I implemented stencil shadows, but I am not really happy with them. Shadow go through solid objects, and appear on surfaces that face away from the light source. They just don't seem like a good technique for real-time programs.
I am using lightmaps for brush solids, hardware lights to illuminate moving objects, and vertex colors for static meshes. Stencil shadows are used on movable physical objects. There are so many errors that can occur if you cast shadows on walls, that it makes everything look really unrealistic.
What can I do to improve these for real-time use? I thought about just casting shadow downwards away from the light source, just to have simple ground shadows.
I am using lightmaps for brush solids, hardware lights to illuminate moving objects, and vertex colors for static meshes. Stencil shadows are used on movable physical objects. There are so many errors that can occur if you cast shadows on walls, that it makes everything look really unrealistic.
What can I do to improve these for real-time use? I thought about just casting shadow downwards away from the light source, just to have simple ground shadows.