Cheap blob shadows on terrain detail meshes

News & General Discussion
1

Hello
This kind of works OK, modelling the blob shadow into the fern/gorse bush mesh objects. It is not an accurate shadow and it would get cut off on a slope along with the foliage, but I reckon I can live with that. It just helps ground the bushes in an Ambient Occlusion kind of way and for the sake of 2 extra tri polygons why wouldn’t you? :slight_smile:
Cheers
Boxy

2

looks great

3

Interesting idea. I am however unclear how this projects a shadow onto the terrain. Are you basically just texturing the base of the object with shadow?

4

Its a transparent alpha texture for the texture. I guess it must be the leaf shader of the terrain engine?!

Good work Sav!

Cheers

Frank

5

Viva LĂ© Hacks! Nice one, Boxy.

-Jon

6

So a transparent texture in a poly which hovers over the ground. Interesting idea. Not a bad hack.

7

This technique also works quite well to simulate ambient occlusion in indoor scenes. Just place polygons with a transparent gradient along the edges of your room… Saves you from a lot of texture-trouble.

8

Nice one, I’d neverthought of that :smile:
Boxy