Need help with shadows

[CrazyMerlin]

Hi people,

I am an experienced lightwaver, but haven't had a lot of exposure with light and shadow in a nighttime scene. I am now working on such a scene and need some help.

I have a light source inside a hurricane-style lamp at the side of a grave, but the shadows it is casting are quite solid and I was wondering if I can soften them without using a post-process technique.

Here is the scene shadowing I have a problem with...

click (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/gotcha_crazy/testpics/need_softer_shadows.jpg)

I have a lot of experience in post process but I am trying to learn more about LW and was wondering if I can soften the shadows inside LW.

The light source is a point light. It is inside a lamp. I could create about 8 spotlights and apply shadow maps instead of raytraced, but I need to know for sure if I can have more control over a simple point light before I continue.

Thx for any help and insight you offer.

by the way, this is a basic layout of the scene, minus any antialising or effects...

click (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/gotcha_crazy/testpics/grave_test001.jpg)

[Captain Obvious]

The spinning light trick might work well here.

[Avebeno]

I'd suggest using a second light used to selectivly affect the closest objects, using falloff keep the ball of light in a tight circle. Personally I like to use a shadowmapped spotlight set to a wide angle (180 degrees/ 16 degree edge), with plenty of shadow fuzziness.

[Avebeno]

...Howdy from Tempe BTW!

[lwaddict]

Swapping out the point light with a few wide open spotlights might work...
increase their shadow maps to roughly 3500 and blur them at 10, a little spinning wouldn't hurt either.