An Efficient Hybrid Shadow Rendering Algorithm

Chan, Eric; Durand, Fredo

An Efficient Hybrid Shadow Rendering Algorithm

Files

185-195.pdf (8.21 MB)

Date

2004

Authors

Chan, Eric
Durand, Fredo

Publisher

The Eurographics Association

Abstract

We present a hybrid algorithm for rendering hard shadows accurately and efficiently. Our method combines the strengths of shadow maps and shadow volumes. We first use a shadow map to identify the pixels in the image that lie near shadow discontinuities. Then, we perform the shadow-volume computation only at these pixels to ensure accurate shadow edges. This approach simultaneously avoids the edge aliasing artifacts of standard shadow maps and avoids the high fillrate consumption of standard shadow volumes. The algorithm relies on a hardware mechanism for rapidly rejecting non-silhouette pixels during rasterization. Since current graphics hardware does not directly provide this mechanism, we simulate it using available features related to occlusion culling and show that dedicated hardware support requires minimal changes to existing technology.

        @inproceedings{10.2312:EGWR/EGSR04/185-195
,
booktitle = {Eurographics Workshop on Rendering
},
editor = {Alexander Keller and Henrik Wann Jensen
},
title = {{An Efficient Hybrid Shadow Rendering Algorithm
}},
author = {Chan, Eric and 
Durand, Fredo
},
year = {2004
},
publisher = {The Eurographics Association
},
ISSN = {1727-3463
},
ISBN = {3-905673-12-6
},
DOI = {10.2312/EGWR/EGSR04/185-195
}
}