COMPUTER GRAPHICS

Real-time shadow simulation at 3D scenes by using cascaded shadow maps

A. V. Maltsev

Scientific Research Institute for System Analysis of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow

Abstract: At this article methods and algorithms are proposed to simulate shadows at large-scale 3D virtual scenes such as vast terrains and landscapes, illuminated by directional light sources. Proposed methods and algorithms are based on using cascaded shadow maps. The approach is to split a virtual camera view frustum on some number of areas by parallel planes and create own shadow map for each of them. At the article different methods to finding split plane positions such as uniform, logarithmic and hybrid splitting are described. The problems of construction shadow maps for selected view frustum areas and use them for real-time shadow simulation are considered. Proposed methods and algorithms effectively use modern graphic card advantages such as shader visualization and rendering to texture by using FBO technology.

Keywords: shadow simulation, cascaded shadow maps, shader rendering, real-time visualization.