Soft Shadows is a feature of IRender which re-samples the sun and lamps to create soft shadows.

Lamp Size

Larger lamp bulbs will create software shadows - see the examples below.

Small lamp placed in front of chair. 30 rendering passes. Note harsher shadows

Large lamp placed in front of chair. 30 rendering passes. Note soft shadows

Notes

• The shadows are softened with each rendering pass, so you need to allow enough rendering passes to see the soft shadows.
• The wall on the left has Auto Bump enabled.

Another Shadow Example

Here is another example using a 0.05" lamp on the left and a 2" lamp on the right.

500 passes with the Path Tracer Engine

Soft Sun Shadows

There are several things which effect the softness of shadows from the sun.

Sky

If the Sky is turned on, or turned on for illumination even when off, then light from the sky will soften the shadows from the sun.

Cloudiness

Even with no sky, the Cloudiness Setting will make the shadows software by adding a cloudy effect.

Sun, Sky and Cloudiness settings

Default for Sun, Sky and Cloudiness

Sky turned off - Cloudiness still at 20

No sky or clouds

See Also

• IRender
• Bump Maps
• NprTools Soft Shadows