| CPC G06T 15/60 (2013.01) [G06T 2215/12 (2013.01)] | 16 Claims |
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1. A computer-implemented method for efficiently rendering shadows in a three-dimensional virtual environment, comprising:
rendering a shadow map of at least a portion of the three-dimensional virtual environment from a perspective of a light source in the three-dimensional virtual environment, the shadow map specifying a plurality of distances from the light source to objects of the three-dimensional virtual environment with navigable video avatars;
rendering an image of the three-dimensional virtual environment from a perspective of a virtual camera;
for respective pixels of the image:
identifying a point in the three-dimensional virtual environment such that the point is offset from a position in the three-dimensional virtual environment depicted in a pixel by a first offset value from the position in a normal direction with respect to a ground of the three-dimensional virtual environment and a second offset value in a direction toward the light source from the position;
selecting, from the shadow map, a first distance according to the identified point;
determining a second distance from the identified point to the light source; and
when the second distance exceeds the first distance, shading the respective pixel.
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