Image generation system and program

1. An image generation system comprising:

a memory which stores a program and data for image generating; and

at least one processor device which is connected to the memory and performs processing for image generating,

the processor device performing:

depth cueing only for an object positioned within a depth cueing volume such that the color of the object being more distant from a viewpoint is made closer to a target color, the depth cueing volume being defined as a partial subset of a viewing volume based on a position of the viewpoint and includes a backward clipping plane of the viewing volume;

varying an alpha (α) value of the object on condition that the object is positioned within the depth cueing volume so that the object being more distant from the viewpoint becomes more transparent;

varying a depth cueing value for each vertex of the object based on a Z-value for each vertex of the object;

varying the alpha value for each vertex of the object based on the Z-value for each vertex of the object;

sorting objects within the depth cueing volume so that the objects are drawn in succession starting from an object nearest to the viewpoint; and

drawing an image viewable from a virtual camera in an object space in drawing order determined by the sorting processing while performing hidden-surface erasing based on a Z-buffer process for the objects within the depth cueing volume,

wherein the processor device performs processing so that the depth cueing value increases based on an increase in the Z-value, the depth cueing value being a parameter for determining the strength of a depth cueing effect that results in the color of the object being brought closer to the target color as the Z-value increases.

2. The image generation system as defined in claim 1 ,

the processor device further performing:

drawing a most distant background including a color different from the target color.

3. A non-transitory computer readable information storage medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program comprising a processing routine for implementing:

depth cueing only for an object positioned within a depth cueing volume such that the color of the object being more distant from a viewpoint is made closer to a target color, the depth cueing volume being defined as a partial subset of a viewing volume based on a position of the viewpoint and includes a backward clipping plane of the viewing volume;

varying an alpha (α) value of the object on condition that the object is positioned within the depth cueing volume so that the object being more distant from the viewpoint becomes more transparent;

varying a depth cueing value for each vertex of the object based on a Z-value for each vertex of the object;

varying the alpha value for each vertex of the object based on the Z-value for each vertex of the object;

sorting objects within the depth cueing volume so that the objects are drawn in succession starting from an object nearest to the viewpoint; and

drawing an image viewable from a virtual camera in an object space in drawing order determined by the sorting processing while performing hidden-surface erasing based on a Z-buffer process for the objects within the depth cueing volume,

wherein the processing routine performs processing so that the depth cueing value increases based on an increase in the Z-value, the depth cueing value being a parameter for determining the strength of a depth cueing effect that results in the color of the object being brought closer to the target color as the Z-value increases.

4. The computer readable information storage medium as defined in claim 3 , further comprising a processing routine for implementing:

drawing a most distant background including a color different from the target color.

5. An image generation method, performed by an image generation system having a processor device, comprising:

depth cueing only for an object positioned within a depth cueing volume such that the color of the object being more distant from a viewpoint is made closer to a target color, the depth cueing volume being defined as a partial subset of a viewing volume based on a position of the viewpoint and includes a backward clipping plane of the viewing volume;

varying an alpha (α) value of the object on condition that the object is positioned within the depth cueing volume so that the object being more distant from the viewpoint becomes more transparent;

varying a depth cueing value for each vertex of the object based on a Z-value for each vertex of the object;

varying the alpha value for each vertex of the object based on the Z-value for each vertex of the object;

sorting objects within the depth cueing area so that the objects are drawn in succession starting from an object nearest to the viewpoint; and

drawing an image viewable from a virtual camera in an object space in drawing order determined by the sorting processing while performing hidden-surface erasing based on a Z-buffer process for the objects within the depth cueing volume,

wherein the depth cueing value increases based on an increase in the Z-value, the depth cueing value being a parameter for determining the strength of a depth cueing effect that results in the color of the object being brought closer to the target color as the Z-value increases, and the depth cueing, sorting and drawing steps are performed by the processor device.

6. The image generation method as defined in claim 5 , further comprising:

drawing a most distant background including a color different from the target color.