Blob shadows?

[MehMan 0]

I was wondering if anybody here would like to have blob shadows on the low shadow setting. I don't have a top of the line machine and put the shadows even on low takes 10 FPS off my machine, so I'm forced to play with no shadows on, if I want a nice FPS. So I was wondering if there's any interest in the community for blob shadows that you have with many other games. Just a nice small blob under the soldier/tank, perhaps even the airplane. Shadows add a lot to the gameplay and it just sucks to see the soldier look like he's in a world of his own because you have no shadows.

[ManDay 0]

f1 good idea

[4 IN 1 0]

i think this is something that are not easy to fix, as shadow is also a part of HDR

[maddogx 13]

This actually sounds like a good idea, though I'm pretty sure it's not as simple as some might think. Unlike other games, ArmA simulates full day/night cycles with different sunlight angles, etc. So, should the blob shadows always be drawn directly underneath the object, or should they be moved depending on the light angle?

Also, how do buildings fit into the equation? Pre-rendered shadows are not an option, so basically only vehicles and soldiers could have blob shadows and static objects would have none.

[MehMan 0]

Well blob shadows should stay in one spot. The buildings are a grey zone, but you couldn't really have a blob for them. The only two places where it'd fit is soldiers and armour and I think they are used the most. I do have an idea for forests, one large blob shadow that would cover the whole forested area would be nice, instead of individual tree shadows and such. And bushes could also have blob shadows.

[maddogx 13]

Well blob shadows should stay in one spot. The buildings are a grey zone, but you couldn't really have a blob for them. The only two places where it'd fit is soldiers and armour and I think they are used the most. I do have an idea for forests, one large blob shadow that would cover the whole forested area would be nice, instead of individual tree shadows and such. And bushes could also have blob shadows.

Sounds like it could work. Perhaps, instead of moving with the sun like the current stencil shadows, blob shadows could simply fade in during the morning, be darkest at noon (or whenever the sun is closest to the zenith) and then fase out again toward the evening. Similar also being applicable to the moon.

I think this could really work. +1 for the idea and kudos to MehMan.

[wamingo 1]

You want to give forrests and bushes shadows but not individual trees?

Objects have different sizes so I imagine they'll have to be given an resizing parameter. And maybe a square blob for buildings.

Might be worth a shot but I don't know if it would make me enable shadows anyway. In game the shadows are too dark, they should be more subtle, but I got used to playing without for performance and visibility so I won't complain too much.

[Guest Ti0n3r]

Dunno about blobs, but I'd really like to see some veeery basic shadows. Right now I'm forced to turn them off >_<

[MehMan 0]

You want to give forrests and bushes shadows but not individual trees?

Those too. The blobs would/should be non-realtime so it would improve a lot on preformance, I think that's the biggest FPS eater with shadows right now, they are fully realtime rendered.

[Comradesniper 0]

I would agree with this.

Even on low, the shadows are too much in dense areas.

[dmitri 0]

How about a setting that disables shadows (whether high or low) on everything except vehicles and player\soldier models?

[Maddmatt 1]

How about a setting that disables shadows (whether high or low) on everything except vehicles and player\soldier models?

You could do that in OFP, but then you can find someone hiding in a building because you will see a shadow on the ground. OFP had that problem.

[EDcase 87]

I think its the trees & bushes shadows that are the CPU eaters.  How about blobby shadows for them only...

Even individual polygon mapped shadow for each tree would be alot faster than current shadow rendering.

Of course main FPS killer is transparency mapping of foliage.  If BIS can improve that then it will help alot.

[dmitri 0]

How about a setting that disables shadows (whether high or low) on everything except vehicles and player\soldier models?

You could do that in OFP, but then you can find someone hiding in a building because you will see a shadow on the ground. OFP had that problem.

In OFP, I'd find people in buildings because they'd often be clipping through the walls.

SP performance takes presidence over any MP exploit (since during online play I disable and have everything set to low for maximum reactivity\fps).