Shadow Optimization

[crazedlunatic]

Does anyone have some code example of using a billboard to emulate a shadow, etc.? I tried turning on the stencil buffer and adding shadows with only 5 objects in my simulation and the frame rate got horribly choppy. I was hoping to be able to have dozens or even 100+ objects with shadows projected on the ground. I don't care too much about accuracy as long as the shadow is somewhat convincing. I just don't want that optical illusion/hovering feeling you get when you're trying to decide if your object is really on the ground or floating and in front of the place where it sits. Whatever I can do that will give me a good frame rate and not require me to delve deep into the code and customize it myself - that's what I'm looking for. Shadows are one of those basic features that I can't do without. Just adding some sort of shadow takes my game from looking like mid 1990s to present.

[thesmileman]

I would imagine if you created a sillowet of the object then overlayed it on the ground only moving it in a circle around the object and not modifying its shape it would be very quick.

For that many objects you are going to need somthing really fast and simple. The above way you only have to get the line from your light source to the object the shadow is to be comming from. Which is very very easy using irrlicht.