Shadows problem

[ohdude 2,353]

Hi there!

I want to come back to develop more bats for SC4. But i'm having an issue with shadows in medium quality (sc4 graphical settings). The fact is that there's no shadows of my builidings showed on the floor. Can anybody help me please? @Jasoncw@IDS2@Diego Del Llano@Ct1999...

I'm modeling and rendering with 3dmax 2012 already fixed and patched (Hotfixed, SP1 and SP2 applied).

[ohdude 2,353]

Hi @ohdude!!

I think the possible cause of your problem has its origin in the height of your models. Too tall models, too much for making shadows. I've checked with other smaller models you made (see picture). Next, the thing is: How to make very tall models without compromising the shadows?

 

[ohdude 2,353]

I see! it seems that is the height of the models. I've just rendered a taller one and now the shadow of the model is being showed!

 

[ohdude 2,353]

On the other hand, in shadow setting "high", shadows are shown. The problem is when shadows are set as "medium".

Shadows medium:

 

Shadows High:

 

[rsc204 21,836]

This isn’t a problem so much as the game doing what it is told. You only get the full detail of shadows when the setting is high. Otherwise to save resources a more simplistic shadow is used and that may not look right. But this isn’t any fault in your models, so I wouldn’t worry about it. Provided shadows are set it high it works so that’s the best you can do. 

[ohdude 2,353]

Thanks @rsc204.

in reference to what you wrote me, I have to say that my interest on using shadows in medium quality is because of a glitch in high quality shadows in different zooms. At medium qulaity configuration i don't have these issues. But i'm open to find a solution for it in high quality shadows.

Evidence of the problem in high quality shadows:

 

[rsc204 21,836]

The problem is that the shadows are rendered based upon the LODs in use, outside of that there is no control over them. In Zooms 1&2 things are particularly bad because the LODs used for smaller objects are very simplistic. This may be a factor with large buildings as you can’t see the entire building without zooming out.

[Jasoncw 11,934]

Your shadows on high quality do indeed look messed up, but luckily that's an issue with your graphics card/settings, and not with the BATs. So you can BAT confidently knowing that the shadows will be correct for other people, and correct for yourself once you work out the issue with your game (which unfortunately I don't have any advice for. But other people may have posted about the problem in the past).

If you wanted to you could export your very tall BATs in two pieces. The bottom half, as a building, and the top half as a prop.

[ohdude 2,353]

@jasoncw thanks dude!

Your advice reminds me of a model of the great @mattb325. That model was made exporting it in 2 o 3 pieces.

 

[Barroco Hispano 26,785]

The distortion in the shadows is because Gobias changed the original parameters of the shadows when he made the terrain mod.

Use these parameters.