Blocky shadows

PsitPsit Join Date: 2012-11-03 Member: 166396Members
in Technical Support
Hello, ive been in the beta for more than i can remember but never got around to registering on the forums.

Here is my problem, i have blocky shadows. I had these in some beta builds but just before release it was fixed. Now i see this problem again.

<a href="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/259/2012110200001t.jpg/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/7430/2012110200001t.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></a>

<a href="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/607/2012090300001.jpg/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/6804/2012090300001.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></a>

<a href="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/440/2012110300001.jpg/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/5267/2012110300001.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></a>


I have an ati 6950 gfx card with the 12.11 drivers.
Settings are all maxed out except motion blur which is off and ambient ocl. which is at medium


Thanks
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Comments

  • IronHorseIronHorse Developer, QA Manager, Technical Support & contributor Join Date: 2010-05-08 Member: 71669Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Subnautica Playtester, Subnautica PT Lead, Pistachionauts
    hmm my bet is a setting in the ati catalyst center..
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  • DghelneshiDghelneshi Aims to surpass Fana in post edits. Join Date: 2011-11-01 Member: 130634Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited November 2012
    The shadows are blocky. That's how they are and they look like that in many other games, too.

    Of course there are some techniques to make them look better but Max certainly had other priorities throughout development.
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  • METROIDMETROID Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165171Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    edited November 2012
    Same problem. Geforce GTX 560 Ti
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  • MkilbrideMkilbride Join Date: 2010-01-07 Member: 69952Members
    <!--quoteo(post=2008325:date=Nov 3 2012, 06:08 PM:name=Dghelneshi)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dghelneshi @ Nov 3 2012, 06:08 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2008325"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The shadows are blocky. That's how they are and they look like that in many other games, too.

    Of course there are some techniques to make them look better but Max certainly had other priorities throughout development.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    Games from 2004 had better shadows. Cmon now.
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  • DghelneshiDghelneshi Aims to surpass Fana in post edits. Join Date: 2011-11-01 Member: 130634Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited November 2012
    <!--quoteo(post=2008386:date=Nov 3 2012, 07:24 PM:name=Mkilbride)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Mkilbride @ Nov 3 2012, 07:24 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2008386"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Games from 2004 had better shadows. Cmon now.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Please refrain from talking about stuff you have no idea about. Games from 2004 used different shadowing techniques than modern games. These techniques all have trade-offs. Google shadow maps and shadow volumes/stencil shadows in case you are interested.

    Even if you were correct, there are still vastly more important things than good looking shadows, for example your precious performance you keep whining about.

    Example screenshot of blocky shadows from other games (these are random shots I found, not worst cases):
    <ul><li>Battlefield - Bad Company 2: <a href="http://www.geforce.com/Active/en_US/shared/images/guides/bfbc2-tweak/4-1-Shadows_High.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.geforce.com/Active/en_US/shared...hadows_High.jpg</a></li><li>The Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim: <a href="http://i.imgur.com/ECYx8.jpg" target="_blank">http://i.imgur.com/ECYx8.jpg</a> + <a href="http://i48.tinypic.com/k96tcl.jpg" target="_blank">http://i48.tinypic.com/k96tcl.jpg</a></li></ul>
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  • kikaxakikaxa Join Date: 2012-08-19 Member: 155845Members
    <!--quoteo(post=2008431:date=Nov 3 2012, 10:53 AM:name=Dghelneshi)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dghelneshi @ Nov 3 2012, 10:53 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2008431"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->[*]Battlefield - Bad Company 2: <a href="http://www.geforce.com/Active/en_US/shared/images/guides/bfbc2-tweak/4-1-Shadows_High.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.geforce.com/Active/en_US/shared...hadows_High.jpg</a><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    this^^ is best example of how shadows dont look good in NS2, the single reason no to use them now.

    i think it's possible to add control of several levels of shadow texture resolution, at least someone can get good graphics
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  • PsitPsit Join Date: 2012-11-03 Member: 166396Members
    This cant be, i am pretty sure that at some point while in beta these shadows were perfect.... might be due to optimization of the game in order to run better? Hmm...
    I tried altering Catalyst A.I settings around and it didn't make a difference.

    Also, i noticed that when a flashlight is cast on map geometry there is no shadow created by this, but i am also not sure if this was the case before... i am being paranoid now i think !
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  • Fuse404Fuse404 Join Date: 2012-09-05 Member: 158023Members
    <!--quoteo(post=2008431:date=Nov 3 2012, 02:53 PM:name=Dghelneshi)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dghelneshi @ Nov 3 2012, 02:53 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2008431"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Example screenshot of blocky shadows from other games (these are random shots I found, not worst cases):
    <ul><li>Battlefield - Bad Company 2: <a href="http://www.geforce.com/Active/en_US/shared/images/guides/bfbc2-tweak/4-1-Shadows_High.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.geforce.com/Active/en_US/shared...hadows_High.jpg</a></li><li>The Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim: <a href="http://i.imgur.com/ECYx8.jpg" target="_blank">http://i.imgur.com/ECYx8.jpg</a> + <a href="http://i48.tinypic.com/k96tcl.jpg" target="_blank">http://i48.tinypic.com/k96tcl.jpg</a></li></ul><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Just a note: using gimped cross-platform titles as your examples isn't the most convincing.
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  • DghelneshiDghelneshi Aims to surpass Fana in post edits. Join Date: 2011-11-01 Member: 130634Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited November 2012
    <!--quoteo(post=2008496:date=Nov 3 2012, 09:01 PM:name=Fuse404)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Fuse404 @ Nov 3 2012, 09:01 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=2008496"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Just a note: using gimped cross-platform titles as your examples isn't the most convincing.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I'm not saying it's impossible to get better shadows. It's very possible. I just don't understand why it should be okay for other games but for NS2 it's all "OMFG ###### ###### SHADOWS WHO PROGRAMMED THAT CRAP?!", especially considering the limited resources and time (!!!).
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  • METROIDMETROID Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165171Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    <b>Dghelneshi</b>, it is not ok for any game, I remember the shouts on BFBC2 forums for crappy shadows. But, Devs will fix this shadows in NS2 sooner or later, lets just give them a time.
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  • slimeslime Join Date: 2010-07-14 Member: 72352Members
    edited November 2012
    Having performant real-time shadows cast by dynamic lights in a dynamic scene requires some tradeoffs, with modern hardware and the industry's current understanding of shadowing techniques.

    EDIT: <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/DICEStudio/new-13912730/23" target="_blank">http://www.slideshare.net/DICEStudio/new-13912730/23</a>
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  • METROIDMETROID Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165171Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    The final result should be a good rendered image, there is no point in dynamic lights and low-quality shadows. By saying low-quality shadows I mean bad-looking shadows. Then it is better to use simple blob or stencil shadows. I think, when Devs optimize the engine performance, they will add a good-looking shadows and implement quality AA.
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  • PsitPsit Join Date: 2012-11-03 Member: 166396Members
    bumping this so maybe we can get a reply from the devs.
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  • PsitPsit Join Date: 2012-11-03 Member: 166396Members
    Last bump, maybe we can get an answer from the devs
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  • kikaxakikaxa Join Date: 2012-08-19 Member: 155845Members
    i think we need to send some developer a message, maybe they put some attention into this
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  • DghelneshiDghelneshi Aims to surpass Fana in post edits. Join Date: 2011-11-01 Member: 130634Members, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow
    I'm sure Max is aware that the shadows need work as the problem is rather obvious, just like pretty much everything still needs work (e.g. particle lighting, maybe proper atmospheric lighting overlap, performance, ...). Let him figure out the priorities.
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