Virtual environment provision apparatus, method, and program

A method for controlling placement of a virtual object in a three-dimensional virtual environment, the method being executed by a virtual environment provision apparatus that includes a storage unit, a control unit, a sensor unit, and a display unit, wherein

• the storage unit stores a database, the database defining an interactive object movable by a user in a virtual environment, a target object serving as a placement destination for the interactive object, a storage location where the interactive object is placed on the target object, exclusive bounding boxes representing virtual boundaries of the interactive object and the target object that do not allow overlapping with each other, and a proximity determination bounding box for determining that the interactive object is in proximity to the target object,
• the sensor unit is configured to acquire operation information on an operation performed on an object by the user,
• the display unit is configured to display the target object and the interactive object in the virtual environment, and
• the method comprises:
• the control unit placing, upon detecting that the user performs an operation of releasing the interactive object in the proximity determination bounding box of the target object based on the operation information, the interactive object at the storage location of the target object such that an exclusive bounding box of the interactive object and an exclusive bounding box of another object do not overlap each other in the virtual environment.

A program for causing a computer that includes a storage unit, a control unit, a sensor unit, and a display unit to execute placement control of a virtual object in a three-dimensional virtual environment, wherein

• the storage unit stores a database, the database defining an interactive object movable by a user in a virtual environment, a target object serving as a placement destination for the interactive object, a storage location where the interactive object is placed on the target object, exclusive bounding boxes representing virtual boundaries of the interactive object and the target object that do not allow overlapping with each other, and a proximity determination bounding box for determining that the interactive object is in proximity to the target object,
• the sensor unit is configured to acquire operation information on an operation performed on an object by the user,
• the display unit is configured to display the target object and the interactive object in the virtual environment, and
• the program causes the control unit to place, upon detecting that the user performs an operation of releasing the interactive object in the proximity determination bounding box of the target object based on the operation information, the interactive object at the storage location of the target object such that an exclusive bounding box of the interactive object and an exclusive bounding box of another object do not overlap each other in the virtual environment.