Patent ID: 7656407
Filing Date: 2010-02-02
Classification: A63F,G06T

Abstract:
1. A storage medium having an image processing program stored therein for causing a computer to execute processing of changing the shape of a shape model in a rectangular coordinate system and displaying the shape model on a screen of a display device, wherein: said shape model comprises a plurality of line segments, each line segment defined between two adjacent apexes at the two ends of each line segment, with no other apexes located between said two adjacent apexes, and each of the apexes of the shape model is associated with at least one other apex of the shape model; wherein at least two virtual springs are set between each pair of adjacent apexes located at the two ends of each line segment, each spring oriented along a different of two axes of a rectangular coordinate system and applying a force to the two apexes, wherein the two virtual springs are independent from each other, and wherein the force is directed along the axis corresponding to the orientation of the spring and is changed in magnitude in accordance with a change in distance between the two apexes along the corresponding axis; and the image processing program causes the computer to execute: difference calculation for, when positional relationship between the apexes of the shape model is changed from that of a reference state, calculating a difference between the post-change distance between the two apexes and the distance therebetween in the reference state for each of coordinate components; spring force calculation for calculating a magnitude of a virtual force generated by each of virtual springs based on the difference; apex force calculation for calculating a virtual force received by each apex from the corresponding virtual springs for each coordinate component by adding parallel forces among the virtual forces applied to each apex; position determination for determining a position to which each apex is to be moved for each coordinate component, based on the virtual force calculated for each coordinate component in the apex force calculation; and display control for displaying the shape model obtained by moving each apex thereof to the determined position on the screen.