JPH08272995A - Movement control method for image object - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a movement control method for image object which can perform detailed movement control extremely easily. CONSTITUTION: This is a method which controls the movement of an image object on a display screen, and X-axial, Y-axial, and Z-axial position control areas consisting of the X-axis coordinate axis, Y-axis coordinate axis, and Z-axis coordinate axis of the image object and a time base corresponding to the respective coordinate axes are displayed, and movement control flags showing the positions of the X, Y, and Z coordinates to the time coordinates of the image object are displayed in the position control areas of the X-axis, Y- axis, and Z axis, and a display of a movement graph is updated along the track 26 of an optional curve drawn continuously by a coordinate input device in one of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis control areas to control the movement of the image object. The movement control curve of the image object is updated along the continuously drawn curve with an optional coordinate input device such as a mouse, a track ball, and a digitizer and then the movement of the image object can be controlled easily and precisely.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a motion control method for image objects suitable for animation production.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The production of animation using computer graphics technology has become popular. There is known a method of controlling the movement of an animated image object by displaying the image as shown in FIG. 3 on the display screen of such a computer system.
In order to move the image object three-dimensionally, a motion control area consisting of three coordinate axes and a time axis is displayed, and a motion control curve is displayed for each area. Since the position of the image object changes along the movement control curve of each coordinate axis with the passage of time, the movement of the image object can be freely controlled by changing the movement control curve of each coordinate axis.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a motion control curve editing operation for controlling the motion of an image object. Here, an example of motion control of the X coordinate axis is shown as an example, but the same applies to other coordinate axes. Above the curve 20 shown by the solid line, for example, 10
Dots (black circles) are displayed for each frame. These dots are moved using a coordinate input device such as a mouse or a trackball, and the dots (white circles) after the movement are connected by an appropriate interpolation process to create a new motion control curve (broken line 2).
2) can be drawn.

[0004]

However, in the method of moving dots at regular intervals and connecting the dots by an appropriate interpolation process, when it is desired to rapidly change the curve between the 24 dots of the broken line in FIG. It was inconvenient for me. In this case, it was possible to individually position and control the points corresponding to each frame on the curve between the dots, but it was extremely troublesome and inconvenient.

An object of the present invention is to provide a motion control method for an image object which enables extremely detailed motion control.

[0006]

A method for controlling the movement of an image object on a display screen, comprising: an X-axis coordinate axis, a Y-axis coordinate axis, a Z-axis coordinate axis, and a time axis corresponding to each coordinate axis. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis position control areas configured respectively are displayed, and the X-axis
Motion control graphs representing the positions of the X, Y, and Z coordinates with respect to the time coordinates of the image object are displayed on the position control areas of the X, Y, and Z axes, and the X, Y, and Z axes are displayed.
Updating the display of the motion control graph along the locus of an arbitrary curve continuously drawn by the coordinate input device in any of the position control regions of the axis to control the motion of the image object. Characterize.

[0007]

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a computer system suitable for implementing the present invention. μP
This is a system centered on a (computer) 10, which has a keyboard 12, a coordinate input device 13, a ROM and an R.
A system memory 14 including an AM, an external memory 16 such as a magnetic disk, and a display 18 having a CRT or other display screen are connected. The coordinate input device 13
A known device such as a mouse, a trackball, or a digitizer may be used. Depending on the input from this coordinate input device 13, μP
10 can update the motion control curve displayed on the display screen of the display 18 and control the motion of the image object. The animation produced in this way is stored in the external storage device 16 and is the target of post-editing.

FIG. 1 is a display example showing a state of a motion control method of an image object according to the present invention. Although only the control of the X coordinate axis is shown for the sake of convenience, the same applies to the motion control areas of other coordinate axes. The operator operates the coordinate input device 13 to freely move the designated point of the cursor within the movement control area, and the movement control curve is displayed along the locus 26 of the designated point of the cursor. Also when updating this motion control curve, it is possible to simply draw a new motion control curve simply by moving the cursor pointing point from the left side to the right direction using the coordinate input device. With such a configuration, unlike the conventional case, there is no trouble of moving a number of dots at regular intervals and performing an interpolation process between these dots with an appropriate interpolation function. Further, since an arbitrary curve can be continuously drawn with the coordinate input device, it is extremely easy to perform a rapid curve change between dots as in the conventional case.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0010]

The motion control curve of the image object is updated along a continuously drawn curve by an arbitrary coordinate input device such as a mouse, a trackball, or a digitizer, so that the motion of the image object can be easily and precisely performed. You can control.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a display example showing an example of a state of an operating method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a computer system suitable for applying the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example of a conventional motion control curve.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional motion control curve updating method.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a problem of a conventional method of updating a motion control curve.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Computer 12 Keyboard 13 Coordinate Input Device 14 System Memory 16 External Storage Device 18 Display

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method for controlling the movement of an image object on a display screen, comprising: an X-axis coordinate axis, a Y-axis coordinate axis and a Z-axis of the image object.
An X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis position control area configured by an axis coordinate axis and a time axis corresponding to each coordinate axis is displayed, and the image is displayed on the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis position control area. Motion control graphs showing the positions of the X, Y, and Z coordinates with respect to the time coordinate of the object are displayed, respectively, and continuously displayed by the coordinate input device in any one of the X, Y, and Z position control regions. A motion control method for an image object, characterized by updating the display of the motion control graph along the trajectory of an arbitrary drawn curve to control the motion of the image object.