JPH08305872A - Character image device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To clearly know what kind of operation can be done by enabling an attribute to be selected only when an item icon showing the state wherein the attribute to be changed can be selected, is displayed. CONSTITUTION: When a user determines desired parts to be changed on respective upper-layer screens 101-103 (A key operation), corresponding lower-layer screens 104-106 appear and the user changes the properties of the parts on the lower-layer screens. When the user determines properties (B key operation), the upper-layer screens appear again. When the user operates a C key on the upper-layer screens 101-103, the device moves to an item change mode and item icons displayed as animations on the upper-layer screens are made stationary. Further, an item icon showing a desired property item appears in an item icon area on the screen, the user operates the C key. Then, the screen moves to the upper-layer screen as to the item.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a character image device which combines various parts to generate a character image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, parts images representing parts such as eyes and mouths forming a character such as a face have been prepared in advance, and a character image of a desired face is generated by combining these various parts images. A device for doing so has been proposed. In order to be able to generate a character image intended by the user in such a device, it is necessary to freely change the so-called “attributes” such as the shape, position, or color of each of the original parts images. I won't.

To this end, it is necessary to be able to change each "attribute" independently for each part image. In other words, if the user tries to resemble someone's face,
Each part, for example if it is an "eye", must be able to change its shape, position and color independently.

In order to make it easier to change such "attributes", the operations of first changing which attribute, which part is changed, and how to change the attribute of the selected part are performed in order. It has to be done. To do this, each required operation is divided into modes, such as the mode for selecting attributes, the mode for selecting parts, and the mode for changing the attributes of the selected parts. You have to ensure that you can only perform the operations that have been performed. Then, priorities are assigned to the respective modes, and the modes having higher priorities are operated in order. For example, if you set priorities like "Attribute selection", "Part selection", "Attribute change", first decide which attribute should be changed, and then select the part whose attribute should be changed. Then, the selected attribute of this selected part is changed.

As described above, by classifying each type of operation and giving a priority order, it is possible to surely change the character image of a face or the like without error. However, by prioritizing each operation in this way, the lower layer operation cannot be performed unless the upper layer operation is performed. For example, "Select attribute"
To change to the state of changing the shape of the "eye" when "Color" is selected in and the "eye" is selected in "Select parts", directly change the shape from the "eye" color change state. It is not possible to shift to the changed state, and once "part selection"
From "Select attribute" mode, select the selected attribute from "Color" to "Shape", then select "Parts" to "Eyes"
Must be selected to perform the process of changing the shape of the “eye”.

In other words, the attribute selection is in the attribute selectable mode, and the part selection is only possible in the part selectable mode. It is clear to the user which operation is to be performed in which mode. Must be recognized. A generally conceivable method for this is to display a mark indicating the mode. On the display screen, in addition to the character screen, various icons for selecting the shape, position, and color of parts are displayed. In addition to this, displaying the mark indicating the mode not only makes the display screen complicated but also lowers the degree of recognition.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and when changing the character image, it is possible to clearly understand what kind of work can be performed by the operation on the displayed screen. The purpose is to do.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is capable of externally operating a character displayed on a display device in a character image device capable of changing the attributes of each part constituting the character for each attribute item. An input means, a first means for displaying an upper layer screen including the character and the item icon associated with the selected attribute item, and while the selected upper layer screen is being displayed,
In response to the item change input of the input means, the selected attribute item is changed, and the item icon is made to correspond to the changed attribute item from the selected attribute item on the upper layer screen. Second means for displaying the changed upper layer screen and, in the display of the upper layer screen, in response to the lower layer screen selection input from the input means, the character is included but the item icon is deleted. Third means for displaying a lower layer screen corresponding to the attribute item selected at that time, and an attribute belonging to the selected attribute item in response to an input from the input means while the lower layer screen is being displayed. And means for executing the operation changing process and displaying the result.

[0009]

With the above configuration, first, the upper layer screen including the character and the item icon associated with the selected attribute item is displayed, and when the item change input is made at this time, the selected attribute item is displayed. Along with the change, another upper layer screen in which the item icon is changed from the attribute item in the selected upper layer screen to the one associated with the changed attribute item is displayed. When the lower-layer screen selection is input while the upper-layer screen is displayed, the lower-layer screen including the character but the item icon is deleted and the lower-layer screen corresponding to the selected attribute item is displayed. During the display of the lower layer screen, in response to the input from the input means, the operation changing process of the attribute belonging to the selected attribute item is executed and the result is displayed. As a result, when the attribute to be changed can be selected, an item icon representing it is displayed, and "attribute selection" can be performed only when the attribute is displayed. It can be clearly recognized that it is the uppermost mode, and attribute selection is possible.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Outline of Functions (FIGS. 1 to 20) First, the functions of the character image device of the embodiment will be described.
The character image device displays a character on the display device. This device, for the character displayed on the display device, the attributes of each part that constitutes the character,
The operation can be changed for each attribute item. Here, the character is composed of a plurality of (for example, 10) parts. Character = {part 1 + part 2 + ... + part n} In the embodiment, the character is 10 parts “hair”.
"Ear""Eyebrow""Eye""Nose""Mouth""Beard""Glasses"
It consists of "face contour" and "clothes". Among these, the "ears",
Each part of "eyebrows" and "eyes" consists of a pair of subparts (for example, right eye and left eye). Parts are "shape""position""color"
It has the attribute of. Attribute of part i = {shape, position, color} That is, this device uses "shape" and "position" as attribute items of the part.
And "color".

This apparatus has "character selection mode", "attribute item change mode", "parts item change mode", and "attribute operation change mode" as operation modes.
The user of this device selects an operation target character from a plurality of characters in the "character selection mode", selects an operation target attribute item (for example, shape) in the "attribute item change mode", and selects "parts item". In the "change mode", the part (for example, eye) to be operated is selected, and in the "attribute operation change mode", the attribute of the selected part or the selected attribute item, for example, the shape of the eye is changed and determined.

FIG. 1 shows an input device (control pad 10) operated by a user. The control pad 10 includes an A key 10A, a B key 10B, a C key 10C, an up key 10U, a down key 10D and a right key. 10
It has R and left key 10L operators. The user of this apparatus can appropriately operate the control pad 10 to obtain a desired character having a desired part attribute. When the device is started, the character selection screen 100 shown in FIG. 3 first appears on the display device. The user selects a desired character while the screen 100 is displayed. The character selection screen 100 has 9 icons
Includes individual physique icon 300. Age build icon 30
Reference numeral 0 denotes an icon characterizing the character (character characteristic icon), and the age-related icons 300 at positions 1 to 9 in FIG. 3 are "baby" and "small infant", respectively.
It is expressed by the picture (not letters) of "bold infant", "small boy", "medium boy", "thick adult", "medium adult", "medium adult", and "thick adult" (Fig. 4).

When the user presses the right key 10R in this situation, the cursor 301 is displayed on the screen 100 and the physique icon 30 is displayed.
The cursor 301 moves to the left by moving to the right on the line of 0 and pressing the left key 10L. The physique icon 300 indicated by the cursor 301 is displayed in "selected color". In the character selection screen 100 of FIG. 3, an appropriate background (for character selection) is displayed in the area 100BG other than the age icon 300 and the cursor 301.
Not shown. The same applies to other screens.

Here, when the user operates the A key which is the determination key (means that the character characterized by the physique icon 300 indicated by the cursor 301 is selected), the screen is changed from the character selection screen 100 to the screen shown in FIG. The screen shifts to the parts selection screen (1) 101 shown in (1) (see FIG. 2, which is a screen transition diagram). The parts selection screen (1) 101 is the parts selection screen (2) 104 shown in FIG.
Is the upper layer screen for. In other words, the part selection screen (2) 104 is a lower layer screen for the screen 101. In the part selection screen (1) 101 which is the upper layer screen, the user selects a part (for example, "eye") whose attribute of the item "shape" is to be changed. Then, on the part selection screen (2) 104 which is the lower layer screen, the user changes the shape of the selected part (eye) and determines it.

The parts selection screen (1) 101 (FIG. 5) includes a character 310, and as an icon, an physique icon 300 characterizing the character, and an item (shape here) indicating what attribute item should be changed. Icon 302 (shape) and 7 parts icons 3
Including 03. Each part icon is represented by the design of the part. The part icon 303 is an operation icon used to select a part whose attribute is to be changed. According to this embodiment, a plurality of operation icons (in addition to the part icon 303, a shape icon 305 and a color palette icon 306, which will be described later) are arranged around the character 310 for each mode.

Here, seven part icons 303 are arranged around the character 310. Further, according to this embodiment, the plurality of operation icons rotate left or right by operating the left and right keys.

As described above, the character is made up of 10 parts, and this apparatus contains data representing the same number (10) of part icons. That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between parts and parts icons. On the parts selection screen (1) 101, 7 of 10 part icons 30
3 is displayed. The remaining three are outside the display area. In FIG. 5, it is a parts icon that is displayed at positions “1”, “2”, “3”, “4” and positions “8”, “9”, “10”, and at positions “5”, The part icons shown by "6" and "7" are not displayed. However, the rotation display function of the part icons allows the user to see all the part icons. Now, it is assumed that the "beard" picture part icon 303 is displayed at the position "1", and similarly, the part icons 303 of different part pictures are displayed at the positions 2-4 and 8-10. When the right key 10R is pressed here, the "beard" part icon 303 at the position "1" is shifted to the position "2" as shown in FIG.
3 shifts to the position "i + 1" (rotate the part icon to the right). If you press the left key 10L instead of the right key,
The "whisker" part icon 303 in the position "1" shifts to the position "10", and thereafter, the part icon 303 in the same position "i" shifts to the position "i-1" (left of the part icon rotation). The user presses the enter key (A key 10A) when the part icon representing the part (eg, eye) to be changed to the position "1" appears. As a result, the screen shifts from the parts selection screen (1) 101 to the lower parts selection screen (2) 104 (FIG. 2).

On the parts selection screen (2) 104, the user changes and determines the "shape" of the parts (for example, eyes) selected on the upper layer screen. As shown in FIG. 7, the parts selection screen (2) 104 includes a character 310 and, as an icon, an annual body size icon 300 (selected on the character selection screen) that characterizes the character,
And a selected part icon 304 representing a part (for example, an eye) selected on the upper layer screen 101. However, the item icon 302 is erased from the part selection screen (2) 104 which is the lower layer screen (the screen when the attribute is actually changed) according to this embodiment.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to shift to the mode for changing the item of the attribute to be operated only from the upper layer screen on which the item icon is displayed. Further, on the parts selection screen (2) 104, seven shape icons 305 are arranged around the character 300 as operation icons. This device contains data for each part that indicates the shapes and types that the part can have. Form = (Form 1, Form 2, ... Form N) For example, Hairstyle = (Hairstyle 1, Hairstyle 2, ... Hairstyle n)

Further, the present apparatus contains data representing a shape icon in a one-to-one correspondence with "shape" data. For example, if there are N types of hairstyle images, the number (N) of hairstyle images corresponds to the shape icons 305. Baht selection screen (2) 1
In 04, seven of these shape icons 305 are displayed at the positions "1", "2", "3", "4", "N-2", "N-" shown in FIG.
1 "," N ". Left and right keys 10L, 1
The shape icon rotates counterclockwise or clockwise by the rotation display function by the 0R operation (see FIG. 8).

As shown in FIG. 9, if the shape icon 305 (for example, an eye shape icon) appearing at the position "1" looks good, the user presses the A key 10A. On the other hand, the character image device takes out the part image corresponding to the shape icon at the position "1" and replaces the part image displayed on the character 310 with it. If the result is not satisfactory, the user again operates the left and right keys to bring the shape icon having another shape that looks good to position "1" and operates the A key.

The parts movement screen (1) 102 (FIG. 10) is a screen displayed as an upper layer when the item of the attribute to be changed is "position". Parts movement screen (1) 102
The background is the parts movement screen (1) and (2), 102, 1
Peculiar to 05, the point icon 302 (move) for moving parts is displayed instead of the one 302 (shape) for selecting parts as the item icon 302, and three part icons 303 are displayed instead of seven. Except for the points, it is the same as the part selection screen (1) 101. Similar to the case of the part selection screen (1), the three part icons 303 rotate and move in response to the operation of the left / right keys 10L and 10R (see FIG. 11). The user who decided the part to move the "position" on the parts movement screen (1) 102 is A key 1
Press 0A. On the other hand, the apparatus moves the screen from the parts movement screen (1) 102 to the lower parts movement screen (2) 105 (FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 12, the parts movement screen (2) 105 includes a character 310, and as the icons, an age character icon 300 and a selected parts icon 3 are displayed.
04 and arrow movement icon 30 as an operation icon
Including 6. As with the other lower layer screens, the item icon 302 (move) has been deleted from the parts movement screen (2) 105. This parts movement screen (2) 105 (Fig. 1
In 2), the user changes and determines the “position” of the part selected on the upper layer screen 102. The position can be changed by operating the left / right and down keys. That is, if you press the right key 10R,
The position of the part moves to the right, and in the same way, left key = left move, up key = up move, down key = down move. However,
For parts that consist of a pair of left and right subparts, such as the eyes and eyebrows, the left, right, up, and down keys have the moving functions of "left", "right", "up", and "down" for the right subpart (for example, the right eye). , "Left" is replaced with "right" and "right" is replaced with "left" for the left subpart (for example, the left eye), so that left-right symmetric movement is achieved (see FIG. 13).

The color change screen (1) 103 shown in FIG. 14 is an upper layer screen for changing the color of the part. On this screen, the user selects the part whose color is to be changed. The color change screen (1) 103 displays the character 3 on the background for color change.
10, color change item icon 302 (color),
Age icon 300 and three parts icons 30
Including 3. Therefore, the color change screen (1) 103 is very similar to the part movement screen (1) 102, and the difference is that the item icon 302 unique to the color change and the background unique to the color change are used. Parts movement screen (1) 102
As in the case of, the part icon 303 is rotated left or right according to the operation of the left and right keys (FIG. 15). When the part icon 303 representing the part whose color is to be changed appears at the position "1", the user presses the part determination key (A key 10A). As a result, the screen shifts from the upper layer color change screen (1) 103 to the lower layer color change screen (2) 106 (FIG. 2).

In the color change screen (2) 106 (FIG. 16), the user changes the color of the part. For this reason, the color change screen (2) 106 includes the character 310 and the physique icon 300 on the background for color change, and the operation icons include nine color palette icons 306 as shown in FIG. 17 and the character 310. Placed around the.

This apparatus contains a plurality (M) of color palette icons 306. The color palette icon 306 is an icon representing a color that a part can have, and has different colors (representative colors shown by the diagonal lines in FIG. 17). Therefore, the number of colors (combinations) that the parts can have and the color palette icon have a one-to-one correspondence.

[Outside 1] From the set of these M color palette icons 306, nine icons 306 at a time are displayed on the screen 106 at nine positions “1” around the character 310.
Displayed in "5", "M-3" to "M".

According to the operation icon rotation display function of this apparatus, the color palette icon 306 is rotated left or right in response to the operation of the left and right keys (see FIG. 18). Position (1)
The user presses the A key 10A when the color palette icon 306 of a color that seems to be desired appears. On the other hand, the character image device changes the color of the part selected on the screen 103 to the color corresponding to the color palette icon 306 at the position (1). If the result is not satisfactory, the user repeats the left / right key and A key operation to change the color of the part to another color. After determining the color of the part, the user presses the B key 10B. This allows
The screen returns from the lower layer color change screen (2) 106 to the upper layer color change screen (1) 103.

FIG. 20 shows the character selection screen 10 described above.
0, parts selection screen (1) 101, parts selection screen (2) 104, parts movement screen (1) 102, parts movement screen (2) 105, color change screen (1) 103, color change screen (2) 106 Here is a list of the icons that appear on each screen. The above screens 100 to 1 are shown in FIG.
No. 06 shows a screen transition by a key operation.
Of these screens, a parts selection screen (1) 101, a parts movement screen (1) 102, and a color change screen (1) 103
Are upper layer screens for the attribute items “shape”, “position”, and “color”, respectively.
Reference numerals 105 and 106 are lower layer screens corresponding to the respective screens.
When the user decides a part to be changed on each upper layer screen 101, 102, 103 (when the A key is operated), the screen moves to the corresponding lower layer screen 104, 105, 106, and the user attributes the part on the lower layer screen. To change. When the user determines the attribute (when the B key is operated), the screen returns to the corresponding upper layer screen.

As described above, the lower layer screens 104-106.
The item icon 302 has been deleted from. According to this embodiment, the operation mode (attribute change mode) of the lower layer screens 104 to 106 not including the item icon 302 representing the item of the attribute to be changed is changed to the mode (attribute change mode) for changing the "item" of the attribute. It cannot be transferred immediately. On the other hand, each upper layer screen 101, 102, 103 displayed in the operation mode (part item selection mode) for selecting a part whose attribute is to be changed includes an item icon 302 representing the item of the attribute to be changed.

According to this embodiment, each upper layer screen 101, 1
The item icons 302 included in 02 and 103 are displayed in animation. For example, in the upper layer screen 102, that is, the parts movement screen (1), two item icons 302A (for movement), 302 for moving parts, as shown in FIG.
B (for movement) is switched and displayed at predetermined time intervals to give an animation effect. Further, according to this embodiment, the upper layer screens 101 and 10 including the item icon 302 are included.
From 2 and 103, it is possible to shift to an operation mode (attribute item change mode) for changing the "item" of the attribute shown in the item change screens 200 to 203. This shift is activated by operating the C key 10C (see the lower half of FIG. 2).

When the user operates the C key 10C on the upper layer screens 101, 102, and 103, the apparatus shifts to the item change mode, and the item icon displayed in animation on the upper layer screen is stopped. In practice, this "stationary" item icon is the third item icon for that attribute item. That is, the item icons are classified by item, and there are three picture icons for each item (however, for character selection, there is one "still" picture icon). Item icon = (item icon (shape), item icon (move), item icon (color), item icon (character)) Item icon (i) = (icon of pattern 1, icon of pattern 2, icon of pattern 3) However, the item icon (character) = (one picture icon) For example, when the C key 10C is operated on the upper layer screen 102 (parts moving screen (1)), the item icon 302 (for moving) in that screen is displayed. 302A shown in FIG.
3 from those shown in (for movement) or 302B (for movement)
Still with the pattern of 02C (for movement).

Only the item icon is the part of the screen that changes when the C key is operated to enter the item change mode. For example, an item change screen 202 when the C key 10C is operated from the parts movement screen (1) 102
The content of is that only the item icon on the parts movement screen (1) 102 is changed to the item icon 302C (for movement). In the item change mode, the user can change the "item" of the attribute by operating the up key 10U or the down key 10D. Along with this item change, the item icon 302 changes to an item icon representing the changed item. That is, the item icon 302 is the up key 10U.
In the continuous operation of, change as follows: "for selecting parts" → "for selecting characters" → "for changing colors" → "for moving parts" → "for selecting parts" …… and pressing the down key 10D It changes in the reverse order for continuous operation.

When an item icon (for example, "for color change") representing a desired attribute item appears in the item icon area of the screen, the user operates the C key 10C (selects the "color" item). On the other hand, the screen shifts to the upper layer screen (color change screen (1) 103) for the item. When the user selects the item "character selection" in the item change mode, the character selection screen 100
Move to

Hardware Configuration Next, the hardware configuration of the character image device will be described. <Overall Configuration> FIG. 21 shows the character image device 1 of this embodiment.
3 is a block diagram showing the overall hardware configuration of FIG. The character image device 1 supplies to the display device 2 a composite video signal S _V and an audio signal S _A generated based on the components 10 to 20 described later. Display device 2
Is an ordinary television receiver or a VDT (video display terminal) equipped with a sound system, for displaying an image according to the composite video signal S _V supplied from the device 1 side on the screen, and an audio signal. Sound S _A as BGM or sound effect.

In the character image device 1, 10 is the above-mentioned control pad (FIG. 1), which generates an operation signal according to the switch operation by the operator. Reference numeral 11 denotes a CPU that controls each part of the device based on an operation signal generated by the control pad 10, and its operation will be described later. The CPU 11 includes peripheral devices such as a DMA controller (not shown) and is configured to perform high-speed DMA transfer. A ROM 12 stores various control programs for controlling the CPU 11 as well as various data necessary for the operation of the apparatus (including image-related data necessary for display). A work RAM 13 is composed of various registers for temporarily storing the calculation result of the CPU 11 and the flag value.

Reference numeral 14 is a video display processor (VDP) which controls display under the control of the CPU 11. The VDP 14 is an SRAM 15 (static RA
M) and DP-RAM 16 (dual port RAM)
An RGB color signal for screen display in a display mode instructed by the CPU 11 is generated based on various image data stored in.

In this device 1, one display screen is formed by superimposing a maximum of eight constituent surfaces. The order of superposition of the constituent surfaces is called priority. In addition, it is possible to control ON / OFF of the display of an arbitrary component surface. The CPU 11 outputs VD image information about each component
It is sent to the P14 side (SRAM 15, DP-RAM 16 and internal memory). On the other hand, the VDP 14 creates (decodes) image data of each component surface, and turns on / off the display of each component surface.
According to F and the priority, a pixel to be displayed is determined at each pixel coordinate, and an RGB color signal representing the pixel is generated and output. The SRAM 15 is DMA from the CPU 11.
The image data forming the transferred icon image or background image is temporarily stored. On the other hand, DP-
The RAM 16 temporarily stores bitmap image data forming a character image DMA-transferred from the CPU 11. The DP-RAM 16 has a configuration in which image data can be read while being written using both the write port and the read port in order to write and read the image data at high speed.

A video encoder 17 converts the RGB color signals output from the VDP 14 into a composite video signal S _V and outputs the composite video signal S _V. Reference numeral 18 is a tone generator circuit. The tone generator circuit 18, under the instruction of the CPU 11,
Musical sounds are synthesized based on the waveform data stored in the sound RAM 19, and the resulting musical sound data is supplied to the D / A converter 20 in the next stage. D / A converter 20
Converts the musical sound data supplied from the sound source processing circuit 18 into an audio signal S _A and outputs it.

<Structure of VDP 14> Next, the structure of the VDP 14 will be described with reference to FIG. VDP14
Is composed of an interface unit 30, an image generation unit 40, a synchronization control unit 50, and a display control unit 60. The interface unit 30 is formed of the components 31 to 33. Reference numeral 31 denotes a CPU interface, which supplies various control signals supplied from the CPU 11 to various parts of the VDP 14 and also supplies various timing signals generated by the VDP 14 to C
Output to PU11. Reference numeral 32 denotes an SRAM interface, and the CPU 1 is connected via the CPU interface 31.
The image data forming the object image (constituting the icon image) or the background image DMA-transferred from 1 is written in the SRAM 15, and the SRA
The image data forming the object image (icon image) or the background image read from M15 is supplied to the image generation unit 40.

In FIG. 22, reference numeral 33 is a DP-RAM interface. This interface 33 is a CPU
Bitmap image data (constituting a character image) DMA-transferred via the interface 31 is DP-
The bitmap image data read from the DP-RAM 16 is supplied to the image generation unit 40 while being written in the RAM 16. Here, the screen configuration of the display screen handled by the VDP 14 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown, one display screen has a maximum of eight constituent surfaces BG-A, BG-B, and O.
BJ-A, OBJ-B, BM-A1, BM-A2, BM
-B1 and BM-B2. And display O of each component
N / OFF and priority are VDP from CPU11
It can be variably set by a display ON / OFF setting process (DENA set) to 14 and a priority setting process. However, in this embodiment, the ascending order of priority is as shown in the drawing, the BG-B surface, the BG-A surface, the OBJ-A surface,
BM-B2 surface, BM-B1 surface, BM-A2 surface, BM-A
The first surface and the OBJ-B surface are used in this order.

The image generating section 40 is composed of constituent elements 41 to 44. 41 is an object attribute memory (OA
M). OAM41 is OBJ-A side and OBJ-B
The attribute data of each object included in the surface is stored.
The attribute data of each object includes the CGM number, size,
It consists of data items of coordinates and CLT bank number. CGM
The number and size data specify the area in the SRAM 15 in which the image data of the object is stored. The coordinate data is the object plane (OBJ-A or OBJ-B
The position of the object on the surface (the upper left position of the object image) is specified. The CLT bank number specifies the bank in the color lookup table 62 that stores the RGB color data for each pixel code included in the image data of the object. The object attribute data temporarily stored in the object attribute memory 41 is updated by the CPU 11 via the CPU interface 31 described above.

Reference numeral 42 is the object OBJ-A surface, OBJ
An object generator that generates each line image on the B side at each horizontal scanning timing. The object generator 42 has two line buffers,
Image data for one horizontal scanning line read from the SRAM 15 side with reference to the object attributes stored in the object attribute memory 41, that is, image data for one line of the object OBJ-A surface and one line for the object OBJ-B surface. And the image data of are stored in the line buffers. In addition, the generator 42 transfers the image data stored in both line buffers to the display control unit 60 of the next stage in the horizontal blanking period based on a synchronization signal supplied from a synchronization control unit 50, which will be described later. Image data for the scanning line
The process of reading from the AM 15 side is sequentially repeated.

43 is the background BG-A surface, BG
-A background generator that generates each image on the B side at each horizontal scanning timing, and includes two line buffers. In the generator unit 42, the SRAM 1
The 1-line image data of the background BG-A surface and the 1-line image data of the background BG-B surface are stored in the line buffers from the 5 side and transferred to the display control unit 60 of the next stage during the horizontal blanking period. Thereafter, the process of reading the image data corresponding to the next scanning line from the SRAM 15 side again is sequentially repeated.

Reference numeral 44 designates four bit map planes BM-A1,
It is a bitmap generator that generates each image of BM-A2, BM-B1, and BM-B2 for each horizontal scanning line, and includes four line buffers. In this generator 43, each bit map plane BM from the DP-RAM 16
Image data for one line of -A1, BM-A2, BM-B1, and BM-B2 are stored in the line buffers and transferred to the display control unit 60 of the next stage in the horizontal blanking period, and then the next horizontal scanning is performed. The image data for the line is again S
The process of reading from the RAM 15 is sequentially repeated. It should be noted that a transparent code for one line is stored in the line buffer for the constituent surface whose display is set to "OFF".

The synchronization control unit 50 is composed of components 51-53. Reference numeral 51 is an oscillator for generating various operation clock signals used inside the VDP 14. Reference numeral 52 denotes a horizontal / vertical synchronization counter unit that generates a horizontal synchronization counter value / vertical synchronization counter value by counting the clock signal supplied from the oscillator 51. A decoder unit 53 decodes the horizontal synchronization counter value / vertical synchronization counter value generated by the horizontal / vertical synchronization counter unit 52 to generate a horizontal synchronization signal and a vertical synchronization signal. The synchronizing signal generated by the decoder 53 is supplied to the video encoder 17 in the next stage, and also to the above-mentioned generators 42 to 44 and the display control unit 60. The video encoder 17 is a decoder 53
And a RGB color signal from the display controller 60, and generates a composite video signal S _{V on} which the synchronization signal is superimposed.

The display control unit 60 is composed of components 61-64. Reference numeral 61 denotes a priority controller, which has eight constituent surfaces ("OBJ") generated by the image generation unit 40 described above.
-A "," OBJ-B "," BG-A "," BG- "
B "," BM-A1 "," BM-A2 "," BM-B "
1 "," BM-B2 "). The priority controller 61 determines the front-rear relationship of each component according to the priority data stored in the control register group 64.

For each pixel coordinate on each horizontal line, the priority controller 61 determines the pixel code at that coordinate. For this purpose, the priority controller 6
1 is 8 from the generators 42 to 43 at each coordinate
Look at the pixel code (for example, 4-bit configuration) indicated by the output for the highest ranked surface according to the priority data in the output of the line image buffer for one surface, and if it is not the "transparent code", use that pixel code for the color lookup table. (CLT) 62. If it is a "transparent code", the pixel code of the next highest surface is looked at, and the same operation is performed thereafter. As a result, the pixel code of the surface having the highest rank among the surfaces having “non-transparent” pixels is selected and output to the color lookup table 62.

This selected pixel code specifies a lower address for the color look-up table 62. The upper address for the color lookup table 62 is determined as follows. First, the constituent surface to which the selected pixel code is given is a surface other than the object surface (BG-
A, BG-B, BM-A1, BM-A2, BM-B1,
In the case of the BM-B2 surface), the bank information corresponding to the constituent surface is extracted from the control register group 64 in accordance with the constituent surface of the priority controller 61 and the pixel code selecting operation, and the color look-up table 6
Specify the upper 2 address. The component surface to which the selected pixel code is given is the object surface (OBJ-A, OBJ-B surface).
In the case of C, C included in the attribute data (on the OAM) of the object that generated the selected pixel code in terms of its configuration.
Color lookup table 6 using LT bank number
Specify the upper 2 address.

The color look-up table 62 has a corresponding digital RGB color signal (R
(GB color data) is output. That is, the color lookup table 62 is for converting the selected pixel code into RGB color data. The contents of the color lookup table 62 can be rewritten in word units (for each RGB color data) by CLS data transfer from the CPU 11. The RGB D / A converter 63 converts the digital RGB color signal output from the color lookup table 62 into a corresponding analog RGB color signal, and outputs the analog RGB color signal to the video encoder 17. The control register group 64 is composed of a plurality of registers for temporarily storing various display control data (including the above-mentioned priority data, bank information, and display ON / OFF information of the configuration surface) supplied from the CPU 11.

The control register DEN shown in FIG.
A stores the display ON / OFF flag of each component surface, where LSB is the BG-A surface, 1B is the BG-B surface, and 2B is the B surface.
M-A1 surface, 3B is BM-A2 surface, 4B is BM-B1
A surface 5B is a display ON / OFF flag of a BM-B2 surface, a display 6B is an OBJ-A surface, and a display 7B is an OBJ-B surface. Each display ON / OFF flag represents a display OFF when "0" and a display ON when "1". 25 and 26, the SRAM 15 and D
The memory map of P-RAM16, OAM41, CLT62 is shown. The SRAM 15 is a BG-A area 151 (not used in this embodiment) for storing image data of the BG-A surface, and a BG for storing image data of the BG-B surface (representing a background in this example). -B area 152, OB
An OBJ-A area 153 for storing the data of each object image included in the J-A surface and an OBJ-B area 153 for storing the data of each object image included in the OBJ-B surface.

The DP-RAM 16 is a BM-A1 area 1 for storing the bitmap image data of the BM-A1 surface.
61 (not used in this example), BM-A2 area 162 for storing image data of BM-A2 surface, BM-B
BM-B1 area 1 for storing image data of one surface
63, BM-BM for storing image data of B2 surface
-It consists of B2 area 164. In this embodiment, BM-A
2, the image of the display character is represented by the entire image data in the areas 162 to 164 of BM-B1 and BM-B2. The OAM 41 is attribute data (CGM number, size, coordinates, CL) of each object included in the OBJ-A surface.
OBJ-A area 411 for storing the T bank number) and OBJ-B area 412 for storing the attribute data of each object included in the OBJ-B surface.

In this embodiment, one icon is expanded and expressed in one or a plurality of connected object images. The size of the object image is a pixel (horizontal) x a
Pixels (vertical) (for example, a = 32), on the other hand,
The size of the icon image is ak pixels x ac pixels (k,
c is represented by a positive integer, for example 1, 2). For example, a =
When 32, k = 2, and c = 1, the icon has a size of 64 pixels (horizontal) × 32 pixels (vertical), and the object has 32
The size of the pixel is 32 pixels, and the icon is expressed by being expanded into two objects. That is, the CPU 11 divides the image of this icon into two object images and divides them into the object memory 153 or 15 on the SRAM 15.
Write in a predetermined area of 4. Also, if the coordinates of the icon (upper left of the icon image) are (x, y), the coordinates of the first object among the two divided objects are (x, y
y), the coordinates of the second object are (x + 32, y). Therefore, the CPU 11 uses this icon for
The attribute data of the first object including the coordinates (x, y) and the attribute data of the second object including the coordinates (x + 32, y) are OAM (object attribute memory) 4
Write in a predetermined area of 1.

Since the relationship between the icon and the object is clear, the detailed description of the object will be omitted in the following description when the CPU 11 sends the information about the icon to the VDP 14 side. As shown in FIG. 26, the CLTs 62 are BM-A1 surface and BM-, respectively.
A2 surface, BM-B1 surface, BM-B2 surface, BG-A surface, B
For the GB plane, the OBJ-A plane, and the OBJ-B plane, there are eight areas for storing conversion tables for conversion from pixel codes to RGB color data, that is, BM-A1 area 621 (unused), BM- A2 area 622, BM-B
1 area 623, BM-B2 area 624, BG-A area 625, BG-B area 626, OBJ-A area 627, and OBJ-B area 628.

Image-Related Data (FIGS. 27 to 33) Next, of the data stored in the ROM 12, the image-related data used in the operation of the character image device 1 will be described. The ROM 12 has the following memory as an image-related data memory, as shown in FIG. Character database memory 121 Item icon memory 122 Minor icon memory 123 Year build icon memory 124 Selected parts icon memory 125 Arrow movement icon memory 125 Background memory 127 Cursor memory 128 Color palette icon memory 129 Color database memory 130

The character database memory 121 is composed of nine character memories 121 for each age type (character).
(Ch). Baby character memory 121 (ch = 0) Infant fine character memory 121 (ch = 1) Infant thick character memory 121 (ch = 2) Boy fine character memory 121 (ch = 3) Juvenile meat character memory 121 (ch = 4) Boy fat character memory 121 (ch = 5) Adult fine character memory 121 (ch = 6) Adult medium meat character memory 121 (ch = 7) Adult fat character memory 121 (ch = 8)

Each character memory 121 (ch) is composed of 10 part memories 121 (P (ch)) corresponding to the 10 parts composing the character. Hair part memory 121 (P = “hair”) Ear part memory 121 (P = “ear”) Eyebrow part memory 121 (P = “eyebrow”) Eye part memory 121 (P = “eye”) Nose part memory 121 (P = "Nose") Mouth part memory 121 (P = "mouth") Face Rinku part memory 121 (P = "Rinku") Glasses part memory 122 (P = "Glasses") Clothing part memory 123 (P = "Clothes" “) Beard part memory 123 (P =“ beard ”)

As shown for the "hair part" in FIG. 28, each part memory 121 (P (ch)) has a one-to-one correspondence with n shape icons, and there are N kinds of "shapes" for the part. Area 121-for storing image data of "
1. The size of the image of the part (a pixel (horizontal) x b pixel (vertical)) and the coordinates (x,
An area 121-2 for storing data of y) and an area 121-3 for storing m color numbers in a one-to-one correspondence with m color palettes. For the parts image area 121-1, the parts selection screen (2) described above is used.
When the user selects the shape of the part with the shape icon at position "1" in 104 (FIG. 7), the apparatus displays the image data of the part corresponding to the shape icon in the area 121 in order to change the shape of the part of the display character. -1 to reconstruct the image of the display character. Each color number in the area 121-3 specifies the CLT (set of RGB color data) of the part in the color database memory 12A. Color change screen (2) mentioned above
At 106 (Fig. 16), the user positions the part color by "1".
When specified with the color palette icon in
The PU 11) selects a color number corresponding to the color icon from the area 121-3 and sets a set of RGB color data (each RGB color data assigned to each pixel code in the image data of the part) designated by the color number. It is taken out from the color database memory 12A of the ROM, transferred to the corresponding area of the CLT memory 62 of the VDP 14, and set. As a result, the CLT memory 62 converts each pixel code forming the image data of the part into RGB color data newly set in the CLT memory 62. That is, the color attribute (color combination) of the parts can be changed in a one-to-one correspondence according to the selected color palette.

In the parts memory 121 (P (ch)), a part (ear, eyebrow,
The memory for the eyes stores image data and coordinate data for each sub-part (for example, for the right ear and the left ear).

In this embodiment, the display character image is displayed on three constituent faces, that is, BM-B2 face, BM-B1 face and BM-.
It is composed of A2 side. For this purpose, the CPU 11 creates bit map image data of the BM-B2 surface based on the "clothes" and "links" part information stored in the clothes part memory and the link part memory.
Bitmap image data of the BM-B1 surface is created based on the "eye", "eyebrow", "mouth", and "nose" part information stored in the eyebrow part memory, mouth part memory, and nose part memory, and the ears are created. “Ear”, “glasses” in the part memory, glasses part memory, beard part memory, hair part memory,
Bitmap image data of the BM-A2 surface is created based on the part information of "beard" and "hair".

The item icon memory 122 has four items M.
Corresponding to four item icon memories 122 (M),
And a size memory 122-1 (which stores image size data of item icons) (FIG. 28). Character selection item icon memory 122 (M = 0) Parts selection item icon memory 122 (M = 1) Parts movement item icon memory 122 (M = 2) Color change item icon memory 122 (M = 3)

Each item icon memory 122 (M) has areas 122-2, 122- for storing the coordinates (x, y) of the item icon, image data, and color number, respectively.
3, 122-4. Of these, "part selection",
The image areas 122-3 in the "part movement" and "color change" item icons are three image areas, that is, the "still" image data area displayed in the item change mode described above, and an animation on the upper layer screen. It consists of two image data areas A and B for display (FIG. 19).
reference). However, since the character selection item icon is not displayed in animation in the character selection mode, there is no image data for that purpose in the area 122-3 of this icon, and there is only "still" image data.
The CLT (RGB color data set) area for converting each pixel code in the image data of this item icon (M) into RGB color data in the color database 12A is designated by the color number in the area 122-4. In order to convert the pixel code of the item icon (M) into proper RGB color data, the content of this CLT area corresponds to the corresponding area of the CLT memory 62 of the VDP 14 (each pixel code of the item icon (M) is RGB. Area for converting to color data).

As shown in FIG. 29, the detailed icon memory 123 includes a part icon memory 123-1, a part icon memory 123-2, and an icon coordinate memory 123-.
3. The size memory 123-4 (stores the size of the image of the detailed icon, that is, the part icon or the part-shaped icon). The parts icon memory 123-1 has a one-to-one correspondence with the ten parts that make up the character.
0 each part icon memory 123-1 (part)
Each part icon memory 123-1 (par
t) stores the image data and color number of the part icon. The part-shaped icon memory 123-2 has ten parts "hair", "ears", and "mayu" that make up a character.
"Eyes""Nose""Mouth""Rinku""Glasses""Clothes"
It is composed of ten parts-shaped icon memories 123-2 (parts) corresponding to the "whiskers" in a one-to-one correspondence. Each part type icon memory 123-2 (part) stores each image data of a plurality (N) of shape icons that can be taken as the part and the color number of the shape icon of the part.

The icon coordinate memory 123-3 comprises seven coordinate A memories 123-31 for displaying fine icons and three coordinate B memories 123-32 for displaying fine icons. As shown in FIG. 30, the coordinate A memory stores 10 coordinate data (x _i , y _i ) (where i = 1 to 10), and the coordinate B memory stores 10 coordinate data (x _i ′). ,
y _i ′) (where i = 1 to 10) is stored. Ten coordinate data (x ₁ , coordinate data in the coordinate A memory 123-31,
y ₁ ) (x ₂ , y ₂ ) ... (x ₁₀ , y ₁₀ ) is the parts icon 303 on the parts selection screen (1) 101 (FIG. 5).
Of the coordinate data (x ₁ , y ₁ ) to (x ₄ , y ₄ ), and (x
_{8, y 8) ~ (x} 10, y 10) is lower part selection screen (2) 104 (parts shaped icon in Fig. 7) 305
The positions "1" to "4" and "N-2" to "N" are represented. On the other hand, ten coordinate data (x ₁ ′, y ₁ ′) (x ₂ ′, y ₂ ′) in the coordinate B memory 123-32.
(X ₁₀ ′, y ₁₀ ′) is the position “1”, “2”, “10” of the part icon 303 on the part movement screen (1) 102 (FIG. 10) and the color change screen (1) 103 (FIG. 14). It corresponds to.

Three of 10 coordinate data in the coordinate A memory 123-31, that is, (x _i , y _i ) (i = 5 to 7)
Has a value outside the display area. Also, coordinate B memory 123-3
7 of the 10 coordinate data in 2
That is, (x _i ′, y _i ′) (i = 3 to 9) has a value outside the display area. As shown in FIG. 31, the physique icon memory 124 has nine physique icon memories 124 (ch) and size memories 124-S for nine physiques (characters).
(Remember the size of the age build icon). Baby Icon Memory 124 (ch = 0) Infant Fine Icon Memory 124 (ch = 1) Infant Fat Icon Memory 124 (ch = 2) Boy Fine Icon Memory 124 (ch = 3) Juvenile Meat Icon Memory 124 (ch = 4) Boy fat icon memory 124 (ch = 5) Adult fine icon memory 124 (ch = 6) Adult medium meat icon memory 124 (ch = 7) Adult fat icon memory 124 (ch = 8)

Each physical constitution icon memory 124 (ch) is composed of the following. Color number A memory 124-1: Age icon (c
Store the normal color number of h). Color number B memory 124-2: Stores the color number of the physique icon (ch) when pointed by the cursor. Coordinate (x ₁ , y ₁ ) memory 124-3: Stores the coordinate data of the physique icon (ch) on the character selection screen 100 (FIG. 3). Coordinates (x _2, y ₂₎ memory 124-4: storing coordinate data of year physique icon (ch) in other screens. Image data memory 124-5: Age physique icon (ch)
The image data of is stored.

The selected parts icon memory 125 is shown in FIG.
The size memory 125-1 stores the size of the selected part icon, the memory 125-2 stores the coordinates of the selected part icon, and the selected part icon memory 125 (P) for each of the 10 parts. Each selected part icon memory 125 (P) stores the image data and color number of the selected part icon (P). As shown in FIG. 28, the arrow movement icon memory 126 stores a size memory 126-1, a coordinate memory 126-2, an image data memory 126-3, and a color that store the size, coordinates, image data, and color number of the arrow movement icon 306, respectively. The number memory 126-4. As shown in FIG. 32, the background memory 127 is divided into four items M (character selection, part selection, part movement, color change) background memory 127.
(M), each item background memory 127 (M) stores background image data and color number of the item M.

The color palette icon memory 129 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 16, the image data memory 129-1 for storing the image data of the color palette icon, the size memory 129-2 for storing the image size of the color palette icon, and the color change screen (2) 107 (FIG. 16) are displayed. The coordinate data (x _i , y _i ) (i = 1 to 9) representing the display positions “1” to “5” and “M-3” to “M” of the nine color palette icons 306 to be stored are stored. Coordinate memory 12
9-3, and a color number memory 129 (C) for storing color numbers of M color palette icons.

Work RAM (FIG. 34) Next, the contents of the work RAM (related to image processing) are shown in FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. Register L Stores the variable of year build number. Register M stores the variable of item number. The register S stores the variable of the selected part number.
The parts management area PT has parts (hair, ears, eyebrows, eyes,
Stores management data for nose, mouth, facial mask, glasses, clothes, beard). The management data for each part is "color number",
It consists of "shape NO", "X movement amount" and "Y movement amount".
Area MK is a work area for creating a bitmap image of the character.

Operation The operation of the character image device 1 will be described below. FIG.
5 to 47 are flowcharts of the operation of the CPU 11. The operation modes of this apparatus are roughly classified into a character selection screen display mode 35A (FIG. 35), a parts selection, movement or color change screen display mode 36A (FIG. 36), an item change mode 37A (FIG. 37), a parts selection screen (2 ) Display mode 38A (FIG. 38), parts movement screen (2) display mode 39A (FIG. 39), color change screen (2) display mode 40
A (Fig. 40). After power-on, the CPU 11 initializes the system (35-1). In this initialization routine, the work RAM 63 and the VDP 14 are initialized. Here, the CPU 11 sets predetermined priority data in the surface priority register in the control register group 64 of the VDP 14, that is, as shown in FIG. 23, the surface priority is OBJ-B surface, BM-A1 surface, BM-A.
2 sides, BM-B1 side, BM-B2 side, OBJ-A side, B
The priority data is set so that it is lowered in the order of G-A surface and BG-B surface.

<Character selection screen display mode 35A>
After the system initialization 35-1, this device (CPU 11)
Alternatively, in response to the operation of the C key 10C after the user selects the item "character selection" in the item change mode 37A, the character selection screen display mode 35A is entered. At the beginning of this mode 35A, the CPU 11 executes a character selection screen display routine 35-2.

* Character selection screen display routine 35-
2 * FIG. 42 shows a flowchart of the character selection screen display routine 35-2, and FIG. 49 shows the character selection screen 10
A screen configuration 400 of 0 (FIG. 5) is shown. The CPU 11 executes the character selection screen display routine 35-2 to realize this screen configuration. DENA set 42-1: In this step, the CPU 11 displays ON the BG-B surface (background surface) in the surface display ON / OFF register DENA (FIG. 24) of the VDP 14, OBJ-
Display A side (system icon side) is ON, other configuration sides (BG-A, BM-B2, BM-B1, BM-A2, B)
The surface display ON / OFF control data for turning off the display of both M-A1 and OBJ-B) is set. Background set 42-2: CPU 11 performs RO at this step
Image data of the character selection background (see FIG. 32) is extracted from M12, and the BG-B memory 152 of the SRAM 15 is extracted.
(FIG. 25). Further, the CPU 11 retrieves a set of RGB color data of the character selection background (pointed by the color number of the character selection background) from the color database memory 12A of the ROM 12, and VDP1
4 to the corresponding area of the CLT 62 (BG-B bank 626 in FIG. 26). OBJ-A side clear 42-3: CPU1 in this step
1 changes the coordinates of the attribute data of each object in the OBJ-A memory 411 of the OAM 41 to outside the display area.
This clears the OBJ-A surface.

Set of 9 year-old body size icons 42-4: At this step, the CPU 11 takes out each image data of the 9 year-old body size icons from the year-body structure icon memory 124 (FIG. 31) of the ROM 12, and the SRAM 15 in the form of object image data. OBJ-A memory 153 (FIG. 25). Further, the CPU 11 creates the object attribute data for each body type icon, and the OBJ of the OAM 41
-Transfer to A memory 411 (Fig. 26). Further CPU1
1 is a set of RGB color data of each body size icon taken out from the color database memory 12A of the ROM 12, and the OBJ-A area 62 of the CLT 62 of the VDP 14
7 (FIG. 26). Therefore, the RGB icon of the "baby" icon is set so that the age icon at the right end of the character icon screen of the character selection screen 100 (FIG. 3), that is, the "baby" icon has the color when the cursor is pointed to. As a color data set, "normal" color number A, 124-1 in FIG.
Instead of "choice" color number B, R pointed to by 124-2
Select the GB color dataset. The RGB color data sets for other year-shaped icons represent "normal colors."

Cursor set 42-5: In this step, the CPU 11 takes out the image data of the cursor from the cursor memory 128 of the ROM 12 and transfers it to the OBJ-A memory 153 (FIG. 25) of the SRAM 15 in the form of object image data. Further, the CPU 11 creates object attribute data for the cursor, and uses the OBJ of the OAM 41.
-Transfer to A memory 411 (Fig. 26). As a result, the coordinates of the cursor are set to a position opposite to the icon located at the right end of the body size icon row on the character selection screen 100 (FIG. 3), that is, the body structure icon of “baby”. Further, the CPU 11 sets the RGB color data set of the cursor to the color database memory 1 of the ROM 12.
2A (Fig. 27), CLT6 on VDP14 side
2 to the corresponding bank in the OBJ-A area 627 (FIG. 26).

Step 42-6: CPU in this step
11 initializes the register L (work RAM) to "0". The VDP 14 which has received the data in steps 42-1 to 42-5 from the CPU 11 displays the character selection screen 100.
The RGB color signals of the above pixels are generated by the raster scanning method. As a result, the display device 2 displays the character selection screen 100 as shown in FIG.

Returning to FIG. 35, after executing the character selection screen display routine 35-2, the CPU 11 reads the state of the control pad 10 (35-3) and checks which key is pressed (35-4). When the right key 10R is pressed (35-4), the CPU 11 changes the CLT of the Lth physique icon to "normal color" (35-5). That is, the CPU 11 causes the Lth year icon memory 124 (c
h) (here, ch = L, see FIG. 31), read the color numbers A and 124-1 of the “normal color”, retrieve the RGB color data set indicated by the color number from the color database memory 12A, and store it in the VDP 14 CLT62
It is transferred to the corresponding area (CLT bank of physique icon L). Next (35-6), the CPU 11 decrements L if L> 0. When the left key 10L is pressed (3
5-4), the CPU 11 is the CL of the L-th physique icon
T is changed to "normal color" (35-7), and if L> 8, L is incremented (35-8). After executing step 35-6 or 35-8, the CPU 11 changes the X coordinate of the cursor according to the value of L (35-9). That is, CPU
11 changes the X coordinate by X coordinate = (X coordinate + L _X (horizontal pixel number of physique icon)), creates the object attribute data of the cursor including the changed X coordinate, and sets it to OBJ- of OAM41. Transfer to the cursor object attribute area in the A memory. Next (35-10),
The CPU 11 changes the CLT of the Lth year physique icon to the “selected color”.

After that, the CPU 11 again reads the state of the control pad 10 (35-3). In this manner, in the character selection screen display mode 35A, the cursor 301 moves to the right on the character selection screen 100 (FIG. 3) in response to the right key operation, and points to the yearly physique icon 300 on the right. The reverse is true for the left key operation. And the body size icon 30 pointed by the cursor 301
0 is displayed in "selected color". When the cursor 301 reaches a position pointing to a desired physique icon (representing a character desired by the user), the user presses the enter key (A key 10A).

In response to the operation of this decision key (detected in 35-4), the CPU 11 determines the initial values of the shape number and color number of each part for the character (selected character) corresponding to the Lth body size icon, These are set in the corresponding areas of the memory PT (on the work RAM 14) of FIG. 34 (35-11). Further, the CPU 11 initializes the X and Y movement amounts of each part in the memory PT to "0" and initializes the selected part register 5 to "0" (hair) (35).
-12). Further, the CPU 11 reads out the image data (pointed by the model number) and coordinate data of each part from the character memory 121 (ch) which stores the selected character, and from these, the x, y movement amount of each part is "0". I said. Bitmap image data of the character is created in the BM data creation area MK (in the work RAM 13) (35-13). In this embodiment, VDP14
The bitmap image data including “clothes” and “face outline” is assigned to the constituent surface BM-B2 in FIG.
An image including “right eye”, “left eye”, “right eyebrow”, “left eyebrow”, “mouth”, “nose” is assigned to, and “right ear”, “left ear”, “glasses”, “beard”, and “beard” on the constituent surface BM-A2. Images with "hair" are assigned. Therefore, as a result of the execution of step 35-13, the BM data creation area MK stores each bitmap image data for the constituent surface BM-B2, the constituent surface BM-B1, and the constituent surface BM-A2. Step 35
After executing -13, the apparatus enters the parts selection screen (1) display mode (one of the sub modes belonging to the parts selection, movement or color change screen (1) display mode 36A).

<Parts selection, movement or color change screen (1) display mode 36A> Parts selection, movement or color change screen (1) display mode 36A has three modes:
It comprises a parts selection screen (1) display mode, a parts movement screen (1) display mode, and a color change screen (1) display mode. The parts selection screen (1) display mode starts with the parts selection screen (1) display routine 36-1, and the parts movement screen (1) display mode starts with the parts movement screen (1) display routine 36-2 and the color change screen ( 1) The display mode starts from the color change screen (1) display routine 36-3. This mode 36A gives the user an operating environment for selecting a part whose attribute is desired to be changed. Therefore, the mode 36A can be called a "part selection mode".

* Part selection screen (1) Display routine 36
-1 * Parts selection screen (1) display mode (in this mode, the user selects a part whose "shape" is to be changed) starts from the parts selection screen (1) display routine 36-1.
This routine 36-1 is executed by the user when the device exits the exit 35-13 of the character selection screen display mode 35A (after character selection) or in the item change mode 37A by selecting the part attribute item "shape" and pressing the B key. Called after operating. FIG. 43 shows a flowchart of the parts selection screen (1) display routine 36-1. FIG. 50 shows a screen configuration 401 of the parts selection screen (1).

DENA set 43-1: In this step, the CPU 11 follows the screen configuration 401 and, for the VDP 14, the BG-B surface, OBJ-A surface, BM-B2 surface, BM-
B1 surface, BM-A2 surface, and OBJ-B surface are respectively displayed "O.
N "and other constituent surfaces BG-A and BM-A1 are" displayed OF "
The control data to be F ″ is set in the DENA register (FIG. 24). Background set 43-2: In this step, the CPU 11 follows the screen configuration 401 and, with respect to the VDP 14, the data of the part selection background displayed on the BG-B surface. (Image data and RGB
Transfer a set of color data). Character set 43-3: CPU11 at this step
Transfers character data to the VDP 14 according to the screen configuration 401. More specifically, the work RAM
Memory MK of the BM-B2 surface (representing the first constituent surface of the character on which the clothes and the face contour are arranged), BM-B1 surface bitmap image data (right eye, left eye, right eyebrow, left). The second constituent surface of the character on which the eyebrows, the mouth, and the nose are arranged), and the bitmap image data of the BM-A2 surface (the third constituent surface of the character on which the right ear, left ear, glasses, whiskers, and hair are arranged) Has already been stored. Therefore, the CPU 11 sends these bitmap image data to BM-A2, BM-B1,
BM-B2 memory 162-164-4 (DP-RAM1
6). Work RAM parts management memory P
T has already stored the color number of each part. Therefore, the CPU 11 uses these pieces of information to retrieve the RGB color data set of each part from the color database 12A of the ROM 12, and the CLT 62 on the VDP 14 side.
Corresponding areas (BM-B2, BM-B1, BM-A2 banks 624 to 622).

OBJ-A side clear 43-4: This step is the same as step 42-3 described above. Set of 10 parts icons 43-5: In this step, the CPU 11 follows the screen configuration 401, and for the VDP 14, 7 in the display area of the OBJ-A surface and 3 outside the display area.
Set a total of 10 parts icons. More specifically, the CPU 11 has a parts icon memory 123-1.
Image data (see FIG. 29) of 10 part icons is extracted from (in the ROM 12) and is in the object image data format, and is in the OBJ-A memory 153 (SRAM
15). Further, the CPU 11 creates icon attribute data of each part icon. Here, the data (x _i , y _i ) stored in the coordinate memory 123-31 (see FIG. 30) of the part icon is used as the coordinate data included in the icon attribute data of the i-th part icon.
Here, (x _i , y _i ) corresponds to the position “i” of the part icon on the part selection screen (1) 101. By doing so, the first part icon attribute data points to the image data (in the OBJ-A memory) of the "hair" part icon according to its CGM # and size.
The coordinate data (x ₁ , y ₁ ) represents the position “1” of the “hair” part icon on the OBJ-A surface. Similarly, the i-th (i ≧ 2) part icon attribute data is Depending on its CGM # and size, it may be an “ear” (i =
2), “Mayu” (i = 3), “Eyes” (i = 4), “Nose”
(I = 5), "mouth" (i = 6), "face contour" (i =
7), "glasses" (i = 8), "clothes" (i = 9), and "whiskers" (i = 10), respectively, indicate the image data of the part icons. Further, according to the coordinate data of the attribute data of the i-th (i ≧ 2) part icon, the “ear” part icon is at position “2”, the “eyebrow” part icon is at position “3”,
"Eyes" part icons are position "4", "nose", "mouth",
The "face outline" part icons are located outside the display area at positions "5", "6", "7", "glasses", "clothes", and "beard" part icons are located at positions "8" and "9", respectively. ,
It is located at "10". In addition, the i-th (i = 1 to 1
The CLT bank numbers of the part icon attribute data of 10) are hair (i = 1), ears (i = 2), eyebrows (i = 3),
Of eyes (i = 4), nose (i = 5), eyes (i = 6), face outline (i = 7), glasses (i = 8), clothes (i = 9), beard (i = 10) It indicates the CLT bank (on the CLT 62) assigned as the RGB color data area of the parts icon. The CPU 11 writes the 10 part icon attribute data thus created in the OBJ-A memory 411 (in the OAM 41) in the object attribute data format. Further, the CPU 11 controls each area (CLT62) indicated by the CLT bank number in each part icon attribute data.
Write the set of RGB color data for the "hair,""ear," and "beard" part icons, respectively.

As can be understood from the detailed description above,
Data transfer of an icon from the CPU 11 to the VDP 14 is performed by "image data""icon (object) attribute"
This is performed for "CLT (RGB color data set)". Therefore, the data transfer of icons will be briefly described below. Age build icon 1 set 43-6: C at this step
The PU 11 transfers the data of the selected physique icon (pointed by the register L) to the VDP 14. Item icon set 43-7: CPU1 in this step
According to the screen configuration 401, 1 is VDP14 with the data of the item icon for "part selection" as the data of the OBJ-B surface.
Transfer to. Here, the first image (see image data A of the memory 122-3 in FIG. 28) in the two animation (moving image) images is selected as the image data of the item icon. Step 43-8: Here, the CPU 11 sets the flag TF to "1" and the pointer P to "0".
Through the above processing, the parts selection screen 1 as shown in FIG. 5 is displayed on the screen of the display device 2 via the operation of the VDP 14.
01 appears.

* Parts moving screen (1) display routine 36
-2 * Parts movement screen (1) display mode (in this mode, the user selects a part whose attribute item "position" is to be changed) is the parts movement screen (1) display routine 36-2.
start from. This routine 36-2 is for item change mode 3
In 7A, the user selects the attribute item "position" and B
It is called when the key 10B is operated. FIG. 44 shows a flowchart of the parts movement screen (1) display routine 36-2. FIG. 52 shows a screen configuration 402 of the parts movement screen (1). DENA set 44-1: This step is the same as the DENA set step 43-1 of the part selection screen (1) display routine 43-1. Therefore, BG-B, BG
-B2, BM-B1, BM-B2, OBJ-A, OBJ
Each surface of −B is “display ON”, and the surfaces of BG-A and BM-A2 are “display OFF”. Background set 44-2: At this step, the CPU 11 transfers the background data specific to the part movement to the VDP 14. OBJ-A surface clear 44-3: This step is the same as the OBJ-A surface clear step 43-4 of the part selection screen (1) display routine 36-1.

10 parts icon set 44-4: In this step, the CPU 11 sends data of 10 parts icons to the VDP 14. Here, in order to display three part icons on the part selection screen (1) 102 (FIG. 10) according to the screen configuration 402, a coordinate set that matches the memory 123-32 (FIG. 30) as a coordinate set of 10 part icons. Use B (rather than coordinate set A).
Here, the coordinates (x ₁ ′, y ₁ ′) of the coordinate set B,
(X ₂ ′, y ₂ ′) and (x ₁₀ ′, y ₁₀ ′) are position “1” on the part selection screen (1) 102 (FIG. 10),
Represents "2", "10" and other coordinates (x _i ′,
y _i ′) (i = 3 to 9) is outside the display area. This point (the point where three parts icons are displayed instead of seven)
This step 44-4 is the part selection screen (1) except
This is the same as step 43-5 of the set of 10 part icons in the display routine 36-1.

One set of body type icon 44-5: At this step, the CPU 11 transfers to the VDP 14 data of body type icons characterizing the characters displayed on the screen. This step 44-5 is the same as the corresponding step 45-6 of the display routine 36-1 for displaying the parts selection screen (1). Item icon set 44-6: CPU1 in this step
1 transfers the data of the item icon (part selection item icon) specific to the attribute item “position” to the VDP 14. 2 as the image data of the item selection item icon
Transfer one of the two animated images representing the first image A. Step 44-7: At this step, the CPU 11 sets the flag TF to "1" and the pointer P to "0". The VDP 14, which has received the data from the CPU 11 in steps 44-1 to 44-6, displays the parts movement screen (1) 100 on the screen of the display device 2 as shown in FIG.
Is displayed.

* Color change screen (1) Display routine 36-3
* The color change screen (1) display mode (in this mode, the user selects the part whose "color" is to be changed) starts from the color change screen (1) display routine 36-3. This routine 36-3 is called when the user selects the attribute item "color" in the item change mode 37A and operates the B key 10B. FIG. 45 shows a color change screen (1) display routine 3
The flowchart of 6-3 is shown. FIG. 54 shows the screen configuration 403 of the color change screen (1) 103. DENA set 45-1: This step is the same as step 43-1 of the parts selection screen (1) display routine 36-1 or step 44-1 of the parts movement screen (1) display routine 36-2. As a result, the screen structure 40
As shown in 3, BG-B, BM-B2, BM-B1, B
Each surface of M-A2, OBJ-A, and OBJ-B has "Display O".
N ", each surface of unused BG-A, BM-A1 is" display O "
FF ”.

Background set 45-2: CP at this step
U11, with respect to VDP14, background data of the color change (Figure 3
2 127 (M), M = 2 = see “color”). Steps 45-3 to 45-6: OBJ-A side clear step 45-3, 10 parts icon set step 4
5-4 and step 45-5 for setting one body size icon are the same as corresponding steps 44-3, 44-4, and 44-5 of the part movement screen (1) display routine 36-1. Item icon set 45-6: CPU1 in this step
1 sends to the VDP 14 data of an item icon (color change item icon) unique to the attribute item “color”. As the image data of the color change item icon, one representing the first image A of the two animation images is sent. Step 45-7: At this step, the CPU 11 sets the flag TF to "1" and the pointer 44-7 to "0".

Steps 45-1 to 45 by the CPU 11
As a result of the execution of -6, the color change screen (1) 1 is displayed on the VDP 14.
The data for realizing the screen configuration 403 (Fig. 53) of 03 is set. Therefore, the operation of the VDP 14 causes the color change screen (1) 103 as shown in FIG. 14 to appear on the screen of the display device 2. Now, let us return to FIG. After executing the display routine 36-1, 36-2 or 36-3 for the upper layer screen, the CPU 11 controls the control pad 10
(36-4) to check which key has been operated (36-5).

If the right key 10R is pressed, the pointer P
Is incremented according to P = (P + 1) mod10 (36-6), and if the left key 10L is pressed, the pointer P
Is decremented according to P = (P-1) mod10 (36-7). After steps 36-6 or 36-7,
The display part icon coordinate changing routine 36-8 is called. Here, the CPU 11 rewrites the coordinate data of the part icons 1 to 10 in the OAM using the P to (P + 9) mod 10th coordinate data in the part icon coordinate area (M) of the ROM 12, respectively.

More specifically, attribute item = “shape” (M =
In the part selection screen display mode of 1), this routine 36-8 refers to the coordinate area 123-31 (FIG. 30). Part selection screen display routine 36-
Immediately after the execution of step 43-5 of 1), the OB of the OAM memory
In the i-th (i = 1 to 10) part icon attribute data in the JA area, the “hair part icon” has the position 1 (the coordinate pointed by P = 0 (x ₁ ,
y ₁ )), i = 2 "ear parts icon"
2 position put (P = coordinates 1 points _{(x 2, y 2))} , for i = 10 In the same manner, "beard parts icon"
Indicates that it should be placed at the position 10 (coordinates (x ₁₀ , y ₁₀ ) pointed to by P = 9) (the display result is as shown in FIG. 5). This routine 36-8 changes the i-th (i = 1 to 10) parts icon attribute data in the OAM 41 as follows. The first part icon attribute data is “hair part icon is part icon coordinate area 123-3.
1 P-th coordinate indicated by the coordinate data _{(x P + 1, y P} + 1) placed "indicates the second part icon attribute data" coordinates the ear part icon _{(x (P + 1) mod10} + ₁ , y
_{(P + 1) mod10 + 1} ) ”, and so on.
The 0 part icon attribute data is “beard part icon is (P + 9) m in the part icon coordinate area 123-31.
od 10th coordinate data indicates the coordinates (x _{(P + 9) mod10 + 1} , y _{(P + 9) mod10 + 1} ) indicated by the coordinate data. ”This is the coordinate included in each part icon attribute data in the OAM 41. This is achieved by changing only the data, that is, the coordinate data of the i-th part icon attribute data is changed to (P
+ I-1) mod Change to the 10th coordinate data.

Therefore, by executing step 36-6 (P = (P + 1) mod10) and routine 36-8 in response to the operation of the right key 10R, the part icon is rotated clockwise (clockwise) on the screen. To do. That is, 1
When the right key 10R is operated once, each part icon on the screen is moved to the next position in the clockwise direction. Further, in response to the operation of the left key 10L, step 36-7 (P = (P-
1) By executing mod 10) and routine 36-8, the part icon moves counterclockwise on the screen. That is, one operation of the left key 10L moves each part icon on the screen to the next position in the counterclockwise direction. Parts movement screen (1) Display mode (M =
2) or color change screen (1) display mode (M = 3), display part icon coordinate change routine 36-8
Refers to the part icon coordinate area 123-32 instead of the part icon coordinate area 123-31. The other points are as described in the part selection screen (1) display mode. Display parts icon coordinate change routine 36-8
After execution, the CPU 11 reads the state of the control pad 10 again (36-4). In the part selection, movement, or color change mode 36A, the item icon on the upper layer screen (part selection screen (1) 101, part movement screen (1) 102, or color change screen (1) 103) is a moving image (animation). It is displayed in the form. This animation display is realized by the time interrupt routine shown in FIG.

The time interrupt routine is executed every elapse of a predetermined time. In step 41-1 the CPU 11
Checks whether TF is "0". TF is “0”
If so, return to the main program as it is. TF
If is not "0", it is checked whether or not the currently displayed item icon (M) is that of the first image A (41-2). This is indicated by TF = 1. If TF = 1, the CPU 11 causes the item icon memory 122 of the ROM 12 to be stored.
The second image data B (see FIG. 28) of the item icon (M) of the attribute item M is taken out from, and written in the item icon image area of the SRAM 15 (on the OBJ-B memory 154) and TF is changed to TF = 2. (41-3). TF =
If not 1 (TF = 2), the CPU 11 takes out the first image data A of the item icon (M) of the attribute item M from the item icon memory 132, sends it to the item icon image area of the SRAM 15, and sets TF to TF = 1. Change (4
1-4). Thus, during the part selection, movement or color change screen (1) display mode, the image of the item icon is switched between the first image A and the second image B on the screen at predetermined time intervals. , Animated display of item icons can be obtained.

Now, let us return to FIG. 36 again. Parts selection, movement or color change screen (1) Display mode 36A
When the user wants to change the item M, the C key 10C is operated. In response to this operation, the device 1 enters the item change mode 37A (FIG. 37). When the part icon representing the part whose attribute is to be changed (the result of the left / right key operation) reaches the specific position “1” on the screen 101, 102, or 103 in the display mode 36A for selecting, moving, or changing the color of the part (1) The user operates the A key 10A. In response to the operation of the key 10A, the CPU 11 executes step 36-9 to determine the selected part number S from the pointer P. The selected part number S is given by the 10's complement of S = P (however, if P = 0, S = 0, 10 is the number of parts). Then, the item M is checked (36-1)
0). If M = 1 = “shape”, the part selection screen (2) display mode 38A (the user changes the shape of the part in this mode) is entered. If M = 2 = “position”, the part moving screen (2) display mode 39A (the user changes the position of the part in this mode) is entered. If M = 3 = “color”, the color change screen (2) display mode 40A (the user changes the color of the part in this mode) is entered.

<Item Change Mode 37A> The device 1 displays the display mode of the upper layer screen on which the item icon is displayed (part selection screen (1) display mode, parts movement screen (1) display mode or color change screen (1) display). When the C key 10C is operated in the mode), the item change mode 37A is entered. FIG. 37 shows a flowchart of the item change mode 37A. First (37-1), the CPU 11 sets TF to "0" and sets "for still" image data as image data of the M item icon to the item icon image memory 1 of the item M.
It is taken out from 22-3 and transferred to the corresponding area of the SRAM 15 (37-2). Steps 37-1 and 37-2
As a result of the execution of the (item icon stillness process 37B), the item icon shifts from a moving image display form to a still image display form. For example, when the item icon stillness process 37B is executed after the parts movement screen display mode, the item icon on the parts movement screen (1) 102 changes from the animation image 302A (for movement) or 302B (for movement) shown in FIG. Change to image 302C (for still image)
Still at 02C.

Next, the CPU 11 controls the control pad 10
(37-3) to check which key has been operated (37-4). If the up key 10U is pressed, the CPU 11 updates the item number M with M = (M-1) mod4, and (37-5) if the down key 10D is pressed, the item with M = (M + 1) mod4. Number M
To update. Therefore, the item M is changed to "shape change" → "character selection" → "color change" by sequentially operating the up key 10U.
→ Switch like "position change" → "shape change" ……. Further, the item M is switched in the reverse order by the sequential operation of the down key 10D. After steps 37-5 or 37-6,
CPU11 is CLT of the item icon of the updated item M
The (RGB color data set) is taken out from the ROM 12 and sent to a predetermined area (item icon bank) of the CLT 62 of the VDP 14 (37-7). Then, the image data (for stillness) of the M item icon is sent to the SRAM item icon area. As a result, the item icon displayed on the screen is switched to the pattern of the M item icon. Then CP
U11 again reads the state of the control pad 10 (37-3). In the item change mode 37A, when the item icon of the desired item M appears on the screen, the user presses the B key 10B to select the item M.
On the other hand, the CPU 11 checks the selected item M. If M = 0 = “character selection”, the character selection screen display routine 35 in the character selection mode 35A
-2, and if M = 1 = “shape change”, call the parts selection screen (1) display routine 36-1 and M = 2 =
If it is "position change", parts movement screen (1) display routine 3
6-2 is called, and if M = 3 = “color change”, the color change screen (1) display routine 36-3 is called. In this way, the user can go to the screen of the desired item.

<Parts selection screen (2) display mode 38
A> Device 1 is A from the parts selection screen (1) display mode
In response to the operation of the key 10A, the part selection screen (2) display mode 38A is entered. In this mode 38A, the user changes and determines the "shape" of the part. FIG. 38 shows a flowchart of the parts selection screen (2) display mode 38A. The parts selection screen (2) display mode 38A starts from the parts selection screen (2) display routine 38-1.

* Part selection screen (2) display routine 38
-1 * FIG. 46 shows a flowchart of the part selection screen (2) display routine 38-1. Fig. 51: Parts selection screen (2)
The screen structure 404 of 104 is shown. DENA set 46-1: In this step, the CPU 11 follows the screen configuration 404 (FIG. 51) and selects BG-B and OBJ-.
The control data for turning on each display of A, BM-B2, BM-B1, and BM-A2 and turning off each display of BG-A, BG-A1, and OBJ-B is VDE14 DE.
Set in the NA register (FIG. 24). Screen structure 401 (FIG. 50) of the upper layer screen “Parts selection screen (1)” and screen structure 404 (FIG. 5) of the lower layer screen “Parts selection screen (2)”
As is clear from the comparison of 1), the DENA set 46-
By setting the OBJ-B side to "display OFF" by 1, the item icon is erased from the lower layer screen. OBJ-A side area 46-2: This step is the same as step 43-4 of the parts selection screen (1) display routine 36-1 (FIG. 43). Parts icon set 46-3: CP at this step
U11 sends the data of the shape icon to VDP 14 according to screen configuration 404. More specifically, the CPU 11 causes the positions of the seven shape icons on the part selection screen (2) 104 of FIG. 7 to be “1”, “2”, “3”, “4”, “N-”.
2 "," N-1 ", and" N ", the coordinate data (x
₁ , y ₁ ), (x ₂ , y ₂ ), (x ₃ , y ₃ ), (x ₄ ,
_{y 4), (x 8,} y 8), (x 9, y 9), (x 10, y 10)
Select respectively. Then, using these coordinate data, seven shape icon attribute data are created, and the object attribute format (CGM number, size, coordinates, CLT) is created.
Bank number) in the OBJ-A memory 41 of the OAM 41. Further, the CPU 11 selects the first to fourth positions (pointers P = 0 to 3) and the N-2 to Nth positions (P = N-3) from the icon memory 123-2 (part) (FIG. 29) of the selected part S.
-N-1) form icon image data is selected. Then, the CPU 11 indicates the SRA indicated by the first type icon attribute data.
The first (P = 0) shape icon image data is written in the object image format in the area of the OBJ-A memory 153 (FIG. 25) of the M15, and the second shape (P = 0) is written in the area indicated by the second shape icon attribute data. = 1) type icon image data is written, and thereafter, in the same manner, in the area pointed to by the 7th type icon attribute data, the Nth (P = N−1)
Write icon image data. Further, the CPU 11 stores the RGB color data set of the shape icon in the corresponding area in the OBJ-A memory 627 (FIG. 26) of the CLT 62 (the bank indicated by the CLT bang number of the shape icon attribute data).
Write in.

As a result, the parts selection screen (2) 104
Shape icons corresponding to the image data of P = 0 to 3 on the shape icon memory 123-2 (part) are displayed at positions “1” to “4” in FIG. At positions "N-2" to "N" on the screen (2) 104, P = N-3 on the shape icon memory 123-2 (part).
Shape icons corresponding to the image data of N-1 are displayed. Selected parts icon set 46-4: C at this step
PU11 is the data of the selected parts icon (image data,
Object attribute data, RGB color data set)
To the VDP 14. Age build icon set 46-5: This step is the same as step 43-6 of the parts selection screen (1) display routine 36-1 (FIG. 43). By the operation of the VDP 14 which has received the data in the above steps 46-1 to 46-5, the part selection screen (2) 104 according to the screen configuration 404 is displayed on the screen of the display device 2.
(FIG. 7) is displayed. Now, let us return to FIG. 38 again. After executing the display routine 38-1 for displaying the parts selection screen (2), the CPU 11 reads the control pad 10 (38-2) and checks which key has been operated (38-3). If the right key 10R is pressed, CP
U11 sets the shape icon image pointer P to P = (P-1) m
Update with odN (N is the number of shape icons) (38-
4). When the left key 10L is pressed, the CPU 11 updates the pointer P with P = (P + 1) modN (38
-5). After step 38-4 or 38-5, the CPU
11 executes a display type icon image changing routine 38-6. More specifically, the CPU 11 selects P to (P) from the shape icon memory 123-2 (part) of the selected part S.
+3) modNth and (P-3) modN to (P-1)
The mod Nth image data is selected. And CPU1
1 is the P-th image data in the object image format in the OBJ-A153 memory of the SRAM 15,
First area with display position "1" (coordinates (x ₁ , y ₁ ).
To the area indicated by the icon attribute data), and press (P +
1) The modNth image data is sent to the area of the display position “2”, and thereafter (P + 2) modN, (P +)
3) modN, (P-3) modN to (P-1) mod
The Nth shape icon image data is sent to the areas of position "3", position "4", position "N-2" to position "N".
Therefore, by operating the right key 10R, each shape icon moves to the next position in the clockwise direction on the part selection screen (2) 104. For example, the shape icon at the position "1" moves to the position "2". Also, the shape icon at position "4" disappears and a new shape icon appears at position "N-2". By operating the left key 10L, each shape icon moves to the next position in the counterclockwise direction on the screen 104.

Display type icon image changing routine 38-6
After that, the CPU 11 reads the state of the control pad 10 again (38-2). When a desired shape icon appears at position "1" on the screen 104, the user presses the A key 10A. On the other hand, the CPU 11 is a work RAM
The shape NO (see FIG. 34) of the selected part S on the memory PT 13 is set to the shape NO = P (38-7). Next, the CPU 11 follows the part management data of the part management memory PT (FIG. 34) and sets the bitmap image data (included in the composition surface) of the component surface including the selected part S (for example, BM-B1 surface if the selected part S is “eye”). Each part image is R
(Taken out from the OM 14) is created on the work area MK (38-8). Then, the created bitmap image data is transferred to the corresponding area of the DP-RAM 16 (38-1
0). As a result, on the parts selection screen (2) 104, the "shape" of the character selection part S (for example, eyes) changes to the one corresponding to the shape icon at the position "1" (see FIG. 9). After step 38-10, the CPU 11 reads the control pad 10 again (38-
2). In this way, in the part selection screen (2) display mode 38A, the user changes the "shape" of the part. When the "shape" of the displayed part is satisfactory, the user operates the enter key, that is, the B key 10B. As a result, the device 1 returns to the upper layer screen, in this case, the part selection screen (1) display mode.

<Parts moving screen (2) display mode 39
A> The device 1 enters the parts movement screen (2) display mode 39A in response to the operation of the A key 10A from the parts movement screen (1) display mode. In this mode 39A, the user changes and determines the "position" of the part. FIG. 39 shows a flowchart of the parts movement screen (2) display mode 39A. The parts movement screen (2) display mode 39A starts from the parts movement screen (2) display routine 39-1.

* Part movement screen (2) display routine 39
-1 * FIG. 47 shows a flowchart of the parts movement screen (2) display routine 39-1. Fig. 53: Parts movement screen (2)
The screen structure 405 of 105 is shown. DENA set 47-1: The CPU 11 sets the same control data in the DENA register on all lower layer screens.
As a result, BG-B, OBJ-A, BM-B2, BM-B
1, BM-A 2 side is "display ON", BG-A, BM-A
1, OBJ-B side is "display OFF". OBJ-B
Since the surface is "display OFF", the item icons included in the OBJ-J surface (the item icons displayed on the upper part moving screen (1)) are the lower part moving screen (2).
It is erased at 105. OBJ-A side clear 47-2: This step is the step 46-2 of the display routine 38-1 of the parts selection screen (2).
Is the same as Arrow movement icon set 47-3: CP at this step
U11 sends the data of the arrow movement icon to VDP14. Steps 47-4 and 47-5: These are the same as the selected parts icon set step 46-4 and the yearly body size icon set step 46-5 of the above-mentioned parts movement screen (2) display routine 38-1 (FIG. 46). . The VDP 14 which has received the data obtained by executing the above steps 46-1 to 46-5 generates the RGB color signals of the parts moving screen (2) 105 (FIG. 12). As a result, the parts movement screen (2) 105 is displayed on the display device 2.

Now, let us return to FIG. 39 again. After executing the parts selection screen (2) display routine 39-1, CP
U11 reads the state of the control pad 10 (39-2) and checks which key is pressed (39-3). In response to the operation of the right key 10R, the CPU 11 reads X in the area PT (S) pointed to by the selected part S in the parts management memory PT (FIG. 34) of the work RAM 34.
The movement amount is incremented (39-4). When the left key 10L is operated, the X movement amount is decremented (39-5). Up key 10U
The Y movement amount is incremented for the operation (39-6), and the Y movement amount is decremented for the down key 10D operation (39-).
7). In connection with this, the parts memory 121 of the ROM 12
(P (th) is the symmetrical parts "ears", "eyebrows",
The “eye” has data for the right part (for example, the right eye) and data for the left part (for example, the left eye). When creating bitmap image data of a character, the X coordinate of the right part = (X coordinate of the right part from ROM) + (X
The X coordinate of the right part is calculated by (movement amount), and the X coordinate of the left part = (X coordinate of the left part from the ROM)-(X movement amount)
Calculate the X coordinate of the left part with. As a result, the right part and the left part move symmetrically on the screen.

Steps 39-4, 39-5, 39-6,
Alternatively, after 39-7, the CPU 11 creates bitmap image data (39-8) and transfers it to the corresponding area of the DP-RAM 16. These steps 39-8, 3
9-9 is the above-mentioned parts selection screen (2) display mode 38
This is the same as steps 38-9 and 38-10 of A. As a result, the position of the selected part S on the part movement screen (2) 105 moves in response to the operation of the left / right / up / down keys.
After step 39-9, the CPU 11 reads the control pad 10 again (39-2). In this way, in the parts movement screen (2) display mode 39A,
The user changes the "position" of the parts of the display character. When the part is at the desired position, the user presses the enter key, that is, the B key 10B. As a result, the upper part movement screen (1) display routine 36-2 is called to return to the parts movement screen (1) display mode.

<Color Change Screen (2) Display Mode 40A> The device 1 enters the color change screen (2) display mode 40A when the A key 10A is operated in the color change screen (1) display mode. In this mode 40A, the user changes and determines the "color" of the part. Color change screen (2) in Figure 40
The flow chart of display mode 40A is shown. The color change screen (2) display mode 40A starts from the color change screen (2) display routine 40-1.

* Color change screen (2) display routine 40-1
* FIG. 48 shows a flowchart of the color change screen (2) display routine 40-1. FIG. 55 shows the screen configuration 406 of the color change screen (2) 106. DENA set 48-1: Same as step 46-1. As a result, BG-B, OBJ-A, BM-B2, B
Each side of M-B1 and BM-A2 is "Display ON", BG-
Each surface of A, BM-A1, and OBJ-B is set to "display OFF". Therefore, the item icon displayed on the upper layer screen (color change screen (1) 103) is deleted from the lower layer screen (color change screen (2) 106). OBJ-A side clear 48-2: Same as step 46-2. Color Palette Icon Set 48-3: C at this Step
The PU 11 sends data of 9 color palette icons to be displayed to the VDP 14. In detail, CPU
11 is a color palette icon color number memory 129
In (C) (see FIG. 33), P = 0 to 4, P = M-4
The color numbers of the nine color palette icons pointed to by M-1 are read, and the nine RGB color data sets indicated by the respective color numbers are retrieved from the color database 12A.
Then, the CPU 11 writes these nine RGB color data sets in the area (first to ninth color palette CLT banks) in the OBJ-A memory of the CLT 62. Further, the CPU 11 creates nine color palette icon attribute data. Here, the i-th palette icon attribute data (i
= 1 to 9) CGM number and size are OB of SRAM15
This indicates the area in the JA memory 153 where the color palette icon image data is stored, and the coordinates are on the screen 106 (FIG. 16).
Position "1" (when i = 1), "2" (i =
2), “3” (i = 3), “4” (i = 4), “5”
(I = 5), "M-3" (i = 6), "M-2" (i =
7), "M-1" (i = 8), "M" (i = 9), and the CLT bank number indicates the i-th color palette CLT bank. The CPU 11 writes the palette icon attribute data thus created in the OBJ-A memory 41 of the OAM 41 in the object attribute data format. Further, the CPU 11 extracts the image data of the color palette icon from the memory 129-1 (see FIG. 33), and in the object attribute data format, the area in the SRAM 15 (the area indicated by the CGM number and size of each color palette icon attribute data). Write in.

Steps 48-4 and 48-5: These steps are the selected part icon set step 46-4 and the age-related body size icon set step 46 in the part selection screen (2) display routine 38-1 (FIG. 46) already described.
Same as -5. The VDP 14 receiving the data in steps 48-1 to 48-5 generates the RGB color signals of the color change screen (2) 106 according to the screen configuration 404. As a result, the color change screen (2) 106 as shown in FIG. 16 appears on the screen of the display device 2. Here again in FIG.
I will return to 0. Color change screen (2) Display routine 4
After 0-1 the CPU 11 reads the control pad 10 (40-2) and checks which key has been operated (40-3). When the right key 10R is operated, the CPU 11 moves the pointer P to P = (P-1) modM.
(Where M is the number of memory color palette icons) is updated (40-4). CPU if left key 10L is operated
11 updates the pointer P with P = (P + 1) modM (40-5). After step 40-4 or 40-5, the CPU 11 executes the CLT changing routine 40-6 of the display color palette (7 pieces). In detail, CPU
11 is a color number memory 129 of the color palette icon
(C) (see FIG. 33), (P-4) modM,
(P-3) modM ... (P + 4) mod M The color palette color number is referred to and the color database 12A is referred to.
From FIG. 28, the nine RGB color data sets pointed to by these nine color palette color numbers are extracted. Then, the CPU 11 sets the RGB color data set indicated by the (P-4) mod Mth color palette number to CLT6.
2 is written in the CLT bank for the color palette icon at the display position "M-3" (see FIG. 16) (the area indicated by the CLT bank number included in the sixth palette icon attribute data). Next, write the RGB color data set pointed to by the (P-3) mod Mth color palette color number to the CLT bank for the color palette icon at the display position "M-2", and so on (P + 4)
Write the RGB color data set pointed to by the modM th color palette color number to the CLT bank for the color palette icon at display position "5".

Therefore, by operating the right key 10R, the nine color palette icons on the color change screen (2) 106 are moved to the next positions in the clockwise direction. For example, position "M"
The color palette icon that was in position “1” moved to position “5”, the color palette icon that was in position “5” disappeared, and position “M”
A new color palette icon appears at -3 ".
In response to the left key operation, the nine color palette icons that enclose the character 310 rotate counterclockwise. After step 40-6, the CPU 11 reads the control pad again (40-2). When a palette icon of a color that seems to be preferable appears at position "1" on the screen 106, the user operates the A key 10A. In contrast,
The CPU 11 executes step 40-7 and the ROM 12
Color part memory 121-3 of the selected part S in
The part color number corresponding to the color pallet number P (color pallet icon at the position "1") is read out (see FIG. 28), and this is read as the color of the selected part S in the part management memory PT of the work RAM 13 (FIG. 34). Set in the number register. Further (40-8), the CPU 11 retrieves the RGB color data set from the color database 12A (FIG. 27) using this color number, and CL
Corresponding area in T62 (pixel code of part S is RGB
Write to the area to be converted to color data).

As a result, the color change screen (2) 106 (see FIG. 1) is displayed.
6) In the above, the color arrangement of the selected part S is changed corresponding to the color palette icon at the position "1". After step 40-8, the CPU 11 controls the control pad 1 again.
0 is read (40-2). In this way, the color change screen (2) display mode 40A prompts the user to "color" the parts.
Gives the operating environment to change. When the "color" of the desired part is reached, the user operates the enter key, that is, the B key 10B. On the other hand, the upper layer color change screen (1) display routine 36-3 is called to return to the color change screen (1) display mode.

[0109]

As described above, according to the invention of claim 1, an item icon representing an attribute to be changed is displayed in a state where the attribute to be changed can be selected, and "attribute selection" is performed only when the icon is displayed. Therefore, it is possible to clearly recognize that the mode is the highest layer and attribute selection is possible depending on whether or not this item icon is displayed. Further, according to the invention of claim 2, even when the item icon is displayed on the upper layer screen, it is possible to shift from the mode for selecting the part based on the item icon change input to the mode for selecting the attribute. Therefore, the operations of "select parts" and "select attributes" can be clearly separated. Further, according to the invention of claim 3, it is possible to clearly recognize whether the mode is "part selection" or "attribute selection" whether the item icon is moving image display or still image display. Further, according to the invention of claim 4, since a plurality of parts designation icons for designating each part constituting the character are displayed on the upper layer screen, it is very easy to designate a desired part. Become. Further, according to the invention of claim 5, since the parts designation icon is arranged so as to surround the character, a large number of icons can be arranged without taking up a display place. Further, according to the invention of claim 6, when a large number of parts designation icons are arranged, the designated icon is always located at a specific position. It can be clearly recognized without the need to change a special mark or display form. According to the invention of claim 7, which attribute is being changed can be clearly recognized by the change instruction icon, and the predetermined attribute changing process can be easily performed by selecting or instructing the change instruction icon. According to the invention of claim 8, since the number of change instruction icons displayed corresponding to the selected attribute changes, it is possible to visually clarify which attribute change process is currently being performed. Can be recognized by.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a key layout of a control pad (input device) used in a character image device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a transition between screens by a key operation according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a character selection screen.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of year / body shape icons.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a parts selection screen (1).

FIG. 6 is a view for explaining rotation display of a part icon on a part selection screen (1).

FIG. 7 is a view showing a parts selection screen (2).

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining rotation display of a part icon on a part selection screen (2).

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an operation of changing the shape of a part on the part selection screen (2).

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a parts movement screen (1).

FIG. 11 is a view for explaining rotation display of a part icon on the part moving screen (1).

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a parts movement screen (2).

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an operation of changing the shape of a part on the part movement screen (2).

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a color change screen (1).

FIG. 15 is a view for explaining rotation display of part icons on the color change screen (1).

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a color change screen (2).

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a color palette icon.

FIG. 18 is a view for explaining rotation display of color palette icons on the color change screen (2).

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the item icons displayed on the parts movement screen, and explaining the animation display and the still image display of the item icons.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a list of icons included in each screen.

FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing the overall hardware configuration of the character image device of the embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a functional block diagram of a video display processor (VDP).

FIG. 23 is a view for explaining the surface order of eight constituent surfaces for forming a display screen.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a display enable (DENA) register for controlling display ON / OFF of each component surface.

FIG. 25 is a diagram showing a memory map of a static RAM (SRAM) and a dual port RAM (DP-RAM).

FIG. 26 is a diagram showing a memory map of an object attribute memory (OAM) and a color lookup table (CCT).

FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram of the contents of ROM.

FIG. 28 is an explanatory diagram of the contents of ROM.

FIG. 29 is an explanatory diagram of the contents of ROM.

FIG. 30 is an explanatory diagram of the contents of ROM.

FIG. 31 is an explanatory diagram of the contents of ROM.

FIG. 32 is an explanatory diagram of the contents of ROM.

FIG. 33 is an explanatory diagram of the contents of ROM.

FIG. 34 is an explanatory diagram of the contents of work RAM.

FIG. 35 is a flowchart of the initialization and character selection screen display mode.

FIG. 36 is a flowchart of a part selection, movement or color change screen (1) display mode.

FIG. 37 is a flowchart of an item change mode.

FIG. 38 is a flowchart of a parts selection screen (2) display mode.

FIG. 39 is a flowchart of a parts movement screen (2) display mode.

FIG. 40 is a flowchart of a color change screen (2) display mode.

FIG. 41 is a flowchart of a time interrupt routine for displaying an animation of item icons.

FIG. 42 is a flowchart of a character selection screen display routine.

FIG. 43 is a flowchart of a parts selection screen (1) display routine.

FIG. 44 is a flowchart of a parts movement screen (1) display routine.

FIG. 45 is a flowchart of a color change screen (1) display routine.

FIG. 46 is a flowchart of a parts selection screen (2) display routine.

FIG. 47 is a flowchart of a parts movement screen (2) display routine.

FIG. 48 is a flowchart of a color change screen (2) display routine.

FIG. 49 is a screen configuration diagram of a character selection screen.

FIG. 50 is a screen configuration diagram of a parts selection screen (1).

FIG. 51 is a screen configuration diagram of a parts selection screen (2).

FIG. 52 is a screen configuration diagram of a parts movement selection screen (1).

FIG. 53 is a screen configuration diagram of a parts movement screen (2).

FIG. 54 is a screen configuration diagram of a color change screen (1).

FIG. 55 is a screen configuration diagram of a color change screen (2).

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Control Pad (Input Means) 10A Decision Means 10B Decision Input Means 10U, 10D Item Icon Change Input Means 10R, 10L Icon Move Input Means 11 CPU 12 Program & Data ROM 36A Parts Selection, Movement or Color Change Screen (1) Display Mode (Upper layer screen display mode in which item icons are displayed) 37A Item change mode (Attribute items are changed in this mode) 38A, 39A, 40A Lower layer screen display mode in which item icons are deleted 100 Character selection screen 101 Parts Selection screen (1) 102 Parts movement screen (1) 103 Color change screen (1) 104 Parts selection screen (2) 105 Parts movement screen (2) 106 Color change screen (2) 300 year shape icon (character feature icon) 302 Item icon 30 Parts designated icon 305, 306, 307 change instruction icon 310 character

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A character displayed on a display device,
In a character image device capable of changing the attribute of each part constituting a character for each attribute item, an upper layer screen including an externally operable input means and an item icon associated with the character and the selected attribute item is displayed. In the first means and the selected upper layer screen is displayed, in response to the item change input of the input means, the selected attribute item is changed and the item icon is selected. Second means for displaying another upper layer screen changed from the attribute item in the upper layer screen corresponding to the changed attribute item, and selecting the lower layer screen from the input means during the display of the upper layer screen In response to the input, the lower layer image corresponding to the attribute item selected including the character but the item icon is erased at that time. A third means for displaying a surface and, while the lower layer screen is being displayed, in response to an input from the input means, an operation changing process of an attribute belonging to the selected attribute item is executed and a result is displayed. A character image device comprising: 2. The attribute means in which the input means includes an item icon change input means and a decision input means, and the first means selects an item icon on the upper layer screen by operating the item icon change input means. (1) is changed to one associated with the changed attribute item, and then another upper layer screen corresponding to the changed attribute item is displayed by operating the decision input means. Character image device. 3. The item icon is displayed as a moving image before the item icon change input means is operated, and is displayed as a still image until the item icon change input means is operated until the decision input means is operated. (2) The character image device as described above. 4. The upper layer screen displays, in addition to the character and item icons, a plurality of part designation icons for designating each part of the character at designated positions. (1) The character image device according to item 1. 5. The character image device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of parts designation icons are arranged so as to surround the character. 6. The input means includes an icon movement input means and a determination means, and the display positions of the respective parts designation icons are shifted in response to the operation of the icon movement means (5). Character image device. 7. The lower layer screen displays a change instruction icon for instructing to change the attribute of the selected attribute item for the character and the part designated on the corresponding upper layer screen ( 1) The character image device described above. 8. The character image device according to claim 7, wherein the number of display of the change instruction icon is variable in correspondence with the selected attribute item.