Hierarchical NavMesh Path Computation for Game Scenes
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Solution Overview
Problem
As game scenes become larger, the NavMesh grows, consuming significant memory and increasing computation, leading to delayed path-finding and unsatisfactory user experiences due to resource overconsumption.
Innovation Solution
The method involves dividing the game scene into first areas, then into convex polygons, and combining adjacent polygons into second areas to compute a path, allowing for a coarse-grained NavMesh to be loaded first, followed by a fine-grained NavMesh traversal for accurate paths, reducing memory and computation demands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the NavMesh is loaded completely into memory for path-finding, then path-finding accuracy is improved, but memory consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the game scene into multiple first areas, and each first area is divided into multiple convex polygons (second areas). This segmentation allows the system to process only the necessary portions of the NavMesh rather than loading the entire structure into memory, thereby reducing memory consumption while maintaining path-finding accuracy for the relevant regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical structure with two levels: first areas (coarse-grained) and convex polygons within them (fine-grained). This dimensional organization allows the system to navigate at the first area level using less memory, then drill down to convex polygon level only when necessary, effectively managing memory resources across different scales of detail.
2Area of stationary object
If the NavMesh grows larger to cover bigger game scenes, then path-finding coverage is improved, but computation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the large game scene into multiple first areas and further into convex polygons, the system can perform path-finding operations on smaller, manageable subsets rather than processing the entire large NavMesh at once. This reduces computation time while maintaining coverage of the entire game scene through hierarchical navigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-divides the game scene into first areas and convex polygons during scene loading, organizing the spatial data structure in advance. This preliminary action enables efficient query operations during runtime, as the path-finding algorithm can quickly navigate the pre-organized hierarchical structure without performing complex computations on the raw scene data.
3Reliability
If more nodes are traversed in the NavMesh, then path-finding completeness is improved, but computing efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hierarchical segmentation into first areas and convex polygons allows the path-finding algorithm to first identify relevant first areas (reducing the search space significantly), then traverse only the necessary convex polygons within those areas. This ensures path-finding completeness within the relevant regions while dramatically improving computing efficiency by avoiding traversal of unrelated nodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different levels of detail and processing intensity to different regions of the NavMesh. High-detail convex polygon traversal is applied only to first areas that are relevant to the current path-finding query, while other regions are handled at the coarser first area level or not processed at all, optimizing the balance between completeness and efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and device for computing a path in a game scene according to embodiments of the present disclosure, comprising: dividing the game scene into a plurality of first areas; dividing each of the first areas into a plurality of convex polygons, based on features of the game scene; combining adjacent convex polygons into a plurality of second areas; computing a first path from a first point to a second point, said first path passing through a group of second areas of said plurality of second areas; and computing, based on the first path, a second path from the first point to the second point, said second path passing through a group of convex polygons of said group of second areas.