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 pecision, 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.
COURSE SCHEDULE
2 pm
Introduction
Eisemann
2:05 pm
Basic Algorithms
Assarsson
2:20 pm
Hard Shadows
Wimmer
2:55 pm
Filtering Hard Shadows
Eisemann
3:15 pm
Image-Based Soft Shadows
Schwarz
3:30 pm
Break
3:45 pm
Geometry-Based Soft Shadows
Eisemann
4 pm
Volumetric Shadows
Assarsson
4:20 pm
Practical Considerations for Games and Movies
Kasyan and Schwarz
5:10 pm
Conclusion, Outlook, and Questions and Answers
All
Level
Intermediate
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of computer graphics and linear algebra, and familiarity with standard graphics APIs.
Intended Audience
Practitioners in the game industry (as an overview and guide), the movie industry (as a resource for previsualization techniques), and the visualization community (shadows have a strong impact on spatial perception).
Instructor(s)
Elmar Eisemann
Delft University of Technology
Ulf Assarsson
Chalmers University of Technology
Nikolas Kasyan
Crytek
Michael Schwarz
Michael Wimmer
Technische Universität Wien