Three-dimensional image synthesis which represents images differently in multiple three dimensional spaces

A three-dimensional(3D) simulator apparatus comprising:

• virtual three-dimensional(3D) space computation means for computing and forming virtual three-dimensional(3D) spaces by setting display object information that comprises either an object number and position information or an object number and position and orientation information for each of a plurality of display objects configuring said virtual 3D spaces;
• image information storage means for storing image information for an object specified by said object number;
• and
• image synthesis means for synthesizing field-of-view images as seen from any desired viewpoint within said virtual 3D spaces, based on said display object information and said image information read out from said image information storage means according to said object numbers, wherein said virtual 3D space computation means comprises:
• means for forming a plurality of groups of display object information having either identical position information or identical position and orientation information but different object numbers, said image information storage means storing said image information which has different numbers or polygons configuring each of said objects specified by said different object numbers;
• and
• said image synthesis means comprises:
• means for synthesizing a first field-of-view image to be displayed on a main screen, based on said image information for a first object with a larger number of polygons;
• and
• means for synthesizing a second field-of-view image to be displayed on at least one sub-screen, based on said image information for a second object with a smaller number of polygons, said first object and said second object being used to represent a same object.

A method of synthesizing an image, comprising:

• a virtual three-dimensional(3D) space computation step for computing and forming virtual three-dimensional(3D) spaces by setting either position or position and orientation of a plurality of display objects configuring said virtual 3D spaces;
• and
• an image synthesis step for synthesizing field-of-view images as seen from any desired viewpoint within said virtual 3D spaces, based on computation results from said virtual 3D space computation step, wherein:
• said virtual 3D space computation step comprises:
• forming at least two of the virtual 3D spaces wherein first display objects in a first one of said virtual 3D spaces and second display objects in a second one of said virtual 3D spaces are used to represent same display objects, but a first number of polygons configuring each of said first display objects in the first one of said virtual 3D spaces is different from a second number of polygons configuring each of said second display objects in the second one of said virtual 3D spaces;
• and
• said image synthesis step comprises:
• synthesizing a first field-of-view image in the first one of said virtual 3D spaces as an image to be displayed on a main screen, wherein the first number of polygons configuring each of said first display objects is larger than the second number of polygons configuring each of said second display objects in the second one of said virtual 3D spaces;
• and
• synthesizing a second field-of-view image in the second one of said virtual 3D spaces as an image to be displayed on at least one sub-screen, wherein the second number of polygons configuring each of said second display objects is smaller than the first number of polygons configuring each of said first display objects in the first one of said virtual 3D spaces.

A method of synthesizing an image, comprising:

• a virtual three-dimensional(3D) space computation step of computing and forming virtual three-dimensional(3D) spaces by setting display object information that comprises either an object number and position information or an object number and position and orientation information for each of a plurality of display objects configuring said virtual 3D spaces;
• and
• an image synthesis step of synthesizing field-of-view images as seen from any desired viewpoint within said virtual 3D spaces, based on said display object information and image information read out from a given image information storage means according to said object number, wherein:
• said virtual 3D space computation step comprises:
• forming a plurality of groups of display object information having either identical position information or identical position and orientation information but different object numbers;
• said image information storage means storing said image information which has different numbers of polygons configuring each of said objects specified by said different object numbers;
• and
• said image synthesis step comprises:
• synthesizing a first field-of-view image to be displayed on a main screen, based on said image information for a first object with a larger number of polygons;
• and
• synthesizing a second field-of-view image to be displayed on at least one sub-screen, based on said image information for a second object with a smaller number of polygons, said first object and said second object being used to represent a same object.

A three-dimensional(3D) simulator apparatus comprising:

• virtual three-dimensional(3D) space computation means for computing and forming virtual three-dimensional(3D) spaces by setting either position or position and orientation of a plurality of display objects configuring said virtual 3D spaces;
• and
• image synthesis means for synthesizing field-of-view images as seen from any desired viewpoint within said virtual 3D space, based on computation results from said virtual 3D space computation means, wherein:
• said virtual 3D space computation means forms a first virtual 3D space configured by first display objects and a second virtual 3D space configured by second display objects, said first display objects and said second display objects being used to represent same display objects, but a degree of detail of said second display objects being lower than a degree of detail of said first display objects;
• and
• said image synthesis means synthesizes a first field-of-view image in said first virtual 3D space with said high detailed first display objects, as an image to be displayed on a main screen and synthesizes a second field-of-view image in said second virtual 3D space with said low detailed second display objects, as an image to be displayed on at least one sub-screen.

A three-dimensional(3D) simulator apparatus comprising:

• virtual three-dimensional(3D) space computation means for computing and forming virtual three-dimensional(3D) spaces by setting either position or position and orientation of a plurality of display objects configuring said virtual 3D spaces;
• and
• image synthesis means for synthesizing field-of-view images as seen from any desired viewpoint within said virtual 3D spaces, based on computation results from said virtual 3D space computation means, wherein:
• said virtual 3D space computation means forms a first virtual 3D space configured by first display objects and a second virtual 3D space configured by second display objects, said first display objects and said second display objects being used to represent same display objects, but with some of said second display objects omitted from being placed in said second virtual 3D space while some of said first display objects corresponding to some of said second display objects being placed in said first virtual 3D space;
• and
• said image synthesis means synthesizes a first field-of-view image in said first virtual 3D space as an image to be displayed on a main screen with some of said first display objects being displayed and synthesizes a second field-of-view image in said second virtual 3D space as an image to be displayed on at least one sub-screen with some of said second display objects corresponding to some of said first display objects omitted from being displayed.

A three-dimensional(3D) simulator apparatus comprising:

• virtual three-dimensional(3D) space computation means for computing and forming a virtual three-dimensional(3D) space by setting either position or position and orientation of a plurality of display objects configuring said virtual 3D space;
• texture computation means for mapping texture to said display objects;
• texture information storage means for storing information on said texture to be mapped by said texture computation means, and
• image synthesis means for synthesizing a field-of-view image as seen from any desired viewpoint within said virtual 3D space, based on computation results from said virtual 3D space computation means, wherein:
• said texture computation means uses texture information stored in said texture information storage means in common, for both high detailed display objects and low detailed display objects.

A method of synthesizing an image, comprising:

• a virtual three-dimensional(3D) space computation step for computing and forming virtual three-dimensional(3D) spaces by setting either position or position and orientation of a plurality of display objects configuring said virtual 3D spaces;
• and
• an image synthesis step for synthesizing field-of-view images as seen from any desired viewpoint within said virtual 3D spaces, based on computation results from said virtual 3D spaces computation step, wherein:
• said virtual 3D space computation step forms a first virtual 3D space configured by first display objects and a second virtual 3D space configured by second display objects, said first display objects and said second display objects being used to represent same display objects, but a degree of detail of said second display objects being lower than a degree of detail of said first display objects;
• and
• said image synthesis step synthesizes a first field-of-view image in said first virtual 3D space with said high detailed first display objects, as an image to be displayed on a main screen and synthesizes a second field-of-view image in said second virtual 3D space with said low detailed second display objects, as an image to be displayed on at least one sub-screen.

A method of synthesizing an image, comprising:

• a virtual three-dimensional(3D) space computation step for computing and forming virtual three-dimensional(3D) spaces by setting either position or position and orientation of a plurality of display objects configuring said virtual 3D spaces;
• an image synthesis step for synthesizing field-of-view images as seen from any desired viewpoint within said virtual 3D spaces, based on computation results from said virtual 3D space computation step, wherein:
• said virtual 3D space computation step forms a first virtual 3D space configured by first display objects and a second 3D space configured by second display objects, said first display objects and said second display objects being used to represent same display objects, but with some of said second display objects omitted from being placed in said second virtual 3D space while some of said first display objects corresponding to some of said second display objects being, place in said first virtual 3D space;
• and
• said image synthesis step synthesizes a first field-of-view image in said first virtual 3D space, as an image to be displayed on a main screen with some of said first display objects being displayed and synthesizes a second field-of-view image in said second virtual 3D space, as an image to be displayed on at least one sub-screen with some of said second display objects corresponding to some of said first display objects omitted from being displayed.

A method of synthesizing an image, comprising:

• a virtual three-dimensional(3D) space computation step for computing and forming a virtual three-dimensional(3D) space by setting either position or position and orientation of a plurality of display objects configuring said virtual 3D space;
• texture computation step for mapping texture to said display objects, information on said texture to be mapped by said texture computation step being stored in texture information storage means;
• and
• an image synthesis step for synthesizing a field-of-view image as seen from any desired viewpoint within said virtual 3D space, such that computation results from said virtual 3D space computation step, wherein:
• said texture computation step uses texture information stored in said texture information storage means in common, for both high detailed display objects and low detailed display objects.