Special effect generation method and device for energy release effect, equipment and program product

Abstract

The invention discloses a special effect generation method and device for an energy release effect, equipment and a program product, and the method comprises the steps: generating an energy conduction path curve for simulating the energy release effect based on point cloud data, and enabling the energy conduction path curve to comprise a main path and branch paths; converting the energy conduction path curve into a three-dimensional patch model; acquiring control parameters matched with the three-dimensional patch model, wherein the control parameters comprise texture coordinate parameters and shader parameters; and performing rendering processing on the three-dimensional patch model according to the control parameters to generate a visual special effect of the energy release effect. According to the scheme provided by the embodiment of the invention, the technical effect of remarkably improving the rendering efficiency and reality of the visual special effect of the energy release effect can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of computer graphics technology, specifically to a method, apparatus, device, and program product for generating energy release effects. Background Technology

[0002] Energy release effects (such as lightning, magic bursts, and super-powerful impacts) are key visual elements in virtual scenes, widely used in game interaction, film and television special effects, and virtual reality. Their dynamic characteristics and lighting effects directly affect the realism and immersion of the user experience. In related technologies, the generation of energy release effects mainly relies on particle systems combined with static textures or image sequences. For example, particle emitters can simulate the energy conduction trajectory of energy release effects, and procedural generation algorithms can be used to create complex shapes. Custom shaders are then used to achieve glowing, transparency, and real-time lighting effects to enhance visual impact.

[0003] However, the methods for generating this energy release effect in related technologies have several limitations. First, in terms of performance, traditional particle systems often require a large number of particles to simulate the details of the energy release effect, resulting in excessive rendering overhead, especially in real-time rendering environments where it can easily lead to frame rate drops and excessive resource consumption. Second, in terms of detail accuracy and dynamic adaptability, solutions based on static textures or sequential frames have limited precision and cannot flexibly handle the random shapes and branching structures of the energy release effect. Dynamic extension and flickering effects are only achieved through keyframes, making it difficult to adapt to complex scenes or different perspectives, resulting in visual distortion or unnatural performance. In addition, the production process is relatively cumbersome, requiring a high level of artistic and technical knowledge to hand-draw image sequences or adjust parameters. The lack of convenient parameter adjustment options increases time and cost, especially for small teams or independent developers, making rapid iteration and style adjustments difficult.

[0004] Therefore, the energy release effect generation methods in related technologies suffer from problems such as low rendering efficiency and insufficient realism. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a method, apparatus, device, and program product for generating energy release effects. It generates energy conduction path curves, including main paths and branch paths, based on point cloud data, and converts them into three-dimensional surface models. It then performs rendering processing by combining texture coordinate parameters and shader parameters. This achieves efficient dynamic morphology simulation and visual effect optimization while reducing reliance on particle systems, significantly reducing rendering performance overhead and improving detail accuracy and realism.

[0006] On one hand, embodiments of this application provide a method for generating a special effect of energy release, the method comprising: Energy conduction path curves that simulate energy release effects are generated based on point cloud data. The energy conduction path curves include a main path and branch paths. The energy conduction path curve is converted into a three-dimensional patch model; Obtain control parameters adapted to the 3D patch model, the control parameters including texture coordinate parameters and shader parameters; The three-dimensional patch model is rendered according to the control parameters to generate a visual effect of the energy release effect.

[0007] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide a device for generating special effects of energy release, the device comprising: A generation unit is used to generate an energy conduction path curve that simulates an energy release effect based on point cloud data. The energy conduction path curve includes a main path and branch paths. A conversion unit is used to convert the energy conduction path curve into a three-dimensional patch model. The acquisition unit is used to acquire control parameters adapted to the three-dimensional patch model, the control parameters including texture coordinate parameters and shader parameters; The rendering unit is used to render the three-dimensional patch model according to the control parameters to generate a visual effect of energy release.

[0008] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program adapted for loading by a processor to execute the method for generating the energy release effect as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0009] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide a computer device, the computer device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, the processor executing the energy release effect special effect generation method as described in any of the above embodiments by calling the computer program stored in the memory.

[0010] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, including computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the method for generating the energy release effect as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0011] This application provides a method for generating energy conduction path curves for simulating energy release effects based on point cloud data. The energy conduction path curves include a main path and branch paths. The method converts the energy conduction path curves into a 3D patch model. It obtains control parameters adapted to the 3D patch model, including texture coordinate parameters and shader parameters. The method then renders the 3D patch model according to the control parameters to generate a visual effect of energy release. This method uses point cloud data as a basis to programmatically generate energy conduction path curves with main and branch paths, and converts them into a lightweight 3D patch model for rendering. This achieves efficient generation of visual effects of energy release with rich forms and controllable details without relying on traditional particle systems or cumbersome hand-drawn frame sequences, significantly improving the rendering efficiency and visual realism of the visual effects of energy release. Attached Figure Description

[0012] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a rendering system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0014] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the method for generating the energy release effect provided in this application embodiment.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a guide curve for generating an energy conduction path curve, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional patch model provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of point cloud data distributed within a three-dimensional volume, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional volume of the generation range of the visualization effect of the energy release effect provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of possible paths formed by point cloud data provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the energy conduction path curve provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of mixed-distribution point cloud data provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 10 The path mesh diagrams for different cost values ​​provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0023] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a tree-like energy conduction path curve provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the energy conduction path curve with a trunk and minor branches provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0025] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of UV unwrapping of a three-dimensional patch model provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of the structure of the energy release effect special effect generation device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0027] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of the structure of a computer device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0029] This application provides a method, apparatus, device, and program product for generating energy release effects. Specifically, the method for generating energy release effects can be executed by a computer device, which can be a terminal or a server. The terminal can be a smartphone, tablet, laptop, smart TV, wearable smart device, smart vehicle terminal, etc. The terminal can also include a client, which can be a rendering client, game client, browser client, or applet, etc. The server can be an independent physical server, a server cluster or distributed system composed of multiple physical servers, or a cloud server that provides basic cloud computing services such as cloud rendering services, cloud databases, cloud computing, cloud functions, cloud storage, network services, cloud communication, middleware services, domain name services, security services, content delivery networks (CDN), and big data and artificial intelligence platforms.

[0030] For example, when the energy release effect generation method is run on a terminal device, the terminal device may include a display screen and a processor. The display screen is used to present the rendered result of the energy release effect visualization and to receive user commands for the rendered result. The rendered result may include a portion of a virtual scene or object, which has the energy release effect visualization. The processor is used to store the rendering application, execute the energy release effect generation method, generate the rendered result, respond to user commands, and control the display of the rendered result on the display screen.

[0031] For example, when the method for generating the energy release effect runs on a server, it can be implemented and executed using a cloud rendering system. A cloud rendering system refers to a rendering solution based on cloud computing. It includes servers and client devices. The computation and storage of the energy release effect generation method are primarily performed on the server. The server is responsible for executing rendering algorithms that generate energy conduction path curves based on point cloud data, generate 3D patch models through sweeping operations, acquire control parameters (including texture coordinate parameters and shader parameters), and perform rendering processing to generate high-quality visual effects of the energy release effect. Client devices are mainly used to receive rendering data, send user commands, and present the final rendered result. For example, a client can be a display device with data transmission capabilities located close to the player, such as a mobile terminal, television, computer, PDA, personal digital assistant, or head-mounted display device.

[0032] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, the executing entity of the method for generating the energy release effect can be a terminal device or a server. The terminal device can be a local terminal device or a client device in the aforementioned cloud gaming. This application does not limit the type of executing entity.

[0033] For example, in conjunction with the above description, Figure 1 This application illustrates a rendering system 1000 for generating special effects to implement energy release effects, according to an embodiment of the present application. The rendering system 1000 may include at least one terminal 1001, at least one server 1002, at least one database 1003, and a network. The user-held terminal 1001 can connect to different servers via the network. The terminal can be any device with computing hardware capable of supporting and executing software application tools corresponding to model rendering, used to generate and display lightning animation images.

[0034] In the aforementioned system 1000, terminal 1001 is used to install and run an application for rendering visualization effects of energy release effects. In some cases, terminal 1001 can directly access the rendering service through a browser or a dedicated rendering client. Users initiate the generation of visualization effects of energy release effects through terminal 1001. Terminal 1001 sends a rendering request to server 1002. Server 1002 verifies user permissions based on the request and performs rendering calculations based on point cloud data to generate an energy conduction path curve simulating the energy release effect, convert it into a 3D patch model, obtain texture coordinate parameters and shader parameters, and perform rendering processing. After successful verification, it returns rendering data to terminal 1001. During the rendering process, terminal 1001 and server 1002 interact. Terminal 1001 sends operation instructions (such as viewpoint adjustment or parameter modification) to server 1002. Server 1002 determines the display data according to a preset rendering mechanism and the received instructions, and sends the display data to terminal 1001 to present a high-quality visualization effect of the energy release effect through terminal 1001.

[0035] In possible application scenarios, different terminals 1001 may be served by different servers 1002. Therefore, in order to distinguish the servers 1002 corresponding to different terminals 1001, the embodiments of this application will use the terms "first" and "second" to describe them. In fact, the servers 1002 corresponding to different terminals 1001 can be the same server 1002. Therefore, without distinguishing between "first" and "second", it can be understood that terminals 1001 located in the same rendering task are served by the same server 1002.

[0036] Furthermore, when system 1000 includes multiple terminals, multiple servers, and multiple networks, different terminals can connect to each other through different networks and servers. The network can be a wireless network or a wired network, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN), local area network (LAN), cellular network, 2G network, 3G network, 4G network, 5G network, etc. Additionally, different terminals can also connect to other terminals or servers using their own Bluetooth networks or hotspot networks. Furthermore, system 1000 can include multiple databases 1003, which are coupled to different servers to store information such as control parameters used for rendering, supporting multi-user collaborative rendering or continuous rendering tasks.

[0037] It should be noted that, Figure 1The rendering system diagram shown is merely an example. The rendering system 1000 described in this application embodiment is intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of this application embodiment and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of rendering systems and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0038] The technical solution of this application will be described in detail below through specific embodiments. It should be noted that the following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments.

[0039] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating the energy release effect according to an embodiment of this application. It should be noted that the steps shown may be executed in a different logical order than that shown in the flowchart. The method may include the following steps: Step 110: Generate an energy conduction path curve based on point cloud data to simulate the energy release effect. The energy conduction path curve includes the main path and branch paths.

[0040] Please see Figures 3 to 4 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a guide curve used to generate an energy conduction path curve, provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional patch model provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0041] Point cloud data refers to a collection of a large number of discrete points in three-dimensional space. The method of generating point cloud data can be set according to actual needs, such as based on random distribution, program generation, or reconstruction from simulated data. This application embodiment does not limit this. The amount of point cloud data can be set according to the complexity of the visualization effect of energy release effect (e.g., 5000-20000 points).

[0042] An energy conduction path curve is a set of continuous curves that simulate the energy release effect in three-dimensional space. It is used to describe the spatial shape from the energy conduction start point to the energy conduction end point of the energy release effect.

[0043] In some embodiments, the energy conduction path curve is a lightning path curve, which represents a continuous set of curves representing the trajectory of a lightning discharge, used to describe the spatial form of lightning extending from the starting point to the ending point.

[0044] The energy conduction path curve consists of a main path and branch paths. The main path represents the primary channel for energy transfer during energy release and is the core component of the energy conduction path curve. The main path is typically generated along point cloud regions with high energy conduction properties, exhibiting a natural curved and extended shape to simulate the main propagation direction of the energy release effect. Branch paths randomly branch from the main path, simulating the natural branching structure of the energy release effect. The generation of branch paths is influenced by energy conduction properties, point cloud density, and random perturbations, causing the energy release effect to exhibit a multi-layered, multi-directional, and randomly changing branching structure, thereby enhancing visual realism.

[0045] In some embodiments, generating an energy conduction path curve based on point cloud data includes the following steps 111 to 113: Step 111: Generate point cloud data within a three-dimensional volume and assign energy conduction attributes to the point cloud data. The energy conduction attributes are used to characterize the energy conduction intensity of the point cloud data.

[0046] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of point cloud data distributed within a three-dimensional volume, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0047] Specifically, point cloud data is generated within a three-dimensional volume, and an energy conduction attribute is assigned to each point in the point cloud data. The energy conduction attribute corresponding to each point is used to characterize the energy conduction intensity of the point cloud data.

[0048] For example, when the energy conduction path curve is the lightning path curve, the energy conduction attribute can be the conductivity attribute @conductivity. The conductivity attribute @conductivity corresponding to each point is used to describe the connectivity probability of that point during the lightning discharge process.

[0049] The three-dimensional volume is used to define the range within which the visualization effects of energy release are generated.

[0050] Please see Figure 6 , Figure 6 The three-dimensional volume diagram provided in this application embodiment for defining the generation range of the visualization effect of energy release effect can be used to generate a three-dimensional volume, for example, by sweeping a guide curve, or by directly constructing a regular volume (such as a cube or sphere).

[0051] In some embodiments, generating point cloud data within a three-dimensional volume includes: generating high-density point cloud data within a three-dimensional volume through a scattering operation.

[0052] In one specific embodiment provided in this application, generating point cloud data within a three-dimensional volume includes: in Houdini, generating a three-dimensional volume (e.g., a 10x10x10 unit cube) to define the generation range of the energy release effect through a sweep operation of a guide curve; then, converting the three-dimensional volume into a Voxel Data Structure (VDB) data; and finally, using a Scatter node to randomly generate point cloud data within the volume corresponding to the VDB data.

[0053] In some embodiments, assigning energy conduction properties to point cloud data includes: Determine the starting and ending points of energy conduction in the energy release effect; Assign preset energy conduction attribute values ​​to the energy conduction start and end points; For other point cloud data, assign energy conduction attribute values ​​based on location, distance, or random factors.

[0054] More specifically, preset energy conduction attribute values ​​are assigned to the starting and ending points of energy conduction, including: For the energy conduction starting point in the point cloud data, assign a first preset energy conduction attribute value to increase the probability that the energy conduction path originates at the energy conduction starting point; For the energy conduction endpoint in the point cloud data, a second preset energy conduction attribute value is assigned to increase the probability of stable convergence of the energy conduction path at the energy conduction endpoint. The first preset energy conduction attribute value and the second preset energy conduction attribute value are higher than the energy conduction attribute values ​​of other point cloud data that are not energy conduction start points or energy conduction endpoints.

[0055] For a point in the point cloud data located in the middle region of the energy release effect, its energy conduction attribute value can be dynamically calculated based on at least one of the following: the point's spatial location, the distance relative to the energy conduction start and end points of the energy release effect, and random factors, so as to take into account both the physical rationality and visual randomness of the visualization effect of the energy release effect.

[0056] More specifically, for points in the point cloud data located in the middle region of the energy release effect, for example, a random energy conduction attribute value can be assigned to each point in the middle region to generate irregular path shapes; or, based on the distance between the points in the middle region and the energy conduction starting point of the energy release effect, the initial energy conduction attribute value of the points in the middle region can be dynamically adjusted: the closer to the energy conduction starting point, the higher the initial energy conduction attribute value; the farther away, the lower the energy conduction attribute value gradually. Then, local randomness is superimposed on the initial energy conduction attribute value, for example, the random perturbation range is limited to 80%-120% of the initial energy conduction attribute value.

[0057] In some embodiments, such as when the energy conduction path curve is a lightning path curve, the energy conduction attribute is a conductivity attribute. Assigning a conductivity attribute to point cloud data includes: For points in the point cloud data located in the lightning initiation region, a higher conductivity attribute is set to increase the probability that the lightning path will successfully originate in the initiation region. For points in the point cloud data located in the lightning endpoint region, a higher conductivity attribute is set to increase the probability of the lightning path converging stably in the endpoint region. For points in the point cloud data located in the middle region of lightning, their conductivity properties can be dynamically calculated based on at least one of the point's spatial location, distance relative to the lightning's starting and / or ending point, and random factors, in order to balance the physical plausibility and visual randomness of the lightning path.

[0058] In some embodiments, the random factor is dynamically generated by a random perturbation function to control the randomness of the energy conduction path curve.

[0059] Specifically, for point cloud data that is not the starting or ending point of energy conduction, the energy conduction attributes of these points are not fixed values, but are generated based on at least one of location, distance, or random factors. A random perturbation function can add minute changes to the energy conduction attributes each time an energy conduction path curve is generated, thus ensuring that each generated energy conduction path curve has a different shape, achieving randomness and diversity.

[0060] In some embodiments, the random perturbation function may include a noise function (such as Perlin noise, Simplex noise) or a probability distribution function.

[0061] More specifically, point-attribute programming tools can be used to assign energy conduction attributes to point cloud data point by point. For example, in Houdini software, the Attribute Wrangle node can be used to assign energy conduction attributes to each point in the point cloud data. The energy conduction attributes of each point can be dynamically generated by a VEX script based on the point's spatial location and a random function.

[0062] Step 112: Based on the energy conduction properties, generate the main path using a pathfinding algorithm.

[0063] In some embodiments, a backbone path is generated based on energy conduction properties using a pathfinding algorithm, including the following steps 1121 to 1123: Step 1121: Calculate the cost value corresponding to each point in the point cloud data, where the cost value is negatively correlated with the energy conduction attribute.

[0064] Specifically, for each point in the point cloud data, the cost value of that point is calculated based on its energy conduction attribute, and the cost value is negatively correlated with the energy conduction attribute. This ensures that the higher the energy conduction attribute, the lower the pathfinding cost, and the more likely the energy release effect is to pass through that point.

[0065] For example, the visual effect of energy release is the lightning effect. When calculating the cost value for each point in the point cloud data for the generation of the lightning effect, the cost function (Cost) can be defined as: @cost=1.0 / @conductivity, that is, the higher the conductivity, the lower the pathfinding cost, and the more likely lightning is to pass through that point; Step 1122: Based on the cost value of each point, calculate the path cost of each possible path from the energy conduction starting point to the energy conduction ending point of the energy release effect using a pathfinding algorithm.

[0066] Specifically, after determining the cost value of each point in the point cloud data, the pathfinding algorithm is run with the energy transfer start point as the path start point and the energy transfer end point as the path target point.

[0067] The pathfinding algorithm explores multiple possible paths from the starting point to the destination point in a path grid composed of point cloud data, and calculates the path cost of each possible path by accumulating the cost values ​​of each point passed.

[0068] Step 1123: Select the path with the lowest path cost as the trunk path.

[0069] Ultimately, the path with the lowest cost among all possible paths will be selected and designated as the main path. This path represents the main channel with the least "resistance" and highest efficiency in energy transmission in space, laying the foundation for subsequent generation of branch paths and construction of the 3D patch model.

[0070] The trunk path generation method provided in this application embodiment can programmatically generate a core form that is both physically intuitive (such as energy tending to propagate along easily conductive paths) and visually plausible.

[0071] Please see Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating possible paths formed by point cloud data provided in the embodiments of this application, for example... Figure 7 The path shown is used to calculate the path cost of each possible path from the energy conduction starting point to the energy conduction ending point of the energy release effect through a pathfinding algorithm; the path with the lowest path cost is selected as the main path.

[0072] In some embodiments, the pathfinding algorithm may employ the Find Shortest Path algorithm.

[0073] In some embodiments, the pathfinding algorithm's parameter configuration includes distance attributes and path type, using Euclidean distance or a custom distance field to calculate the distance between points and as a reference factor for pathfinding cost, and selecting a "points to points" mode to ensure that the pathfinding algorithm accurately connects the starting point and the ending point in discrete point cloud data to generate a complete energy conduction path curve.

[0074] Step 113: Based on the conductivity property, branch paths are generated by randomly selecting branch points on the main path and applying a pathfinding algorithm to the branch points.

[0075] Specifically, several branching points are randomly selected on the main path. Starting from these branching points, the pathfinding algorithm is run again to generate branch paths.

[0076] Please see Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the energy conduction path curve provided in the embodiments of this application. Based on the energy conduction properties, a main path is generated using a pathfinding algorithm. Then, based on the energy conduction properties, branch paths are generated by randomly selecting branch points on the main path and applying the pathfinding algorithm to these points. The result is as follows: Figure 8 The energy conduction path curve is shown.

[0077] In some embodiments, based on conductivity properties, branch paths are generated by randomly selecting branch points on the main path and applying a pathfinding algorithm to the branch points, including: On the main path, one or more points are randomly selected as branch points, and the selection of branch points can be controlled based on the set branch probability (branch_prob). Using the bifurcation point as a new starting point, the pathfinding algorithm is applied again to find the lowest cost path to the sub-endpoints corresponding to the preset or randomly generated bifurcation path, thereby generating branch paths.

[0078] The above steps can be repeated on newly generated branch paths through iteration or loops to generate multi-level, more complex lightning fork structures.

[0079] The energy conduction path curve generated through the above steps can dynamically represent the complex form of energy release effect without relying on textures, including trunk extension, branch distribution and random variation characteristics, to achieve a highly realistic visualization effect of energy release effect.

[0080] In some embodiments, the method further includes: Assign density attributes to point cloud data. Density attributes are used to control the distribution pattern of point cloud data. Distribution patterns include uniform distribution, core clustered distribution, and mixed distribution.

[0081] In some embodiments, a density attribute is assigned to point cloud data. The density attribute is used to control the distribution pattern of the point cloud data, including: Assign the same first density attribute value to each point in the point cloud data, thereby controlling the distribution pattern of the point cloud data to be uniform; Based on the spatial distance between each point in the point cloud data and the preset core area, different second density attribute values ​​are assigned to each point. The second density attribute value corresponding to each point decreases as its spatial distance from the preset core area increases, thereby controlling the distribution pattern of the point cloud data to be a core clustered distribution. Based on the spatial distance between each point in the point cloud data and the preset core region, different third density attribute values ​​are assigned to each point to form a gradient density field. The gradient density field is then filtered to achieve a smooth transition of density attributes in the point cloud data. The third density attribute value corresponding to each point decreases as its spatial distance from the preset core region increases, thereby controlling the distribution mode of the point cloud data to be a mixed distribution.

[0082] Specifically, for uniform distribution, point cloud data is generated in a balanced manner within a 3D volume, with a generally consistent distribution density among points, requiring no additional parameter control. This method is suitable for generating tree-like energy conduction path curves, allowing the path to spread uniformly in space, thus creating a multi-branched and overall balanced visual effect. For example, using the default mode of the Scatter node, balanced point cloud data is directly generated within the 3D volume without additional adjustment of the density attribute (i.e., implicitly setting @density=1.0), suitable for generating fine, tree-like energy conduction path curves, allowing the point cloud data to spread uniformly and creating a multi-branched and balanced visual effect.

[0083] For core clustering distributions, higher density attribute values ​​can be allocated around the energy conduction starting point of the energy release effect or a preset core region. These density attribute values ​​gradually decrease with increasing distance from the preset core region, making the point cloud denser in the core region and sparser in the edge region. This guides the pathfinding algorithm to prioritize path generation in the preset core region, forming a clear main path, while branch paths naturally grow from the outer edge regions. This method can also be dynamically updated in real-time rendering systems through parallel computation, enabling real-time path adjustments in dynamic scenes (e.g., energy release effects changing with environment or character position). For example, the density attribute can be controlled using the Attribute Wrangle node, dynamically allocated via the formula @density = 1.0 - smoothstep(0, ch("core_radius"), distance(@P, center)), where the smoothstep function provides a smooth transition, ch("core_radius") is a user-adjustable parameter (e.g., 0.5-1.0 units), @P represents the current point's position, and center represents the center point of the preset core region (which can be dynamically set based on the lightning's starting point). This allocation results in point cloud data that is dense in the preset core region (@density close to 1.0) and sparse in the edge region (@density close to 0.0), suitable for generating trunk-branch-shaped energy conduction path curves. In real-time scenarios, this formula can be embedded in GPU-accelerated shaders (such as custom shaders in the NX2.0 engine) to achieve per-frame updates by calculating the density of each point in parallel, suitable for dynamic scenes such as real-time adjustments to lightning patterns as the player moves.

[0084] Please see Figure 9 , Figure 9This is a schematic diagram of the mixed distribution point cloud data provided in the embodiments of this application. For the mixed distribution, a smooth transition relationship can be established between the uniform distribution and the core clustered distribution. That is, the uniformity of the point cloud is maintained in the overall space, but a local high-density area is set in the preset core region, and abrupt boundary changes are avoided by means of smooth transition. This can ensure that the energy release effect has a natural diffusion effect over a large area, and can form a sense of hierarchy of trunk and branches in local areas. In order to further enhance the naturalness, an attenuation law can be introduced in the distribution process, so that the point cloud density gradually decreases with distance, and abrupt density changes can be eliminated by filtering or smoothing operations. For example, by combining uniform distribution patterns and core clustered distribution patterns, a natural transition can be achieved by creating a gradient density field. For instance, the formula @density=exp(-pow(distance(@P,center),ch("falloff")) / ch("core_radius")) can be used, where the pow function introduces exponential decay, ch("falloff") is the decay coefficient (e.g., 1.0-2.0, which can be adjusted in real time by the user through the UI), and the pcfilter node (filter radius ch("filter_radius"), e.g., 0.1-0.5 units) is used to smooth the density values ​​with Gaussian filtering to avoid abrupt edges.

[0085] In some embodiments, the main path is determined by a pathfinding algorithm based on energy conduction properties, including: Based on energy conduction and density properties, a pathfinding algorithm is used to determine the main path.

[0086] Specifically, the point cloud data is first initialized in three-dimensional space, and an energy conduction attribute and a density attribute are assigned to each point. The energy conduction attribute represents the probability that the point will become an energy conduction path for the energy release effect, while the density attribute characterizes the degree of aggregation of the point cloud in a local region. Based on this, a pathfinding algorithm is used to search for a path starting from the energy conduction origin of the energy release effect.

[0087] Please see Figure 10 , Figure 10 The path mesh diagrams for different cost values ​​provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0088] In some embodiments, the main path is determined by a pathfinding algorithm based on energy conduction properties and density properties, including: Calculate the cost value for each point in the point cloud data, where the cost value is negatively correlated with the energy conduction and density properties. For example, for the point cloud data when generating lightning animation, the cost value (Cost) for each point can be defined as: @cost=1.0 / (@conductivity*@density). Based on the cost value at each point, the path cost of each possible path from the energy conduction starting point to the energy conduction ending point of the energy release effect is calculated using a pathfinding algorithm. The path with the lowest cost is selected as the backbone path.

[0089] In some embodiments, based on energy conduction properties, branch paths are generated by randomly selecting bifurcation points on the main path and applying a pathfinding algorithm to the bifurcation points, including: Based on energy conduction and density properties, branch paths are generated by randomly selecting bifurcation points on the main path and applying pathfinding algorithms to these points.

[0090] In some embodiments, based on energy conduction and density properties, branch paths are generated by randomly selecting bifurcation points on the main path and applying a pathfinding algorithm to the bifurcation points, including: On the main path, one or more points are randomly selected as branching points; For each bifurcation point, one or more new branch endpoints are determined. The branch endpoints can be set according to preset rules or randomly within the range of energy release effect generation. For each branch point, based on the energy conduction and density properties, a pathfinding algorithm is used to calculate the lowest cost path from the branch point to its corresponding branch endpoint. The cost value is negatively correlated with the energy conduction and density properties. For example, for the point cloud data when generating lightning animation, the cost value (Cost) of each point can be defined as: @cost=1.0 / (@conductivity*@density). The path with the lowest path cost is designated as the branch path.

[0091] In some embodiments, the extension length and number of branch paths can be controlled by a random function, thereby increasing the naturalness and randomness of the visual effects of energy release while maintaining overall physical plausibility. For example, a maximum extension step can be set at each branch point, and a probability decay mechanism can be introduced during the pathfinding process, so that the branches gradually weaken and dissipate as they extend.

[0092] Please see Figures 11 to 12 , Figures 11 to 12 The tree-branch-shaped energy conduction path curve and the trunk + small branch-shaped energy conduction path curve provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0093] The branch paths generated by this scheme can effectively simulate the bifurcation effect outside the main path of energy release in natural energy release effects, enhancing the realism and dynamic expressiveness of the final rendering results. In addition, by procedurally generating energy conduction path curves, various parameters of the energy release effect (such as thickness, curvature, color, etc.) can be easily adjusted to achieve rapid artistic style adjustments and meet the needs of different projects.

[0094] Step 120: Convert the energy conduction path curve into a three-dimensional patch model.

[0095] Please see Figure 13 , Figure 13 A schematic diagram of UV unwrapping of a three-dimensional patch model provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0096] In some embodiments, converting the energy conduction path curve into a three-dimensional patch model includes: Based on the width attribute @width, the energy conduction path curve is spatially unfolded to obtain a three-dimensional patch model. The width attribute is used to limit the cross-sectional size of the three-dimensional patch model at different path positions.

[0097] In some embodiments, the energy conduction path curve is spatially unfolded based on the width attribute @width to obtain a three-dimensional patch model, including: By performing a resample operation, the energy conduction path curve is segmented at multiple sampling points to form path data with uniform spatial sampling. The width attribute is assigned to the energy conduction path curve based on the path data. The width attribute is used to limit the cross-sectional size of the 3D patch model at different path positions. The specific value of the width attribute can be reasonably set according to the thickness of the visualization effect of the energy release effect to be generated. For example, the width attribute can be 0.1m. Generate a faceted geometry that extends along the longitudinal direction of the energy conduction path curve based on the width attribute; The texture coordinates of the facet geometry are expanded to obtain a three-dimensional facet model.

[0098] In some embodiments, texture coordinate unwrapping can be implemented automatically or manually. Specifically, the automatic unwrapping method includes an automatic texture coordinate unwrapping module for inputting surface geometry to generate texture coordinates. In this automatic unwrapping method, the boundary fill parameter Padding can be set to 0.01 and the stretch tolerance parameter Stretch Tolerance to 0.15 to ensure the continuity and uniformity of texture mapping. The manual control method involves setting texture coordinate attributes for each vertex of the energy conduction path curve before generating the surface geometry, so that the U direction extends along the path direction of the energy conduction path curve, and the V direction is distributed around the cross-section of the energy conduction path curve, thereby obtaining a more accurate texture mapping effect.

[0099] In some embodiments, the complete process of converting an energy conduction path curve into a three-dimensional patch model includes: Generate energy conduction path curves; The energy conduction path curve is uniformly resampled to achieve consistent segmentation. Assign width and necessary UV attributes to the energy conduction path curve. The width attribute can be interpolated based on the parametric coordinates of the energy conduction path curve and adjusted in combination with the global scaling factor to ensure that the surface thickness of the 3D patch model changes smoothly and naturally with the path. A sweep operation is performed based on the energy conduction path curve and cross-sectional profile to generate faceted geometry. To balance the smoothness of the faceted geometry with rendering performance, the radius parameter (Radius Scale) of the sweep operation is bound to the width attribute, so that the thickness of the faceted geometry varies with the path position. The subdivision precision (Divisions) of the sweep operation can be set to 8 to 12, and the Close U option can be enabled to ensure that the faceted geometry is continuously closed. The profile type can be a rectangular rectangle or other custom shapes to define the cross-sectional shape of the faceted geometry. The orientation of the faceted geometry is aligned with the normal based on the tangent vector of the energy conduction path curve to ensure the correct surface normal direction, which facilitates the accuracy of rendering lighting calculations. Finally, the generated surface geometry is subjected to texture coordinate optimization processing, including UV flattening or UV stitching operations, to obtain a uniform and continuous UV distribution and avoid texture stretching or gaps.

[0100] The above method enables the visualization and modeling of lightning paths in three-dimensional space, while ensuring that the cross-sectional width at different path locations can be flexibly adjusted according to the width attribute.

[0101] Step 130: Obtain control parameters adapted to the 3D patch model. The control parameters include texture coordinate parameters and shader parameters.

[0102] In some embodiments, obtaining texture coordinate parameters includes: generating texture coordinate parameters based on curve parameters of energy conduction path curves.

[0103] Among them, the first dimension of the texture coordinate parameter is continuously distributed along the path direction of the energy conduction path curve, and is used to map the relative position from the start point to the end point of the energy conduction path curve to ensure smooth mapping of the texture along the path.

[0104] The second dimension of the texture coordinate parameter is discretely distributed along the cross-sectional direction of the energy conduction path curve. It is used to control the mapping of the texture in the width direction, so that the texture covers the 3D patch model uniformly and continuously in the lateral direction.

[0105] In some embodiments, shader parameters include: Vertex shader parameters are used to adjust the orientation of the 3D patch model based on the camera's viewpoint. Pixel shader parameters are used to synthesize dynamic visual effects during the pixel shading stage. Pixel shader parameters include at least one of blink parameters, emissivity parameters, and growth parameters.

[0106] The flicker parameter is used to control the transparency changes of the 3D patch model during rendering via a random function, simulating the dynamic flickering effect of energy release. Specifically, the flicker parameter can be dynamically generated based on global time or frame time and is used to adjust the material opacity of the 3D patch model.

[0107] Emissivity parameters are used to control the intensity and color of light emitted by a 3D patch model during rendering, based on vertex colors. Specifically, emissivity parameters (such as ST_TintColor and ST_Brightness) can be used to modify the diffuse color of a material, thereby achieving a lightning-like glowing effect.

[0108] Growth parameters are used to control the visibility range of a 3D patch model during rendering via texture coordinates, achieving the growth and dissipation effects of the energy release effect from nothing to something and back to nothing. Specifically, growth parameters can be combined with the second dimension of the texture coordinates (input.UV.y, along the lightning path direction) and smoothing functions such as smoothstep can be used to control the smooth transition of opacity, thereby creating the visual effect of dynamic energy transfer in the energy release effect.

[0109] In some embodiments, the step of determining vertex shader parameters includes: Obtain spatial positioning parameters: For the current vertex in the 3D patch model, obtain the vertex world coordinates in the world coordinate system; obtain the camera world coordinates in the world coordinate system for the rendering camera; Calculate the line-of-sight guidance parameters: Calculate the line-of-sight direction vector based on the vertex world coordinates and the camera world coordinates; normalize the line-of-sight direction vector to obtain standardized line-of-sight guidance parameters; Determine the normal offset parameters: Calculate the cross product of the view direction vector and the tangent vector of the energy conduction path curve to obtain the normal direction vector perpendicular to the view; Based on the second dimension coordinate of the texture coordinate parameters, perform linear interpolation between the preset energy conduction tip width parameter and root width parameter to determine the width scaling factor corresponding to the current vertex; Calculate the lateral offset factor based on the first dimension coordinate of the texture coordinate parameters. The lateral offset factor is obtained by subtracting 0.5 from the first dimension coordinate, and the value range of the lateral offset factor is [-0.5, 0.5]; Multiply the normal direction vector, the width scaling factor, and the lateral offset factor to obtain the spatial offset parameters that make the 3D patch model face the camera; Generate final transformation parameters: use the sum of the original vertex world coordinates and the spatial offset parameters as the adjusted vertex world coordinates; obtain the view projection transformation matrix from the rendering system, which includes the camera view transformation matrix and the perspective projection transformation matrix.

[0110] Vertex shader parameters ensure that the 3D patch model maintains its orientation towards the observer from any camera viewpoint, achieving a natural visual presentation of the energy release effect.

[0111] Step 140: Render the 3D patch model according to the control parameters to generate a visual effect of energy release.

[0112] Specifically, texture coordinate parameters are applied to the geometric vertices of the 3D patch model to achieve texture mapping; vertex shader parameters and pixel shader parameters in the shader parameters are applied to the vertex shader and pixel shader stages respectively to generate visual effects of dynamic energy release effects including blinking, glowing and growth effects.

[0113] In some embodiments, applying vertex shader parameters to the vertex shader includes: For the current vertex in the 3D patch model, the adjusted vertex world coordinates corresponding to the current vertex are multiplied by the view projection transformation matrix to obtain the final vertex position parameters used for screen rendering.

[0114] Through the above rendering process, the three-dimensional patch model can be transformed into an animation effect that matches the energy conduction path curve, realizing a continuous dynamic representation of the energy release effect from generation to dissipation.

[0115] In some embodiments, the method further includes step 150: The number of faces in the 3D patch model is dynamically adjusted based on the spatial distance between the camera and the 3D patch model.

[0116] In some embodiments, the number of faces in the 3D patch model is dynamically adjusted based on the spatial distance between the camera and the 3D patch model, including: When the spatial distance between the camera and the 3D patch model is less than the first threshold, the number of patches in the 3D patch model is maintained at the original number of patches. When the spatial distance between the camera and the 3D patch model is between the first threshold and the second threshold, the number of patches can be reduced by 40%-60% through vertex clustering algorithm; When the spatial distance between the camera and the 3D patch model is greater than the second threshold, the 3D patch model is switched to wireframe representation mode.

[0117] The first threshold can be 5m, and the second threshold can be 20m.

[0118] In some embodiments, the number of patches can be dynamically adjusted linearly or exponentially based on the spatial distance between the camera and the 3D patch model.

[0119] Specifically, in the linear adjustment method, the number of faces increases or decreases proportionally with distance; as distance increases, the number of faces decreases, and as distance decreases, the number of faces increases. In the exponential adjustment method, the number of faces changes non-linearly with distance, allowing for a faster increase in the number of faces when closer to the camera and a faster decrease in the number of faces when farther away from the camera, thereby minimizing rendering overhead while maintaining visual quality.

[0120] Through the above adjustment strategies, the 3D patch model can dynamically change during real-time rendering, ensuring reasonable visual effects at different viewing distances. At the same time, it significantly reduces the demand for memory and texture resources, thereby alleviating the overall resource burden of the game and reducing unnecessary computational overhead. This allows the development team to achieve high-quality visual effects even with limited resources, making it suitable for efficient rendering of visualization effects of energy release in game engines, real-time animations, or interactive scenes.

[0121] In some embodiments, to further improve the stability and visual continuity of the rendering effect, distance attenuation control based on the camera and the 3D patch model can be introduced in the pixel shading stage to eliminate flickering or jitter when viewing from a distance. Specifically, the method may include the following operations: During the rendering process, the spatial distance between the camera and each pixel or vertex of the 3D patch model is calculated, and an attenuation coefficient is generated based on the spatial distance. The attenuation coefficient is used to control the display transparency of the pixel or patch. When the attenuation coefficient is lower than the culling threshold, the corresponding pixels or patches of the 3D patch model will be culled, meaning they will no longer participate in rasterization rendering, thereby further reducing the overhead of long-distance rendering and improving rendering efficiency.

[0122] In some embodiments, the attenuation coefficient can be generated by a smooth transition function, so that the patch model gradually becomes transparent as the distance increases, thereby achieving natural fading at long distances and reducing visual jitter caused by low patch density or insufficient texture details.

[0123] In some embodiments, the rejection threshold can be 0.1, and when the spatial distance is between 10m and 15m, the attenuation coefficient smoothly transitions from 1 (completely opaque) to 0 (completely transparent).

[0124] All of the above technical solutions can be combined in any way to form optional embodiments of this application, and will not be described in detail here.

[0125] This application provides a method for generating energy conduction path curves for simulating energy release effects based on point cloud data. The energy conduction path curves include a main path and branch paths. The method converts the energy conduction path curves into a 3D patch model. It obtains control parameters adapted to the 3D patch model, including texture coordinate parameters and shader parameters. The method then renders the 3D patch model according to the control parameters to generate a visual effect of energy release. This method uses point cloud data as a basis to programmatically generate energy conduction path curves with main and branch paths, and converts them into a lightweight 3D patch model for rendering. This achieves efficient generation of visual effects of energy release with rich forms and controllable details without relying on traditional particle systems or cumbersome hand-drawn frame sequences, significantly improving the dynamic performance and visual realism of the visual effects of energy release.

[0126] To facilitate better implementation of the energy release effect special effects generation method of the embodiments of this application, the embodiments of this application also provide an energy release effect special effects generation apparatus. Please refer to... Figure 14 , Figure 14 A schematic diagram of the structure of the energy release effect special effects generating device provided in this application embodiment. The energy release effect special effects generating device 200 may include: The generation unit 210 is used to generate energy conduction path curves based on point cloud data. The energy conduction path curves include the main path and branch paths. The conversion unit 220 is used to convert the energy conduction path curve into a three-dimensional patch model; The acquisition unit 230 is used to acquire control parameters adapted to the 3D patch model. The control parameters include texture coordinate parameters and shader parameters. The rendering unit 240 is used to render the three-dimensional patch model according to the control parameters and generate a visual effect of energy release.

[0127] In some embodiments, when the device is used to generate an energy conduction path curve based on point cloud data, it is specifically used for: Point cloud data is generated within a three-dimensional volume, and energy conduction properties are assigned to the point cloud data. The energy conduction properties are used to characterize the energy conduction intensity of the point cloud data. Based on energy conduction properties, a pathfinding algorithm is used to generate the main path. Based on energy conduction properties, branch paths are generated by randomly selecting bifurcation points on the main path and applying pathfinding algorithms to these points.

[0128] In some embodiments, when the device is used to generate a main path based on energy conduction properties using a pathfinding algorithm, it is specifically used for: Calculate the cost value for each point in the point cloud data, where the cost value is negatively correlated with the energy conduction property; Based on the cost value of each point, the path cost of each possible path from the lightning's origin to its destination is calculated using a pathfinding algorithm. The path with the lowest cost is selected as the backbone path.

[0129] In some embodiments, the apparatus is further configured to: Assign density attributes to point cloud data. Density attributes are used to control the distribution pattern of point cloud data. Distribution patterns include uniform distribution, core clustered distribution, and mixed distribution. In some embodiments, when the device is used to determine the main path based on energy conduction properties using a routing algorithm, it is specifically used for: Based on energy conduction and density properties, a pathfinding algorithm is used to determine the main path. In some embodiments, when the device is used to generate branch paths based on energy conduction properties by randomly selecting bifurcation points on the main path and applying a pathfinding algorithm to the bifurcation points, it is specifically used for: Based on energy conduction and density properties, branch paths are generated by randomly selecting bifurcation points on the main path and applying pathfinding algorithms to these points.

[0130] In some embodiments, when the device is used to assign energy conduction properties to point cloud data, it is specifically used for: Determine the starting and ending points of energy conduction in the energy release effect; Assign preset energy conduction attribute values ​​to the energy conduction start and end points; For other point cloud data, assign energy conduction attribute values ​​to other point cloud data based on at least one of location, distance, or random factors.

[0131] In some embodiments, when the device is used to convert an energy conduction path curve into a three-dimensional patch model, it is specifically used for: Based on the width attribute, the energy conduction path curve is spatially unfolded to obtain a three-dimensional patch model. The width attribute is used to limit the cross-sectional size of the three-dimensional patch model at different path positions.

[0132] In some embodiments, when the device is used to obtain texture coordinate parameters, it is specifically used for: Texture coordinate parameters are generated based on the curve parameters of the energy conduction path curve. The first dimension of the texture coordinate parameters is continuously distributed along the path direction of the energy conduction path curve and is used to map the relative position from the start point to the end point of the energy conduction path curve. The second dimension of the texture coordinate parameters is discretely distributed along the cross-sectional direction of the energy conduction path curve and is used to control the mapping of the texture in the width direction.

[0133] In some embodiments, shader parameters include: Vertex shader parameters are used to adjust the orientation of the 3D patch model based on the camera's viewpoint. Pixel shader parameters are used to synthesize dynamic visual effects during the pixel shading stage. Pixel shader parameters include at least one of blink parameters, emissivity parameters, and growth parameters.

[0134] In some embodiments, the apparatus is further configured to: The number of faces in the 3D patch model is dynamically adjusted based on the spatial distance between the camera and the 3D patch model.

[0135] Each unit in the aforementioned energy release effect generation device can be implemented entirely or partially through software, hardware, or a combination thereof. These units can be embedded in or independent of the processor in a computer device in hardware form, or stored in the memory of a computer device in software form, so that the processor can call and execute the operations corresponding to each unit.

[0136] The energy release effect generating device 200 can be integrated into a terminal or server that has storage and a processor and thus computing power, or the energy release effect generating device 200 can be the terminal or server.

[0137] Optionally, this application also provides a computer device, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps in the above-described method embodiments.

[0138] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computer device provided in an embodiment of this application. The computer device may include: a communication interface 301, a memory 302, a processor 303, and a communication bus 304. The communication interface 301, memory 302, and processor 303 communicate with each other via the communication bus 304. The communication interface 301 is used for data communication between the device 300 and external devices. The memory 302 can be used to store software programs and modules, and the processor 303 runs the software programs and modules stored in the memory 302, such as the software programs for corresponding operations in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0139] In some embodiments, the processor 303 may invoke software programs and modules stored in the memory 302 to perform the following operations: Energy conduction path curves simulating energy release effects are generated based on point cloud data. These curves include main paths and branch paths. The energy conduction path curves are then transformed into 3D patch models. Control parameters adapted to the 3D patch models are obtained, including texture coordinate parameters and shader parameters. The 3D patch models are then rendered according to the control parameters to generate visual effects of energy release effects.

[0140] In some embodiments, the computer device 300 may be integrated into a terminal or server that has storage and a processor, thus possessing computing capabilities; or the computer device 300 may be the terminal or server. The terminal may be a smartphone, tablet, laptop, smart TV, smart speaker, wearable smart device, personal computer, or other similar device. The server may be a standalone physical server, a server cluster or distributed system composed of multiple physical servers, or a cloud server that provides basic cloud computing services such as cloud services, cloud databases, cloud computing, cloud functions, cloud storage, network services, cloud communication, middleware services, domain name services, security services, CDN, and big data and artificial intelligence platforms.

[0141] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program. This computer-readable storage medium can be applied to a computer device, and the computer program causes the computer device to execute the corresponding process in the energy release effect special effect generation method of the embodiments of this application; for the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0142] This application also provides a computer program product including computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, causing the computer device to perform the corresponding process in the energy release effect generation method of the embodiments of this application. For simplicity, further details are omitted here.

[0143] This application also provides a computer program comprising computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, causing the computer device to perform the corresponding process in the energy release effect generation method of this application; for brevity, this will not be elaborated further.

[0144] It should be understood that the processor in this application may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, the steps of the above method embodiments can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor described above can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in the execution of a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0145] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), Enhanced Synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0146] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0147] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0148] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "module" or "unit" refer to a computer program or part of a computer program that has a predetermined function and works with other related parts to achieve a predetermined goal, and can be implemented wholly or partially using software, hardware (such as processing circuitry or memory), or a combination thereof. Similarly, a processor (or multiple processors or memory) can be used to implement one or more modules or units. Furthermore, each module or unit can be part of an overall module or unit that includes the functionality of that module or unit.

[0149] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0150] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0151] In addition, the functional units in this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0152] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer or a server) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0153] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for generating a special effect of energy release, characterized in that, The method includes: Energy conduction path curves that simulate energy release effects are generated based on point cloud data. The energy conduction path curves include a main path and branch paths. The energy conduction path curve is converted into a three-dimensional patch model; Obtain control parameters adapted to the 3D patch model, the control parameters including texture coordinate parameters and shader parameters; The three-dimensional patch model is rendered according to the control parameters to generate a visual effect of the energy release effect.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The generation of energy conduction path curves based on point cloud data includes: Point cloud data is generated within a three-dimensional volume, and energy conduction attributes are assigned to the point cloud data, wherein the energy conduction attributes are used to characterize the energy conduction intensity of the point cloud data. Based on the energy conduction properties, the main path is generated using a pathfinding algorithm; Based on the energy conduction properties, the branch paths are generated by randomly selecting branch points on the main path and applying a pathfinding algorithm to the branch points.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Based on the energy conduction properties, the main path is generated using a pathfinding algorithm, including: Calculate the cost value corresponding to each point in the point cloud data, wherein the cost value is negatively correlated with the energy conduction attribute; Based on the cost values ​​at each point, the path cost of each possible path from the energy conduction starting point to the energy conduction ending point of the energy release effect is calculated using a pathfinding algorithm. The path with the lowest path cost is selected as the trunk path.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: A density attribute is assigned to the point cloud data, and the density attribute is used to control the distribution pattern of the point cloud data, including uniform distribution, core clustered distribution and mixed distribution. The process of determining the main path based on the energy conduction properties using a pathfinding algorithm includes: Based on the energy conduction properties and the density properties, the main path is determined by a pathfinding algorithm; Based on the energy conduction properties, the process of generating the branch paths by randomly selecting branch points on the main path and applying a pathfinding algorithm to the branch points includes: Based on the energy conduction properties and the density properties, the branch paths are generated by randomly selecting branch points on the main path and applying a pathfinding algorithm to the branch points.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The process of assigning energy conduction attributes to the point cloud data includes: Determine the energy conduction start and end points of the energy release effect; Assign preset energy conduction attribute values ​​to the energy conduction start and end points; For other point cloud data, assign energy conduction attribute values ​​to other point cloud data based on at least one of location, distance, or random factors.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The energy conduction path curve is a lightning curve, and the visualization effect of the energy release effect is a lightning effect.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of converting the energy conduction path curve into a three-dimensional patch model includes: Based on the width attribute, the energy conduction path curve is spatially expanded to obtain the three-dimensional patch model. The width attribute is used to limit the cross-sectional size of the three-dimensional patch model at different path positions.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Obtaining the texture coordinate parameters includes: The texture coordinate parameters are generated based on the curve parameters of the energy conduction path curve. The first dimension of the texture coordinate parameters is continuously distributed along the path direction of the energy conduction path curve and is used to map the relative position from the start point to the end point of the energy conduction path curve. The second dimension of the texture coordinate parameters is discretely distributed along the cross-sectional direction of the energy conduction path curve and is used to control the mapping of the texture in the width direction.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shader parameters include: Vertex shader parameters, which are used to adjust the orientation of the 3D patch model based on the camera's viewpoint; Pixel shader parameters, which are used to synthesize dynamic visual effects during the pixel shading stage, include at least one of blinking parameters, luminescence parameters, and growth parameters.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The number of faces in the 3D surface model is dynamically adjusted based on the spatial distance between the camera and the 3D surface model.

11. A special effect generating device for energy release, characterized in that, The device includes: A generation unit is used to generate an energy conduction path curve that simulates an energy release effect based on point cloud data. The energy conduction path curve includes a main path and branch paths. A conversion unit is used to convert the energy conduction path curve into a three-dimensional patch model. The acquisition unit is used to acquire control parameters adapted to the three-dimensional patch model, the control parameters including texture coordinate parameters and shader parameters; The rendering unit is used to render the three-dimensional patch model according to the control parameters to generate a visual effect of the energy release effect.

12. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program adapted for loading by a processor to perform the method for generating the energy release effect as described in any one of claims 1-10.

13. A computer device, characterized in that, The computer device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, and the processor executing the method for generating the energy release effect as described in any one of claims 1-10 by calling the computer program stored in the memory.

14. A computer program product comprising computer instructions, characterized in that, When the computer instructions are executed by the processor, they implement the method for generating the energy release effect as described in any one of claims 1-10.

Images