(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2003/0025710 A1
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Feb. 6, 2003
`Fukushima et al.
`
`US 2003OO25710A1
`
`(54) RENDERING PROCESSING METHOD
`
`Publication Classification
`
`(76) Inventors: Takashi Fukushima, Saitama (JP);
`Kentaro Motomura, Tokyo (JP)
`Correspondence Address:
`KATTEN MUCHIN ZAVIS ROSENMAN
`575 MADSON AVENUE
`NEW YORK, NY 10022-2585 (US)
`(21) Appl. No.:
`10/179,908
`(22) Filed:
`Jun. 24, 2002
`(30)
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`
`Aug. 3, 2001 (JP)...................................... 2001-236567
`
`(51) Int. Cl." ....................................................... G09G 5/02
`(52) U.S. Cl. ........................... 345/592; 34.5/582; 34.5/629
`(57)
`ABSTRACT
`A first texture is used for determining color and design of a
`polygon Structuring an object rendered upon a two-dimen
`Sional Screen. A Second texture has a pattern of dense
`distribution of color with a predetermined slant relative to
`the two-dimensional Screen. An rendering processing device
`first applies a first texture to a polygon Structuring an object,
`and thereafter performs translucent Synthesis of a Second
`texture on an object applied with the first texture, thereby
`making it possible to easily render an image in a hand-drawn
`illustration Style in, for example, home video games and
`computer graphics.
`
`GEOMETRY
`PROCESSOR
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`MEMORY
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`51
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`POLYGON SETUP/ s
`RASTERIZING UNIT
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`l TEXTURE BUFFER
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`NORMAL TEXTURE
`OBLIQUE LINE
`TEXTURE
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`6 7
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`6 8
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`TEMPORARY
`BUFFER
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`T
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`i PXEL PIPELINE
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`UN
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`FRAME BUFFER
`RENDERNG PROCESSOR
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`52
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`DISPLAY
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`56
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Feb. 6, 2003. Sheet 1 of 6
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`US 2003/0025710 A1
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`F.G. 1
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Feb. 6, 2003 Sheet 2 of 6
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`US 2003/0025710 A1
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`FG
`3
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Feb. 6, 2003. Sheet 3 of 6
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`US 2003/0025710 A1
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`F. G. 4
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`GEOMETRY
`PROCESSOR
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`50
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`MEMORY
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`51
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`POLYGON SETUP/ s
`RASTERIZING
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`53
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`TEMPORARY
`BUFFER
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`l PROCESS UNIT
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`X L. PIPELINE
`XE
`NT
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`TEXTURE BUFFER
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`6 7
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`6 8
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`OBLIQUE LINE
`TEXTURE
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`FRAME BUFFER
`RENDERING PROCESSOR
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`52
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`DISPLAY CONTROLLER
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`54
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`DISPLAY
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`56
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Feb. 6, 2003 Sheet 4 of 6
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`US 2003/0025710 A1
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`F.G. 5
`BUS
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`121
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`122
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`COMMUN- SN CATIONS
`CATIONS
`Eic
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`128
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`PROGRAM
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`129
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`130
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`23
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`132
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`133
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`124 SEH INPUT
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`134
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`135
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`140
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`125 HRH DRIVE
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`136
`DISPLAY
`DRIVE
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`DISPLAY
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`1
`37
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Feb. 6, 2003 Sheet 5 of 6
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`US 2003/0025710 A1
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`F.G. 6
`
`START
`
`TAKE IN GRAPHC INFORMATION
`FOR POLYGON PLOTTING
`
`CALCULATE GEOMETRY,
`CALCULATE LIGHT SOURCE, VECTORS,
`DETERMINE U, V PARAMETERS
`
`RASTERIZING
`
`PERFORM PARTS PROCESSING
`AND TEXTURE MAPPING
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`PRODUCE SCREEN MAGE
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`OUTPUT AND DISPLAY
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`S1
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`S2
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`S3
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`S4
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`S5
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`S6
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`Patent Application Publication
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`Feb. 6, 2003 Sheet 6 of 6
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`US 2003/0025710 A1
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`FG. 7
`CSTART D
`
`CLASSIFY PXEL, DATA OF CHARACTER
`FOR EVERY PART AND PERFORM
`PERSPECTIVE TRANSFORMATION
`
`DETERMINE PXEL COLOR OF EACH PART
`USING NORMAL TEXTURE.
`STORE IN RAM DATA FOR EACH PART
`HAVING PXEL COLOR DETERMINED
`
`GENERATE SUBTRACTION VALUE
`CORRESPONDING TO INTENSITY OF LIGHT
`HTTING EACH PART AND STORE IN RAM
`
`PERFORMPERSPECTIVE TRANSFORMATION OF
`OBLIQUE LINE SYNCHRONIZING POINT FOR
`EVERY PART AND CALCULATE REFERENCE POINT
`TO BE APPLIED WITH OBLIQUE LINE TEXTURE
`
`CENTER ON REFERENCE POINT AND APPLY
`OBLIQUE LINE TEXTURE ON PART USING
`SUBTRACTING TRANSLUCENT PROCESSING
`THEN STORE IN RAM
`
`ADD BORDER TO EACH PART AFTER APPLLYING
`OBLIQUE LINE TEXTURE AND GENERATE
`FRAME DATA.
`MAKE XY COORDNATES OFFSET FOR EVERY
`PART WHEN GENERATING FRAME DATA AND
`RENDER FOR EVERY BORDER
`
`S11
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`S12
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`S13
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`-
`S4
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`S15
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`S16
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`PROCESSING FOR ALL PARTS OF
`ALL CHARACTERS COMPLETED
`YES
`GO TO NEXT STEP
`
`S17
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`US 2003/002571.0 A1
`
`Feb. 6, 2003
`
`RENDERING PROCESSING METHOD
`0001. This application is related to Japanese Patent
`Application No. 2001-236567 filed on Aug. 3, 2001, based
`on which this application claims priority under the Paris
`Convention and the contents of which are incorporated
`herein by reference.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`0002) 1. Field of the Invention
`0003. The present invention relates to a rendering pro
`cessing method and apparatus, which render, for example,
`three-dimensional image information upon a two-dimen
`Sional Screen Such as a television monitor, a recording
`medium having recorded therein a rendering processing
`program, and the rendering processing program.
`0004 2. Description of the Related Art
`0005. In recent years, video game units and personal
`computers continue to See advances in, for example, high
`degree of integration and high Speed of processors, memory,
`and the like. Accordingly, a rendering processing device
`configured with Such game console units and personal
`computers produces finer, high-definition two-dimensional
`imageS which are rich with diversity and which appear more
`life-like and give a higher Sense of realism from three
`dimensional image information, and is capable of rendering
`these images upon a two-dimensional Screen.
`0006 Meanwhile, a video game user, for example,
`desires not only games having life-like images, but also
`games using images in Styles Such as handwritten cel
`animation. Images in the cel animation Style mentioned
`above are generally produced through the use of a rendering
`process called cartoon shading (or cell shading).
`0007 On the other hand, most recently, images in a
`hand-drawn Style giving an even more interesting flavor than
`cel animation-styled images have been desired. Neverthe
`less, conventional cartoon shading processes can produce
`imageS close to hand-drawn cel images, but expression of
`flavorful and hand-drawn illustration styled images is diffi
`cult.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`0008. The present invention has come about in consid
`eration of Such issues, and the objective thereof lies in
`providing a rendering processing method and apparatus, a
`recording medium having recorded therein a rendering pro
`cessing program, and the rendering processing program, all
`of which allow eased production of images in a hand-drawn
`illustration Style in, for example, a home Video game or
`computer graphics.
`0009. The present invention, applies a first texture that
`determines the color or design of a polygon Structuring an
`object to be rendered upon a two-dimensional Screen, and
`applies a Second texture having a pattern of dense distribu
`tion of color with a predetermined slant relative to the
`coordinates of the two-dimensional Screen to that object
`through translucent Synthesis.
`0.010 More specifically, by merely performing translu
`cent Synthesis and application of a Second texture on an
`
`object applied with a first texture, it is possible to easily
`produce an image in a hand-drawn illustration Style.
`0011. Other and further objects and features of the
`present invention will become obvious upon understanding
`of the illustrative embodiments about to be described in
`connection with the accompanying drawings or will be
`indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages
`not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon
`employing of the invention in practice.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
`0012 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an
`oblique line texture used when performing hand-drawn
`illustration Style image rendering.
`0013 FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of another
`oblique line texture used together with the oblique line
`texture of FIG. 1 when performing hand-drawn illustration
`Style image rendering.
`0014 FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an
`illustrated image.
`0015 FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic
`configuration of implementing a rendering processing
`according to an embodiment of the present invention.
`0016 FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic
`configuration of a computer that implements the rendering
`processing according to the embodiment of the present
`invention.
`0017 FIG. 6 is a flowchart of processing in the case
`where the rendering processing according to the embodi
`ment of the present invention is implemented.
`0018 FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the details of the
`processing in Step 4 of the flowchart in FIG. 6.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
`0019 Various embodiments of the present invention will
`be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
`It is to be noted that the same or similar reference numerals
`are applied to the Same or similar parts and elements
`throughout the drawings, and the description of the same or
`Similar parts and elements will be omitted or simplified.
`0020. A rendering processing device according to an
`embodiment of the present invention, together with perform
`ing image rendering in the cel animation Style that is based
`on cartoon Shading, renders oblique lines for the individual
`main Structural components to be rendered upon a two
`dimensional Screen. The rendering processing device is
`capable of expressing portions where light hits and portions
`in the Shadows by adjusting the depth of oblique lines
`corresponding to the manner in which light hits each object
`upon the Screen, and further expressing an illustration image
`in the hand-drawn Style through rendering a border around
`the outline portion of each object.
`0021. The following embodiment is described using the
`example of Video game images.
`0022. The rendering processing device of this embodi
`ment is made capable of implementing illustration Style
`rendering through application of a texture (hereafter referred
`
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`US 2003/002571.0 A1
`
`Feb. 6, 2003
`
`to as oblique line texture) wherein a color tint pattern is
`arranged at a Slant, for example as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.
`2, relative to the XY coordinates on a two-dimensional
`Screen for all of the main Structural elements, or the back
`ground, game characters, etc., in a game Screen that form the
`game Screen. In particular, the rendering processing device
`according to this embodiment implements rendering closer
`to illustrated images by dividing a game character into parts
`(objects of each part structuring a game character) Such as
`the entire body, head, arms, and legs, and applying oblique
`line texture individually to every one of those parts. In the
`case where oblique line texture is applied to each part as
`described above, the rendering processing device of this
`embodiment first calculates the oblique line Synchronizing
`point of each part (center coordinates of the head, arms, legs,
`hands, etc.) and calculates the respective reference point by
`Subjecting the oblique line Synchronizing point of every one
`of these parts to perspective transformation. Then the ren
`dering processing device of this embodiment matches this
`reference point with the center point of the oblique line
`texture to apply this oblique line texture onto the already
`rendered parts.
`0023. Here, it is desirable that the oblique line texture in
`FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is that which has, for example, the
`oblique line portion randomly arranged, and that each line
`has random lengths (namely, like hand-drawn oblique lines).
`By using Such oblique line texture, the rendering processing
`device of this embodiment is able to implement hand-drawn
`illustration Style rendering. In addition, the oblique line
`texture in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is situated so that the arranged
`positions of the respective oblique line portions are not
`aligned relative to each other. When the oblique line texture
`is applied for each part, the rendering processing device of
`this embodiment is able to represent movement (in other
`words, an “active feel”) by, for example, Switching the
`oblique line textures of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 back and forth
`with each other at intervals of approximately one Second.
`Moreover, the rendering processing device of this embodi
`ment Sets the oblique line movement in each part to be
`varied, or in other words, Sets the timing of the Switching
`between the two oblique line textures and the Switching
`cycle therebetween to be at random for every one of the
`parts. This allows the obtained image to be an image having
`a “Soft illustration touch' unlike the already existing com
`puter graphics style or animation Style, without causing
`interference among the oblique lines of characters when, for
`example, two characters appear on the Same Screen. Note
`that these oblique line textures to be switched are not limited
`to being the two oblique line textures shown in FIG. 1 and
`FIG. 2, but may be any number of textures equal to or
`greater than this. Furthermore, it is not necessary for the
`timing of the Switching to be fixed, but may also be a
`variable length of time.
`0024.
`In addition, the rendering processing device of this
`embodiment performs ray tracing (calculation of illumina
`tion), and calculates the intensity of light that hits for every
`pixel. The rendering processing device then Sets the Sub
`traction value in response to the light intensity for every one
`of those pixels. The subtraction value here is set so that the
`value is low for a pixel having high light intensity and the
`value is high for a pixel having low light intensity. Basically,
`the rendering device Sets the above-mentioned Subtraction
`value So that the amount to be Subtracted becomes larger
`when the color of the above-mentioned oblique line texture
`
`is subtracted from the color of the portion of the parts to
`become shadow. Then when this oblique line texture is to be
`applied to each of the parts, the rendering processing device
`of this embodiment references the Subtraction value set for
`every one of the pixels of each of these parts and Subtracts
`the above-mentioned color of this oblique line texture from
`the color of the earlier rendered parts. Through Such Sub
`traction/translucent processing, the Shadow portion of each
`part of the game character darkens and the oblique lines of
`the oblique line texture becomes deeply noticeable. Mean
`while, the portion of each body part that the light hits
`becomes lighter and the oblique lines of the oblique line
`texture becomes lighter.
`0025 Moreover, the rendering processing device of this
`embodiment locates by calculation the outline of each of the
`parts comprising the game character and the border of every
`one of those parts can be represented by rendering that
`outline with, for example, a black line. In other words, the
`rendering processing device is able to clearly represent the
`boundary (outline) of the torso of the body and the arms
`even in circumstances where the body and arms, which are
`all the Same color, overlap by showing the border of each of
`these parts.
`0026. This allows the rendering processing device to
`clearly render, as shown in FIG. 3, the respective outlines
`101 of the characters 100, 110, as well as make the intense
`oblique lines 103 in the shadow portions 102 of the char
`acters 100, 110 prominent, while the rendering processing
`device renders the portion 104 where light hits with a
`hand-drawn illustration style image drawn with light oblique
`lines 105. In addition, with the rendering processing device
`of this embodiment, an image having a Soft illustration touch
`becomes possible by giving each of the oblique lines a
`feeling of movement through the Switching back and forth
`between oblique line textures applied to each part at inter
`vals of, for example, approximately one Second as described
`above.
`
`Configuration Example
`0027 FIG. 4 shows a specific configuration of an ren
`dering processing device, which performs Subtracting trans
`lucent processing of the oblique line texture described
`above. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 4 is an
`example of the case where the rendering processing device
`of the present invention is implemented using hardware Such
`as a digital signal processor (DSP) or a graphics processor
`(GP). Each of the structural elements of FIG. 4 corresponds
`to the respective internal processing units of Such a DSP or
`GP. In addition, in the following description, only the
`portions that are characteristic to the present invention are
`particularly highlighted.
`0028. In FIG. 4, the memory 51 is stored with the
`graphics information (node information or node connection
`information Such as node coordinate values, RGB node
`color values, map coordinate values, and vector values) of a
`polygon, etc. Note that the graphics information is pre
`imported from various recording media such as a CD-ROM,
`DVD-ROM, or semiconductor memory, or via wired or
`wireleSS telecommunication media or transmission media.
`0029. The geometry processor 50 reads out the above
`mentioned graphics information Stored in the above-men
`tioned memory 51, and performs affine transformation,
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`
`Feb. 6, 2003
`
`projection transformation to Screen coordinates, and geom
`etry calculation Such as ray tracing for the nodes. The
`above-mentioned post-projection transformation graphics
`information (polygon data) is sent to the rendering processor
`52.
`0030 The rendering processor 52 is the portion that
`performs arithmetic processing for rendering a polygon
`upon the Screen, and forms the polygon data Sent from the
`above-mentioned geometry processor 50 into pixels. This
`rendering processor 52 is generally divided into a polygon
`Setup/rasterizing unit (hereafter represented as the PSR unit
`61), a parts processing unit 62, a pixel pipeline unit 63, a
`frame buffer 64, a temporary buffer 65, and a Zbuffer 66, the
`latter two to be described later. Note that the Z value, which
`represents the distance from the viewing point in the direc
`tion of the depth of the image, is stored in the Z buffer 66.
`In addition, the temporary buffer 65, which is described in
`more detail later, temporarily Stores each pixel color of each
`part that has been already rendered, and the Subtraction
`value for the Subtracting translucent processing, which Sub
`tracts the color of the oblique line texture from the color of
`each part.
`0031. In addition, a texture buffer 53 is deployed in this
`rendering processor 52. The texture buffer 53 stores the three
`primary colors R (red), G (green), and B (blue) and an alpha
`value (A), which are for determining the texel color of the
`texture, or more Specifically, the pixel color of the polygon.
`In the case of this embodiment, this texture buffer 53 stores
`a normal texture 67 for determining the color, pattern, etc. of
`each part of a character, and an oblique line texture 68 to be
`applied to each part of this character. The normal texture 67
`and oblique line texture 68 stored in the texture buffer 53,
`and the Z value stored in the previously-mentioned Z buffer
`66 are pre-imported from, for example, various Storage
`media Such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or semiconductor
`memory, or via wired or wireleSS telecommunication media
`or transmission media.
`0.032 The above-mentioned PSR unit 61 comprises con
`figuration called a digital differential analyzer (DDA) for
`performing linear interpolation calculation, and performs
`import and buffering of polygon data Sent from the above
`mentioned geometry processor 50 as well as pixelization
`through rasterizing and calculation of the texel coordinate
`values. The PSR unit 61 then sends this pixel data, texel
`coordinate values, and light Source information to the pixel
`pipeline unit 63 via the parts proceSS unit, and also sends the
`texture UV coordinate values (the address for referencing a
`texel) corresponding to the above-mentioned texel coordi
`nate values to the texture buffer 53.
`0.033
`Here, the parts process unit 62 classifies pixel data
`and texel coordinate values Supplied from the above-men
`tioned PSR unit 61 for every part of the character, and
`performs perspective transformation for each of these parts.
`The pixel pipeline unit 63 at this point determines pixel color
`for the polygons of each of the above-mentioned parts by
`referencing the texture color from the normal texture 67
`within the texture buffer 53 in response to the texel refer
`encing address. The pixel color determined by this pixel
`pipeline unit 63 is temporarily Stored in a temporary buffer
`65.
`In addition, parts process unit 62 uses the light
`0034.
`Source information Supplied from the rendering processor 52
`via the PSR unit 61 to calculate by pixel the intensity with
`which light hits each individual pixel, and further calculates
`the Subtraction value to be used for the Subtracting translu
`
`cent processing described above for every pixel of each part
`and stores it in the temporary buffer 65. At the same time, the
`parts proceSS unit 62 calculates the reference point in
`conformity with the perspective projection of the oblique
`line Synchronizing point of each one of the parts (the center
`point of head, hand, etc.), and sends the coordinate values of
`that reference point to the pixel pipeline unit 63.
`0035) Next, the pixel pipeline unit 63 reads out from the
`temporary buffer 65 the pixel color and the subtraction value
`of each part that has already been rendered, and at the same
`time reads out from the texture buffer 53 each texel color of
`the oblique line texture 68. The pixel pipeline unit 63 then
`matches the reference point and center point of the oblique
`line texture, and in response to the Subtraction value per
`forms the Subtracting translucent processing by Subtracting
`the texel color of the oblique line texture from the pixel color
`of the part in question. Note that here the pixel pipeline unit
`63 is made so that it switches back and forth every fixed
`length of time (for example, every Second) between two
`oblique line textures where the arranged positions of the
`respective hatching portions are not aligned with each other
`as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, which were described
`earlier. The pixel color of each of the parts after the
`Subtracting translucent processing of this oblique line tex
`ture is again stored in the temporary buffer 65.
`0036) Next, the pixel color of each of the parts after the
`Subtracting translucent processing of the oblique line texture
`is read out from the temporary buffer 65 and sent to the pixel
`pipeline unit 63. The pixel pipeline unit 63 then, after giving
`a border for each of the parts, draws each pixel data of each
`of these parts into frame buffer 64. Note that at this point,
`each of the parts is drawn upon the frame buffer 64 with the
`XY coordinate values of every border (of every part) offset.
`0037. The frame buffer 64 comprises memory space
`corresponding to a display (Screen) 56 of a television
`monitor, and in that memory Space is written the color
`values, etc. for each pixel Structuring, for example, each of
`the parts of the character or the background. The Screen data
`to be formed by frame upon this frame buffer 64 is thereafter
`read out as needed from a display controller 54.
`0038. The display controller 54 produces the horizontally
`Synchronized signal and Vertically Synchronized Signal for
`the television monitor, and in addition, linearly dispenses in
`order the pixel data from the frame buffer 64 in accordance
`with the display timing of that monitor. The two-dimen
`Sional image comprising these linear, Sequentially given
`color values is displayed upon a display 56 Such as a
`television monitor.
`Alternative Example
`0039 The rendering process of this embodiment can be
`implemented not only in conformity with a hardware con
`figuration such as shown in FIG. 4 above, but may naturally
`be implemented through Software (i.e. an application pro
`gram for a computer, etc.).
`0040 FIG. 5 through FIG. 7 show a configuration and
`operation in the case of implementing rendering processing
`of the present invention in a computer. FIG. 5 shows a
`structural example of the main elements of a computer. FIG.
`6 shows the general process flow in the case where the CPU
`123 of the computer of FIG. 5 executes a rendering pro
`cessing program of the present invention. FIG. 7 the
`detailed process flow of the processing in step S4 in FIG. 6.
`0041. In FIG. 5, a storage unit 128 comprises, for
`example, a hard disk or a drive thereof. This storage unit 128
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`is Stored with an operating System program, a computer
`program 129, which includes the rendering processing pro
`gram of this embodiment that is imported from or any
`variety of storage media such as CD-ROM, DVD-ROM,
`etc., or via a telecommunication line, and the various data
`130 to be used for polygon plotting, Such as graphical
`information, the RGBA value of the texture, Z value, and the
`oblique line texture to be applied to every one of the parts.
`0042. The communications unit 121 is a communications
`device for performing external data communications, Such
`as a modem for connecting to an analog public telephone
`line, a cable modem for connecting to a cable television
`network, a terminal adapter for connecting to an integrated
`Services digital network (ISDN), or a modem for connecting
`to an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL). The com
`munications interface unit 122 is an interface device for
`performing protocol conversion to allow the exchange of
`data between the communications unit 121 and an internal
`bus (BUS).
`0043. The input unit 133 is an input device such as a
`keyboard, mouse, or touch pad. The user interface unit 132
`is an interface device for providing a signal from the input
`unit 133.
`0044) The drive unit 135 is a drive device capable of
`reading out various programs or data from, for example, disc
`media 140 Such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM or card
`shaped semiconductor memory. The drive interface unit 134
`is an interface device for providing a signal from the drive
`unit 135.
`004.5 The display unit 137 is a display device such as a
`cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display device. The
`display drive unit 136 is a drive device, which drives the
`display unit 137.
`0046) The CPU 123 provides general control of the
`personal computer based upon an operating System program
`or a computer program 129 of the present invention Stored
`in the storage unit 128.
`0047. The ROM 124 comprises, for example, rewritable
`and nonvolatile memory Such as flash memory and is Stored
`with the basic input/output system (BIOS) and various initial
`settings of this computer. The RAM 125 is loaded with
`application programs and various data readout from the hard
`disk of the Storage unit 128, and in addition, is used as the
`working RAM of the CPU 123, the texture buffer, temporary
`buffer, Z buffer, and frame buffer.
`0048. With the structure shown in FIG. 5, the CPU 123
`realizes the rendering process of the earlier described
`embodiment through the execution of the computer program
`of this embodiment, which is one of the application pro
`grams read out from the hard disk of the above-mentioned
`storage unit 128 and loaded in RAM 125.
`0049 General Flow of the Rendering Program
`0050. Next, the process flow when the CPU 123 of the
`computer shown in FIG. 5 operates based on the application
`program of this embodiment used for rendering (rendering
`processing program), and is described forthwith using FIG.
`6 and FIG. 7.
`0051). In FIG. 6, the CPU 123, as the processing of Step
`S1, reads out from the Storage unit 128 graphics information,
`the RGBA value of the texture, the Z value, and the oblique
`line texture, which have been read out in advance from the
`
`disk media 140 and accumulated as data 130 in the storage
`unit 128 and are to be used for polygon plotting, holding
`them in RAM 125.
`0.052 Next, the CPU 123, as the processing of Step S2,
`reads out the graphics information held in RAM 125, which
`is then Subjected to affine transformation, projection trans
`formation to Screen coordinates, geometry calculation Such
`as ray tracing for the nodes, and perspective transformation.
`0053) Next, the CPU 123, as the processing of Step S3,
`performs rasterizing using the polygon data obtained
`through the geometry calculation, and further, as the pro
`cessing of Step S4, performs classification of the parts of the
`character, performs coloring to each part using the normal
`texture (texture mapping), and performs Subtracting trans
`lucent processing in response to the application of oblique
`line texture to every one of the parts and how the light hits.
`The details of the processing involved in this Step S4 are
`described forthwith with FIG. 7.
`0054) Thereafter, the CPU 123, as the processing of Step
`S5, produces a Screen image from the post-Step 4 processing
`pixel data, and further, as the processing of Step S6, Sends
`this screen image information to the display drive 136. This
`allows an image to be displayed upon the display unit 137.
`0055) Details of Step S4
`0056. In the following, the detailed process flow of the
`processing in Step 4 of FIG. 6 is described using FIG. 7.
`0057. In FIG. 7, as the CPU 123 proceeds to the pro
`cessing of Step S4 of FIG. 6, as the processing of Step S11,
`the CPU 123 first classifies the pixel data and texel coordi
`nate values produced in Step S3 of FIG. 6 for every part of
`a character, and further performs perspective transformation
`on every one of these parts.
`0.058 Next, the CPU 123, as the processing of Step S12,
`determines the pixel color of each of the parts using the
`normal texture loaded into RAM 125. The CPU 123 then
`stores in RAM 125 the data of each of the parts for which
`this pixel color was determined.
`0059) Next, the CPU 123, as the processing of Step S13,
`calculates the intensity of light hitting each part by perform
`ing ray tracing, finds the Subtraction value for each one of
`these parts from this light intensity, and stores it in RAM
`125.
`0060. In addition, the CPU 123, as the processing of Step
`S14, calculates a reference point by Subjecting the oblique
`line Synchronizing point of each one of the parts to perspec
`tive transformation.
`0061 Next, the CPU 123, as the processing of Step S15,
`reads out the pixel color and the Subtraction value for each
`of the parts stored earlier in the RAM 125, as well as the
`texel color for the oblique line texture. The CPU 123 then
`matches the reference point and center point of the oblique
`line texture, Subtracts the texel color of the oblique line
`texture from the pixel color of each of the parts in response
`to the Subtraction value, and thereafter returns it to RAM
`125. Note that during this oblique line texture subtraction/
`translucent processing, the CPU 123 switches back and forth
`every fixed length of time (for example, every Second),
`alternatingly applying two oblique line textures where the
`arranged positions of the respective oblique line portions are
`not aligned with each other as shown in the earlier described
`FIG. 1 and FG, 2.
`
`IPR2020-01218
`Sony EX1016 Page 11
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`US 2003/002571.0 A1
`
`Feb. 6, 2003
`
`0062) Next, the CPU 123, as the processing of Step S16,
`gives a border to every one of the parts after applying an
`oblique line texture, and structures frame data by rendering
`each of these parts attached a border. Note that when
`producing this frame data, the CPU 123 produces frame data
`where each part is arranged within a frame by offsetting the
`XY coordinate values.
`0063) Thereafter, the CPU 123, as the processing of Step
`S17, determines whether the rendering process for all of the
`parts of all of the characters arranged in a frame, as well as
`for other objects, background, etc. has been completed.
`When processing has not been completed, the processing of
`the CPU 123 returns to Step S11; otherwise, when com
`pleted, the processing proceeds to Step S5 in FIG. 6.
`0.064 Synopsis of the Embodiments of the Present Inven
`tion
`0065 According to these embodiments, by displaying a
`border for each of the parts of a character, for example, even
`if parts having the Same color overlap the boundary between
`parts can b