> I'm not sure how spotlights are coded, but I would assume they
> calculate the inner and outer radius and then the intermediate results
> are calculated with some mathematical function. Can't a similar
> approach be used for *shadows*? Use the extreme points of the area
> light to determine maximum and minimum shadowing and apply some
> mathematical function inbetween, rather than banding it with
> intermediate lights? (I guess a similar effect could be obtained by
> using spotlights instead of point lights inside the area light)
But how would a point between full illumination and full darkness know
how far it is from either? It is easy with spotlights: you just find the
off-axis angle for the light, and subtract angles. With shadows, you
don't know what the full shadow and full illumination angles are,
because they depend on the other objects.

-- 
Now  as he walked by the sea  of Galilee,  he saw  Simon and Andrew  his
brother casting a spam into the net:  for they were phishers.  And Jesus
said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become phishers
of men.  And  straightway  they forsook  their  nets,  and followed him.

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