Interestingly enough, you can also apply a map to your shadow by checking the Map
box and clicking on the button bar currently labeled None. From there, you can choose a
map. In Figure 10.67, a checker map was mapped to the shadow on a fruit arrangement.
Notice how the checker pattern shows up just in the shadows between and on the fruit.
Selecting a Shadow Type
For the most part, you will be more than happy with the results from a Shadow Map
shadow in your scenes. However, to get shadows to respond to transparencies, you will
need to use Raytraced shadows. Additionally, if you need to soften your shadows the farther
they are cast from the object, you will need to use Area Shadows. These shadow types
are discussed next.
Shadow Maps
The Shadow map generates a bitmap file during a pre-rendering pass of the scene. This
map is used to place the shadows in the final render. It is often the fastest way to cast a
shadow. However, Shadow Map shadows do not show the color cast through transparent
Figure 10.67
You can map a texture
to the shadow,
as shown on this
fruit still-life render.
Density = 1.0 Density = 0.3 Density = 4.0
Figure 10.66
Shadow Density
or translucent objects.
Pages:
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618