Silent Hunter 4 ,a game without shadows ?

[tonschk]

Hi , It looks like this SH3 and SH4 are games without shadows , and of course this decrease the inmersion factor ,I have the game DIRT of Colin Mcrae ,and the shadows in DIRT generated with the cars are awesome , can you tell me please if exist a mod to add the shadows to this excellent SH4 game ? thank you very much

[LukeFF]

???

Of course there are shadows in the game.

[tonschk]

???

Of course there are shadows in the game.


One side of the sub is darker , the other side of the sub is less dark but are no shadows ,I am pretty sure

the gun machine , periscope ,sailors etc etc , dont produce shadows

[Lightning61]

Has anyone actually enabled the dynamic shadows and noticed a difference?

[tonschk]

Has anyone actually enabled the dynamic shadows and noticed a difference?

I already enabled "dynamic shadows" but still the sailors ,gun machine, periscope etc etc dont project any shadow on the floor of the deck , each object and people in the SH4 game have the darker side and the clearer side but dont project any shadow on the deck of the ship, the ships dont project shadows on the water

[Paajtor]

i think you're right.
In addition to the ingame-setting, I also enabled DynamicShadows (set it to =Yes) in C:\Documents and Settings\<yourusername>\My Documents\SH4\data\cfg\Main, AND in ...:\Program Files\Silent Hunter 4\Data\Cfg\Main.
Can't tell the difference, to be honest.:-?

[tonschk]

Actually there are reflection of explosions and reflection of smoke on the water , but not shadows

[MONOLITH]

Certain games, like shooters with people standing on the ground, can definately look odd with no shadows on the ground.

But with sub stuff, it doesn't seem as noticeable. I've never even thought about them until this thread; and I still don't miss them.

[AVGWarhawk]

If you look around the interior there are definitly shadows. Outside :hmm: , perhaps not.

[rodan54]

The OP is refering to 'Dynamic Shadows', which is not what SH4 has. SH4 uses occlusion maps that give a 'faked' sense of lighting and shadows. This is what you're seeing in the submarine interior, on ships, etc.

I do agree with Monolith though; their absense isn't as immersion killing as it would be say in BF2. However, after playing certain games (Crysis), it's hard to view any other existing games in the same way, graphically speaking.

[tonschk]

It`s a pity , no shadows in this SH4 game :down: , other less realistic simulators like Battlestation Midway have shadows

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z58/tonschk/BSM-3.jpg
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z58/tonschk/1204171249.jpg

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

SH4- a game without shadows
a game with a lot of reflections.:yep:

[Galanti]

It`s a pity , no shadows in this SH4 game :down: , other less realistic simulators like Battlestation Midway have shadows




Yes, but without wakes it would seem.:roll: Also, that shot of BM doesn't seem to have much in the way of lighting, reflections or specular mapping.

I'll take SH3's graphics and atmosphere over any other PTO game/sim out there - hands down. Like many other ppl, I never noticed the lack of shadows until you brought it up.

[Paajtor]

With the changes I posted above, I was hoping to enable shadows for the watch-crew...about the only spot where I miss the effect.
Anything else doesn't matter that much, as I usually view it through a periscope lol.

[-Pv-]

The reflections SH4 projects is good enough for me.
-Pv-

[CCIP]

Yea, honestly, it's not such a big deal. Especially considering that at high realism, you don't get a perspective from which you'd be seeing a lot of shadows :88)

[Torps]

I think the setting your looking for is enviornment effects, that adds shadows btw.

[seaniam81]

I didn't even notice but not that it would matter SH4 is already pushing the limits of my PC I dont think it could handle more

[tonschk]

I think the setting your looking for is enviornment effects, that adds shadows btw.

(I adjust the settings for full resolution ),It seems that the only shadows in SH4 are the some fake shadows in which the objects and people have dark side and clear side but dont project shadows and therefore not full realistic shadows ,I think somebody before called this "grainy effect" in which everything looks darker older and dirty , like an old movie

Thanks for all the replies.

[CaptainHaplo]

As a sub commander at war - I see plenty of shadow! I have a number of men that my decisions mean life or death for, not counting my own! Attacking a convoy, evading a destroyer, diving from a plane - trust me - more than enough "shadows" out there created by this game for my tastes. I have even had to wonder - was that a plane we thought we saw, or a "frigate" bird? We didn't stay surfaced long enough to find out!

Don't get me wrong - I know what your saying - but the game for me provides enough "situational awareness" and "realism" that I don't notice a few graphical details missing. Would it be nice to have - yea probably - but in my list of things wished for being added/fixed - its pretty low on my personal list. Still - a good sharp eye for detail.

[Triad773]

Yeah I noticed not many shadows too. But foam is something that seems to not be too present.

I had done a couple of screenshot enhancements and did a before and after, and there are no real shadows and no foam. I had added some shadow under the crewmen a little.
Enhanced 1 (http://www.triad773.com/augustshots/2008/sh4/GoingDown-2-done.jpg)
Stockshot_1 (http://www.triad773.com/augustshots/2008/sh4/GoingDown-2-before.jpg)
And
Enhanced_2 (http://www.triad773.com/augustshots/2008/sh4/GoingDown-afterFinal.jpg)
Stockshot_2 (http://www.triad773.com/augustshots/2008/sh4/GoingDownwDaShip-before.jpg)

Kind of my ideal of how some of the graphics could improve, nice as they are now.

I don't imagine that the current game engine could handle things like dynamic shadowing now, but it'd be great to see the franchise continued long enough to see them eventually implemented.

[tonschk]

It`s a pity this excellent game but without properly shadows , in my opinion ,the fake shadows of this SH4 game ,decrease the visual quality and the look , I dont understand why the developers have choosen this fake (grainy) shadows to SH4, look this screen shots of a tank simulator WWII Battle Tanks: T-34 vs Tiger (I) to see the nice look of the more normal shadows

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z58/tonschk/T342026nov202007206.jpg
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z58/tonschk/newsh6.jpg
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z58/tonschk/T342026nov202007205.jpg
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z58/tonschk/s34176_pc_3.jpg
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z58/tonschk/s34176_pc_11.jpg

[Torps]

There are shadows in the game, check your settings.

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/7672/dayshadowfn6.th.jpg (http://img215.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dayshadowfn6.jpg)

http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/2519/bbcagy1.th.jpg (http://img529.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bbcagy1.jpg)

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/120/postprocessmi4.th.jpg (http://img218.imageshack.us/my.php?image=postprocessmi4.jpg)

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/9439/rownm7.th.jpg (http://img85.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rownm7.jpg)

[Triad773]

I think the idea that SH4 does not render clear shadows is more the issue, not that it does not have dark and light. My ideas about seeing the world include more aspects of subtlty than will likely ever be addressed it the game (though that would be great).

I had found another pic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Guitarro_%28SS-363%29)of better foam from real life through.

If I can find a shot worth the idea I am thinking of I will try implementing better shadows as an enhancement to that.

[hyperion2206]

It`s a pity this excellent game but without properly shadows , in my opinion ,the fake shadows of this SH4 game ,decrease the visual quality and the look , I dont understand why the developers have choosen this fake (grainy) shadows to SH4, look this screen shots of a tank simulator to see the nice look of the more normal shadows


Off topic I know:oops:: What's the name of that tank simulation? It looks great!:D

[Von_Virus]

hyperion2206, that is "T34 vs Tiger". Its run like a piece of ****. And loking like a **** too.

[WernerSobe]

At first there are different kinds of shadows.

One that the topic starter is missing are the so called "planar" or "dynamic" shadows. They are actualy missing. What you call "fake-shadows" is the simple specular shading effect. And then there are static shadows inside the boat. Since the lightsources inside never change, it is quite enough there. Those are realy "fake"-shadows. they are just raytraced...

I think the reason why the game engine does not support dynamic shadowing is because it is slow. Drawing dynamic shadows means processing the image twice. It would quickly cut the framerate by half. Simple shading is waaay faster instead and it looks more natural then planar shadows.

The most realistic looking shadows btw are soft planar shadows. But that would bring any power-gaming-machine to its knees.

[tonschk]

At first there are different kinds of shadows.

One that the topic starter is missing are the so called "planar" or "dynamic" shadows. They are actualy missing. What you call "fake-shadows" is the simple specular shading effect. And then there are static shadows inside the boat. Since the lightsources inside never change, it is quite enough there. Those are realy "fake"-shadows. they are just raytraced...

I think the reason why the game engine does not support dynamic shadowing is because it is slow. Drawing dynamic shadows means processing the image twice. It would quickly cut the framerate by half. Simple shading is waaay faster instead and it looks more natural then planar shadows.

The most realistic looking shadows btw are soft planar shadows. But that would bring any power-gaming-machine to its knees.



Thank you very much for the answer ,very well explained , now I understand , implement the full shadows can kill the framerate , we must better forget the shadows

[-Pv-]

Keep in mind also we are talking about a boat on the water. Water is more reflective than the ground so the shadow cannot be as crisply defined as ground and grass shadows. Does your tank game have moving grass? If it did, your ground shadows would not be as crisp. In addition to water being much more reflective, it's also constantly in motion. This whole idea that water shadows must by nature look like ground shadows is not realistic and may be the personal illusion of a land-lubber. It's a water game not a land game.
-Pv-

[maerean_m]

I think the reason why the game engine does not support dynamic shadowing is because it is slow. Drawing dynamic shadows means processing the image twice. It would quickly cut the framerate by half.
When SH4 was developed, it seemed that transparent water was more important than dynamic shadows (it's a naval simulation after all). And the transparent water was quite a challenge because you wouldn't want to see the bottom of the ocean, 1000 yards away. And, also, the transparency depends on the angle you're looking at it.

So, our skilled 3D programmers :rock: managed to implement the transparent water (note that the image is processed twice) but in the 11 months of development, there wasn't enough time to also implement dynamic shadows (self shadowing).

[Paajtor]

So the Dyn.Shadow-setting in Main.cfg is there for whatever the future may bring us?

[maerean_m]

There is something in the code for dynamic shadows, but the feature wasn't completed. Maybe in the future.

[tonschk]

Thank you all for the answers , thank you very much :up:

[raider862001]

ok,

[tonschk]

Can you see how ugly is the look of SH4 without dynamic shadows ,i understand SH4 is a naval simulator , but is also a outdoor simulator and without dynamic shadows sometimes seems to be a 20 years old game


http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z58/tonschk/Default20Penang20with20fix-1.jpg