User interactions with information handling systems can be improved by providing real-time feedback to the user during use of an application on the information handling system. A user's focused attention can be determined and the user interface elements in an application window be customized to the user. The user's focus attention thus changes the display of user interface elements on the screen. Using such a technique, user interface elements of lower importance can be de-emphasized or removed from the application window, which improves the user's access to user interface elements of greater importance.

A server sets a game field to a first game area and a second game area in accordance with a progress status of a game, executes display mode control processing of controlling display modes of a first player character who is present in the first game area and a second player character who is present in the second game area, generates image data which visualizes the inside of a virtual space as a game image, which includes a controlled display mode of each player character, and which is for providing a terminal with the game image, wherein in the display mode control processing, the server causes a terminal of a first player to display the second player character in a first display mode, and causes a terminal of a second player to display the first player character in a second display mode that differs from the first display mode.

In a method modifying a user's virtual environment, a filtration module receives an avatar filtration parameter, updates location parameters with the avatar filtration parameter, and determines a physical target area about the user. The filtration module identifies an avatar of a second user in the target area and determines whether the avatar meets the avatar filtration parameter. Responsive to determining that the avatar does not meet at least one of the avatar filtration parameters, the filtration module modifies the avatar to comply with all of the avatar filtration parameters.

A method of mapping a virtual environment comprises obtaining a first sequence of video images output by a videogame title; obtaining a corresponding sequence of in-game virtual camera positions at which the video images were created; obtaining a corresponding sequence of depth buffer values for a depth buffer used by the videogame whilst creating the video images; and for each of a plurality of video images and corresponding depth buffer values of the obtained sequences, obtain mapping points corresponding to a sampling distribution of points over the area of a respective video image and their associated depth values; wherein respective mapping points are obtained by projecting co-ordinated derived from the sample points from the video image and associated depth values back into a 3D game world co-ordinate system of the videogame title; thereby obtaining a point cloud dataset of mapping points corresponding to the first sequence of video images.

A processing device includes an input interface that accepts an operation input relating to an effect object from a player in a real world, the effect object being disposed in a virtual space displayed on a display, a memory that stores a parameter associated with one or a plurality of virtual objects, and a processor that executes an instruction command stored in the memory to vary a form of the effect object according to the operation input accepted by the input interface and to vary the parameter associated with at least the one or the plurality of virtual objects according to the form variation of the effect object.

Described herein are techniques for providing an in-game virtual boundary. First data is received that is indicative of a user position while the user is playing a video game. It is determined whether the user position is within a warning zone, wherein the warning zone comprises an area between a soft boundary indicative of a safe area for the user and a safe boundary indicative of one or more real-world objects around the user. Based on a relationship between the user position and the safe boundary, a visual indication of a plurality of visual indications of the in-game virtual boundary is determined to provide to the user. Second data indicative of the visual indication is transmitted to a display being viewed by the user while playing the video game.

A method for managing a multi-user animation platform is disclosed. A three-dimensional space within a computer memory is modeled. An avatar of a client is located within the three-dimensional space, the avatar being graphically represented by a three-dimensional figure within the three-dimensional space. The avatar is responsive to client input commands, and the three-dimensional figure includes a graphical representation of client activity. The client input commands are monitored to determine client activity. The graphical representation of client activity is then altered according to an inactivity scheme when client input commands are not detected. Following a predetermined period of client inactivity, the inactivity scheme varies non-repetitively with time.

A method of detecting significant footage for recording from a videogame includes obtaining position information for a target object within a virtual environment of the videogame, obtaining depth buffer information for a current position of a virtual camera used to generate a current image of the virtual environment for display by the videogame, calculating a first distance along a line between the current position of the virtual camera and the obtained position of the target object, detecting whether a depth buffer value along the line corresponds to at least a threshold distance from the virtual camera, the threshold distance being based upon the calculated first distance, and if so, associating the current image with an indicator that the image is significant for the purposes of recording footage from the videogame.

In an embodiment there is provided a game element within a game adapted to be played on data processing apparatus, the method comprising the following steps implemented by at least one processor of the data processing apparatus, displaying a game area having a plurality of game objects on the display, providing a predetermined player object configured for targeting and shooting of the game objects in response to player input, providing predetermined data comprising characteristics of at least one game element, selecting the at least one game element and associated characteristics for display, displaying the at least one game element, and executing the characteristics of said at least one game element in the game in dependence on a trigger event. A computing system, user device and server are also described.

An image processing method is provided. Information about a current location of a virtual object on an application interface is obtained, and line-of-sight blocking data corresponding to the location information is queried for. A first mask layer is generated based on a current operation status of the virtual object on the application interface by using the line-of-sight blocking data. A second mask layer is replaced with the first mask layer according to a preset unit of time, the second mask layer being one of at least two mask layers that are generated prior to generation of the first mask layer, the second mask layer being generated earliest among the at least two mask layers. A result of mixing the first mask layer and the at least two mask layers, except the second mask layer, to the application interface is output.