a viewpoint provided through said aperture. 14. The simulator system according to claim 13, which is characterized in that. 15. The background video data represents a matrix of video images, according to claim 13 or 1.
4 simulator system. 16. The simulator system according to claim 13, wherein each of the surfaces is at least a part of an inner surface of a hemispherical surface which surrounds a cockpit of the vehicle. 17. The digital video effect device applies motion to a background video data set by applying linear scaling and / or translating processing on different scales in synchronism with successive images. The simulator system according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that a background video image is formed. 18. The digital video effect apparatus comprises a memory for temporarily storing background video data, and a linear enlargement or reduction process and a parallel movement by giving different addresses to the memory during write and read operations. 18. The simulator system according to claim 17, further comprising addressing means for performing processing. 19. A control means for generating control data for the digital video effect device, the control data defining processing to be performed in synchronism with continuous images in response to an operation of the vehicle control device. 19. The simulator system of claim 18, characterized in that