Three-dimensional shadows cast by objects

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying an object on a page of a digital book over a background on a screen of an electronic device; and

displaying a shadow effect for the object on the screen of the electronic device, comprising:

simulating a three-dimensional (3D) environment encompassing the object;

simulating a light source at a specific position within the simulated 3D environment;

simulating a shadow cast by the object on the page as a result of the light source shining on the page in the simulated 3D environment; and

rendering the shadow on the screen of the electronic device;

wherein when the object is manipulated to be folded in the 3D environment such that at least a first portion of the object faces the light source and at least a second portion of the object faces away from the light source, the object is rotated such that a greater portion of the first portion that faces the light source is displayed on the screen, and a smaller portion of the second portion that faces away from the light source is displayed on the screen.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein simulating the shadow cast by the object comprises:

placing a pixel behind the object and near the center of the object;

enlarging and blurring the pixel until the pixel extends beyond at least one edge of the object.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the shadow is simulated based on a spatial relationship between a current position of the object and the specific position of the light source, a current orientation of the object, and a current size of the object.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the object is displayed at a first layer of a user interface and the page is displayed at a second layer below the first layer of the user interface.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising

in response to a user interacting with the object, simulating an effect of the user picking up the object by decreasing a size of the page and increasing a size of the shadow to simulate a greater distance between the object and the page.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising

in response to a user moving the object from its current position to a new position, adjusting a size and a shape of the shadow cast by the object on the page based on a spatial relationship between the new position of the object and the specific position of the light source in the simulated 3D environment.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising

in response to a user rotating the object from its current orientation to a new orientation, adjusting a shape of the shadow cast by the object on the page based on the new orientation of the object.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising

in response to a user zooming the object from its current size to a new size, adjusting a size of the shadow cast by the object on the page based on the new size of the object.

9. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed by one or more processors to:

display an object of a digital book over a background on a screen of an electronic device; and

display a shadow effect for the object on the screen of the electronic device, comprising:

simulate a three-dimensional (3D) environment encompassing the object on the page;

simulate a light source at a specific position within the simulated 3D environment;

simulate a shadow cast by the object on the page as a result of the light source shining on the page in the simulated 3D environment; and

render the shadow on the screen of the electronic device;

wherein when the object is manipulated to be folded in the 3D environment such that at least a first portion of the object faces the light source and at least a second portion of the object faces away from the light source, the object is rotated such that a greater portion of the first portion that faces the light source is displayed on the screen, and a smaller portion of the second portion that faces away from the light source is displayed on the screen.

10. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 9 , wherein simulate the shadow cast by the object comprises:

place a pixel behind the object and near the center of the object;

enlarge and blurring the pixel until the pixel extends beyond at least one edge of the object.

11. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 9 , wherein the shadow is simulated based on a spatial relationship between a current position of the object and the specific position of the light source, a current orientation of the object, and a current size of the object.

12. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 9 , wherein the object is displayed at a first layer of a user interface and the page is displayed at a second layer below the first layer of the user interface.

13. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 9 , wherein the software is further operable to

in response to a user interacting with the object, simulate an effect of the user picking up the object by decreasing a size of the page and increasing a size of the shadow to simulate a greater distance between the object and the page.

14. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 9 , wherein the software is further operable to

in response to a user moving the object from its current position to a new position, adjust a size and a shape of the shadow cast by the object on the page based on a spatial relationship between the new position of the object and the specific position of the light source in the simulated 3D environment.

15. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 9 , wherein the software is further operable to

in response to a user rotating the object from its current orientation to a new orientation, adjust a shape of the shadow cast by the object on the page based on the new orientation of the object.

16. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 9 , wherein the software is further operable to

in response to a user zooming the object from its current size to a new size, adjust a size of the shadow cast by the object on the page based on the new size of the object.

17. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to:

display an object on a page of a digital book over a background on a screen of an electronic device; and

display a shadow effect for the object on the screen of the electronic device, comprising:

simulate a three-dimensional (3D) environment encompassing the object;

simulate a light source at a specific position within the simulated 3D environment;

simulate a shadow cast by the object on the page as a result of the light source shining on the page in the simulated 3D environment; and

render the shadow on the screen of the electronic device;

wherein when the object is manipulated to be folded in the 3D environment such that at least a first portion of the object faces the light source and at least a second portion of the object faces away from the light source, the object is rotated such that a greater portion of the first portion that faces the light source is displayed on the screen, and a smaller portion of the second portion that faces away from the light source is displayed on the screen.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein simulate the shadow cast by the object comprises:

place a pixel behind the object and near the center of the object;

enlarge and blurring the pixel until the pixel extends beyond at least one edge of the object.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the shadow is simulated based on a spatial relationship between a current position of the object and the specific position of the light source, a current orientation of the object, and a current size of the object.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the object is displayed at a first layer of a user interface and the page is displayed at a second layer below the first layer of the user interface.