Algorithm of real-time soft shadows based on shadow maps
一种基于阴影图的实时软阴影算法

A new algorithm of real-time soft shadows based on shadow maps was presented. Firstly, we generated two depth buffers for occluder and receiver, discretizing the occluder to micro-patches; then, we calculated the depth value of shadow for each micro-patch and estimated the visibilities of them; finally, we computed penumbra extent for each micro-patch and projected soft shadow map on the scene to obtain real-time soft shadows. Experiments demonstrate that the algorithm can provide visually pleasing effect for the complex objects and achieve satisfying frame rate at the same time. Therefore, we offered an effective way to generate real-time soft shadow for the complex scenes.