Schattenkarten

Schattenkarten, also known as shadow maps, are a technique used in computer graphics to render realistic shadows in real-time applications. The method involves creating a texture map that represents the shadow-casting light's perspective, capturing which objects are visible from that light's point of view. This map is then used to determine which parts of the scene are in shadow when viewed from the camera's perspective.

The process begins by rendering the scene from the light's point of view, generating a depth map that stores the distance from the light to the nearest object at each pixel. This depth map is then used to compare the distance from the light to each point in the scene when viewed from the camera's perspective. If the distance from the light to a point in the scene is greater than the corresponding value in the depth map, that point is considered to be in shadow.

Schattenkarten are widely used in modern graphics engines and games to create realistic and dynamic shadows. However, they can be computationally expensive, especially for complex scenes with many light sources. To mitigate this, various optimizations and techniques, such as cascaded shadow maps and percentage-closer filtering, have been developed to improve performance and quality.

Despite their limitations, Schattenkarten remain a fundamental technique in real-time rendering, enabling the creation of visually compelling and immersive experiences in interactive applications.