This application discloses an image display method performed at an electronic device. The electronic device obtains a target location of a virtual object in a map scene displayed on a screen of the electronic device. After identifying a virtual building within a preset range centered on the target location, the electronic device gradually decreases the virtual building from a display height of the virtual building to a first target display shape of the virtual building. Next, the electronic device displays the first target display shape of the virtual building in the map scene. In response to a movement of the virtual object in the map scene, the electronic device gradually resumes the virtual building from the first target display shape to the display height when the virtual building is outside the preset range centered on the updated target location of the virtual object in the map scene.

A system and method for providing a dynamic obstacle in a computer game may include: altering a display of each of a subset of game assets displayed by a computer system with a visual indication that indicates that the subset of game assets are available for inhibition; displaying associated with a game asset an inhibitor, wherein displaying an inhibitor associated with the game asset indicates that the game asset is inhibited; and periodically removing from display the inhibitor from one game asset of the subset of game assets and displaying the inhibitor associated with another game asset of the subset of game assets.

Methods and apparatus provide for: recording a first sequence of video images output by a videogame, recording a sequence of depth buffer values for a depth buffer used by the videogame, recording a sequence of in-game virtual camera positions used to generate the video images, recording one or more in-game events and their respective in-game positions, generating a second sequence of video images encoding the depth buffer value sequence, and associating the in-game virtual camera position sequence, with at least one of the first and second sequence of video images. Methods and apparatus also provide for: obtaining a first video recording of a videogame playing session comprising a sequence of video images, obtaining a second video recording generated by encoding a depth buffer value sequence, obtaining data indicative of an in-game virtual camera position sequence that is associated with at least one of the obtained video recordings, obtaining data indicative of a statistically significant in-game event and an in-game event position, calculating a position within a current video image of the first video recording corresponding to the in-game event position, in dependence upon the associated in-game virtual camera position and decoded depth buffer values, and augmenting the current video image with a graphical representation of the statistically significant in-game event, responsive to the calculated position.

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.

A method of mapping a virtual environment includes: 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 selected predetermined set of depth values corresponding to a predetermined set of positions within a respective video image; where for each pair of depth values and video image positions, a mapping point has a distance from the virtual camera position based upon the depth value, and a position based upon the relative positions of the virtual camera and the respective video image position, thereby obtaining a map 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.

A video recording method includes recording a sequence of video images output by a videogame, recording a sequence of depth buffer values for a depth buffer used by the videogame, recording a sequence of in-game virtual camera positions used to generate the video images, recording one or more in-game events and their respective in-game positions, associating the depth buffer value sequence, the in-game virtual camera position sequence, and an identifier for the videogame, with the video image sequence, and associating the one or more in-game events and their respective in-game positions with the identifier for the videogame. A video playback method includes obtaining a video recording of a videogame playing session, comprising a sequence of video images, obtaining a depth buffer value sequence, an in-game virtual camera position sequence, and an identifier for the videogame that are associated with the video recording, obtaining data indicative of a statistically significant in-game event and an in-game event position, calculating a position within the current video image corresponding to the in-game event position, in dependence upon the associated in-game virtual camera position and depth buffer values, and augmenting the current video image with a graphical representation of the statistically significant in-game event, responsive to the calculated position.

Systems and methods for generating a performance heatmap that accounts for barriers, playable areas and non-playable areas are disclosed. The system applies a blur operation to a performance heatmap associated with a game map to generate a blurred heatmap, the heatmap having a plurality of pixels, where at least a portion of the pixels is associated with one or more values corresponding to one or more performance metrics. A mask representative of a top down image of the game map is generated, where the mask defines first areas that are accessible to players and second areas that are not accessible to players. A data structure is defined having nm elements, wherein each of the nm elements has a weight associated therewith based on an association of the data structure and mask. The blurring operation is executed on the heatmap using the data structure.

There is described herein systems and methods for camera colliders and shot composition preservation within a 3D virtual environment that prevent a virtual procedural camera from getting stuck behind an object, or penetrating into an object, when filming a subject, while at the same time also maintaining the screen composition of the subject in the camera shot.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and a method for visualizing synthetic objects within a real-world video clip. The embodiments allow interactive, synthetic objects or characters to appear as if they are embedded inside or form part of a video clip. These objects move independently of the environment within the video clip and are controlled by a user. In one embodiment the video frames are set as textures in the furthermost layer in a 3D environment viewer or 3D engine. In another embodiment separate layers of video frames are superimposed with the synthetic objects on an output screen and synchronizing the movements and the field of view settings to give the perception that only one camera is used.