Patent ID: 6414678
Filing Date: 2002-07-02
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
An image creating apparatus for creating an image formed by a gathering of dots for a plurality of scenes as viewed in two or more different directions from a certain view point existing in a three-dimensional space, said apparatus comprising:a background object polygon image data generator for generating background object polygon image data including three-dimensional coordinate data and texture data for each polygon so as to represent a background object existing in a three-dimensional space; a moving object polygon image data generator for generating moving object polygon image data including three-dimensional coordinate data and texture data for each polygon so as to represent a moving object existing in a three-dimensional space; an operator input device for generating moving object position data for controlling the display position of said moving object; a color data storage having a storing capacity corresponding to the number of the dots for a plurality of background scenes, to temporarily store color data on each background scene on a dot-by-dot basis; depth data storage having a storing capacity corresponding to the number of the dots for the plurality of the background scenes, to temporarily store depth data on the background scene on a dot-by-dot basis; a color data generator for converting into dot image data the polygon image data associated with the background object out of the polygon image data obtained upon being directed in different directions in the three-dimensional space at the certain view point, to generate color data on the dot-by-dot basis on the basis of texture data of each polygon; a color data writer for writing the color data in a plurality of directions generated by said color data generator into corresponding storing positions of said color data storage; a moving object position evaluator for determining the display position of said moving object based on data from said input device; a depth data generator for determining, by computation, the depth data on the dot depending upon the three-dimensional coordinate data of the polygon when converting the polygon image data associated with the background object into the dot image data out of the polygon image data obtained upon being directed in different directions in the three-dimensional space at the certain view point, to generate the depth data on the dot-by-dot basis; and a depth data writer for writing the depth data into said depth data storage wherein when said moving object is moved to a predetermined display position with respect to a background scene as determined by said moving object position evaluator, said depth data writer and said color data writer are controlled to save color data and depth value data respectively to said depth data storage and said color data storage.