Method and apparatus for displaying virtual characters, computer program, and electronic device.

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and device for displaying a virtual character, a storage medium, and an electronic device. The method includes the steps of: displaying a first screen including a first virtual character in a target application; when an attack event occurs and a second virtual character is located within a viewing range of the first virtual character, displaying a target outline mark in the target application, the target outline mark being an outline mark added for the second virtual character, the target outline mark being used to mark the second virtual character in the first screen when an attack event occurs, the attack event including any of the following: the first virtual character attacks the second virtual character, the first virtual character is attacked by the second virtual character, and the first virtual character is attacking the second virtual character and the first virtual character is attacked by the second virtual character; and when the second virtual character moves, moving the target outline mark to a position corresponding to the second virtual character. The present invention can solve the technical problem of low display efficiency of virtual characters in the related art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority based on a Chinese patent application with an application number of 202211215692.2 filed on September 30, 2022, and an invention title of "Method and Apparatus for Displaying Virtual Characters, Storage Medium, and Electronic Device", and incorporates all of its contents by reference into the present invention.

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of computers, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for displaying virtual characters, a storage medium, and an electronic device.

Background Art

[0003] Currently, when a user controls a virtual character to play a game with virtual characters of different camps, usually, the number of virtual characters of different camps is large and the game progresses quickly. Therefore, when the user is attacked, it is often impossible to confirm the source of the attack. Also, when the user tries to counterattack after being attacked, there are many virtual characters of other camps, and it is impossible to quickly recognize the virtual character that actually launched the attack, resulting in poor display efficiency of virtual characters.

[0004] Regarding the above problems, no effective solutions have been proposed currently.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for displaying virtual characters, a storage medium, and an electronic device, which can solve the technical problem of low display efficiency of virtual characters in at least related technologies.

[0006] One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for displaying a virtual character, which is performed by a terminal device, and includes the steps of: displaying a first screen in a target application that includes a first virtual character; displaying a target contour mark in the target application when an attack event occurs and a second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, wherein the target contour mark is an additional contour mark for the second virtual character, and the target contour mark is used to mark the second virtual character on the first screen when the attack event occurs, and the attack event includes any of the following: the first virtual character attacking the second virtual character; the first virtual character being attacked by the second virtual character; and the first virtual character attacking the second virtual character and the first virtual character being attacked by the second virtual character; and moving the target contour mark to a position corresponding to the second virtual character when the second virtual character moves.

[0007] In another embodiment of the present invention, a virtual character display device is provided, comprising: a first display module that displays a first screen including a first virtual character in a target application; a second display module that displays a target contour mark in the target application when an attack event occurs and a second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, wherein the target contour mark is an additional contour mark for the second virtual character, and the target contour mark is used to mark the second virtual character on the first screen when the attack event occurs, and the attack event includes any of the following: the first virtual character attacked the second virtual character; the first virtual character was attacked by the second virtual character; and the first virtual character is attacking the second virtual character and the first virtual character was attacked by the second virtual character; and a third display module that moves the target contour mark to a position corresponding to the second virtual character when the second virtual character moves.

[0008] In another embodiment of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a program is stored, the program, when executed by a terminal device or computer, performs the above-described method for displaying virtual characters.

[0009] In another embodiment of the present invention, a computer program product or computer program is provided which includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the processor reads and executes the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium to realize the method of displaying the virtual characters described above.

[0010] Another embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device comprising a memory storing a computer program and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to perform the above-described method of displaying virtual characters according to the computer program.

[0011] In embodiments of the present invention, when an attack event occurs and a second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, a target contour mark is displayed in the target application. The target contour mark is an additional contour mark for the second virtual character, and is used to mark the second virtual character on the first screen when an attack event occurs. When the second virtual character moves, the target contour mark is moved to a position corresponding to the second virtual character. When an attack event occurs, for example, the first virtual character attacks the second virtual character, the first virtual character is attacked by the second virtual character, or the first virtual character is attacking the second virtual character and the first virtual character is attacked by the second virtual character, the target application displays a target contour mark to indicate that an attack event has occurred between the first and second virtual characters. This allows for rapid marking of the second virtual character in the attack event on the screen, improving the display efficiency of the virtual characters. As a result, the user's ability to perceive and perceive the location of the second virtual character in the attack event is improved, enhancing the user experience. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of an application environment for one preferred virtual character display method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart of one preferred virtual character display method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3]This is a schematic diagram of one preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] This is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18]It is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] It is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] It is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a preferred virtual character display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] It is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a preferred virtual character display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] It is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a preferred electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the embodiments of the present invention, the following clearly and completely describes the technical means in the embodiments of the present invention while referring to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

[0014] It should be noted that terms such as "first" and "second" in the specification, claims, and drawings of the present invention are used to distinguish similar objects and do not describe a specific order or priority. It should be noted that such data may be appropriately exchanged so that the embodiments of the present invention described in this specification can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described in this specification. In addition, the terms "comprising" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device including a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to the explicitly listed steps or units, and may include those not explicitly listed or other steps or units specific to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0015] First, the following interpretations apply to some of the nouns or terms that appear in the description of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0016] Shooting games: This includes, but is not limited to, first-person shooter games, third-person shooter games, and all games in which players use firearms to launch ranged attacks.

[0017] First-person shooting games (FPS) are a type of action game (ACT), and as the name suggests, they are shooting games played from the player's subjective perspective.

[0018] Third-person shooting games (TPS) are a type of shooting game, but they differ from first-person shooting games in that the player is visible on the game screen.

[0019] The present invention will be described below with reference to examples.

[0020] One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for displaying a virtual character. Preferably, in the embodiment of the present invention, the above-described method for displaying a virtual character may be applied to a hardware environment consisting of a server 101 and a terminal device 103 as shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, the server 101 is connected to the terminal device 103 via a network and can provide services for the terminal device or application programs installed on the terminal device. The application program may be a video application program, an instant messaging application program, a browser application program, an educational application program, a game application program, etc. A database 105 may be configured on or separately from the server to provide a data storage service for the server 101, such as a game data storage service. The above-described network may include, but is not limited to, a wired network and a wireless network. A wired network includes a local area network, a metropolitan area network, and a wide area network, and a wireless network includes Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and other networks capable of wireless communication. The terminal device 103 includes, but is not limited to, computer devices such as mobile phones (e.g., Android phones, iOS phones), laptop computers, tablet computers, handheld computers, MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices), PADs, desktop computers, and smart TVs, and may be terminals on which application programs are configured. The server may be a single server, a server cluster composed of multiple servers, or a cloud server.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the above method for displaying virtual characters may be implemented in the terminal device 103 by the following steps.

[0022] S1: The target application of terminal device 103 displays a first screen containing a first virtual character.

[0023] S2: When an attack event occurs and the second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, the target application of the terminal device 103 displays a target contour mark, which is an additional contour mark for the second virtual character. Here, the target contour mark is used to mark the second virtual character on the first screen when an attack event occurs, and the attack event includes any of the following: the first virtual character attacked the second virtual character, the first virtual character was attacked by the second virtual character, and the first virtual character attacked the second virtual character and the first virtual character was attacked by the second virtual character.

[0024] S3: If the second virtual character moves, the target contour mark on the terminal device 103 is moved to the position corresponding to the second virtual character.

[0025] Preferably, in this embodiment, the method for displaying the virtual character described above is implemented by a server, which may be implemented by, for example, the server 101 shown in Figure 1, or by cooperation between a user terminal and a server.

[0026] The above is merely an example, and this embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0027] As one preferred embodiment, the method for displaying the virtual character described above, as shown in Figure 2, includes the following steps.

[0028] S202: In the target application, display the first screen containing the first virtual character.

[0029] Preferably, in embodiments of the present invention, the above-described method for displaying virtual characters may be applied to various applications, but is not limited thereto. Here, taking the target application as an example, a target game application may be a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) or a Single-Player Game (SPG). The above-described target game application may include, but is not limited to, shooting applications, role-playing applications, real-time strategy applications, etc. Shooting applications may include, but are not limited to, first-person shooting applications, third-person shooting applications, and shooting applications that can switch between first-person and third-person perspectives. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of one preferred method for displaying virtual characters according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, the application display interface may include, but is not limited to, a first-person display interface 301, a third-person display interface 303, and a display interface that switches between first-person and third-person perspectives using an interaction button for switching viewpoints. Performing an interaction operation on the "marking item" that is the target of interaction allows the use of the above-described method of displaying the virtual character.

[0030] The target applications described above may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: two-dimensional (2D) game applications, three-dimensional (3D) game applications, virtual reality (VR) game applications, augmented reality (AR) game applications, or mixed reality (MR) game applications. The above are merely examples, and this embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0031] For example, in conventional related technologies, when a first virtual character is attacked by another virtual character, usually only a direction mark indicating the direction of the attack is displayed, allowing the user to understand only the direction of the enemy attack. However, if there are many obstacles or other virtual characters in that direction, the user cannot determine which specific virtual character is attacking. On the other hand, in this embodiment, when a first virtual character controlled by the user is attacked by a second virtual character, a target contour mark indicating that the attack on the first virtual character came from the second virtual character is displayed. This allows the virtual character that launched the attack on the user to be quickly marked on the first screen, thereby achieving the technical effect of improving the display efficiency of virtual characters.

[0032] Preferably, in this embodiment, the first screen may include, but is not limited to, a first screen rendered by the terminal device based on relevant data of the target application sent from the server, or a first screen rendered by the terminal device based on data of the target application locally stored on the terminal device.

[0033] Preferably, in this embodiment, the first virtual character may include, but is not limited to, a virtual object controlled in a single round of game initiated by a user who has logged into the target application via a participating account.

[0034] Preferably, in this embodiment, the second virtual character may include, but is not limited to, a virtual operation target belonging to a different faction from the first virtual character, which is controlled by other users through participating accounts in the target application, and may also include, but is not limited to, a virtual operation target belonging to a different faction from the first virtual character, which is pre-configured by a system generated by the server.

[0035] S204: When an attack event occurs and the second virtual character is within the field of view of the first virtual character, the target application displays a target contour mark, which is an additional contour mark for the second virtual character, where the target contour mark is used to mark the second virtual character on the first screen when an attack event occurs, and the attack event includes any of the following: the first virtual character attacks the second virtual character, the first virtual character is attacked by the second virtual character, or the first virtual character is attacking the second virtual character and the first virtual character is attacked by the second virtual character.

[0036] Preferably, in this embodiment, an attack event may include, but is not limited to, the first virtual character attacking the second virtual character, the first virtual character being attacked by the second virtual character, or the first virtual character attacking the second virtual character and the first virtual character being attacked by the second virtual character. Taking the first virtual character being attacked by the second virtual character as an example, it may include, but is not limited to, an attack operation performed by the second virtual character against the first virtual character using game operations such as virtual attack items, virtual skills, or virtual actions. The attack operation may include, but is not limited to, reducing the first virtual character's virtual hit points or reducing the first virtual character's virtual armor value. In other words, if the character parameters of the first virtual character change due to a game operation performed by the second virtual character, it may be understood that the first virtual character has been attacked by the second virtual character, and vice versa.

[0037] Preferably, in this embodiment, the position of the second virtual character within the field of view of the first virtual character may be understood as the second virtual character's location in the game scene being within the first virtual character's current field of view. Specifically, this may include, but is not limited to, the second virtual character being observable within the first screen of the first virtual character.

[0038] In one exemplary embodiment, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying virtual characters according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 4, it includes virtual characters 402, 404, and 406. Here, virtual character 402 corresponds to a first virtual character, and virtual characters 404 and 406 both belong to a different faction than virtual character 402 and are virtual characters that attacked virtual character 402. Here, the field of view of virtual character 402 includes region 408, virtual character 404 is located inside the region, and virtual character 406 is located outside region 408. In this case, virtual character 404 is a second virtual character, and virtual character 406 is not a second virtual character.

[0039] The field of view of virtual character 402 is adjustable. Specifically, this can be achieved by touching the screen, moving the mouse, etc., but is not limited to these methods. When the field of view of virtual character 402 is adjusted to region 410, virtual character 404 is located outside region 410, virtual character 406 is located inside region 410, virtual character 406 is the second virtual character, and virtual character 404 is not the second virtual character. In other words, for a virtual character to be the second virtual character, it must be attacking the first virtual character and be located within the field of view of the first virtual character. In this case, a target contour mark may be displayed to mark the second virtual character.

[0040] S206: If the second virtual character moves, move the target contour mark to the position corresponding to the second virtual character.

[0041] Preferably, in this embodiment, the second virtual character is a movable virtual character. If the second virtual character moves, the target contour mark may move in accordance with the second virtual character. If the second virtual character does not move, the unmoved target contour mark may continue to be displayed.

[0042] Furthermore, the target contour mark may be configured to cancel its display when the second virtual character moves, or when the first virtual character moves, or when the display period of the target contour mark reaches a predetermined period.

[0043] In embodiments of the present invention, when an attack event occurs and a second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, a target contour mark is displayed in the target application. The target contour mark is an additional contour mark for the second virtual character, and is used to mark the second virtual character on the first screen when an attack event occurs. When the second virtual character moves, the target contour mark is moved to a position corresponding to the second virtual character. When an attack event occurs, for example, the first virtual character attacks the second virtual character, the first virtual character is attacked by the second virtual character, or the first virtual character is attacking the second virtual character and the first virtual character is attacked by the second virtual character, the target application displays a target contour mark to indicate that an attack event has occurred between the first and second virtual characters. This allows for rapid marking of the second virtual character in the attack event on the screen, improving the display efficiency of the virtual characters. As a result, the user's ability to perceive and perceive the location of the second virtual character in the attack event is improved, enhancing the user experience.

[0044] Preferably, when an attack event occurs and the second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, the step of displaying a target contour mark in the target application may specifically include the step of displaying a target contour mark in the target application when the attack event is that the first virtual character has been attacked by the second virtual character, wherein the target contour mark is used to indicate that the attack suffered by the first virtual character was carried out by the second virtual character.

[0045] Preferably, in this embodiment, the target contour mark may be used to indicate that the attack on the first virtual character was carried out by the second virtual character, but is not limited thereto. That is, by marking the second virtual character that attacked the first virtual character on the first screen, the user can quickly identify the source of the attack from the first virtual character's perspective.

[0046] Specifically, the target contour mark may include, but is not limited to, position marks, contour marks, color marks, etc., for marking the second virtual character at the location where the second virtual character is located.

[0047] In one exemplary embodiment, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying virtual characters according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 5, it includes virtual characters 502 and 504. Here, virtual character 502 corresponds to the first virtual character, and virtual character 504 corresponds to the second virtual character. After virtual character 504 attacks virtual character 502, virtual character 504 is marked on the first screen of virtual character 502 with a target contour mark. This allows the user controlling virtual character 502 to quickly identify virtual character 504, i.e., the virtual character that attacked them. Note that virtual character 502 belongs to a different faction than virtual character 504, and virtual character 504 is within the field of view of virtual character 502.

[0048] According to this embodiment, when a first virtual character controlled by the user is attacked by a second virtual character, a target contour mark indicating that the attack on the first virtual character originated from the second virtual character is displayed. This allows the virtual character that launched the attack to be quickly marked on the first screen, improving the display efficiency of the virtual character and enabling the user to quickly identify the location of the enemy that attacked them. Consequently, the user's ability and efficiency to perceive the location of the second virtual character in an attack event can be improved, enhancing the user experience.

[0049] Preferably, the method described above further includes at least one of the following steps: displaying a first item mark on a first screen, the first item mark being used to mark on the first screen a virtual item that a second virtual character uses to attack the first virtual character; and displaying a first faction mark on a first screen, the first faction mark being used to mark on the first screen the faction to which the second virtual character that attacked the first virtual character belongs. Preferably, in this embodiment, the target contour mark may include, but is not limited to, a contour mark generated based on the character model of the second virtual character. The target contour mark may be marked in the form of a line on the first screen.

[0050] Preferably, in this embodiment, the first item mark may mark a virtual item used by the second virtual character to attack the first virtual character, or a virtual skill used by the second virtual character to attack the first virtual character, but is not limited to these. This allows the attacked user to quickly determine the items used by the enemy that attacked them, and furthermore, to quickly formulate a counterattack strategy against that enemy, thereby increasing the enjoyment of the game and improving the user's operational efficiency.

[0051] Preferably, in this embodiment, the first faction flag may include, but is not limited to, the mark of the faction to which the second virtual character belongs when the second virtual character attacks the first virtual character. In addition, a game built with the target application may have three or more factions participating simultaneously. In this case, when a virtual character controlled by the user is attacked, the user cannot know which faction's enemy attacked them, and if the appearances of second virtual characters from different factions are similar, it is difficult for the user to choose which faction's second virtual character to counterattack. Faction marks allow the attacked user to distinguish and target their counterattack, increasing the enjoyment of the game and improving the efficiency of user operation.

[0052] In one exemplary embodiment, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying virtual characters according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 6, it includes virtual characters 602 and 604. Here, virtual character 602 corresponds to a first virtual character, and virtual character 604 corresponds to a second virtual character. After virtual character 604 attacks virtual character 602, virtual character 604 is marked on the first screen of virtual character 602 with a target contour mark 606, and then marked with a first item mark 608 or a first faction mark 610 depending on the virtual item used by virtual character 604 or the faction of the virtual character. This allows the user controlling virtual character 602 to quickly learn about the enemy's relevant faction information, related item information, etc., improving the user's game efficiency and diversifying the user's choices.

[0053] Preferably, if the attack event is that a first virtual character is attacked by a second virtual character, the step of displaying a target contour mark in the target application includes at least one of the following steps: displaying a target contour mark in the target application based on the virtual hit points of the first virtual character, wherein the color of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the virtual hit points of the first virtual character; displaying a target contour mark in the target application based on the virtual hit points of the first virtual character, wherein the clarity of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the virtual hit points of the first virtual character; and displaying a target contour mark in the target application based on the number of attacks in which the second virtual character attacked the first virtual character, wherein the clarity of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the number of attacks.

[0054] Preferably, in this embodiment, the virtual hit points of the first virtual character may be flexibly set according to different target applications. The virtual hit points indicate whether the first virtual character has been hit or defeated. Subtracting a portion of the first virtual character's virtual hit points may indicate that the first virtual character has been attacked, and if all of the first virtual character's virtual hit points are subtracted or reach a predetermined threshold, it may be understood that the first virtual character has been defeated.

[0055] Preferably, in this embodiment, the target contour mark may be set as a colored contour mark with edge lines such as a red mark or a green mark. The color of the target contour mark may be associated with the current virtual hit point value of the first virtual character. The intensity of the color and the virtual hit point value may be set as a negative correlation; that is, the less virtual hit point the first virtual character has, the darker the color of the target contour mark becomes. As a result, when the user sees a dark-colored target contour mark, they should judge that their own virtual hit point is low and defeat the second virtual character with the target contour mark as quickly as possible to avoid being defeated by the second virtual character.

[0056] Preferably, in this embodiment, the target contour mark may be set as a pattern contour mark, such as a contour mark filled with a predetermined color. The clarity of the target contour mark may be associated with the current virtual hit point value of the first virtual character. The clarity and the virtual hit point value may be set to have a negative correlation; that is, the lower the virtual hit points of the first virtual character, the clearer the target contour mark becomes. When the user has few virtual hit points, they can see a clearer target contour mark. This allows them to defeat the second virtual character with the target contour mark as quickly as possible and avoid being defeated by the second virtual character.

[0057] Preferably, in this embodiment, the target contour mark may be set as a pattern contour mark, such as a contour mark filled with a predetermined color. The clarity of the target contour mark may be associated with the number of attacks by the second virtual character. The clarity level and the number of attacks may be set to have a positive correlation, that is, the more attacks there are, the clearer the target contour mark becomes. This avoids the situation where the user cannot see the second virtual character when displaying the target contour mark due to insufficient clarity.

[0058] In one exemplary embodiment, Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying virtual characters according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7, it includes virtual characters 702 and 704. Virtual character 702 corresponds to a first virtual character, and virtual character 704 corresponds to a second virtual character. After virtual character 704 attacks virtual character 702, the virtual hit points of virtual character 704 are 60 when virtual character 704 is marked on virtual character 702's first screen with a target contour mark 706. If virtual character 704 continues to attack virtual character 702, the virtual hit points of virtual character 704 are reduced from 60 to 20, and virtual character 704 is marked on virtual character 702's first screen with a target contour mark 708. As can be seen from the line thickness in Figure 7, the lower the virtual hit points of virtual character 702, the darker the color of the target contour mark and the higher its clarity. This allows the user controlling the virtual character 702 to quickly learn about the enemy's outline, improving the user's game efficiency and diversifying their options.

[0059] According to this embodiment, by displaying the outline of the attacking virtual character and clearly displaying the outline of the attacking virtual character on the first screen, the user can quickly find out the location of the enemy that attacked them, thereby improving the user experience and the efficiency of displaying the virtual character.

[0060] Preferably, the above method further includes the steps of: displaying a plurality of target contour marks corresponding to each of the plurality of second virtual characters in the target application when the first virtual character is under attack by a plurality of second virtual characters and all of the plurality of second virtual characters are located within the field of view of the first virtual character; and canceling the display of the target contour marks corresponding to the target virtual character when all of the plurality of second virtual characters other than the target virtual character move out of the field of view of the first virtual character.

[0061] Preferably, in this embodiment, if the first virtual character is attacked by multiple second virtual characters within a predetermined period, the target application may display multiple target contour marks corresponding to each of the multiple second virtual characters; that is, the target contour marks may be set to exist in multiple locations simultaneously. An upper limit may be set, and if the upper limit has not been reached, multiple target contour marks may be displayed simultaneously. The upper limit may be set to the number of marks that can be displayed simultaneously within a predetermined period, and the predetermined period may be defined for each target contour mark, but is not limited to this. The period is measured from the time the first virtual character is attacked by the second virtual characters, and when the predetermined period is reached, the display of the target contour marks is canceled.

[0062] Preferably, in this embodiment, if all of the multiple second virtual characters, except for the target virtual character, move out of the field of view of the first virtual character, it means that some or all of the multiple second virtual characters are in a moving state after attacking the first virtual character. If only the target virtual character remains within the field of view of the first virtual character, the display of the target contour mark corresponding to the target virtual character is canceled. In this case, since there is only one second virtual character within the field of view, the first virtual character controlled by the user no longer needs to confirm the target virtual character by the target contour mark, and by canceling the display of the target contour mark associated with the target virtual character, the rendering overhead and computation overhead of the system can be reduced, and the waste of computational resources can be avoided.

[0063] In one exemplary embodiment, Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying virtual characters according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 8, it includes virtual characters 802, 804, 806, and 808. Here, virtual character 802 corresponds to a first virtual character, and virtual characters 804, 806, and 808 correspond to second virtual characters, together forming a plurality of second virtual characters. After virtual characters 804, 806, and 808 attack virtual character 802, virtual characters 804, 806, and 808 are marked on the first screen of virtual character 802 with target contour marks. At this time, virtual characters 804 and 808 move upward out of the field of view of virtual character 802. When virtual characters 804 and 808 have moved out of the field of view and virtual character 806 is within the field of view, virtual character 806 is the target virtual character. In this case, the display of the mark for the first virtual character may be canceled. This reduces the system's rendering overhead and computation overhead, and avoids wasting computational resources.

[0064] The movement of the multiple second virtual characters described above outside the field of view of the first virtual character may, but is not limited to, the first virtual character's viewpoint switching operation. When the user performs a viewpoint switching operation, the field of view of the first virtual character is changed. At this time, the second virtual characters located within the field of view of the first virtual character may also be changed. All second virtual characters may be changed, some second virtual characters may be changed, or none of the second virtual characters may be changed. In this embodiment, the display of the first virtual character mark corresponding to the target virtual character is canceled only when some second virtual characters are changed and the target virtual character remains within the field of view of the first virtual character.

[0065] Preferably, in this embodiment, if an attack event occurs and the second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, the step of displaying a target contour mark in the target application may specifically include the step of displaying a target contour mark in the target application if the attack event is that the first virtual character attacked the second virtual character, wherein the target contour mark is used to indicate that the attack suffered by the second virtual character was carried out by the first virtual character.

[0066] Preferably, in this embodiment, the second virtual character includes, but is not limited to, a virtual operand belonging to a different faction from the first virtual character, which is controlled by other users through participating accounts in the target application, and also includes, but is not limited to, a virtual operation target belonging to a different faction from a predetermined first virtual character of a system generated by the server.

[0067] Preferably, in this embodiment, an attack by the first virtual character on the second virtual character may include, but is not limited to, an attack operation performed by the first virtual character on the second virtual character using game operations such as virtual attack items, virtual skills, or virtual actions. The attack operation may include, but is not limited to, reducing the second virtual character's virtual hit points or reducing the second virtual character's virtual armor value. In other words, if the character parameters of the second virtual character change as a result of a game operation performed by the first virtual character, it may be understood that the first virtual character has attacked the second virtual character.

[0068] Preferably, in this embodiment, the position of the second virtual character within the field of view of the first virtual character may be understood as meaning that the second virtual character can be found within the first screen of the first virtual character, or that the position of the second virtual character in the game scene is within the current field of view of the first virtual character.

[0069] Preferably, in this embodiment, the target contour mark is used to indicate a second virtual character that has been attacked by a first virtual character, that is, it is used to mark the second virtual character that has been attacked by the first virtual character within the first screen. This allows the user to quickly identify the attacked virtual character from the viewpoint of the first virtual character and prevent the loss of the attack target.

[0070] Specifically, the target contour mark may include, but is not limited to, position marks, contour marks, color marks, etc., for marking the second virtual character at the location where the second virtual character is located.

[0071] In one exemplary embodiment, Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying virtual characters according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 9, it includes virtual characters 902 and 904. Here, virtual character 902 corresponds to the first virtual character, and virtual character 904 corresponds to the second virtual character. After virtual character 902 attacks virtual character 904, virtual character 904 is marked on the first screen of virtual character 902 with a target contour mark. This allows the user controlling virtual character 902 to quickly identify virtual character 904, i.e., the virtual character that was attacked by them. Note that virtual character 902 belongs to a different faction than virtual character 904, and virtual character 904 is included in the field of view of virtual character 902.

[0072] Preferably, in this embodiment, the second virtual character is a movable virtual character. If the second virtual character moves, the target contour mark may move in accordance with the second virtual character. If the second virtual character does not move, the unmoved target contour mark may continue to be displayed.

[0073] Furthermore, the target contour mark may be configured to cancel its display when the second virtual character moves, or when the first virtual character moves, or when the display period of the target contour mark reaches a predetermined period.

[0074] According to this embodiment, when a first virtual character controlled by the user attacks a second virtual character, a target contour mark indicating that the first virtual character attacked the second virtual character is displayed. This allows the user to quickly mark the attacked virtual character on the first screen when they attack other virtual characters, thereby improving the efficiency of virtual character display and allowing the user to quickly know the location of the enemy they attacked, thus improving the user experience.

[0075] Preferably, if the attack event is that a first virtual character attacks a second virtual character, the step of displaying a target contour mark in the target application includes at least one of the following steps: displaying a second item mark on a first screen, the second item mark being used on the first screen to mark a virtual item used by the second virtual character when the first virtual character attacks the second virtual character; and displaying a second faction mark on a first screen, the second faction mark being used on the first screen to mark the faction to which the second virtual character attacked by the first virtual character belongs.

[0076] Preferably, in this embodiment, the target contour mark may include, but is not limited to, a contour mark generated based on the character model of the second virtual character described above. The target contour mark may be marked in the form of a line on the first screen.

[0077] Preferably, in this embodiment, the second item mark may mark a virtual item used by the second virtual character to attack the first virtual character, or a virtual skill used by the second virtual character to attack the first virtual character, but is not limited to these. This allows the attacked user to quickly determine the items used by the enemy that attacked them, and furthermore, to quickly formulate a counterattack strategy against that enemy, thereby increasing the enjoyment of the game and improving the user's operational efficiency.

[0078] Preferably, in this embodiment, the second faction flag may include, but is not limited to, the mark of the faction to which the second virtual character belongs when the second virtual character attacks the first virtual character. In addition, a game built with the target application may have three or more factions participating simultaneously. In this case, when a virtual character controlled by the user is attacked, the user cannot know which faction's enemy attacked them, and if the appearances of second virtual characters from different factions are similar, it is difficult for the user to choose which faction's second virtual character to counterattack. Faction marks allow the attacked user to distinguish and target their counterattack, increasing the enjoyment of the game and improving the user's operational efficiency.

[0079] In one exemplary embodiment, Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying virtual characters according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 10, it includes virtual characters 1002 and 1004. Virtual character 1002 corresponds to a first virtual character, and virtual character 1004 corresponds to a second virtual character. After virtual character 1002 attacks virtual character 1004, virtual character 1004 is marked with a target contour mark 10010 on the first screen of virtual character 1002, and then marked with a second item mark 1008 or a second faction mark 1006 depending on the virtual item used by virtual character 1004 or the faction of virtual character 1004. This allows the user controlling virtual character 1002 to quickly learn about the enemy's relevant faction information, related item information, etc., improving the user's game efficiency and diversifying the user's choices.

[0080] Preferably, if the attack event is that a first virtual character attacks a second virtual character, the step of displaying a target contour mark in the target application includes at least one of the following steps: displaying a target contour mark in the target application based on the virtual hit points of the second virtual character attacked by the first virtual character, wherein the color of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the virtual hit points of the second virtual character; displaying a target contour mark in the target application based on the virtual hit points of the second virtual character attacked by the first virtual character, wherein the clarity of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the virtual hit points of the second virtual character; and displaying a target contour mark in the target application based on the number of attacks in which the first virtual character attacked the second virtual character, wherein the clarity of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the number of attacks.

[0081] Preferably, in this embodiment, the virtual hit points of the first virtual character may be flexibly set according to different target applications. The virtual hit points indicate whether the second virtual character has been hit or defeated. Subtracting a portion of the second virtual character's virtual hit points may indicate that the second virtual character has been attacked, and subtracting all of the second virtual character's virtual hit points or reaching a predetermined threshold may indicate that the second virtual character has been defeated.

[0082] Preferably, in this embodiment, the target contour mark may be set as a colored contour mark with edge lines such as a red mark or a green mark. The color of the target contour mark may be associated with the current virtual hit point value of the second virtual character. The intensity of the color and the virtual hit point value may be set as a negative correlation, that is, the less virtual hit points the second virtual character has, the darker the color of the target contour mark becomes. This allows the user to judge that the second virtual character is about to be defeated when they see a dark-colored target contour mark, and to increase the efficiency of defeating the virtual character, they should defeat the second virtual character with the target contour mark as quickly as possible.

[0083] Preferably, in this embodiment, the target contour mark may be set as a pattern contour mark, such as a contour mark filled with a predetermined color. The clarity of the target contour mark may be associated with the current virtual hit point value of the second virtual character. The clarity and the virtual hit point value may be set to have a negative correlation; that is, the lower the virtual hit points of the second virtual character, the clearer the target contour mark. When the virtual hit points of the second virtual character are low, the user can see a clearer target contour mark. This increases the efficiency of defeating the virtual character by defeating the second virtual character with the target contour mark as quickly as possible.

[0084] Preferably, in this embodiment, the target contour mark may be set as a pattern contour mark, such as a contour mark filled with a predetermined color. The clarity of the target contour mark may be associated with the number of attacks in which the first virtual character attacks the second virtual character. The clarity level and the number of attacks may be set to have a positive correlation, that is, the more attacks there are, the clearer the target contour mark becomes. This avoids the situation where the user is unable to continuously attack the second virtual character when displaying the target contour mark due to insufficient clarity.

[0085] In one exemplary embodiment, Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying virtual characters according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 11, the virtual characters include virtual character 1102 and virtual character 1104, where virtual character 1102 corresponds to a first virtual character and virtual character 1104 corresponds to a second virtual character. After virtual character 1102 attacks virtual character 1104, virtual character 1104 is marked with a target contour mark 1106 on the first screen of virtual character 1102. At this time, the virtual hit points of the virtual character are reduced from 60 to 20, and virtual character 1104 is marked with a target contour mark 1108 on the first screen of virtual character 1102. As can be seen from the line thickness in Figure 11, the lower the virtual hit points of virtual character 1102, the darker the color of the target contour mark and the clearer it becomes. This allows the user controlling virtual character 1102 to quickly learn the contour information of the enemy, improving the user's game efficiency and diversifying the user's choices. According to this embodiment, by displaying the outline of the attacking virtual character and clearly displaying the outline of the attacking virtual character on the first screen, the user can quickly find out the location of the enemy that attacked them, thereby improving the user experience and the efficiency of displaying virtual characters.

[0086] Preferably, if an attack event occurs and a second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, the step of displaying a target contour mark in the target application is, if the attack event occurs between the first virtual character and a plurality of second virtual characters and all of the plurality of second virtual characters are located within the field of view of the first virtual character, the step of displaying the target contour mark of a different color, which has been added for the plurality of second virtual characters in the target application, if the attack event occurs between the first virtual character and a plurality of second virtual characters and all of the plurality of second virtual characters are located within the field of view of the first virtual character, the target application The application may include at least one of the following steps: displaying target contour marks of different blinking frequencies for a plurality of second virtual characters, wherein the target contour marks are displayed in a blinking manner in the target application; and, if an attack event occurs between a first virtual character and a plurality of second virtual characters and all of the plurality of second virtual characters are within the field of view of the first virtual character, displaying target contour marks of different flowing velocities for a plurality of second virtual characters in the target application, wherein the target contour marks are displayed in a flowing manner in the target application.

[0087] Preferably, in this embodiment, if there are multiple second virtual characters, target contour marks of different colors may be displayed for multiple second virtual characters, target contour marks of different flashing frequencies may be displayed for multiple second virtual characters, or target contour marks of different flow velocities may be displayed for multiple second virtual characters, but this is not limited to these.

[0088] Furthermore, the target contour mark may be configured to flash at a predetermined frequency to draw the user's attention to the area corresponding to the contour mark, or it may be configured as a contour mark that flows to draw the user's attention to the area corresponding to the contour mark.

[0089] In one exemplary embodiment, if a first virtual character is attacked by a second virtual character, and the second virtual character is also being attacked, and both second virtual characters are within the field of view of the first virtual character, the target application displays target contour marks of different colors. Here, the color of the target contour mark corresponding to the second virtual character that attacked the first virtual character is different from the color of the target contour mark corresponding to the second virtual character that was attacked by the first virtual character.

[0090] Preferably, in this embodiment, the first virtual character may attack the second virtual character simultaneously when the first virtual character is attacked by the second virtual character, or the first virtual character may attack the second virtual character after the first virtual character has been attacked by the second virtual character, or the first virtual character may be attacked by the second virtual character after it has attacked the second virtual character.

[0091] In one exemplary embodiment, Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying virtual characters according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 12, it includes virtual characters 1202, 1204, and 1206. Here, virtual character 1202 corresponds to a first virtual character, virtual character 1204 corresponds to a second virtual character that attacked the first virtual character, and virtual character 1206 corresponds to a second virtual character that was attacked by the first virtual character. After virtual character 1202 attacks virtual character 1206, the user controlling virtual character 1202 marks virtual character 1206 with a target contour mark 1210 on the first screen of virtual character 1202 so that they can quickly identify that virtual character 1206 is the virtual character that was attacked by them. Note that virtual character 1202 belongs to a different faction than virtual character 1206, and virtual character 1206 is within the field of view of virtual character 1202.

[0092] After virtual character 1204 attacks virtual character 1202, the user controlling virtual character 1202 marks virtual character 1204 with a target contour mark 1208 on virtual character 1202's first screen so that they can quickly identify that virtual character 1204 is the virtual character that attacked them. Note that virtual character 1202 belongs to a different faction than virtual character 1204, and virtual character 1204 is within virtual character 1202's field of view.

[0093] According to this embodiment, by simultaneously displaying the outline of the attacking virtual character or the attacking virtual character, and clearly displaying the virtual characters on the first screen, the user experience can be improved and the display efficiency of the virtual characters can be enhanced.

[0094] Preferably, the above method further includes the steps of: displaying a target virtual object at the location where the second virtual character was defeated when the first virtual character is attacking the second virtual character and the second virtual character is defeated, wherein the target virtual object is used to display a virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character within a predetermined range of the target virtual object; displaying a target position mark on the minimap screen when a virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character exists within a predetermined range of the target virtual object and a minimap screen is displayed on the first screen, wherein the target position mark is used to indicate the corresponding position on the minimap screen of a virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character that exists within a predetermined range of the target virtual object; and moving the target position mark to the position corresponding to the virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character within a predetermined range of the target virtual object when the virtual character belonging to a different faction within a predetermined range of the target virtual object moves.

[0095] Preferably, in this embodiment, the target virtual object may include, but is not limited to, animations, virtual objects, etc. Taking the target virtual object as an example, if the target virtual object is a halo animation, the halo animation may be displayed at the position where the second virtual character is defeated to indicate the need to display a virtual character belonging to a different faction from the first virtual character located within a predetermined range of the halo animation.

[0096] Furthermore, when displaying virtual characters located within a predetermined range of a target virtual object, they may be displayed on the minimap screen. This allows the user to quickly grasp the location of the virtual characters and perform subsequent operations.

[0097] Preferably, in this embodiment, the target position marker is used to display the corresponding position on the minimap screen of a virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character. When a virtual character belonging to a different faction moves, the target position marker moves accordingly on the minimap screen.

[0098] In one exemplary embodiment, Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying virtual characters according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 13, it includes virtual characters 1302, 1304, and 1306. Here, virtual character 1302 corresponds to a first virtual character, virtual character 1304 corresponds to a second virtual character, and virtual character 1306 corresponds to a virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character, within a predetermined range of the target virtual object. After virtual character 1302 defeats virtual character 1304, a target virtual object is generated at the location of virtual character 1304, the position of virtual character 1306 within a predetermined range of the target virtual object is obtained, and a mark 1308 corresponding to virtual character 1306 is displayed on the minimap screen 1310. This allows the user to see other virtual characters of different factions in the vicinity at the time the second virtual character was defeated, so that they can perform subsequent attack operations after defeating the second virtual character.

[0099] Preferably, the method includes the step of displaying a perspective contour mark corresponding to the second virtual character on a first screen if the attack event is that a first virtual character is attacked by a second virtual character, the second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, and there is a virtual obstacle between the first virtual character and the second virtual character, the perspective contour mark being used to perceive the model of the second virtual character on the first screen; and the step of displaying a perspective contour mark corresponding to the second virtual character on a first screen if the attack event is that a first virtual character attacks a second virtual character, the second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, and there is a virtual obstacle between the first virtual character and the second virtual character.

[0100] Preferably, in this embodiment, the perspective contour mark may include, but is not limited to, a perspective contour mark generated based on a perspective character model of a second virtual character. The contour mark may be marked on the first screen in the form of a line.

[0101] In one exemplary embodiment, Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying virtual characters according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 14, it includes virtual characters 1402 and 1404, where virtual character 1402 corresponds to a first virtual character and virtual character 1404 corresponds to a second virtual character. When virtual character 1404 is located behind an obstacle, it means that virtual character 1404 is outside the field of view of virtual character 1402, and a first contour mark may be displayed to display virtual character 1404 with a perspective effect. This allows the user to quickly find virtual character 1404 hidden behind a virtual obstacle in order to perform a subsequent attack operation.

[0102] According to this embodiment, if a virtual character is located within the field of view and there is a virtual obstacle between the virtual character and the virtual character controlled by the user, the outline of the virtual character may be displayed so as to be transparent to the virtual character's model in the game scene. This allows the user to easily determine the position of a marked virtual character when it is not visible in the first screen, avoid losing the position of an enemy due to obstruction of the field of view, improve the user experience, and enhance the display efficiency of the virtual character.

[0103] Preferably, the method described above further includes at least one of the following steps: displaying a visible target contour mark on a third virtual character when an attack event occurs and a second virtual character is located within the field of view of a first virtual character, wherein the third virtual character is a virtual character belonging to the same faction as the first virtual character; and displaying a perspective contour mark corresponding to the second virtual character when an attack event occurs and a second virtual character is located within the field of view of a first virtual character, wherein the perspective contour mark is used to perceive the model of the second virtual character on the first screen.

[0104] Preferably, in this embodiment, the third virtual character is a virtual character belonging to the same faction as the first virtual character. That is, when the first virtual character is attacked by the second virtual character, or attacks the second virtual character, the target outline mark is displayed on the first screen of the first virtual character and the third virtual character belonging to the same faction as the first virtual character.

[0105] Preferably, in this embodiment, the perspective contour marks may, but are not limited to, being used to mark the character model of the second virtual character. In addition to marking the edges of the character model of the second virtual character, the perspective contour marks may also mark the internal textures of the second virtual character. The internal textures may be distinguished according to hit points when attacked, for example, the chest and arms of the virtual character may be demarcated with contour marks so that the user can identify the location of different parts of the second virtual character.

[0106] Furthermore, the perspective contour mark may be configured to be displayed directly after an attack event occurs between the first virtual character and the second virtual character. The perspective contour mark may remain displayed on the first screen, and the display of the perspective contour mark may be maintained even if the character model of the second virtual character is not displayed on the first screen of the first virtual character. This avoids the problem, for example, that after the second virtual character moves behind a virtual obstacle, the character model of the second virtual character is not displayed on the first screen of the first virtual character, making it difficult for the user to find the second virtual character.

[0107] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific examples.

[0108] Users may carry various types of virtual items, including, but are not limited to, defensive virtual items, immune virtual items, and auxiliary attack virtual items. Here, auxiliary attack virtual items may include, but are not limited to, virtual location tracking chip items for marking the outlines of enemy virtual characters. In other words, virtual location tracking chip items belong to the auxiliary attack virtual items category. Virtual location tracking chip items may be set as passive skills, which may take effect when a player enters a round of game after equipping a virtual location tracking chip item, activating the corresponding function without any conditions.

[0109] In conventional game applications, when a user is attacked, a direction indicator may be displayed. This indicator shows the direction of the enemy's attack. However, this direction cannot fully represent the enemy's current position, nor can it indicate which enemy attacked, and since enemies may constantly move and change their position, subsequent actions become difficult. In this case, by equipping the virtual position identification chip item described in the present invention, the player can mark the game character that attacked the user on the first screen.

[0110] Furthermore, to allow users to easily identify game characters that have been attacked by other users, a function may be added to mark the outlines of such characters.

[0111] In one exemplary embodiment, when a user participates in a game, in most cases it is necessary to attack the same game character multiple times in order to defeat it. Therefore, by adding a wall-seeing effect to marked enemies, it becomes easier to find enemies even if they move behind obstacles such as virtual walls.

[0112] Furthermore, after a marked game character is defeated by the user, a halo may be generated around the game character at its location, exposing the locations of other enemies within a predetermined range of the halo. The form of exposure may include, but is not limited to, displaying red dots on a minimap.

[0113] In one exemplary embodiment, Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of another preferred method for displaying a virtual character according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 15, the method may include, but is not limited to, the following flow.

[0114] S1: Start.

[0115] S2: A user-controlled virtual character is equipped with a virtual location-identifying chip item.

[0116] S3: Determine whether the user-controlled virtual character was damaged (i.e., attacked by the second virtual character, or attacked the second virtual character). If the result is NO, return to step S2.

[0117] S4: If the result is YES, mark the outline of the target.

[0118] S5: Determine whether or not the virtual wall was seen through. If the result is NO, return to step S4.

[0119] S6: If the judgment result is YES, the clairvoyance effect is generated.

[0120] S7: Determine whether the marked target was defeated. If the result is NO, return to step S6.

[0121] S8: If the result of the judgment is YES, generate one halo.

[0122] S9: Determine whether a target exists within the halo. If the result is NO, return to step S8.

[0123] S10: If the result is YES, expose the target location on the map.

[0124] S11: Ending.

[0125] First, a mapping relationship is established between the player's position on the virtual map and their position on the minimap. The principle for achieving this is to select three points A, B, and C from the larger map, and similarly select three points A1, B1, and C1 from the minimap as mapping points. The distance and relative direction between each enemy and the halo P on the larger map are calculated to determine AP, BP, and CP. Then, A1P1, A2P2, and A3P3 are calculated, and the average value P0 of P1, P2, and P3 is obtained, although this is not limited to this method. This value represents the position to be displayed on the minimap.

[0126] Furthermore, the above method of displaying the virtual character may involve obtaining the position of the marked enemy and the user's current position, and then firing a detection line from the user's position. The distance of the detection line is the distance from the marked enemy to the user's position. If an obstacle is detected between the detection line, it means that there is an obstacle between the marked enemy and the user, and a transparency effect may be generated.

[0127] In one exemplary embodiment, a model for drawing lines is added to a specific layer, the camera is duplicated, and a black texture is rendered. As shown in Figure 16, a white texture is generated from the object with lines drawn on it, a blurring process is performed on this texture as shown in Figure 17, the original texture is subtracted from the blurred texture as shown in Figure 18, and the edge texture and the texture rendered by the main camera are superimposed as shown in Figure 19.

[0128] In addition, with regard to data related to user information, etc., if the above embodiments of the present invention are applied to a specific product or technology, user permission or consent is required, and the collection, use, and processing of the relevant data must comply with the relevant laws and standards of the relevant countries and regions.

[0129] In addition, for the sake of simplicity, the embodiments of the various methods described above are all presented as a combination of a series of operations, but some steps may be performed in a different order or simultaneously according to this specification, and the present invention is not limited to the order of operations described. Furthermore, the embodiments described herein are preferred embodiments, and the relevant operations and modules are not necessarily essential to this specification.

[0130] Another embodiment of the present invention further provides a virtual character display device for carrying out the above-described method for displaying virtual characters. As shown in Figure 20, the device includes the following parts.

[0131] The first display module 2002 displays a first screen containing a first virtual character in the target application.

[0132] The second display module 2004 displays a target contour mark in the target application when an attack event occurs and the second virtual character is within the field of view of the first virtual character. The target contour mark is an additional contour mark for the second virtual character. Here, the target contour mark is used to mark the second virtual character on the first screen when an attack event occurs, and the attack event includes any of the following: the first virtual character attacked the second virtual character; the first virtual character was attacked by the second virtual character; or the first virtual character was attacking the second virtual character and the first virtual character was attacked by the second virtual character.

[0133] The third display module 2006 moves the target contour mark to the position corresponding to the second virtual character when the second virtual character moves.

[0134] Preferably, when an attack event occurs and the second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, the device displays a target contour mark in the target application if the attack event is that the first virtual character was attacked by the second virtual character. The target contour mark is used to indicate that the attack on the first virtual character was carried out by the second virtual character.

[0135] Preferably, the device performs at least one of the following steps: displaying a first item mark on a first screen, the first item mark being used to mark on the first screen a virtual item that a second virtual character uses to attack the first virtual character; and displaying a first faction mark on a first screen, the first faction mark being used to mark on the first screen the faction to which the second virtual character that attacked the first virtual character belongs.

[0136] Preferably, when the attack event is that a first virtual character is attacked by a second virtual character, the device displays a target contour mark in the target application, and performs at least one of the following steps: displaying a target contour mark in the target application based on the virtual hit points of the first virtual character, wherein the color of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the virtual hit points of the first virtual character; displaying a target contour mark in the target application based on the virtual hit points of the first virtual character, wherein the clarity of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the virtual hit points of the first virtual character; and displaying a target contour mark in the target application based on the number of attacks in which the second virtual character attacked the first virtual character, wherein the clarity of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the number of attacks.

[0137] Preferably, the device further performs the following steps in a target application: if a first virtual character is under attack by a plurality of second virtual characters and all of the plurality of second virtual characters are located within the field of view of the first virtual character, display a plurality of target contour marks corresponding to each of the plurality of second virtual characters; and if any of the plurality of second virtual characters other than the target virtual character move out of the field of view of the first virtual character, cancel the display of the target contour marks corresponding to the target virtual character.

[0138] Preferably, the device performs the step of displaying a target contour mark in the target application when an attack event occurs and the second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, wherein the attack event is an attack by the first virtual character on the second virtual character, and the target contour mark is used to indicate that the attack on the second virtual character was carried out by the first virtual character.

[0139] Preferably, the device performs at least one of the following steps when displaying a target contour mark in a target application: a step of displaying a second item mark on a first screen, wherein the second item mark is used on the first screen to mark a virtual item used by a second virtual character when the first virtual character attacks the second virtual character; and a step of displaying a second faction mark on the first screen, wherein the second faction mark is used on the first screen to mark the faction to which the second virtual character attacked by the first virtual character belongs.

[0140] Preferably, the device performs at least one of the following steps when displaying a target contour mark in a target application: a step of displaying a target contour mark in a target application based on the virtual hit points of a second virtual character attacked by a first virtual character, wherein the color of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the virtual hit points of the second virtual character; a step of displaying a target contour mark in a target application based on the virtual hit points of a second virtual character attacked by a first virtual character, wherein the clarity of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the virtual hit points of the second virtual character; and a step of displaying a target contour mark in a target application based on the number of attacks in which the first virtual character attacked the second virtual character, wherein the clarity of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the number of attacks.

[0141] Preferably, the device further performs the following steps: if a first virtual character is attacking a second virtual character and the second virtual character is defeated, display a target virtual object at the position where the second virtual character was defeated, the target virtual object is used to display a virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character within a predetermined range of the target virtual object; if a virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character exists within a predetermined range of the target virtual object and a minimap screen is displayed on the first screen, display a target position mark on the minimap screen, the target position mark is used to indicate the corresponding position on the minimap screen of a virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character that exists within a predetermined range of the target virtual object; and if a virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character moves within a predetermined range of the target virtual object, move the target position mark to a position corresponding to the virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character within a predetermined range of the target virtual object.

[0142] Preferably, the device further performs the steps of: displaying a perspective contour mark corresponding to the second virtual character on a first screen if the attack event is that a first virtual character is attacked by a second virtual character, the second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, and a virtual obstacle exists between the first and second virtual characters; and displaying a perspective contour mark corresponding to the second virtual character on a first screen if the attack event is that a first virtual character attacks a second virtual character, the second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, and a virtual obstacle exists between the first and second virtual characters.

[0143] Preferably, the device displays a target contour mark in the target application when an attack event occurs and a second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character; when an attack event occurs between the first virtual character and a plurality of second virtual characters and all of the plurality of second virtual characters are located within the field of view of the first virtual character, the device displays the target contour mark of a different color added for the plurality of second virtual characters in the target application; when an attack event occurs between the first virtual character and a plurality of second virtual characters and all of the plurality of second virtual characters are located within the field of view of the first virtual character, the device displays a target contour mark of a different color. The application performs at least one of the following steps: displaying target contour marks of different blinking frequencies for a plurality of second virtual characters, wherein the target contour marks are displayed in a blinking manner in the target application; and, if an attack event occurs between a first virtual character and a plurality of second virtual characters, and all of the plurality of second virtual characters are within the field of view of the first virtual character, displaying target contour marks of different flowing velocities for a plurality of second virtual characters, wherein the target contour marks are displayed in a flowing manner in the target application.

[0144] Preferably, the device further performs at least one of the following steps: displaying a visible target contour mark on a third virtual character when an attack event occurs and a second virtual character is located within the field of view of a first virtual character, wherein the third virtual character is a virtual character belonging to the same faction as the first virtual character; and displaying a perspective contour mark corresponding to the second virtual character when an attack event occurs and a second virtual character is located within the field of view of a first virtual character, wherein the perspective contour mark is used to see through the model of the second virtual character on the first screen.

[0145] In one embodiment of the present invention, a computer program product is provided which includes a computer program / instructions including program code for performing a method shown in a flowchart. In such an embodiment, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network via a communication unit 2109 and / or installed from a removable medium 2111. When the computer program is executed by the central processing unit 2101, various functions according to embodiments of the present invention are performed.

[0146] The numbering of these embodiments of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only and does not indicate any superiority or inferiority among the embodiments.

[0147] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of one preferred virtual character display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0148] The computer system 2100 for electronic equipment shown in Figure 21 is merely an example and should not impose any limitations on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0149] As shown in Figure 21, such a computer system 2100 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 2101 and can perform various appropriate operations and processes according to programs stored in read-only memory (ROM) 2102 or programs loaded from memory unit 2108 into random access memory (RAM) 2103. Various programs and data necessary for the operation of the system are also stored in this random access memory 2103. The central processing unit 2101 is located in read-only memory 2102, and the random access memory 2103 are connected to each other via a bus 2104. An input / output interface 2105 (i.e., an I / O interface) is also connected to this bus 2104.

[0150] In particular, according to embodiments of the present invention, processes described in various method flowcharts can be implemented as computer software programs. This embodiment includes, for example, a computer program product containing a computer program stored on a computer-readable medium containing program code for performing the methods shown in the flowchart. This embodiment allows the computer program to be downloaded and installed from a network via the communication unit 2109 or installed from a removable medium 2111. This embodiment performs various functions limited to the system of the present invention when the computer program is executed by the central processing unit 2101.

[0151] This embodiment further provides, in another aspect, an electronic device for implementing the above-described method for displaying virtual characters. This electronic device may be a terminal device or a server as shown in Figure 1. This embodiment will describe this electronic device as a terminal device. As shown in Figure 22, this electronic device includes a memory 2202 storing a computer program and a processor 2204 configured to execute any of the steps of the embodiment of the above method by the computer program.

[0152] Preferably, in this embodiment, the electronic device described above may be placed on at least one of the multiple network devices of the computer network.

[0153] Preferably, in this embodiment, the above-described processor may be configured to perform the following steps by a computer program.

[0154] S1: In the target application, display the first screen containing the first virtual character.

[0155] S2: If an attack event occurs and the second virtual character is within the field of view of the first virtual character, the target application displays a target contour mark. The target contour mark is an additional contour mark for the second virtual character. Here, the target contour mark is used to mark the second virtual character on the first screen when an attack event occurs, and the attack event includes any of the following: the first virtual character attacked the second virtual character, the first virtual character was attacked by the second virtual character, or the first virtual character attacked the second virtual character and the first virtual character was attacked by the second virtual character.

[0156] S3: If the second virtual character moves, move the target contour mark to the position corresponding to the second virtual character.

[0157] Note that the structure shown in Figure 22 is merely illustrative, and the electronic device may be a smartphone (e.g., an Android phone, an iOS phone), a tablet computer, a handheld computer, or a terminal device such as a Mobile Internet Device (MID) or PAD. Figure 22 is not limited to the structure of the electronic device described above. For example, the electronic device may contain more or fewer components (such as a network interface) than shown in Figure 22, or may have a different configuration than that shown in Figure 22.

[0158] Here, memory 2202 is used to store software programs and modules, such as program instructions / modules, corresponding to the virtual character display method and apparatus in embodiments of the present invention, and processor 2204 can realize the virtual character display method by executing various functional applications and data processing by executing the software programs and modules stored in memory 2202. Memory 2202 may include high-speed random memory and may further include non-volatile memory such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. Here, memory 2202 may further include memory remotely provisioned to processor 2204 which can be connected to a terminal via a network in some examples. Examples of the network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof. Here, memory 2202 may be used to store information such as models of virtual characters, although this is not particularly limited. Here, memory 2202 may, for example, include, but is not limited to, a first display module 2002, a second display module 2004, and a third display module 2006 of a display device including virtual characters, as shown in Figure 22. Furthermore, it may also include, but is not limited to, other module units within the above-mentioned display device for virtual characters, and will not be described in this example.

[0159] Furthermore, the electronic device includes a display 2208 for displaying the first screen described above, and a connection bus 2210 for connecting each module component within the electronic device.

[0160] In other embodiments, the above-mentioned terminal device or server can be a node in a distributed system, and the distributed system can be a blockchain system in which multiple nodes are connected via network communication. Furthermore, a point-to-point (P2P: Peer To Peer) network can be established between nodes, and any form of computing device, such as electronic devices like servers and terminals, can become a node in the blockchain system by participating in the point-to-point network.

[0161] In one aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided which allows a processor of a computer device to read computer instructions from the storage medium, and the processor to execute the computer instructions so that the computer device performs a method of displaying virtual characters provided in various arbitrary embodiments of the virtual character display modes described above.

[0162] Preferably, in this embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium described above may be configured to store a computer program for performing the following steps.

[0163] S1: In the target application, display the first screen containing the first virtual character.

[0164] S2: If an attack event occurs and the second virtual character is within the field of view of the first virtual character, the target application displays a target contour mark. The target contour mark is an additional contour mark for the second virtual character. Here, the target contour mark is used to mark the second virtual character on the first screen when an attack event occurs, and the attack event includes any of the following: the first virtual character attacked the second virtual character, the first virtual character was attacked by the second virtual character, or the first virtual character attacked the second virtual character and the first virtual character was attacked by the second virtual character.

[0165] S3: If the second virtual character moves, move the target contour mark to the position corresponding to the second virtual character.

[0166] Preferably, in this embodiment, those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the various methods of the above embodiment can be achieved by instructing hardware associated with a terminal device by a program stored on a computer-readable storage medium, which may include flash memory disks, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0167] The above-mentioned examples of the present invention are for illustrative purposes only and do not indicate any superiority or inferiority among the examples.

[0168] The integrated unit in the above embodiment may be implemented as a software functional unit and, if sold or used as a separate product, may be stored on the computer-readable storage medium described above. Based on this understanding, parts, or all or part, of the technical solutions of the present invention that are essentially or contribute to the prior art may be embodied in the form of a computer software product stored on a storage medium, which includes instructions for causing one or more computer devices (such as a personal computer, server, or network device) to perform all or part of the steps of the methods described in various embodiments of the present invention.

[0169] In the above embodiments of the present invention, various emphasis is placed on different aspects of the descriptions of the various embodiments, and for parts not described in detail in a particular embodiment, you may refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0170] In some embodiments of the present invention, the disclosed client may be implemented in other ways. Herein, the embodiments of the apparatus described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of a unit is merely a division of logical functions, and additional divisions are possible in actual implementation. For example, multiple units or components may be coupled or integrated with another system, or some features may be ignored or not performed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling between them, or the illustrated or described communication connections, may be electrical or indirect coupling or communication connections via some interface, unit, or module, which may take other forms.

[0171] The units exemplified as isolation means above may or may not be physically separated, and the units 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 these units may be selected as needed to achieve the objectives of this embodiment.

[0172] Furthermore, each functional unit according to each embodiment of the present invention may be integrated into a single processing unit, each unit may exist physically, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. These integrated units may be implemented as hardware or as software functional units.

[0173] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. As those skilled in the art will understand, several improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a virtual character, which is performed by a terminal device, The steps include displaying a first screen containing a first virtual character in the target application, Steps include: displaying a target contour mark in the target application when an attack event occurs and a second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, wherein the target contour mark is an additional contour mark for the second virtual character, and the target contour mark is used to mark the second virtual character on the first screen when the attack event occurs, and the attack event includes any of the following: the first virtual character attacking the second virtual character, the first virtual character being attacked by the second virtual character, and the first virtual character attacking the second virtual character and the first virtual character being attacked by the second virtual character; The process includes the step of moving the target contour mark to a position corresponding to the second virtual character if the second virtual character moves, If the first virtual character is attacking the second virtual character and the second virtual character is defeated, the step of displaying a target virtual object at the location where the second virtual character was defeated, wherein the target virtual object is used to display virtual characters belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character within a predetermined range of the target virtual object; A method further comprising the step of displaying a target position mark on the minimap screen if a virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character exists within a predetermined range of the target virtual object and a minimap screen is displayed on the first screen, wherein the target position mark is used to indicate the corresponding position on the minimap screen of the virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character that exists within a predetermined range of the target virtual object.

2. When the aforementioned attack event occurs and the second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, the step of displaying a target contour mark in the target application is: The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of displaying the target contour mark in the target application if the attack event is that the first virtual character was attacked by the second virtual character, wherein the target contour mark is used to indicate that the attack suffered by the first virtual character was carried out by the second virtual character.

3. A step of displaying a first item mark on the first screen, wherein the first item mark is used to mark on the first screen a virtual item that the second virtual character uses to attack the first virtual character, and The method according to claim 2, further comprising at least one of the steps of displaying a first faction mark on the first screen, wherein the first faction mark is used to mark on the first screen the faction to which the second virtual character that attacked the first virtual character belongs.

4. The step of displaying a target contour mark in the aforementioned target application is: A step of displaying the target contour mark in the target application based on the virtual hit points of the first virtual character, wherein the color of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the virtual hit points of the first virtual character, A step of displaying the target contour mark in the target application based on the virtual hit points of the first virtual character, wherein the clarity of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the virtual hit points of the first virtual character, and The method according to claim 2, comprising at least one of the steps of displaying the target contour mark in the target application based on the number of attacks in which the second virtual character attacks the first virtual character, wherein the clarity of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the number of attacks.

5. If the first virtual character is being attacked by a plurality of second virtual characters, and all of the plurality of second virtual characters are located within the field of view of the first virtual character, the target application includes the step of displaying a plurality of target contour marks corresponding to each of the plurality of second virtual characters. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of canceling the display of the target contour mark corresponding to the target virtual character if any of the multiple second virtual characters other than the target virtual character move out of the field of view of the first virtual character.

6. When the aforementioned attack event occurs and the second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, the step of displaying a target contour mark in the target application is: The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of displaying the target contour mark in the target application if the attack event is an attack by the first virtual character on the second virtual character, wherein the target contour mark is used to indicate that the attack suffered by the second virtual character was carried out by the first virtual character.

7. The step of displaying a target contour mark in the aforementioned target application is: A step of displaying a second item mark on the first screen, wherein the second item mark is used to mark on the first screen a virtual item that the second virtual character will use when the first virtual character attacks the second virtual character, and The method according to claim 6, comprising at least one of the steps of displaying a second faction mark on the first screen, wherein the second faction mark is used to mark on the first screen the faction to which the second virtual character attacked by the first virtual character belongs.

8. The step of displaying a target contour mark in the aforementioned target application is: A step of displaying a target contour mark in the target application based on the virtual hit points of the second virtual character that has been attacked by the first virtual character, wherein the color of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the virtual hit points of the second virtual character. A step of displaying a target contour mark in the target application based on the virtual hit points of the second virtual character that has been attacked by the first virtual character, wherein the clarity of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the virtual hit points of the second virtual character, and The method according to claim 6, comprising at least one of the steps of displaying the target contour mark in the target application based on the number of attacks in which the first virtual character attacks the second virtual character, wherein the clarity of the target contour mark is determined based on the value of the number of attacks.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of moving the target position mark to a position corresponding to a virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character within a predetermined range of the target virtual object when the virtual character moves within a predetermined range of the target virtual object.

10. The attack event is that the first virtual character is attacked by the second virtual character, the second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, and a virtual obstacle exists between the first virtual character and the second virtual character, the step of displaying a perspective contour mark corresponding to the second virtual character on the first screen, wherein the perspective contour mark is used to perceive the model of the second virtual character on the first screen, The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a perspective contour mark corresponding to the second virtual character on the first screen if the attack event is that the first virtual character has attacked the second virtual character, the second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, and the virtual obstacle exists between the first virtual character and the second virtual character.

11. When the aforementioned attack event occurs and the second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, the step of displaying a target contour mark in the target application is: If the attack event occurs between the first virtual character and a plurality of the second virtual characters, and all of the plurality of second virtual characters are within the field of view of the first virtual character, the target application displays the additional target contour marks of different colors for the plurality of second virtual characters. If the attack event occurs between the first virtual character and a plurality of the second virtual characters, and all of the plurality of second virtual characters are within the field of view of the first virtual character, the target application displays additional target contour marks of different flashing frequencies for the plurality of second virtual characters, wherein the target contour marks are displayed in the target application in a flashing manner, and The method according to claim 1, wherein, if the attack event occurs between the first virtual character and a plurality of the second virtual characters, and all of the plurality of the second virtual characters are located within the field of view of the first virtual character, the target application displays additional target contour marks of different flow velocities for the plurality of second virtual characters, wherein the target contour marks are displayed in a flowing manner in the target application, the method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of these steps.

12. Steps include: when an attack event occurs and a second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, display the target contour mark visible to the third virtual character, wherein the third virtual character is a virtual character belonging to the same faction as the first virtual character; and The method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of the steps of displaying a perspective contour mark corresponding to the second virtual character when an attack event occurs and the second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, wherein the perspective contour mark is used to perceive the model of the second virtual character on the first screen.

13. A display device for virtual characters, A target application includes a first display module that displays a first screen containing a first virtual character, A second display module that displays a target contour mark in the target application when an attack event occurs and a second virtual character is located within the field of view of the first virtual character, wherein the target contour mark is an additional contour mark for the second virtual character, and the target contour mark is used to mark the second virtual character on the first screen when the attack event occurs, and the attack event includes any of the following: the first virtual character attacked the second virtual character, the first virtual character was attacked by the second virtual character, and the first virtual character is attacking the second virtual character and the first virtual character was attacked by the second virtual character, The system includes a third display module that moves the target contour mark to a position corresponding to the second virtual character when the second virtual character moves, If the first virtual character is attacking the second virtual character and the second virtual character is defeated, a target virtual object is displayed at the location where the second virtual character was defeated, and the target virtual object is used to display virtual characters belonging to a different faction from the first virtual character within a predetermined range of the target virtual object. A device that, when a virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character exists within a predetermined range of the target virtual object, and a minimap screen is displayed on the first screen, displays a target position mark on the minimap screen, and the target position mark is used to indicate the corresponding position on the minimap screen of the virtual character belonging to a different faction than the first virtual character that exists within a predetermined range of the target virtual object.

14. A computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. An electronic device comprising a memory storing a computer program and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 using the computer program.

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