Hiya Game Producer
Swifts system, with some planning is fabtastic. I wasn't aware of anyone elses shadows system coping with animated b3ds, other than Shawn Swifts.
With Shawns system you can have a high poly main character and run a hidden, synchronised low res version of that character to cast the shadows from, as hidden entities still cast shadows...lovely. Shawn's system handles fully animated b3ds, as well as handles cheaper soft circles, and static shadows. As I say you must be aware of the systems needs whilst planning you levels and characters but once in place it is superb. Commercial and Shareware licensed versions are available and his code is so well commented - it is a delight to use.
The only thing you can't do easily which I found out, was cast onto a pitching surface, such as the deck of a boat which is bobbing around. My SSGB simulation shows off some aspects of Shawns system, check this out on my website:
http://www.smartscreenuk.com/SSGreatBritain001.html
Look closely at images 3, 4 and 5 at the top (click the little numbers under the banner image) shows the system in use, the mast cast shadows into and across the deck and the lifeboats. I got around the rotation problem by keeping the boat and everything attached still, and moving the entire world around me... snigger, that works perfectly in this case.
IPete2.
Swifts system, with some planning is fabtastic. I wasn't aware of anyone elses shadows system coping with animated b3ds, other than Shawn Swifts.
With Shawns system you can have a high poly main character and run a hidden, synchronised low res version of that character to cast the shadows from, as hidden entities still cast shadows...lovely. Shawn's system handles fully animated b3ds, as well as handles cheaper soft circles, and static shadows. As I say you must be aware of the systems needs whilst planning you levels and characters but once in place it is superb. Commercial and Shareware licensed versions are available and his code is so well commented - it is a delight to use.
The only thing you can't do easily which I found out, was cast onto a pitching surface, such as the deck of a boat which is bobbing around. My SSGB simulation shows off some aspects of Shawns system, check this out on my website:
http://www.smartscreenuk.com/SSGreatBritain001.html
Look closely at images 3, 4 and 5 at the top (click the little numbers under the banner image) shows the system in use, the mast cast shadows into and across the deck and the lifeboats. I got around the rotation problem by keeping the boat and everything attached still, and moving the entire world around me... snigger, that works perfectly in this case.
IPete2.