Efficient Real-Time Shadows

Information

• Publication Type: Other Reviewed Publication
• Workgroup(s)/Project(s):
  • Rendering and Modeling
• Date: 2013
• Booktitle: ACM SIGGRAPH 2013 Courses
• ISBN: 978-1-4503-2339-0
• Location: Anaheim, CA
• Publisher: ACM
• Conference date: 21. July 2013 – 25. July 2013
• Pages: 18:1 – 18:54
• Keywords: real-time rendering, shadows

Abstract

This course provides an overview of efficient, real-time shadow algorithms. It presents the theoretical background but also discusses implementation details for facilitating efficient realizations (hard and soft shadows, volumetric shadows, reconstruction techniques). These elements are of relevance to both experts and practitioners. The course also reviews budget considerations and analyzes performance trade-offs, using examples from various AAA game titles and film previsualization tools. While physical accuracy can sometimes be replaced by plausible shadows, especially for games, film production requires more precision, such as scalable solutions that can deal with highly detailed geometry.

The course builds upon earlier SIGGRAPH courses as well as the recent book Real-Time Shadows (A K Peters, 2011) by four of the instructors (due to its success, a second edition is planned for 2014). And with two instructors who have worked on AAA game and movie titles, the course presents interesting behind-the-scenes information that illuminates key topics.

Additional Files and Images

Weblinks

• Entry in the publication database of TU-Wien

BibTeX

@inproceedings{EISEMANN-2013-ERT,
  title =      "Efficient Real-Time Shadows",
  author =     "Elmar Eisemann and Ulf Assarsson and Michael Schwarz and
               Michal Valient and Michael Wimmer",
  year =       "2013",
  abstract =   "This course provides an overview of efficient, real-time
               shadow algorithms. It presents the theoretical background
               but also discusses implementation details for facilitating
               efficient realizations (hard and soft shadows, volumetric
               shadows, reconstruction techniques). These elements are of
               relevance to both experts and practitioners. The course also
               reviews budget considerations and analyzes performance
               trade-offs, using examples from various AAA game titles and
               film previsualization tools. While physical accuracy can
               sometimes be replaced by plausible shadows, especially for
               games, film production requires more precision, such as
               scalable solutions that can deal with highly detailed
               geometry.  The course builds upon earlier SIGGRAPH courses
               as well as the recent book Real-Time Shadows (A K Peters,
               2011) by four of the instructors (due to its success, a
               second edition is planned for 2014). And with two
               instructors who have worked on AAA game and movie titles,
               the course presents interesting behind-the-scenes
               information that illuminates key topics.",
  booktitle =  "ACM SIGGRAPH 2013 Courses",
  isbn =       "978-1-4503-2339-0",
  location =   "Anaheim, CA",
  publisher =  "ACM",
  pages =      "18:1--18:54",
  keywords =   "real-time rendering, shadows",
  URL =        "https://www.cg.tuwien.ac.at/research/publications/2013/EISEMANN-2013-ERT/",
}