FIX - Shadows - Simple solution

[LJF 0]

It's a simple problem really, shadows don't cast when in first person. I don't know if this is fixed for ArmA2 yet, but it really got on my nerves in the first game.

And on that point, the animations also changed for 3rd/1st person.

Why?

Please just make shadows cast in 1st person as well, especially in the vehicles, they are already there, but turned off when in first-p, just turn them on.

[opteryx 1562]

It's a simple problem really, shadows don't cast when in first person. I don't know if this is fixed for ArmA2 yet, but it really got on my nerves in the first game.

What are you talking about?

And on that point, the animations also changed for 3rd/1st person.

Why?

I think Suma stated once that they made the first person anims different because the ones you see in third person were not very attractive when viewed in first person.

[Maddmatt 1]

The shadows not casting on first person models only seems to be an issue with the stencil shadows. Soft shadows (shadow detail on high and very high) cast on everything.

I think Solus managed to get it working for the HMMWV in his SLX vehicles addon.

[opteryx 1562]

The shadows not casting on first person models only seems to be an issue with the stencil shadows. Soft shadows (shadow detail on high and very high) cast on everything.

I've had three different GPUs and never observed this. Is there anything particular that's affected eg. vegetation objects, roads or terrain?

I think Solus managed to get it working for the HMMWV in his SLX vehicles addon.

But that's a content related issue and not an engine related matter cause there are SV LODs for cargo/gunner/pilot positions, right? Must have been a conscious decision by BIS to not have shadows in vehicle interiors.

[Maddmatt 1]

The shadows not casting on first person models only seems to be an issue with the stencil shadows. Soft shadows (shadow detail on high and very high) cast on everything.

I've had three different GPUs and never observed this. Is there anything particular that's affected eg. vegetation objects, roads or terrain?

I think Solus managed to get it working for the HMMWV in his SLX vehicles addon.

What exactly didn't you observe? You see stencil shadows on first person models?

On high and very high shadow detail vegetation and most buildings (and aircraft above a certain height) cast soft shadows. When walking under trees you can then see their soft shadows casting on your character in first person. But walk under a building or object that casts stencil shadows(try a tank or something) and you wont see them cast on your character. You also don't see self-shadows on yourself in first person.

Quote[/b] ]But that's a content related issue and not an engine related matter cause there are SV LODs for cargo/gunner/pilot positions, right? Must have been a conscious decision by BIS to not have shadows in vehicle interiors.

Maybe. I'm not a modeller so I don't know exactly how shadows are set up. But I have heard that if you try to binirize those models it messes something up. So something BIS changed somewhere must have caused a problem for first person shadows.

[opteryx 1562]

On high and very high shadow detail vegetation and most buildings (and aircraft above a certain height) cast soft shadows. When walking under trees you can then see their soft shadows casting on your character in first person. But walk under a building or object that casts stencil shadows(try a tank or something) and you wont see them cast on your character. You also don't see self-shadows on yourself in first person.

Aha, now I understand. I was under the impression that the claim was that no shadow were cast by objects at all.

[SaBrE_UK 0]

What animations are changed in first person? Reloading, for example?

[Kirq 0]

Did ArmA had any reloading animations ?

[SaBrE_UK 0]

Yeah.

[Kirq 0]

Are You talking about that suspicious gesticulation around rifle which make magazine disapper  and apper within few seconds ?  

[SaBrE_UK 0]

Yeah,

[Kirq 0]

Alright then

[LJF 0]

No, what I meant when creating this topic was that your character model in the game doesn't cast shadows [on itself] when in first person, yet it does in 3rd, same for vehicles.

For example, in third person you can see your gun/backpack/arms/etc casting shadows onto each other, yet when you switch to first person they (the aforementioned shadows) are no longer there. I don't see why this is, it would look much better, especially in vehicles, because although trees/objects cast on you, the steering wheel and other parts of the car don't, so you have sunlight streaming in through solid steel, but only in 1st person, not third. Know what I mean?

[LJF 0]

OK, I just had a look at the ArmA2 screens and apparantly your character doesn't cast shadows on itself at all. Does anybody know why this is? It seems strange really.

[SaBrE_UK 0]

Have a look at

video. They may have removed it (I don't see why) but it was definitely in at that stage.

[LJF 0]

Have a look at

video. They may have removed it (I don't see why) but it was definitely in at that stage.

Argh! wish I could, but sadly youtube is blocked at my college and I am one of the unlucky ones who is unable to have broadband. What does the video show?

[xnodunitx 0]

Solder running around a town and around a red car.

Though the thing for first person view shadows is the lack of useage in first person aniamtions.

As it stands right now the movement is very much the same so shadows aren't exactly needed so instead they let the normal map do the job.

Now it remains to be seen how it looks with hand signals in first person as that would give enough body movement to elect shadows..guess we'll find out.

[SaBrE_UK 0]

What animations aren't in first person and are in third person xnodunitx?

LJF, the video (and it's an old video of Arma2) shows the player's head (for example) casting shadows on the weapon and arms in first person view, so basically what you suggested.

[Dwarden 1124]

what interest me more are shadows in range of visibility or very long range (in OFP different shadows model allowed very far shadows from objects and it got it's beauty)

hopefully changes to rendering will allow this now again

[SaBrE_UK 0]

what interest me more are shadows in range of visibility or very long range (in OFP different shadows model allowed very far shadows from objects and it got it's beauty)

I agree with that!

[Boborish 1]

Yeah, also being hidden in shadows, thus lowering the chance youll be spotted (if its not the case for AI then at least in MP it helps) is useless in ArmA since the shadows arent viewed.

[PuFu 4591]

what interest me more are shadows in range of visibility or very long range (in OFP different shadows model allowed very far shadows from objects and it got it's beauty)

hopefully changes to rendering will allow this now again

Yeah, that is something i miss from OFP...

[LJF 0]

Good that they have fixed the shadow issue, quite annoying that one. Especially for vehicles, but in the video it didn't look like vehicles casted shadows, especially the HMMWV, the inside was filled with light even though it should have been in shadow, yet when in 3rd person there was shadow ... arg!

As to the animations, there was no turning (?) animation in first person, so your feet would slide around, but when in third there was, I think there may have been others too.

[xnodunitx 0]

what interest me more are shadows in range of visibility or very long range (in OFP different shadows model allowed very far shadows from objects and it got it's beauty)

hopefully changes to rendering will allow this now again

Woops, I forgot about that pesky thing on our shoulders.

I think the problem with the shadows in the humvee is that it wasn't rendering correctly, I remember in the demo the humvee and the Mi-8 had the same issue that walking into a building with no light source has, basicly the room lights up all on its own to compensate for outsides light...and when you go back out BAM, blind.

But anyway this didn't make much sense since the windows gave a source of light, and of course its likely that pilotviewshadow was skipped in these vehicles, it was done in every vehicle if I recall correctly, I remember the harrier and other jets and helicopters

Then I tested it on Franze's F-18 (never went public) and noticed a massive change, it was abit tricky of course because you can't compensate on polies by cutting off the unseen, BIS may have thought it better to compensate by just losing the poly completely but it does add quite a bit of emersion.

[LJF 0]

I'll post pictures ... I just need to capture them hang on (this could take a few days ... dial-up ...).

How do I post images?

Ah, look here:

http://img515.imageshack.us/my.php?image=arma1tx6.jpg

And here:

http://img515.imageshack.us/my.php?image=arma2tn6.jpg