This application discloses a method and apparatus for rendering weather in a virtual environment, a device, a medium and a program, belonging to the art of image processing. The method includes the following steps: acquiring at least one weather map of a weather scene in a virtual environment (201); removing a first weather map from the at least one weather map to obtain a remaining second weather map (202); and rendering the weather scene in the virtual environment according to the second weather map (203). This method reduces the frequency of map sampling by reducing the number of weather maps, and improves the performance of a terminal when running an application program supporting the virtual environment.

This application discloses a method and apparatus for rendering weather in a virtual environment, a device, a medium and a program, belonging to the art of image processing. The method includes the following steps: acquiring at least one weather map of a weather scene in a virtual environment (201); removing a first weather map from the at least one weather map to obtain a remaining second weather map (202); and rendering the weather scene in the virtual environment according to the second weather map (203). This method reduces the frequency of map sampling by reducing the number of weather maps, and improves the performance of a terminal when running an application program supporting the virtual environment.

The present invention describes methods to customize massively-multiplayer-online-game (MMOG) Avatars beyond what can be displayed during general game-play. General game play refers to when a user is in a game with control of their Avatar. One knowledgeable in the art would understand that MMOGs are limited by their game engines to the complexity of Avatars that may be displayed to a user during general game-play, while maintaining acceptable frame rates. Furthermore one knowledgeable in the art would understand that Avatar complexity may further be limited due to the target machine the MMOG is designed to run on. The current invention describes methods to produce a custom Avatar image for non-game use, wherein the custom Avatar has higher resolution and greater choices than are available in-game.

The present invention describes methods to customize massively-multiplayer-online-game (MMOG) Avatars beyond what can be displayed during general game-play. General game play refers to when a user is in a game with control of their Avatar. One knowledgeable in the art would understand that MMOGs are limited by their game engines to the complexity of Avatars that may be displayed to a user during general game-play, while maintaining acceptable frame rates. Furthermore one knowledgeable in the art would understand that Avatar complexity may further be limited due to the target machine the MMOG is designed to run on. The current invention describes methods to produce a custom Avatar image for non-game use, wherein the custom Avatar has higher resolution and greater choices than are available in-game.

Aspects of this disclosure provide a method where a normal map corresponding to a target water body region where a dynamic object is located in a next image frame can be acquired based on a water wave map corresponding to the target water body region where the dynamic object is located in a current image frame, and a water wave effect on the target water body region where the dynamic object is located in the next image frame is rendered according to the normal map. On the one hand, through iterative rendering frame by frame, a realistic water wave animation effect can be simulated to make the water surface interaction very natural, providing users with immersive experience. Further, because the water wave rendering is performed only on the target water body region, the complexity is lowered, and the calculation amount is reduced, to better adapt to a mobile terminal application.

Aspects of this disclosure provide a method where a normal map corresponding to a target water body region where a dynamic object is located in a next image frame can be acquired based on a water wave map corresponding to the target water body region where the dynamic object is located in a current image frame, and a water wave effect on the target water body region where the dynamic object is located in the next image frame is rendered according to the normal map. On the one hand, through iterative rendering frame by frame, a realistic water wave animation effect can be simulated to make the water surface interaction very natural, providing users with immersive experience. Further, because the water wave rendering is performed only on the target water body region, the complexity is lowered, and the calculation amount is reduced, to better adapt to a mobile terminal application.

Implementations are described herein for realistic plant growth modeling and various applications thereof. In various implementations, a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) digital images that capture, over time, one or more of a particular type of plant based on one or more machine learning models to generate output, may be processed. The output may be analyzed to extract temporal features that capture change over time to one or more structural features of the particular type of plant. Based on the captured temporal features, a first parameter subspace of whole plant parameters may be learned, wherein the whole plant parameters are usable to generate a three-dimensional (3D) growth model that realistically simulates growth of the particular type of plant over time. Based on the first parameter subspace, one or more 3D growth models that simulate growth of the particular type of plant may be non-deterministically generated and used for various purposes.

An image rendering method includes acquiring a water wave map corresponding to a target water body region, and acquiring a normal map corresponding to the target water body region in a next image frame based on the water wave map corresponding to the target water body region in the current image frame. The method further includes rendering a water wave effect on the target water body region in the next image frame based on the normal map. The method further includes performing attenuation processing on the water wave map corresponding to the target water body region where the dynamic object is located in the current image frame based on a water wave diffusion attenuation matrix corresponding to the dynamic object to obtain an attenuated water wave map when the dynamic object moves in water.

An image rendering method includes acquiring a water wave map corresponding to a target water body region, and acquiring a normal map corresponding to the target water body region in a next image frame based on the water wave map corresponding to the target water body region in the current image frame. The method further includes rendering a water wave effect on the target water body region in the next image frame based on the normal map. The method further includes performing attenuation processing on the water wave map corresponding to the target water body region where the dynamic object is located in the current image frame based on a water wave diffusion attenuation matrix corresponding to the dynamic object to obtain an attenuated water wave map when the dynamic object moves in water.

Aspects of the present disclosure involve a system comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing a program and a method for generating an avatar based on a weather condition. The program and method include determining a current location of a user device; retrieving a weather condition at the current location of the user device; automatically generating a weather-based avatar for a person associated with the user device, the weather-based avatar having a visual attribute corresponding to the weather condition; and, in response to a request from a requesting device, causing display on the requesting device of the weather-based avatar.