US 2026/0295406 A1Published application

Enhancing blockouts of virtual interactive environment for video games

AssigneeElectronic Arts Inc.

InventorsHau Nghiep Phan, Mohamed Hassan, Hector Anadon Leon, Han Liu, Raymond Phan

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Abstract

A system and method for improving the graphical quality of a virtual interactive environment by applying enhancements to various environmental assets is provided. The system enhances skyboxes, terrains, and blockout structures by generating and applying detail assets that enhance visual and physical characteristics. Additionally, a virtual camera records a first video of the enhanced environmental assets. The first video is processed to generate a second video that depicts the enhanced environmental assets with improved visual fidelity. The second video is analyzed to further refine the enhanced environmental assets based on how they appear across multiple frames in the second video.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

one or more processors;
and
one or more memory devices communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, the one or more memory devices storing computer-executable instructions that, during runtime execution by the one or more processors, causes at least one of the one or more processors to:
access a virtual interactive environment;
and
enhance graphical fidelity properties of environmental assets among the virtual interactive environment, the environmental assets including at least a skybox, a terrain, and a blockout structure, wherein:
(a) enhancement of the graphical fidelity properties of the skybox comprises at least applying a skybox texture to the skybox, and wherein the skybox texture is generated based at least in part on a first enhancement instruction that defines a visual aesthetic for the skybox;
(b) enhancement of the graphical fidelity properties of the terrain comprises at least applying a terrain texture to the terrain, and wherein the terrain texture is generated based on a second enhancement instruction that defines a visual aesthetic for the terrain;
and
(c) enhancement of the graphical fidelity properties of the blockout structure of the virtual interactive environment comprises:
(i) gathering render data corresponding to the blockout structure, the render data comprising at least a plurality of view images associated with the blockout structure and depth data corresponding to each view image among the plurality;
(ii) generating a structure texture based on the gathered render data and a third enhancement instruction that defines a visual aesthetic for the blockout structure;
(iii) generating a normal map comprising surface normals based on the structure texture;
(iv) generating a collision mesh based on the normal map and the blockout structure;
and,
(v) applying the structure texture, normal map, and collision mesh to the blockout structure to create an enhanced blockout structure.

13 more elements

A method to improve a video game by:

accessing a virtual interactive environment;
and
enhancing graphical fidelity properties of environmental assets among the virtual interactive environment, the environmental assets including at least a skybox, a terrain, and a blockout structure, wherein:
(a) the enhancement of the graphical fidelity properties of the skybox comprises at least applying a skybox texture to the skybox, and wherein the skybox texture is generated based at least in part on a first enhancement instruction that defines a visual aesthetic for the skybox;
(b) the enhancement of the graphical fidelity properties of the terrain comprises at least applying a terrain texture to the terrain, and wherein the terrain texture is generated based on a second enhancement instruction that defines a visual aesthetic for the terrain;
and
(c) the enhancement of the graphical fidelity properties of the blockout structure of the virtual interactive environment comprises:
(i) gathering render data corresponding to the blockout structure, the render data comprising at least a plurality of view images associated with the blockout structure and depth data corresponding to each view image among the plurality;
(ii) generating a structure texture based on the gathered render data and a third enhancement instruction that defines a visual aesthetic for the blockout structure;
(iii) generating a normal map comprising surface normals based on the structure texture;
(iv) generating a collision mesh based on the normal map and the blockout structure;
and,
(v) applying the structure texture, normal map, and collision mesh to the blockout structure to create an enhanced blockout structure.

10 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions to improve a video game by:

accessing a virtual interactive environment;
and
enhancing graphical fidelity properties of environmental assets among the virtual interactive environment, the environmental assets including at least a skybox, a terrain, and a blockout structure, wherein:
(a) the enhancement of the graphical fidelity properties of the skybox comprises at least applying a skybox texture to the skybox, and wherein the skybox texture is generated based at least in part on a first enhancement instruction that defines a visual aesthetic for the skybox;
(b) the enhancement of the graphical fidelity properties of the terrain comprises at least applying a terrain texture to the terrain, and wherein the terrain texture is generated based on a second enhancement instruction that defines a visual aesthetic for the terrain;
and
(c) the enhancement of the graphical fidelity properties of the blockout structure of the virtual interactive environment comprises:
(i) gathering render data corresponding to the blockout structure, the render data comprising at least a plurality of view images associated with the blockout structure and depth data corresponding to each view image among the plurality;
(ii) generating a structure texture based on the gathered render data and a third enhancement instruction that defines a visual aesthetic for the blockout structure;
(iii) generating a normal map comprising surface normals based on the structure texture;
(iv) generating a collision mesh based on the normal map and the blockout structure;
and
(v) applying the structure texture, normal map, and collision mesh to the blockout structure to create an enhanced blockout structure.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.