Facebook Twitter YouTube Frictional Games | Forum | Privacy Policy | Dev Blog | Dev Wiki | Support | Gametee


Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Why are my shadows so grainy?
DannySwish Offline
Junior Member

Posts: 16
Threads: 2
Joined: Apr 2012
Reputation: 3
#1
Why are my shadows so grainy?

I created a small test room involving simulated daylight using spot lights, but the shadows they produce are extremely grainy, even on the highest settings. In-game, the grains are actually persistent, and follow where you look. Not sure what I'm doing wrong.

http://i.imgur.com/W7xI9an.png

I'd really appreciate some guidance. Thanks!
10-23-2015, 04:52 AM
Find
A.M Team Offline
Banned

Posts: 811
Threads: 63
Joined: Sep 2014
#2
RE: Why are my shadows so grainy?

The walls have a texture map on them called 'specular'. This gives the texture a detailed shine instead of a dull, shiny blob. The specular map is possibly causing this effect.

Or I could be wrong. That's my two cents in anyways...
10-23-2015, 06:22 AM
Find
DannySwish Offline
Junior Member

Posts: 16
Threads: 2
Joined: Apr 2012
Reputation: 3
#3
RE: Why are my shadows so grainy?

If that's the case, how would I go about fixing it?
10-23-2015, 06:38 AM
Find
A.M Team Offline
Banned

Posts: 811
Threads: 63
Joined: Sep 2014
#4
RE: Why are my shadows so grainy?

Probably changing the walls? Check back with your results!
10-23-2015, 06:58 AM
Find
Myster Stranger Offline
Junior Member

Posts: 14
Threads: 3
Joined: Oct 2015
Reputation: 0
#5
RE: Why are my shadows so grainy?

(10-23-2015, 04:52 AM)DannySwish Wrote: I created a small test room involving simulated daylight using spot lights, but the shadows they produce are extremely grainy, even on the highest settings. In-game, the grains are actually persistent, and follow where you look. Not sure what I'm doing wrong.

http://i.imgur.com/W7xI9an.png

I'd really appreciate some guidance. Thanks!

I'd recommend splitting the job up, if I remember correctly, each spotlight has a predefined shadow resolution, a resolution set more for a single flickering spotlight with a narrow FOV, not the entirety of the sun. I'm actually creating a map at the moment that had a similar problem initially, in which a massive metal complex has light provided by a single spotlight, but I replaced the one with 8, all in the same location, each with an narrow FOV and massive radius, all slightly off from each other. The shadows this setup has provided are pretty great, with no noticeable performance hit, so see if that suits your needs.
(This post was last modified: 10-23-2015, 08:13 AM by Myster Stranger.)
10-23-2015, 07:52 AM
Find
DannySwish Offline
Junior Member

Posts: 16
Threads: 2
Joined: Apr 2012
Reputation: 3
#6
RE: Why are my shadows so grainy?

(10-23-2015, 07:52 AM)Myster Stranger Wrote: The shadows this setup has provided are pretty great, with no noticeable performance hit, so see if that suits your needs.

Thanks, I'll definitely try this out.
10-23-2015, 10:23 AM
Find
DannySwish Offline
Junior Member

Posts: 16
Threads: 2
Joined: Apr 2012
Reputation: 3
#7
RE: Why are my shadows so grainy?

I think it's just how the windows are. "Cast Shadows" is disabled by default; I guess they didn't really make them with the intention of casting nice shadows.
10-23-2015, 11:54 AM
Find
Romulator Offline
Not Tech Support ;-)

Posts: 3,628
Threads: 63
Joined: Jan 2013
Reputation: 195
#8
RE: Why are my shadows so grainy?

Have you tried using a Gobo for your windows? They define the boundaries of some of your windows if CastShadows does not work well. You can specify which one you would like to use from your spotlight's properties, and find them in SOMA/lights/gobo

Discord: Romulator#0001
[Image: 3f6f01a904.png]
10-23-2015, 12:00 PM
Find




Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)