Method and apparatus for generating object motion path, method of setting object display attribute, and computer graphics system

A computer implemented method for generating a motion image of an object, comprising steps of:

• designating information representing a time and at least one of a position and velocity vector of the object at the motion start point and at the motion end point
• storing designation information indicating which of the position and/or velocity vector of the object have been explicitly designated for the motion start point and for the motion end point;
• identifying whether the position information at the motion start point and the position information at the motion end point have been explicitly designated, and whether the velocity vector information at the motion start point and the velocity vector information at the motion end point have been explicitly designated;
• and
• selecting an interpolation formula for the motion path having a nominal number of an order higher than one, the number of the order being selected such that the number of the order corresponds to the identified information and provides a velocity function which is continuous with time between said motion start point and said motion end point, to thereby determine the interpolation formula;
• and
• generating a motion path between said motion start point and said motion end point of said object using said identified information and said interpolation formula.

A computer implemented method for generating a motion image of an object, comprising steps of:

• designating start point information representing a motion start point of a moving object and end point information representing a motion end point of the moving object;
• generating information representing a motion path from the motion start point to the motion end point of the object by referring to the designated start point information and the designated end point information;
• storing in a memory, as said start point information for said motion start point and as said end point information for said motion end point, time information indicating a passing time of the moving object, position information indicating a passing position, velocity vector information indicating a passing velocity and a direction of the moving object, position designation information indicating whether a value of the position information has been explicitly designated, and velocity vector designation information indicating whether a value of the velocity vector information has been explicitly designated;
• identifying whether the position information at the motion start point and the position information at the motion end point have been explicitly designated, and whether the velocity vector information at the motion start point and the velocity vector information at the motion end point have been explicitly designated;
• and
• generating said motion path information in response to information stored in said memory, said motion path information corresponding to whether the position information has been explicitly designated and whether the velocity vector information has been explicitly designated.