Shadow casting explanation for non-programmers

[vann7]

does hard-edged softshadows sounds better?

yes doom3 is mainly RT hardshadows, but the point is you get softer ones with more than one light. but here is an screenshot of a engine with soft-soft shadows..

http://www.egerter.com/prx/gallery/softshadow5.jpg

is still in development , the developers says ,it will have more advanced shadows of any modern game including D3 ,which looks to be the case.. the only missing thing i observe is the lack of interaction of lights in the character.. (looks like no bumps/no speculars) the body cast shadow on it self (the way it should be) but the skin and clothes...etc.. doesnt interact with lights . look illuminated artificially.(a bit washeout) but still looks very promising the engine. maybe they are still working on it.

here is their site.. engine features..
http://www.egerter.com/prx/main.htm


here is another one advance light/shadowing engine..
soft +hard shadows.. but notice here the character good interaction with speculars ,shadows AND lights.

http://rainbow.cs.unipi.gr/~harkal/...ne&file=displayimage&album=random&cat=&pos=-4

features.. http://rainbow.cs.unipi.gr/~harkal/...ame=FAQ&myfaq=yes&id_cat=1&categories=General

and here you can get more info ,a site with TONS of info of 3dengines ,that is updated frequently with incoming engines,with diferent shadow techniques. and more..

http://www.3dengines.net/feat/?f=28

there are diferent cathegories of engines.. Lightmap / Per pixel/dynamic
...etc . but also other like ..Physics/pixelshaders..pretty good reading BTW...hope everyone find there interesting info , but i think this deserve a complete new disscusion.

 

[mrchimp]

yeah 3dengines.net is quite interesting and has alot of nice links.

 

[vann7]

a side note.. an important info to keep in mind for the non-programmers ,is that almost all games up to day and many incoming games ,LIghts and shadows works indepently of each other. it is possible to have characters with dynamic shadows without any real source of light (static lightmaps) and even it is possible to have "dynamic" statics light. :dozey: and also to have "lights" without shadows . "reflective" surfaces without lights :cheese: and lights without reflections in surfaces, "real" static raytracing lights every trick ,workaround or hack is possible in programming ,your imagination is your only limit.

is usefull to know this when reading the link above

http://www.3dengines.net/

because you will see many times in engines specs "features" like ,shiny water and surfaces,"Realistic" enviroments, "advanced" skeletal animations "dynamics SHadows" ,speculars ,Bumps, and many other effects that in many cases are done with similar workarounds like the ones above. what we can learn here is to never call an engine less advanced or more advanced just because of the list of "features". remember that all game developers need to sell their engine ,so its more atractive ,when yous have a big list of engine specs.so look more at the quality of the graphics of a game engine ,than the quantity of features.but also important how they achieve those "features". game features can be as "advanced" as the skills/available time/or hardware they have to target.This doesn mean that developers are good or evil ,they just do what they can with the knowledge ,timeframe or hardware technology they have in hands the good news its that DIrectx9 allows for new features and even new hacks in a more elegant way. i suspect that with directx10 , workarounds and hacks will be mostly a thing for the past.