User Manual

Shadow Map Sampling
Sets the quality for sampling of the shadow map.
Softness
Soft edges in shadows are produced by filtering the shadow map when it is sampled. Fusion
provides two separate filtering methods for rendering shadows, which produce different effects.
NOTE: Shadows have a hard edge. No filtering of the shadow map is done at all. The
advantage of this method is that you only have to sample one pixel in the shadow map,
so it is fast.
 Constant: Shadows edges have a constant softness. A filter with a constant width is
used when sampling the shadow map. Adjusting the Constant Softness slider controls
the size of the filter. Note that the larger you make the filter, the longer it takes to render
the shadows.
 Variable: The shadow edge softness grows the further the shadow receiver is
positioned from the shadow caster. The variable softness is achieved by changing the
size of the filter based on the distance between the receiver and caster. When this
option is selected, the Softness Falloff, Min Softness, and Max Softness sliders appear.
Constant Softness
If the Softness is set to Constant, then this slider appears. It can be used to set the overall
softness of the shadow.
Softness Falloff
The Softness Falloff slider appears when the Softness is set to variable. This slider controls how
fast the softness of shadow edges grows with distance. More precisely, it controls how fast the
shadow map filter size grows based upon the distance between the shadow caster and
receiver. Its effect is mediated by the values of the Min and Max Softness sliders.
Min Softness
The Min Softness slider appears when the Softness is set to Variable. This slider controls the
Minimum Softness of the shadow. The closer the shadow is to the object casting the shadow,
the sharper it is, up to the limit set by this slider.
Max Softness
The Max Softness slider appears when the Softness is set to Variable. This slider controls the
Maximum Softness of the shadow. The further the shadow is from the object casting the
shadow, the softer it is, up to the limit set by this slider.
Common Controls
Transform and Settings Tabs
The options presented in the Transform and Settings tabs are commonly found in other lighting
nodes. For more detailed information on the controls found in these tabs, see “The Common
Controls” section at the end of this chapter.
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