Content generation method and apparatus, and device and storage medium

Abstract

A content generation method and apparatus, and a device and a storage medium, which relate to the technical field of computers. The method comprises: displaying a virtual character and at least one action option corresponding to the virtual character (210); in response to an operation of selecting a first action option among the at least one action option, controlling the virtual character to execute a first action, and displaying an action frame selection control (220); in response to an operation on the action frame selection control, using an action frame corresponding to a target scale in a selected state within the action frame selection control as a selected action frame, and displaying the selected action frame (230); and in response to an operation on the selected action frame, generating user-generated content on the basis of the selected action frame (240). The embodiments of the present application can effectively improve the efficiency in the generation of user-generated content.

Description

Content generation methods, apparatus, equipment and storage media

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411757151.1, filed on November 29, 2024, entitled "Content Generation Method, Apparatus, Device and Storage Medium", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of computer technology, and in particular to a content generation method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0003] With the development of computer technology, games have gradually become one of the most popular forms of entertainment. Many games offer a variety of virtual scenarios where users can move freely, interact, and socialize.

[0004] In related technologies, games provide users with recording functions, such as taking photos or videos. Users can select actions to control a virtual character to perform selected actions in a virtual scene. For example, while the virtual character is performing the selected action, the user can pause the selected action and select action frames that can be used for taking photos. Based on the selected action frames, the game generates corresponding user-generated content (UGC), such as photos.

[0005] However, the aforementioned techniques have difficulty accurately locating action frames suitable for taking photos, making the process of selecting action frames quite complex. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a content generation method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. The technical solutions provided by this application may include the following:

[0007] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a content generation method is provided, the method being executed by a computer device, the method comprising:

[0008] Display a virtual character and at least one action option corresponding to the virtual character, each action option corresponding to an action;

[0009] In response to the operation of selecting a first action option from the at least one action option, the virtual character is controlled to perform a first action, and an action frame selection control is displayed. The first action is the action corresponding to the first action option. The action frame selection control includes M scales, each scale corresponding to one action frame among N action frames. The N action frames are generated during the virtual character's execution of the first action, and M and N are both integers greater than 1.

[0010] In response to an operation on the action frame selection control, the action frame corresponding to the target scale that is selected among the M scales is taken as the selected action frame, and the selected action frame is displayed.

[0011] In response to an operation on the selected action frame, UGC is generated based on the selected action frame.

[0012] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a content generation apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising:

[0013] The first display module is used to display a virtual character and at least one action option corresponding to the virtual character, with each action option corresponding to an action;

[0014] The first selection module is configured to respond to the operation of selecting a first action option from the at least one action option, control the virtual character to perform a first action, and display an action frame selection control. The first action is the action corresponding to the first action option. The action frame selection control includes M scales, each scale corresponding to one action frame among N action frames. The N action frames are generated during the virtual character's execution of the first action, and M and N are both integers greater than 1.

[0015] The second display module is used to respond to the operation of the action frame selection control, to select the action frame corresponding to the target scale that is in the selected state among the M scales as the selected action frame, and to display the selected action frame.

[0016] The first generation module is configured to generate UGC based on the selected action frame in response to an operation on the selected action frame.

[0017] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer device is provided, the computer device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, the computer program being loaded and executed by the processor to implement the above-described content generation method. Optionally, the computer device may be implemented as a terminal device.

[0018] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein a computer program is stored in the storage medium, the computer program being loaded and executed by a processor to implement the above-described content generation method.

[0019] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product including a computer program, the computer program being loaded and executed by a processor to implement the above-described content generation method.

[0020] The technical solutions provided in this application have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0021] After selecting the first action for the virtual character, an action frame selection control with multiple scales is displayed. Each scale is used to trigger the selection of an action frame corresponding to the first action. This allows users to select the target scale through the action frame selection control, enabling them to accurately and quickly select the action frame used to generate user-generated content from the multiple action frames corresponding to the first action, without having to pause the action to select an action frame. This simplifies the action frame selection process, thereby improving the convenience and efficiency of action frame selection, and ultimately improving the efficiency of user-generated content generation. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the implementation environment of a solution provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a content generation method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a user interface provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a user interface including an action pop-up window provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another method for displaying action options provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of performing the first action according to an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figures 7 to 9 are schematic diagrams illustrating the changes in a virtual character after dragging a slider, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0029] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a strip scale provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating user-generated content according to an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 12 is a block diagram of a content generation apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 13 is a structural block diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 1, which shows a schematic diagram of an implementation environment provided by an embodiment of this application. This implementation environment can be implemented as an application system or as a computer system. The implementation environment may include: a terminal device 10 and a server 20.

[0035] Terminal device 10 may include at least one of the following electronic devices: mobile phone, tablet computer, smart voice interaction device, game console, handheld game console, wearable device, multimedia playback device, PC (Personal Computer), in-vehicle terminal, smart home appliance, AR (Augmented Reality) device, VR (Virtual Reality) device, MP3 (Moving Picture Experts Group Audio Layer III) player, MP4 (Moving Picture Experts Group Audio Layer IV) player, laptop computer, smart robot, laptop computer, desktop computer, etc. Terminal device 10 can run a client of the target application. Optionally, the target application may be an application that needs to be downloaded and installed, or it may be in the form of a webpage or a mini-program; this application embodiment does not limit this. In this application embodiment, the above-mentioned target application may be any of the following: game application, social application, interactive entertainment application, instant messaging application, live streaming application, and may also include other types of applications; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0036] Optionally, the aforementioned game application may be implemented as at least one of the following: MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game application, MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) application, action-adventure game application, level-based application, role-playing game (RPG) application, first-person shooter (FPS) game, third-person shooter (TPS) game, strategy game (SLG) game, party casual game, building game, open-world game, survival role-playing game.

[0037] Server 20 is used to provide backend services for the client of the target application (such as a game application) in terminal device 10. For example, server 20 can be a standalone physical server, a server cluster or distributed system composed of multiple physical servers, or a cloud server that provides basic cloud computing services such as cloud services, cloud databases, cloud computing, cloud functions, cloud storage, network services, cloud communication, middleware services, domain name services, security services, CDN (Content Delivery Network), and big data and artificial intelligence platforms, but it is not limited to these.

[0038] Terminal device 10 and server 20 can communicate with each other via a network. This network can be a wired network or a wireless network.

[0039] Optionally, for the computation work of the technical solution provided in this application embodiment, server 20 undertakes the main computation work and terminal device 10 undertakes the secondary computation work; or, server 20 undertakes the secondary computation work and terminal device 10 undertakes the main computation work; or, server 20 and terminal device 10 adopt a distributed computing architecture for collaborative computation. This application embodiment uses terminal device 10 undertaking the main computation work as an example for illustration.

[0040] The technical solutions provided in this application are applicable to any scenario where UGC is generated based on action frames, such as the gaming and live streaming fields. For example, in the gaming field, after selecting a first action for a virtual character, the user can select a target scale using an action frame selection control. This allows for precise and rapid selection of action frames from multiple action frames corresponding to the first action to generate UGC, thus achieving rapid UGC generation.

[0041] Please refer to Figure 2, which shows a flowchart of a content generation method provided in an embodiment of this application. The execution entity for each step of this method can be a computer device, for example, the computer device can be terminal device 10 in the implementation environment shown in Figure 1, such that each step of the method is executed by a client in terminal device 10. The method may include at least one of the following steps (210-240):

[0042] Step 210: Display the virtual character and at least one action option corresponding to the virtual character, each action option corresponding to an action.

[0043] A virtual character (Voice Actor) is an interactive element within a target application. Taking a game application as an example, a Voice Actor is a virtual object controlled by a user or server within the game application. For instance, a Voice Actor is an object created by a user within the game application, and the user can control the Voice Actor's actions within a virtual scene provided or displayed by the game application. For example, a Voice Actor might be a virtual hero selected by the user before the start of a multiplayer game, and the user controls the actions of that virtual hero during the game. Taking a social application as an example, a Voice Actor is a virtual avatar created and used by a user to showcase the user's personality and characteristics within the social application. For example, where a user can upload a photo to a social application, the Voice Actor could be a Voice Actor generated by the social application based on that photo.

[0044] Virtual characters can be human figures, animals, cartoons, or other forms; this application embodiment does not limit this. Virtual characters can be displayed in three-dimensional or two-dimensional form; this application embodiment does not limit this. Optionally, when the virtual environment is a three-dimensional virtual environment, the virtual character is a three-dimensional model, such as a three-dimensional model created based on animation skeletal technology. Each virtual character has its own shape and volume in the three-dimensional virtual environment and occupies a portion of the space in the three-dimensional virtual environment. The activities of virtual characters include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: adjusting body posture, crawling, walking, running, riding, flying, jumping, driving, picking up, shooting, attacking, and throwing. Illustratively, virtual characters are virtual figures, such as simulated human characters or anime characters. In some implementations, virtual characters can also be implemented using 2.5D or 2D models; this application embodiment does not limit this. Virtual characters can be controlled by a server or by a user through a client; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0045] In this embodiment, the option is an item or function entry that the user can select, and it can be implemented as a visual, interactive element in the user interface. For example, the action option described above is a control used to trigger and control a virtual character to perform a corresponding action; that is, the user can select the action the virtual character needs to perform through the action option. In some embodiments, the action option can be implemented through one or more combinations of the following: text, static icons, buttons, dynamic icons, etc. Action options can also be implemented in other ways, which are not limited in this embodiment. Different action options correspond to different actions.

[0046] For example, the action options for each action are implemented through static icons and text. The static icons are thumbnails of the corresponding actions to visually express the meaning of the corresponding actions, and the text is the name or descriptive information of the corresponding actions.

[0047] For example, the action options for each action are implemented using dynamic icons, which are used to display the execution effect of the corresponding action.

[0048] An action refers to the behavior of a virtual character. In some embodiments, an action may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following types: basic actions, interactive actions, scene actions, facial expressions, etc. Actions may also include other types of actions, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0049] Basic actions refer to the regular and basic actions of a virtual character. In some embodiments, basic actions may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: dancing, walking, running, jumping, bowing, waving, making a fist, saluting, making a heart shape with one's fingers, praising, regretting, cheering, showing muscles, etc., and may also include other basic actions, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0050] Interactive actions refer to actions triggered when a virtual character interacts with other virtual characters or the environment. In some embodiments, interactive actions may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: shaking hands, hugging, lifting, putting down, dancing together, talking, discussing, holding hands, high-fiving, kissing, pushing, pulling, supporting, sitting down, lying down, opening and closing doors, picking up, throwing, turning on lights, turning off lights, etc., and may also include other interactive actions, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0051] Scene actions refer to actions that affect environmental changes in a virtual scene. In some embodiments, scene actions may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: summoning wind and rain, summoning rainbows, lightning and thunder, blizzards, smog, etc., and may also include other scene actions, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0052] A virtual scene is a scene displayed on the client side of a target application (such as a game application). It refers to an environment created digitally for virtual characters to interact with, such as a virtual house, virtual living room, virtual bedroom, virtual environment, or virtual building. A virtual scene can be a simulation of the real world, a semi-simulated / semi-fictional three-dimensional world, or a purely fictional three-dimensional world. Virtual scenes can be any of the following: two-dimensional, 2.5-dimensional, or three-dimensional.

[0053] The aforementioned virtual buildings can refer to virtual elements constructed by users in the target application, such as houses, sports centers, breeding farms, greenhouses, and farms. In this embodiment, the display form of the virtual buildings is not limited. Virtual buildings can be displayed in three-dimensional or two-dimensional form; this embodiment does not limit this. Optionally, when the virtual scene is a three-dimensional virtual scene, the virtual buildings are three-dimensional models. Each virtual building has its own shape and volume in the three-dimensional virtual scene, occupying a portion of the space in the three-dimensional environment. In some embodiments, virtual buildings can also be implemented as 2.5D or 2D models; this embodiment does not limit this.

[0054] Facial expressions refer to the actions by which virtual characters express emotions or feelings through changes in facial expressions. In some embodiments, facial expressions may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: smiling, excitement, laughter, tears, frowning, staring, shock, playfulness, disgust, trembling, etc., and may also include other facial expressions, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0055] In some embodiments, the action options and the corresponding actions are preset by those skilled in the art. Optionally, the action options and the corresponding actions can also be user-defined, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0056] In some embodiments, virtual characters of different character types correspond to different actions. Character type refers to a standard for classifying virtual characters based on their functions, goals, behavioral patterns, etc. In some embodiments, when the target application is a game application, the character type may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: healing, potion, adventure, exploration, magic, combat, etc., and may also include other character types, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0057] For example, when the virtual character's role type is healing, the corresponding actions of the virtual character include at least one of the following: resurrection, detoxification, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, bandaging wounds, massage, manipulation, checking vital signs, etc., and may also include other actions, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0058] For example, when the virtual character's role type is magic, the corresponding actions of the virtual character include at least one of the following: casting spells, teleporting items, transforming, summoning elements, teleporting, etc., and may also include other actions, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0059] For example, when the virtual character's role type is combat, the corresponding actions of the virtual character include at least one of the following: raising a shield, drawing a bow and arrow, aiming, slashing, ramming, blocking, boxing demonstration, sword dancing, gun wielding, etc., and may also include other actions, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0060] In some embodiments, the client displays a virtual character in the user interface; in response to an operation on an action control in the user interface, at least one action option corresponding to the virtual character is displayed, where an action control is a control that triggers the display of at least one action option. The user interface is any interactive interface provided by the target application. This user interface may differ for different target applications.

[0061] In some embodiments, in response to an operation on an action control in the user interface, an action pop-up is displayed, showing at least one action option corresponding to the virtual character. Optionally, the at least one action option corresponding to the virtual character can also be displayed in at least one of the following ways: drop-down menu, gear, display panel, display bar, etc., and other methods may also be included, which are not limited in this embodiment. Optionally, for gears and display panels, at least one action option is arranged in a circular topology.

[0062] For example, please refer to Figure 3, which shows a schematic diagram of a user interface provided in one embodiment of this application. In the user interface 30, a virtual character 31 and an action control 32 are displayed. In response to the user clicking the action control 32, the client displays the user interface 30 as shown in Figure 4, and in the user interface 30 of Figure 4, an action pop-up window 41 is displayed, which displays 8 action options, each action option corresponding to an action.

[0063] In some embodiments, the client, in response to an operation on an action control in the user interface, switches the display of the action control from a first display style to a second display style. Display style refers to how an interface element is presented on the user interface. Here, the interface element is an action control, and the first and second display styles are two different display styles. Optionally, the icon of the action control in the first display style is different from the icon of the action control in the second display style.

[0064] For example, referring to Figures 3 and 4, in response to a user clicking the action control 32 displayed in the first display style, the client switches to displaying the action control 32 in the second display style. In response to the user clicking the action control 32 displayed in the second display style again, the client switches back to displaying the action control 32 in the first display style, and simultaneously cancels the display of the action pop-up window 41 in Figure 4.

[0065] Step 220: In response to the operation of selecting a first action option from at least one action option, control the virtual character to perform a first action and display an action frame selection control. The first action is the action corresponding to the first action option. The action frame selection control includes M scales, each scale corresponding to one of N action frames. The N action frames are generated during the virtual character's execution of the first action, and M and N are both integers greater than 1.

[0066] The first action option is an action option selected by the user from at least one action option. The first action option can be any one of the at least one action options.

[0067] In some embodiments, a user selects a first action option from at least one action option in any of the following ways: clicking, dragging and dropping, swiping, voice control, gesture control, scrolling the mouse wheel, etc., or in other ways.

[0068] For example, referring to Figure 4, when at least one action option corresponding to the virtual character is implemented in the form of an action pop-up, the client responds to the user clicking on action option 42 in action pop-up 41 as shown in Figure 4, and determines action option 42 as the first action option; or, the client responds to the user dragging action option 42 in action pop-up 41 onto the virtual character 31 and releasing it, and determines action option 42 as the first action option.

[0069] For example, please refer to Figure 5, which illustrates a schematic diagram of another method for displaying action options provided in one embodiment of this application. When at least one action option corresponding to a virtual character is implemented in the form of an action pop-up, for example, in sub-figure (a), the display panel 51 displays eight action options. The client rotates the display panel 51 in response to the user swiping the screen of the terminal device clockwise or counterclockwise. After the display panel 51 stops rotating, the client identifies the action option pointed to by the pointer 52 as the first action option.

[0070] For example, in sub-diagram (b), display bar 53 shows six action options. The client responds to the user scrolling the mouse wheel up or down, or swiping the terminal device screen up or down, by sliding display bar 53. After display bar 53 pauses, the client identifies the action option pointed to by pointer 54 as the first action option.

[0071] The first action sequence consists of N consecutive action frames, meaning N action frames form a complete first action. Each dynamic frame in the first action sequence represents the state of the virtual character at a specific moment during the execution of the first action; for example, each action frame corresponds to the virtual character's pose at a particular moment. Each action frame is a static image used to display the virtual character's state at the corresponding moment in that action frame. The complete execution of the first action can be achieved by quickly switching between the aforementioned N action frames. N refers to the total number of action frames in the first action sequence. The action frames in the sequence can be arranged in chronological order, and the time interval between adjacent action frames can be set and adjusted according to actual usage requirements.

[0072] An action frame selection control is a control used to select an action frame from an action sequence of a first action. In some embodiments, the number of action frame selection controls can be single or multiple. For example, when there is only one action frame selection control, it can be used to receive a user's voice control command or gesture control command to select at least one action frame from N action frames of the first action. A single action frame selection control can also select at least one action frame from N action frames of the first action in other ways, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0073] For example, when there are multiple action frame selection controls, the action frame selection controls may include at least one of the following: previous frame control, next frame control, frame slider control, play and pause control, frame rate adjustment control, etc., and may also include other action frame controls, which are not limited in this embodiment. The previous frame control is used to quickly move to the previous action frame of the first action (i.e., the current action frame). The next frame control is used to quickly move to the next action frame of the first action (i.e., the current action frame). The frame slider control is used to navigate to the position of any one of the N action frames of the first action. The play and pause control is used to start or pause the playback of the action sequence of the first action from the current action frame. The current action frame refers to the action frame currently being executed by the first action. The frame rate adjustment control is used to adjust the speed of playing the N action frames of the first action. This embodiment illustrates the case where the number of action frame selection controls is a single control.

[0074] In some embodiments, the client controls the virtual character to perform the first frame action of the first action, where the first frame action refers to the action (i.e., pose) corresponding to the first action frame among N action frames. In response to the user adjusting the action frame selection control, the client adjusts and displays the actions corresponding to other action frames. Alternatively, the client controls the virtual character to perform the key frame action of the first action, where the key frame action refers to the action corresponding to the key action frame among N action frames. The key action frames are pre-configured.

[0075] The first frame action refers to the action presented by the first action frame in the action sequence of the first action, representing the initial state of the first action. The key action refers to the action presented by the action frame at a significant moment in the action sequence of the first action. Optionally, the key action frame can be an action frame marking an action moment, an action frame at a moment of action change, or an action frame at other moments; this application embodiment does not limit this. A marking action moment refers to the moment corresponding to the action frame that best represents the first action. A moment of action change refers to the moment when the action state changes significantly during the execution of the first action. For example, if the first action is a jump, the key action frame of the first action could be the action frame when the virtual character is at its highest point. Optionally, the number of key action frames for each action can be single or multiple, pre-configured by relevant technicians; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0076] During the selection of action frames, the virtual character will not execute the action of the next action frame immediately after performing the action of a single action frame. Therefore, the virtual character remains still after completing the first frame action or keyframe action of the first action.

[0077] For example, referring to Figures 4 and 6, after selecting the first action option in the user interface 30, the client controls the virtual character 31 to perform the first frame action of the first action in the user interface 30, and then controls the virtual character 31 to remain still.

[0078] This application embodiment controls the virtual character to perform only one action frame at a time when performing the first action, effectively avoiding the problem of the user missing the action frame that needs to be selected due to the automatic and continuous execution of multiple action frames in the first action.

[0079] In some embodiments, the action frame selection control includes a bar scale, which has M scales. The bar scale is an interface element that displays scales in bar-shaped elements, used to select at least one action frame within a series of action frames. Optionally, the elements constituting the bar scale include at least one of the following: a bar axis, scales, a slider, scale markers, auxiliary lines, etc., and may also include other elements, which are not limited in this embodiment. The bar axis refers to the main structure of the bar scale, representing the selectable range of action frames for the first action. For example, the bar axis represents the selectable range of the first action from the first to the Nth action frame. As another example, assuming the execution time of the first action is 15 seconds, the bar axis represents the selectable range of the first action from the 1st second to the 15th second of action frames. Scales are evenly distributed marks on the bar scale, each scale indicating a point on the bar scale. Optionally, the scale may also include major scales and minor scales. The primary scale marks are the main reference points on the bar scale, used to indicate prominent frame numbers or times. Secondary scale marks are the subdivisions between the primary scale marks, used to more precisely represent the selectable range of action frames for the first action. Slider marks are used to select or mark action frames on the bar scale. Scale labels indicate the frame number or time corresponding to each scale mark. Auxiliary lines are reference lines aligned with the scale marks, used to accurately identify the scale labels corresponding to each scale mark.

[0080] In some embodiments, the bar scale can be a straight bar scale, an arc bar scale, or other non-linear bar scales. This application does not limit the specific type of bar scale.

[0081] In some embodiments, the action frame selection control may further include a dial scale. The scale is arranged in a circular or arc shape on the dial to represent N action frames of the first action.

[0082] In some embodiments, M is less than or equal to N. Here, M refers to the total number of scales included in the bar scale. For example, if the first action includes 100 action frames N, the number of scales M is 20, meaning one scale corresponds to every 5 action frames. Optionally, when M is less than or equal to N, the value of M remains unchanged.

[0083] In some embodiments, when M equals N, the scale on the bar scale corresponds one-to-one with the action frame of the first action.

[0084] Optionally, when M is less than or equal to N, M remains unchanged; when M is greater than N, the client dynamically sets the value of M according to N. For example, if the first action includes 15 action frames N and the number of scales M on the bar scale is 20, then M can be adjusted to 15 so that each scale corresponds to one action frame.

[0085] Step 230: In response to the operation on the action frame selection control, the action frame corresponding to the target scale that is selected among the M scales is taken as the selected action frame, and the selected action frame is displayed.

[0086] In some embodiments, the client controls the virtual character to perform the target action of the first action, such as adjusting the virtual character's pose to the target pose in the first action, so as to display the selected action frame. The target action refers to the action corresponding to the selected action frame among N action frames, i.e., the target pose.

[0087] The target scale refers to the selected scale among M scales, such as the selected scale on a bar scale. The selected state is used to indicate that the target scale is selected. In some embodiments, the operation of the action frame selection control can be implemented in any of the following ways: click selection, keyboard selection, voice control, gesture control, operation of slider, operation of bar scale, scroll wheel selection, etc., and may also include other methods, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0088] For example, in response to a user clicking on a target scale on a bar scale, the client determines the action frame corresponding to the selected target scale as the selected action frame.

[0089] For example, in response to a user switching the selection scale using the arrow keys or other designated shortcut keys on the keyboard, the client correspondingly switches the selected action frame. Optionally, in response to a user switching the selection scale using the aforementioned previous frame control and next frame control, the client switches the selected action frame.

[0090] In this way, the bar scale intuitively displays the distribution and relative positions of multiple action frames, enabling visual selection of action frames and providing strong guidance for the selection. This helps users select action frames more quickly and accurately using the bar scale, effectively improving the efficiency of action frame selection and thus enhancing the user experience.

[0091] In some embodiments, the action frame selection control further includes a slider located on a bar scale; the client responds to a drag operation on the slider by adjusting the scale position of the slider on the bar scale; the scale position of the slider on the bar scale is determined as the target scale in the selected state; the action frame corresponding to the target scale is selected as the action frame, and the selected action frame is displayed.

[0092] The slider on the bar scale can move on the bar scale, and the range of movement of the slider on the bar scale is the selectable range of the action frame of the first action on the bar scale.

[0093] Optionally, as the slider moves, the client dynamically displays the action frame corresponding to the slider's position on the bar scale. In other words, the virtual character's action state (i.e., posture) changes as the slider moves.

[0094] In some embodiments, the slider's position on the scale of the bar ruler can be adjusted by any of the following methods: scrolling the mouse wheel, operating the control of the previous frame, operating the control of the next frame, operating the keyboard, etc. Other methods are also possible, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0095] For example, as shown in FIG6, the user interface 30 displays a strip-shaped ruler 61 and a slider 62 on the strip-shaped ruler 61. The user can press and hold the slider 62 to control the slider 62 to move on the ruler 61. During the movement of the slider 62, the action state of the virtual character 31 changes with the movement of the slider 62. For example, as shown in FIG7, when the slider 62 in FIG6 slides to the position of the slider 62 in FIG7, the action state (i.e., posture) of the virtual character 31 in FIG6 changes to the action state of the virtual character 31 in FIG7. When the slider 62 in FIG7 slides to the position of the slider 62 in FIG8, the action state of the virtual character 31 in FIG7 changes to the action state of the virtual character 31 in FIG8. Finally, when the slider 62 in FIG8 slides to the position of the slider 62 in FIG9, the action state of the virtual character 31 in FIG8 changes to the action state of the virtual character 31 in FIG9.

[0096] Based on the previous example, the user can also control the slider 62 to move on the bar-shaped scale 61 using the up and down keys on the keyboard. It should be noted that this keyboard is an input device connected to a terminal device, and the connection between the keyboard and the terminal device can be wired or wireless; this embodiment does not limit the connection in this application.

[0097] By dragging the slider on the bar scale as described above, the slider's position can be changed, allowing for precise and quick selection of the target scale from M scales. This helps users select the target scale more accurately, which in turn helps them determine the selected action frame more precisely, thus improving the user experience.

[0098] In some embodiments, the action frame selection control also includes a pointer located on a bar scale; in response to a drag operation on the bar scale, the client adjusts the pointer to point to a scale on the bar scale; the scale pointed to by the pointer on the bar scale is determined as the target scale in the selected state; the action frame corresponding to the target scale is used as the selected action frame, and the selected action frame is displayed.

[0099] For example, as shown in FIG10, a schematic diagram of a strip scale provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. A pointer 100 is displayed on the strip scale 61. In response to the user dragging the strip scale 61, the client adjusts the scale pointed to by the pointer 100 and determines the scale pointed to by the pointer 100 as the target scale. The action frame corresponding to the target scale is the selected action frame.

[0100] In some embodiments, the client displays N action frames of a first action; in response to an operation on the action frame selection control, the selected action frame is displayed. Optionally, the N action frames of the first action can be displayed in any of the following ways: list, grid, timeline, etc., and other methods can also be used to display the N action frames of the first action; this application embodiment does not limit this. That is, the client displays all action frames corresponding to the first action, and in response to the user selecting an action frame through the action frame selection control, the selected action frame is highlighted.

[0101] For example, when displaying N action frames of the first action in a list format, the client displays the N action frames of the first action and their respective frame information on the list according to the execution order of the first action. The frame information of an action frame refers to information related to that action frame, which may include at least one of the following: frame number, thumbnail, duration, whether it is a key action frame, etc., and may also include other information, which is not limited in this embodiment. The frame number is the action frame number, which can be used to indicate the position of the action frame in the action sequence of the first action.

[0102] For example, when N action frames of the first action are displayed in the form of a grid, the client displays the N action frames of the first action on a two-dimensional grid in the order of execution of the first action.

[0103] For example, when displaying N action frames of a first action in the form of a timeline, the client displays the N action frames of the first action on the timeline according to the execution order of the first action. Optionally, the N action frames of the first action are displayed in an overlapping manner on the timeline, and the selected action frame is displayed through an action frame selection control.

[0104] Step 240: In response to the operation on the selected action frame, generate UGC based on the selected action frame.

[0105] User-generated content (UGC) refers to content created and shared by users on the internet, which can include one or more of the following: text, images, videos, audio, etc. UGC can be published and shared through internet channels such as social media, blogs, forums, and video sharing platforms. In this embodiment, the target application (game application) provides the necessary mechanisms and corresponding UGC editing capabilities. For example, the game application provides built-in tools, editors, or module systems to allow users to create and share UGC within the game.

[0106] In some embodiments, the number of selected action frames can be single or multiple. Optionally, the client generates UGC in a corresponding form based on the number of selected action frames.

[0107] (1) When the number of selected action frames is 1, generate UGC in the form of images based on the selected action frames.

[0108] In some embodiments, the client generates UGC in the form of images based on the selected action frame, either by taking a screenshot or by rendering.

[0109] For example, UGC in image form can be any of the following: a full-body image of a virtual character, a close-up image of a virtual character's face, a partial close-up image of a virtual character, a background environment image, etc., and may also include other types of images; this application embodiment does not limit this. A full-body image of a virtual character refers to an image whose main content is showing the complete body and posture of the virtual character. A close-up image of a virtual character's face refers to an image whose main content is the face of the virtual character. A partial close-up image of a virtual character refers to an image whose main content is a certain part of the virtual character. This certain part can be any of the following: hands, feet, accessories, armor, etc., and may also be other parts; this application embodiment does not limit this. A background environment image is an image containing the virtual character and whose main content is the virtual environment.

[0110] In some embodiments, the client generates corresponding UGC in image form based on the type of the first action and the selected action frame.

[0111] For example, in the case where the type to which the first action belongs is a basic action, UGC in the form of an image can be a full-body display image of a virtual character.

[0112] For example, when the type of the first action is an facial expression, the UGC in the form of an image can be a close-up image of the virtual character's face or a full-body image of the virtual character.

[0113] For example, if the type of the first action is an environmental action, the UGC in the form of an image can be a background environmental image.

[0114] (2) If the number of selected action frames is greater than 1, generate UGC in the form of animation or video based on the selected action frames.

[0115] In some embodiments, the client generates at least two motion images based on the selected motion frames; and converts the at least two motion images into UGC in the form of animation or video. Optionally, the method of generating motion images based on the selected motion frames is similar to the method of generating UGC in the form of images based on the selected motion frames in case (1), and will not be repeated here. For example, each selected motion frame corresponds to the generation of one motion image, i.e., the UGC in the form of images mentioned above.

[0116] In some embodiments, the selected action frames may include at least two consecutive action frames or at least two non-consecutive action frames.

[0117] For example, UGC in the form of animated GIFs (such as game footage) is used to display a portion of the first action within a short period of time.

[0118] For example, UGC in the form of video (such as game footage) is used to use video to show a portion of the first action over a period of time.

[0119] In some embodiments, the client displays an action frame display panel to show the selected action frames; and generates UGC in the form of animation or video based on the order in which the selected action frames are selected; or, generates UGC in the form of animation or video based on the execution order of the selected action frames in the first action.

[0120] Using the above method, corresponding UGC formats can be generated based on the selected action frames, helping users generate UGC through simple operations and reducing the complexity of creating and sharing UGC. Furthermore, the format of the UGC is automatically adjusted according to the number of selected action frames, which improves the flexibility of UGC generation and the richness of generated styles.

[0121] In some embodiments, a recording control is also displayed in the user interface, which is used to determine the selected action frame; the client generates UGC based on the selected action frame in response to an operation on the recording control; the generated UGC is displayed in the user interface.

[0122] For example, in response to a user clicking the recording control 80 in Figure 8, the client generates UGC based on the selected action frame and displays the generated UGC in the form of an image in the user interface 30 in Figure 11.

[0123] In some embodiments, the client displays the generated UGC in the form of a pop-up window in the user interface. Optionally, the client may also display at least one of the following in the user interface: save to album control, save to local control, share control, edit control, character information option, game icon option, etc., and may also include other controls, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0124] The "Save to Album" control saves the generated UGC to the photo album of the terminal device. The "Save to Local" control saves the generated UGC as a file to a specified location in the local storage of the terminal device. The "Share" control sends the generated UGC to other social media platforms. The "Edit" control allows for further editing of the generated UGC. Optionally, editing operations may include at least one of the following: rotation, cropping, adjusting brightness, adjusting contrast, adding text, adding stickers, adding emoticons, adding filters, blurring the background, etc., and may also include other editing operations, which are not limited in this embodiment. The "Character Information" option displays or hides relevant information about the virtual character. Optionally, the relevant information about the virtual character may include at least one of the following: the virtual character's name, the virtual character's icon, the virtual character's combat power rating, the virtual character's equipment information, etc., and may also include other information, which are not limited in this embodiment. The "Game Icon" option displays or hides an icon indicating the game.

[0125] For example, please refer to Figure 11, which shows a schematic diagram of displaying user-generated content according to an embodiment of this application. The user interface 30 in Figure 11 displays a display pop-up window 110, an editing control 111, a save to album control 112, a save to local control 113, a share control 114, a character information option 115, and a game icon option 116. The display pop-up window 110 displays UGC in image form generated based on the selected action frame in Figure 8. Users can further enhance the generated UGC by clicking the editing control 111. Users can save the generated image-based UGC to the photo album of the terminal device by clicking the save to album control 112. Users can save the generated image-based UGC to a specified location in the local storage of the terminal device by clicking the save to local control 113. Users can share the generated image-based UGC to a specified social platform by clicking the share control 114. Users can show or hide the character information 117 of the virtual character by clicking the character information option 115. Users can show or hide the game icon 118 by clicking the game icon option 116.

[0126] Optionally, the aforementioned terminal device is the terminal device of the client currently running the target application.

[0127] In summary, the technical solution provided in this application, after selecting a first action for a virtual character, displays an action frame selection control with multiple scales. Each scale is used to trigger the selection of an action frame corresponding to the first action. This allows the user to select a target scale through the action frame selection control, enabling precise and rapid selection of the action frame used to generate user-generated content from the multiple action frames corresponding to the first action, without having to pause the action to select an action frame. This simplifies the action frame selection process, thereby improving the convenience and efficiency of action frame selection, and ultimately improving the generation efficiency of user-generated content.

[0128] The following section describes other functions in the process of selecting an action frame.

[0129] In some embodiments, for at least one preset scale among M scales, the client displays indication information of the action frame corresponding to the preset scale, the indication information including at least one of the following: thumbnail, action description.

[0130] The preset scale refers to the scale corresponding to the key moments in the first action. For example, the preset scale can be the scale corresponding to the aforementioned key action frames.

[0131] In some embodiments, key moments may include at least one of the following: the first frame moment, the moment of action change, the end moment, the moment of landmark action, the moment of emotional peak, the moment of visual impact, etc., and may also include other key moments, which are not limited in this embodiment. The first frame moment refers to the moment corresponding to the first action frame in the first action. The moment of action change is the moment when the action state undergoes a significant change or transition during the execution of the first action. The end moment refers to the moment corresponding to the last action frame in the first action. The moment of landmark action is the moment that best represents the first action. The moment of emotional peak is the moment when the virtual character's emotional expression is the strongest. The moment of visual impact is the moment when the visual effect is the most expressive during the execution of the first action. In some embodiments, the key moments of each action are pre-configured by those skilled in the art, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0132] The indication information of an action frame refers to information related to that action frame. A thumbnail is a simplified preview of the action frame. An action description is descriptive text describing the action state or function of the action frame. For example, in the case where the first action is a jump, at least one preset scale includes a preset scale corresponding to the action frame at its highest point, and the action description for that preset scale could be "about to fall." In some embodiments, the indication information of an action frame may also include at least one of the following: frame number, effects information, action stage, etc., and may also include other information; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0133] In some embodiments, the client displays key markers at the respective positions of at least one preset scale mark on the bar-shaped scale; in response to an operation on the first key marker among the at least one key markers, indication information of the action frame corresponding to the first key marker is displayed. Optionally, the key markers can be implemented in at least one of the following ways: solid dots, hollow dots, arrows, vertical lines, asterisks, colors, highlights, etc., and other methods can also be used, which are not limited in this embodiment. Optionally, the operation on the first key marker can be implemented in any of the following ways: pressing the first key marker, clicking the first key marker, hovering the cursor (such as the cursor corresponding to a mouse) over the first key marker, etc.

[0134] This application embodiment sets at least one preset scale for the first action on a strip scale, which helps users quickly locate key moments without having to view each frame, effectively improving operational efficiency, namely the efficiency of selecting the target scale.

[0135] In some embodiments, when the action frame selection control (such as a bar ruler) includes M scales, the interval between action frames corresponding to two adjacent scales is N / M; in response to an adjustment operation on the action frame selection control (such as a bar ruler), the number of scales included in the action frame selection control is adjusted from M to P, and the adjusted action frame selection control (such as a bar ruler) is displayed, where P is an integer greater than 1; wherein, when the adjusted action frame selection control includes P scales, the interval between action frames corresponding to two adjacent scales is N / P. Here, " / " represents a division sign.

[0136] Optionally, the number of scales included in the action frame selection control refers to the number of scales displayed on the bar scale. In some embodiments, the interval between action frames corresponding to two adjacent scales is the value obtained by rounding up N / M or N / P. The unit of N / M and N / P is action frames, that is, N / M refers to an interval of N / M action frames, and xN / P refers to an interval of N / P action frames.

[0137] For example, taking an action frame selection control that includes a bar scale as an example, if the first action includes 100 action frames, the original bar scale includes 20 scales, that is, one scale corresponds to every 5 action frames. If the user has a need for more precise action frame selection, the user can adjust the bar scale to include 50 scales, with one scale corresponding to every 2 action frames.

[0138] In some embodiments, the number of scales of the action frame selection control can be adjusted in any of the following ways: operating the mouse wheel, inputting the value of P, operating the keyboard, scaling the bar scale, etc. Other methods may also be included, which are not limited in this application embodiment.

[0139] For example, in response to the user scrolling the mouse wheel up or pressing the arrow keys on the keyboard, the client increases or decreases the number of ticks on the action frame selection control.

[0140] For example, a user can input the adjusted number of tick marks for the action frame selection control via an input control in the user interface.

[0141] For example, a user can reduce the number of scales on the bar scale by pinching the action frame selection control on the screen of the terminal device; or, a user can increase the number of scales on the bar scale by zooming in on the screen of the terminal device.

[0142] This application embodiment supports adjusting the number of scales on the action frame selection control to adjust the interval between selectable action frames, allowing users to adjust the precision of the action frame selection control (such as a bar scale) according to their own needs. This helps to improve the flexibility of selecting action frames through the action frame selection control.

[0143] In some embodiments, in response to an operation of selecting a first action option, the client displays selections of at least two decomposed actions included in the first action, each decomposed action being a partial action included in the first action; in response to an operation of selecting a first decomposed action among the at least two decomposed actions, the client performs a step of displaying an action frame selection control, wherein each scale of the action frame selection control (such as a bar ruler) corresponds to an action frame in the first decomposed action.

[0144] A decomposed action refers to a sub-action of a first action, and is a part of the complete action process of the first action. Optionally, each action is implemented as a pose sequence, which is a sequence of multiple consecutive poses. A decomposed action (i.e., a part of the first action) can be implemented as at least one consecutive pose in the pose sequence. The first action can also be implemented as multiple consecutive sub-actions, and each sub-action can be implemented as multiple poses, that is, each sub-action can correspond to multiple action frames. The number of action frames corresponding to each sub-action can be different.

[0145] In some embodiments, the decomposed action can be a complete sub-action or an incomplete sub-action. For example, when the decomposed action is an incomplete sub-action, the first action can be divided into at least two decomposed actions of equal length by equal division. For instance, assuming the length of the first action is 30 seconds, it can be divided into three decomposed actions, each with a length of 10 seconds. In some embodiments, when the decomposed action is a complete sub-action, the length of each decomposed action is not necessarily equal. For example, if the first action is a jump, the decomposed actions of the first action may include: taking off, airborne, and landing. For example, if the first action is a sword swing, the decomposed actions of the first action may include: a charging sub-action, a swinging sub-action, and a sheathing sub-action.

[0146] In some embodiments, the client displays indication information for at least two decomposed actions included in the first action. This indication information may include at least one of the following: thumbnails and action descriptions. The thumbnail of each decomposed action is an action frame marking the moment of that action. The action description refers to descriptive text specific to that decomposed action.

[0147] Optionally, the first decomposition action can be any one of the at least two decomposition actions included in the first action.

[0148] In the case of a long first action, this application embodiment breaks down the action into multiple decomposed actions for the user to view and select. This allows the user to intuitively understand the structure of the complex action and reduces the number of action frames that need to be viewed, thereby helping the user to quickly locate and view the corresponding action frame.

[0149] In some embodiments, the client displays a frame-by-frame action playback option, which controls whether to play action frames in a frame-by-frame manner; when the frame-by-frame action playback option is selected, in response to the operation of selecting a first action option from at least one action option, the client executes the steps of controlling the virtual character to perform a first action and displaying an action frame selection control.

[0150] Frame-by-frame playback refers to the process where, after playing one frame, the next frame is not played immediately. When the frame-by-frame playback option is selected, frame-by-frame playback is enabled, and the client will not play the next frame immediately after playing one frame.

[0151] Optionally, when the card pin action playback option is not selected, in response to the operation of selecting the first action option among at least one action option, the virtual character is controlled to continuously perform the first action and continuously play N action frames of the first action; during the playback of the N action frames of the first action, in response to the operation on the recording control, the currently playing action frame is determined as the selected action frame; UGC is generated based on the selected action frame.

[0152] This application embodiment allows users to flexibly control the playback method of virtual character actions by setting frame-by-frame motion playback options, thereby meeting the operational needs of different scenarios.

[0153] In some embodiments, after determining the selected action frame, the client responds to the operation on the action adjustment control by switching the selected action frame to an editable state; in the editable state, in response to the adjustment operation on the virtual character, the virtual character displayed in the selected action frame is adjusted to obtain the adjusted action frame; wherein, UGC is generated based on the adjusted action frame.

[0154] The motion adjustment control is used to trigger adjustments to the virtual character in the selected motion frame. An editable motion frame means the user can adjust the virtual character within that frame. A non-editable motion frame means the user cannot adjust the virtual character within that frame.

[0155] For example, in editable mode, the client displays at least one adjustment point of the virtual character, each adjustment point corresponding to a key part of the virtual character; in response to an adjustment operation on the first adjustment point of the at least one adjustment point, an adjusted action frame is obtained. Optionally, the key part may be a joint. For example, at least one adjustment point corresponds to at least one of the following: shoulder joint, elbow joint, knee joint, wrist, ankle, finger joint, etc., and may also include other joints, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0156] In some embodiments, the adjustment operation may include at least one of the following: drag adjustment, rotation adjustment, and may also include other adjustment operations, which are not limited in this application embodiment. In some embodiments, each adjustment point corresponds to a preset adjustment range, and the preset adjustment range of the adjustment point is used to limit the adjustment range of the adjustment point. By limiting the adjustment range of the adjustment point, it can be ensured that the action corresponding to the adjusted action frame is not distorted.

[0157] This application provides motion adjustment controls, allowing users to adjust the virtual character in the motion frame so that the adjusted motion frame better meets the user's needs, thereby improving the user experience.

[0158] The following describes how to take photos with other virtual characters.

[0159] User-controlled virtual characters can take group photos with other virtual characters in the same virtual scene. In this embodiment, the user-controlled virtual character is referred to as the first virtual character, and the other virtual characters are referred to as the second virtual characters. Optionally, the second virtual character can be a virtual character controlled by another user or a virtual character controlled by a machine; this embodiment does not limit this. Optionally, the number of second virtual characters can be single or multiple; this embodiment does not limit this.

[0160] In some embodiments, when the first virtual character and the second virtual character are in the same virtual scene, and the second virtual character is controlled by another user, the steps of controlling the first virtual character to perform a first action and displaying an action frame selection control are performed in response to selecting a first action option from at least one action option; the selected first action frame and the second action frame of the second action selected by the other user are displayed, where the second action is the action selected by the other user; and UGC is generated based on the first action frame and the second action frame. The first action frame can be any action frame corresponding to the first action, and the second action frame can be any action frame corresponding to the second action.

[0161] In other words, different users can each select action frames for their own controlled virtual characters. After all users participating in the group photo have completed their action frame selections, the client generates UGC, i.e., the group photo, based on the action frames selected by each user. Optionally, the action frames for each virtual character participating in the group photo can also be uniformly selected by the target user. The target user can be at least one of the following: the initiator of the group photo, the team leader, or any user participating in the group photo.

[0162] In some embodiments, when the first virtual character and the second virtual character are not in the same virtual scene, and the second virtual character is controlled by another user, the client, in response to an operation on the invitation control corresponding to the second virtual character, displays the first virtual character and the second virtual character in the first virtual scene where the first virtual character is located; performs the steps of controlling the first virtual character to perform a first action in response to selecting a first action option from at least one action option, and displaying an action frame selection control; displays the selected first action frame and the second action frame of the second action selected by another user, wherein the second action is the action selected by the other user; and generates UGC based on the first action frame and the second action frame.

[0163] In some embodiments, after the second virtual character receives the invitation from the first virtual character, the virtual scene in which the second virtual character is located remains unchanged, and the client simultaneously displays the first virtual character and the second virtual character in the first virtual scene in the client corresponding to the first virtual character and the client corresponding to the second virtual character.

[0164] In other words, before and after the second virtual character receives the invitation from the first virtual character, the virtual scene in which the second virtual character is located remains unchanged. The client does not move the second virtual character to the first virtual scene where the first virtual character is located. Only the first and second virtual characters in the first virtual scene are displayed in the user interface used for taking a group photo. This method eliminates the need to move the virtual characters participating in the group photo to the same virtual scene, allowing different virtual characters that cannot be in the same virtual scene to take a group photo. This effectively avoids technical complexity and performance burden, enhances the user's social experience, and provides more flexible virtual character interaction and group photo functions.

[0165] This application embodiment supports multiple virtual characters posing together to generate interesting group photos, which can greatly enhance the fun and richness of in-game photo-taking gameplay.

[0166] The following are embodiments of the apparatus described in this application, which can be used to execute the embodiments of the method described in this application. For details not disclosed in the apparatus embodiments of this application, please refer to the embodiments of the method described in this application.

[0167] Please refer to Figure 12, which shows a block diagram of a content generation apparatus provided in one embodiment of this application. This apparatus has the functions described above, which can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The apparatus can be the terminal device 10 described above, or it can be disposed within the terminal device 10. As shown in Figure 12, the apparatus 1200 may include a first display module 1210, a first selection module 1220, a second display module 1230, and a first generation module 1240.

[0168] The first display module 1210 is used to display a virtual character and at least one action option corresponding to the virtual character, each action option corresponding to an action.

[0169] The first selection module 1220 is configured to, in response to the operation of selecting a first action option from the at least one action option, control the virtual character to perform a first action and display an action frame selection control, wherein the first action is the action corresponding to the first action option, and the action frame selection control includes M scales, each scale corresponding to one of N action frames, wherein the N action frames are generated during the virtual character's execution of the first action, and M and N are both integers greater than 1.

[0170] The second display module 1230 is used to respond to the operation of the action frame selection control, to select the action frame corresponding to the target scale that is in the selected state among the M scales as the selected action frame, and to display the selected action frame.

[0171] The first generation module 1240 is configured to generate UGC based on the selected action frame in response to an operation on the selected action frame.

[0172] In some embodiments, the action frame selection control includes a bar scale and a slider located on the bar scale, the bar scale including the M scales; the second display module 1230 is configured to, in response to a drag operation on the slider, adjust the scale position of the slider on the bar scale; determine the scale position of the slider on the bar scale as the target scale in the selected state; designate the action frame corresponding to the target scale as the selected action frame; and display the selected action frame.

[0173] In some embodiments, the second display module 1230 is further configured to display indication information of an action frame corresponding to at least one of the M scales, wherein the indication information includes at least one of the following: thumbnail, action description.

[0174] In some embodiments, the second display module 1230 is further configured to, in response to the operation of selecting the first action option, display selection options for at least two decomposed actions included in the first action, each decomposed action being a partial action included in the first action; and to, in response to the operation of selecting an option for the first decomposed action among the at least two decomposed actions, execute the step of displaying the action frame selection control, wherein each scale included in the action frame selection control corresponds to an action frame in the first decomposed action.

[0175] In some embodiments, when the action frame selection control includes the M scales, the interval between action frames corresponding to two adjacent scales is N / M; the device 1200 further includes a first adjustment module (not shown in FIG12), configured to adjust the number of scales included in the action frame selection control from M to P in response to an adjustment operation on the action frame selection control, and display the adjusted action frame selection control, where P is an integer greater than 1; wherein, when the adjusted action frame selection control includes P scales, the interval between action frames corresponding to two adjacent scales is N / P.

[0176] In some embodiments, the first selection module 1220 is used to control the virtual character to perform the first frame action of the first action, wherein the first frame action refers to the action corresponding to the first action frame among the N action frames; or, to control the virtual character to perform the key frame action of the first action, wherein the key frame action refers to the action corresponding to the key action frame among the N action frames, and the key action frame is pre-configured.

[0177] In some embodiments, the device 1200 further includes an action frame-playing module (not shown in FIG12) for displaying frame-playing action playback options, which are used to control whether to play action frames in a frame-playing manner; when the frame-playing action playback option is selected, in response to the operation of selecting the first action option among the at least one action option, the steps of controlling the virtual character to perform the first action and displaying the action frame selection control are performed.

[0178] In some embodiments, the first generation module 1240 is configured to generate UGC in the form of an image based on the selected action frames when the number of selected action frames is 1; or, when the number of selected action frames is greater than 1, generate UGC in the form of an animation or video based on the selected action frames.

[0179] In some embodiments, the device 1200 further includes a second adjustment module (not shown in FIG12) for switching the selected action frame to an editable state in response to an operation on the action adjustment control; in the editable state, in response to an adjustment operation on the virtual character, adjusting the virtual character displayed in the selected action frame to obtain an adjusted action frame; wherein the UGC is generated based on the adjusted action frame.

[0180] In summary, the method provided in this application, after selecting a first action for a virtual character, displays an action frame selection control with multiple scales. Each scale is used to trigger the selection of an action frame corresponding to the first action. This allows the user to select a target scale through the action frame selection control, enabling precise and rapid selection of the action frame used to generate user-generated content from the multiple action frames corresponding to the first action, without having to pause the action to select an action frame. This simplifies the action frame selection process, thereby improving the convenience and efficiency of action frame selection, and ultimately improving the generation efficiency of user-generated content.

[0181] It should be noted that the apparatus provided in the above embodiments is only illustrated by the division of the above functional modules when implementing its functions. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. In addition, the apparatus and method embodiments provided in the above embodiments belong to the same concept, and the specific implementation process can be found in the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0182] Please refer to Figure 13, which shows a structural block diagram of a terminal device 1300 provided in one embodiment of this application. The terminal device 1300 may be the terminal device 10 in the implementation environment shown in Figure 1, used to implement the content generation method provided in the above embodiments. Specifically:

[0183] Typically, terminal device 1300 includes a processor 1310 and a memory 1320.

[0184] Processor 1310 may include one or more processing cores, such as a quad-core processor, an octa-core processor, etc. Processor 1310 may be implemented using at least one hardware form selected from Digital Signal Processing (DSP), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and Programmable Logic Array (PLA). Processor 1310 may also include a main processor and a coprocessor. The main processor, also known as the Central Processing Unit (CPU), is used to process data in the wake-up state; the coprocessor is a low-power processor used to process data in the standby state. In some embodiments, processor 1310 may integrate a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), which is responsible for rendering and drawing the content to be displayed on the screen. In some embodiments, processor 1310 may also include an AI (Artificial Intelligence) processor, which is used to handle computational operations related to machine learning.

[0185] The memory 1320 may include one or more computer-readable storage media, which may be non-transitory. The memory 1320 may also include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices or flash memory devices. In some embodiments, the non-transitory computer-readable storage media in the memory 1320 are used to store a computer program configured to be executed by one or more processors to implement a content generation method.

[0186] In some embodiments, the terminal device 1300 may also optionally include a peripheral device interface 1330 and at least one peripheral device. The processor 1310, memory 1320, and peripheral device interface 1330 can be connected via a bus or signal line. Each peripheral device can be connected to the peripheral device interface 1330 via a bus, signal line, or circuit board. Specifically, the peripheral device includes at least one of a radio frequency circuit 1340, a display screen 1350, an audio circuit 1360, and a power supply 1370.

[0187] Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure shown in FIG13 does not constitute a limitation on the terminal device 1300, and may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or use different component arrangements.

[0188] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, wherein a computer program is stored in the storage medium, and the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described content generation method. Optionally, the computer-readable storage medium may include: read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), solid-state drives (SSDs), or optical discs, etc. The random access memory may include resistive random access memory (ReRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

[0189] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is also provided, the computer program product including a computer program stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer program from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer program, causing the computer device to perform the above-described content generation method.

[0190] It should be noted that the collection and processing of relevant data (such as role information) in this application should strictly comply with the requirements of relevant national laws and regulations, obtain the informed consent or separate consent of the personal information subject, and carry out subsequent data use and processing within the scope of laws and regulations and the authorization of the personal information subject.

[0191] It should be understood that "multiple" as used herein refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. Furthermore, the step numbers described herein are merely illustrative of one possible execution order. In some other embodiments, the steps may not be executed in numerical order, such as two steps with different numbers being executed simultaneously, or two steps with different numbers being executed in the reverse order of the illustration. This application does not limit this.

[0192] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A content generation method, the method being performed by a computer device, the method comprising: displaying a virtual character and at least one action option corresponding to the virtual character, each action option corresponding to an action; in response to an operation of selecting a first action option from the at least one action option, controlling the virtual character to perform a first action, and displaying an action frame selection control, the first action being an action corresponding to the first action option, the action frame selection control comprising M scales, each scale corresponding to an action frame from N action frames, the N action frames being generated in a process of the virtual character performing the first action, M and N each being an integer greater than 1; in response to an operation on the action frame selection control, determining an action frame corresponding to a target scale in a selected state from the M scales as a selected action frame, and displaying the selected action frame; in response to an operation on the selected action frame, generating a user generated content (UGC) based on the selected action frame.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The action frame selection control comprises a bar scale and a slider on the bar scale, the bar scale comprising the M scales; The response to the operation on the action frame selection control, determining the action frame corresponding to the target scale in the selected state from the M scales as the selected action frame, and displaying the selected action frame, comprises: in response to a drag operation on the slider, adjusting a scale on which the slider is located on the bar scale; determining the scale on which the slider is located on the bar scale as the target scale in the selected state; determining the action frame corresponding to the target scale as the selected action frame, and displaying the selected action frame.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The method further comprises: for at least one preset scale from the M scales, displaying indication information of an action frame corresponding to the preset scale, the indication information comprising at least one of the following: a thumbnail, an action description.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The method further comprises: in response to the operation of selecting the first action option, displaying selection options of at least two decomposed actions included in the first action, each decomposed action being a partial action included in the first action; in response to an operation on a selection option of a first decomposed action from the at least two decomposed actions, performing the step of displaying the action frame selection control, wherein each scale included in the action frame selection control corresponds to an action frame in the first decomposed action.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, In the case where the action frame selection control comprises the M scales, an interval between action frames corresponding to two adjacent scales is N / M; The method further comprises: in response to an adjustment operation on the action frame selection control, adjusting a number of scales included in the action frame selection control from M to P, displaying an adjusted action frame selection control, P being an integer greater than 1; wherein, in the case where the adjusted action frame selection control comprises P scales, an interval between action frames corresponding to two adjacent scales is N / P.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The controlling the virtual character to perform the first action comprises: control the virtual character to perform a first action of the first action, the first action being an action corresponding to a first action frame in the N action frames; Or, control the virtual character to perform a key frame action of the first action, the key frame action being an action corresponding to a key action frame in the N action frames, the key action frame being preconfigured.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The method further comprises: displaying a card frame action playing option, the card frame action playing option being used to control whether to play an action frame by card frame; In a case where the card frame action playing option is in a selected state, in response to an operation of selecting the first action option in the at least one action option, performing the control of the virtual character to perform the first action, and displaying an action frame selection control.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The generating of the UGC based on the selected action frame comprises: In a case where the number of the selected action frames is 1, generating a picture form of UGC based on the selected action frame; Or, In a case where the number of the selected action frames is greater than 1, generating an animation or a video form of UGC based on the selected action frames.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, After displaying the selected action frame, further comprising: In response to an operation on an action adjustment control, switching the selected action frame to an editable state; In the editable state, in response to an adjustment operation on the virtual character, adjusting the virtual character displayed in the selected action frame to obtain an adjusted action frame; Wherein, the UGC is generated based on the adjusted action frame.

10. A content generation apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a first display module configured to display a virtual character and at least one action option corresponding to the virtual character, each action option corresponding to an action; a first selection module configured to, in response to an operation of selecting a first action option in the at least one action option, control the virtual character to perform a first action and display an action frame selection control, the first action being an action corresponding to the first action option, the action frame selection control comprising M scales, each scale corresponding to an action frame in N action frames, the N action frames being generated in a process in which the virtual character performs the first action, M and N each being an integer greater than 1; a second display module configured to, in response to an operation on the action frame selection control, take an action frame corresponding to a target scale in the M scales in a selected state as a selected action frame, and display the selected action frame; a first generation module configured to, in response to an operation on the selected action frame, generate a user generated content (UGC) based on the selected action frame.

11. A computer device comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, the computer program being loaded and executed by the processor to implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. A computer readable storage medium having stored therein a computer program for execution by a processor to implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 9.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer program loaded and executed by a processor to implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 9.

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