Will Doom 3 have soft shadows?

[Roland Deschain]

Hi, ye who know me, know that I love to post questions in this forum, since I get much better answers here than if I were to surf the web .

Here's my question. Does Doom 3 support soft shadows and if yes, can somebody post a pic. If you don't know what I mean by soft shadows, see this lovely pic (see how the shadow has no hard edges and different shades).

Thanks for any help and soon, my preciousssss, soon we'll have Doom back. Yesss, Yesssss.

 

[Eywanadi]

No Doom 3 does not nor will any game that uses Shadow Volumes to create shadows ... Unreal 3 uses a cube map hack to trick you into thinking it has soft shadows though ...

 

[KagePrototype]

The reason Doom 3 doesn't use soft shadows is for atmosphere. High contrasting in the lighting helps to create a spooky atmosphere. And if I'm wrong an there are soft shadows, the shadows will still be really really strong.

 

[Roland Deschain]

I do like my soft shadows, but yes, I agree, having high contrastic, sharp shadows will add to the atmosphere and that's what'll boost or kill Doom 3, if they can get the atmosphere right.

 

[The Dark Elf]

The reason Doom 3 doesn't use soft shadows is for atmosphere. High contrasting in the lighting helps to create a spooky atmosphere.

Oh, THATS the reason they're using is it. I see.

 

[Neutrino]

The reason Doom 3 doesn't use soft shadows is for atmosphere. High contrasting in the lighting helps to create a spooky atmosphere. And if I'm wrong an there are soft shadows, the shadows will still be really really strong.

That's not true at all. The reason D3 doesn't use soft shadows has nothing to do with atmosphere. It's only due to the technology they are using. Dynamic soft shadows just aren't really feasible at this time, as far as I know. Atleast not with the methods id is using.

However I do think it will have projected soft shadow maps (or whatever the technical term is), which will look like soft shadows but are really more of a projected texture. You can see a few screen shots with this effect. It would be used for things like moving fanblade shadows and grate or fence shadows.

 

[Eywanadi]

Oh, THATS the reason they're using is it. I see.

No do not listen to the fool, id software never said that. Read Carmacks .plan updates and you will see it is not in there because it can not be done in real time. It can be done in games that do not use Shadow volumes because not every object cast a shadow.

 

[Neutrino]

No do not listen to the fool, id software never said that. Read Carmacks .plan updates and you will see it is not in there because it can not be done in real time. It can be done in games that do not use Shadow volumes because not every object cast a shadow.

Did you happen to click on the link?

 

[Eywanadi]

Did you happen to click on the link?

I said games that use Shadow Volumes, that game does not only the player model cast a shadow in that game.

 

[Neutrino]

I said games that use Shadow Volumes, that game does not only the player model cast a shadow in that game.

I don't think you're getting it. I meant the link in fenrics post. He was being facetious.

 

[Eywanadi]

ahh reason was the same color as all the other words, that makes it hard to figure out it is a link LOL.

 

[KagePrototype]

That's not true at all. The reason D3 doesn't use soft shadows has nothing to do with atmosphere. It's only due to the technology they are using. Dynamic soft shadows just aren't really feasible at this time, as far as I know. Atleast not with the methods id is using.

Well, I never said it was the only reason, fair enough.

 

[Neutrino]

ahh reason was the same color as all the other words, that makes it hard to figure out it is a link LOL.

Heh. :cheers: ................

 

[Devilphish]

The Doom3 engine supports soft shadows, but they won't be a part of Doom3. Possibly a feature that can be turned on later when hardware is better, since they did say there are quality settings that are too demanding for hardware today that can be turned on later.

 

[^Ben]

Wtf i thought he got the ban stick.

And nope it kinda supports soft shadows but its an oogly hack.
And it dosent look to good either.

It does support projected soft shadows though.

 

[Eywanadi]

And nope it kinda supports soft shadows but its an oogly hack.
And it dosent look to good either.

It does support projected soft shadows though.

Exactly, this thread can end with this post.

 

[Devilphish]

http://www.doom3world.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=2243

Some of those guys are very familiar with Doom3 tech.

 

[thehunter1320]

Exactly, this thread can end with this post.

No, it can't! i want to conduct a test but i do not have Max Payne 2... someone has to do some work here... i want you to die in the game and tell me if the shadow dissappears after you die, because if it doesn't, then soft shadowing in real time is indeed possible, the ragdoll physics will prove that

 

[^Ben]

I wouldn't become too technical.

From what I've heard from everybody in the know, the shadows are still as hard as ever. Multiple lightsources help of course.

And the video we're talking about is Xbox media...

(Taken from the site admins mouth)

Yep, stencil volumes aren't calculated in hardware entirely yet, 50% of the CPU must operate for the volumes, and 50% on the GPU(which can help performance and make the volumes look better), that's why there is such a major slow down. If you wanted soft stencil volumes in DOOM 3 entirely in software at a decent-frame rate at say, 1024*768 with highest details configured, you'd probably need a 6 GHz CPU to run it. Razz But if stencil volumes were 100% calculated in hardware on the GPU, it would require per-vertex lighting I believe, which is a whole different alogrithm(obviously), but would deliver an exponential boost in performance. Very Happy

(Another Post)

Overclocking a machine at that time would not help the fact that soft stencil volumes in a game like DOOM 3 are too computationally intensive to cope with. Infact, it could even worsen the situation, which isn't surprising at all(to me).

(And another)

 

[Eywanadi]

No one said soft shadowing in real time is not possible. In doom 3 every object casts a shadow, 2 shadows if there are 2 lights, and there is no graphics card with the raw power to soft shadow that many shadows.