Three-dimensional skeleton data compression apparatus

A computer-readable storage medium storing a processing program for realizing a skeleton data compression apparatus for compressing and holding skeleton data, used in a three-dimensional polygon display apparatus for rendering a three-dimensional character described by polygon data and skeleton data, comprising:

• a weight detection processing operation of detecting weight information that is a numerical value representing a relationship between a skeleton and a polygon vertex and showing a degree of an influence of movement of the skeleton on the vertex, based on input skeleton data;
• a weight compression threshold value setting processing operation of setting a weight compression threshold value that is set by a user and used for deleting weight information equal to or lower than the numerical value as the weight information having a small degree of an influence involved in the movement of the skeleton;
• a weight compression processing operation of reducing/compressing weight information equal to or lower than the set weight compression threshold value, among weight information detected by the weight detection processing operation;
• and
• a first skeleton compression processing operation of reducing/compressing a skeleton having no polygon vertex with a weight value and having no polygon vertex influenced by movement of the skeleton, after the weight compression by the weight compression processing operation.

A computer-readable storage medium storing a processing program for realizing a skeleton data compression apparatus for compressing and holding skeleton data, used in a three-dimensional polygon display apparatus for rendering a three-dimensional character described by polygon data and skeleton data, comprising:

• a weight detection processing operation of detecting weight information that is a numerical value representing a relationship between a skeleton and a polygon vertex and showing a degree of an influence of movement of the skeleton on the vertex, based on input skeleton data;
• a weight compression threshold value setting processing operation of setting a weight compression threshold value that is set by a user and used for deleting weight information equal to or lower than the numerical value as the weight information having a small degree of an influence involved in the movement of the skeleton;
• a weight compression processing operation of reducing/compressing weight information equal to or lower than the set weight compression threshold value, among weight information detected by the weight detection processing operation;
• a skeleton relative movement detection processing operation of detecting relative movement between skeletons and detecting a skeleton group that moves as one body without relative movement;
• and
• a second skeleton compression processing operation of reducing/integrating skeletons, detected by the skeleton relative movement detecting part to be the skeleton group that moves as one body, into a unified and integrated skeleton on a scene basis describing a series of movements of a three-dimensional character, thereby reducing/compressing a number of skeletons.