System and method for generation of shadow effects in three-dimensional graphics
Methods for generating ground shadow and lighting effects for three-dimensional models include identifying polygon data for a three-dimensional model, generating a convex polygon around a base of the model, generating hard and soft shadow meshes in and around the base of the model, and rendering the model with the shadow meshes with a display device. Methods for generating wall shadows and lighting effects for the three dimensional models further include identifying an orientation and height of a polygon in the model that extends from a ground surface in a virtual environment, and rendering the model with a lighting texture applied to either the full polygon if the polygon height is less than a threshold height or to only a portion of the polygon below the threshold height if the polygon exceeds the threshold height.
1. A method for applying a lighting texture to a three-dimensional graphics object comprising:
identifying data corresponding to a plurality of polygons in a three-dimensional graphical model that correspond to an object;
identifying an orientation of one polygon in the plurality of polygons with respect to a surface that engages the object in the three-dimensional graphical model;
identifying a dimension of the one polygon in the identified orientation extending from the surface;
mapping a predetermined lighting texture to an entire face of the one polygon in response to the identified dimension of the one polygon being less than a predetermined threshold;
mapping the predetermined lighting texture to only a portion of a face of the one polygon with a dimension extending from the surface by a predetermined distance in response to the identified dimension of the one polygon being greater than the predetermined threshold; and
generating a display of the three-dimensional graphical model including the one polygon in the object with the mapped predetermined lighting texture.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined lighting texture is a shadow texture.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined lighting texture is a highlight texture.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein object is a three-dimensional model of a building and the surface is a representation of ground under the building.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the identified dimension of the one polygon is oriented in a direction from the surface that corresponds to a height of the building above the ground.
6. A system applying a lighting texture to a three-dimensional graphics object comprising:
a memory configured to store data corresponding to a plurality of polygons in a three-dimensional graphical model that depicts an object;
a display device configured to generate a visual depiction of the three-dimensional graphical model; and
a processor operatively connected to the memory and the display device, the processor being configured to:
identify an orientation of one polygon in the plurality of polygons that correspond to the object with respect to a surface that engages the object in the three-dimensional graphical model in the memory;
identify a dimension of the one polygon in the identified orientation extending from the surface;
map a predetermined lighting texture that is stored in the memory to an entire face of the one polygon in response to the identified dimension of the one polygon being less than a predetermined threshold;
map the predetermined lighting texture to only a portion of a face of the one polygon with a dimension extending from the surface by a predetermined distance in response to the identified dimension of the one polygon being greater than the predetermined threshold; and
generate a display of the three-dimensional graphical model including the one polygon in the object with the mapped predetermined lighting texture.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein the predetermined lighting texture is a shadow texture stored in the memory.
8. The system of claim 6 wherein the predetermined lighting texture is a highlight texture stored in the memory.
9. The system of claim 6 wherein the object is a three-dimensional model of a building and the surface is a representation of the ground under the building.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein the identified dimension of the one polygon is oriented in a direction from the surface that corresponds to a height of the building above the ground.