Shadow Maps Techniques Compared : A Performance Comparison Between Shadow Maps and Cascaded Cascaded Shadow Maps

Abstract: Nowadays, 3D rendering has been widely applied in video games. Every year companies strive to come up with new solutions and implementations that potentially will increase the complexity of an algorithm, combined with trying to improve the realism of the graphics. An algorithm called Cascaded Shadow Maps will be compared and experimented upon with a regular Shadow Maps algorithm. To further provide information regarding the subject at hand. Objectives. The aim of this experiment is to implement Shadow Maps and Cascaded Shadow Maps in Unity and compare said algorithms to each other. Furthermore, come to a conclusion of which algorithms perform better. Data that will be researched is the Frame rate, Memory consumption, RAM, and Total memory used with the help of Unity's built-in tools. Methods. Shadow Maps and Cascaded Shadow Maps were implemented in Unity Engine by the following literature. Additionally, with help of built-in tools from unity, the Unity Profiler Module. It was possible to take measures to compare each technique of said data. The data were collected five times and then calculated into an average number. Resulting in a collection of data structured and displayed with graphs. Lastly, analyses were performed based on collected data. Results. The data measured and compared showed that Shadow Maps were superior to Cascaded Shadow Maps regarding frame rate, memory consumption, and total memory used. However, Cascaded Shadow Maps could be considered as a algorithm with better complexity to quality ratio than Shadow Maps.  Conclusions. It is Concluded that the Cascaded Shadow Maps utilizes more resources, having less frame rate, higher memory consumption and total memory used. However, Cascaded Shadow Maps were proven in some cases to have better complexity to quality ratio. Additionally, Cascaded Shadow Maps solves the problem Shadow Maps creates, Aliasing. Leads to well-rounded and improved shadows for realism with Cascaded Shadow Maps and in some cases at a small cost.