Shadow Maps

Types of Shadows

• Shadow Maps (FGI only)

• Cascaded Shadows Maps (CSM)

• Projected Shadows Maps (Depth of Field HDR B only)

Supported objects

The following objects are supported:

• Objects that can cast shadows

• Objects that can receive shadows

• Default values

Objects that can cast shadows

• Mesh

  For each mesh that casts shadows, set the bCastShadows parameter.

  Note: Some Shaders can also support a differentiated shadow cast for each type of shadow (for example, ShaderGen); as a consequence the Mesh can cast shadows only under certain circumstances.

• Human

  Set the parameter to cast the shadows of the Human.

Objects that can receive shadows

• Mesh

  For each mesh that receives shadows, set the bReceiveShadows parameter.

Default values

When bCastShadows or bReceiveShadows are not specified, objects will take the default value found in the graphical configuration file.

Otherwise if specified, bCastShadows and bReceiveShadows always override the configuration default.

Use of the szShadowCaster parameter

• Used in Mesh.

• By default a mesh casts the shadow using its geometry. You can make a mesh cast the shadow through the geometry of another mesh using the szShadowCaster parameter.

  Example: szShadowCaster = MeshSferaOttimized

• This parameter is useful both to optimize the number of polygons rendered for the shadow, and to correct defects generated for example from high-detail geometries or from clipmaps.

• The mesh shown in szShadowCaster must have the ShadowCaster shader.

• The ShadowCaster type mesh is not rendered in the scene.

Possible issues

Some issues that may occur:

• Shadows appears/disappears while moving the camera

• Check that the object's shadows impostor has the same volume of the object casting the light.

• Shadows appear to be missing some geometry

• Ensure that very large meshes, such as sky or terrain, do not cast shadows.