could it be because the scale of you models... im just guessing though,
like those shadow particles a huge persay..

if we tiny sand pebbles would be huge... but because we a big they look small smooth,

maybe that sorta applys to what your doing maybe not

Here's another test about the model scale theory.
The models shadows are fine in my opinion. No antialias.
But look at those shadows and its gradient at the wall behind.
I'm using video_depth = 32, video_mode=8.
Do you see anything that I don't?

The thing is, I think the model may be using stencil shadows while the room is using shadow maps. Hence the difference.

But I still can't help you in regards to the shadow map...

Ok, I found this in the manual. It may help or it may not.

Stencil buffer shadows look better than z-buffer shadows: they 'bend' around corners, and objects can cast shadows on themselves. Due to the hard shadow edges, especially with self shadows, they work best with high polygon models and rather dark levels with hard light contrasts. Stencil buffer shadows have the following restrictions:
Stencil shadows are slower than z buffer shadows, and only run on 3D hardware with 8 bit stencil buffer support. All 3D cards manufactured after 2000 fulfil this requirement.
Stencil shadows can only be cast by nontransparent, non-invisible models consisting of closed meshes with no holes. No polygons must intersect each other or touch each other with their flat side. Otherwise rendering errors (dark lines projecting from the model to the shadow) can be visible. In a closed mesh, every edge is shared by exactly two triangles. If the model's mesh is not closed, create a closed mesh LOD model for shadow casting. The MED mesh tester can be used for determining whether a mesh is closed or not.
Stencil shadows can be cast from the sun or from dynamic lights. In the latter case the light emitting entity must have the CAST flag set. A stencil shadow is cast by the strongest dynamic light that reaches the origin of the entity. If the entity origin is not within the range of any light, the shadow is cast by the sun. Shadow casting lights must not be inside a shadow throwing object.
Dynamic shadows are not clipped by walls. A shadow can be cast on a wall, at the back side of the wall, and on the floor behind the wall at the same time. Take care that level and models are dark in unlit parts, or use the CAST flag to prevent self shadows.
Stencil shadows are also visible on model polygons that point away from the light source, which can lead to undesired shadow polygons. To avoid this, use a material with low ambient and a high diffuse part.
On surfaces precisely perpendicular to the light source, z-beating effects can occur between the shadow and the surface. The engine uses a depth bias value to prevent z-beating, however some old 3D cards don't support depth bias.
Shadow rendering can be greatly sped up by using LOD models. By default, shadows are cast from the first LOD step. This can be modified through the shadow_lod variable.
Stencil shadows can be blurred by a postprocessing stage for creating smooth shadows. For details, see view.stage, view.material, and render_stencil.
Z-pass stencil shadows are faster than z-fail shadows, but don't allow to move the camera into a shadow volume. They are the best method for elevated 3rd person cameras, like in an isometric game. In first person mode the player's shadow is automatically switched off when z-pass stencil shadows are activated.

Z-fail stencil shadows are slower than z-pass shadows, but more robust. They are independent of the camera position and allow LOD models to differ greatly from the original model, which would otherwise cause shadow faults with the z-pass algorithm. Z-fail shadow volumes are columns rather than cones, although the difference is only visible with close lights. A script can be used for tracing a ray from a light source to the camera, and automatically switching to z-fail shadows when the ray hits an obstacle.

Z-buffer shadows are projected onto the floor below the model by the sun only. The projection direction is given by the sun azimuth and elevation (sun_angle).

yes but stencil shadows are for models (if I understand), not for blocks. I've already done the test.

If we look at the last pic, the shadow model is fine but the shadow level...

Umm, no it's not. Have a closer look at the models shadow.
You can see the step effect.

Anyway, As I said before. It's only a tutorial. I wouldn't loose any sleep over it. I mean it's not as if they teach all the in's and out's
of the engine... You learn as you go.

I do, but the tutorial or not the tutorial, I have the same problem with blocks.

I've done several tries and when it's a shadow's block, I have this problem.

I tried with a new room, with several prefab, columns, light, etc...But no always the same problem.

Ok this is the last thing I can think of.

Try these in your startup wdl...
There are more settings in the display00.wdl in the
templates folder of GS..

even try including it in your project.


[CODE]
//----------------------------------------------------------------------
// section: Shadow

// entry: Stencil Shadow
// help: Stencil shadows 'bend' around corners, and objects cast shadows on themselves.
// id: 53
var shadow_stencil = 1;


// entry: Shadow Offset
// help: Set the distance that entity shadows are offset from the floor
// id: 12
var shadow_offset = 3;

//----------------------------------------------------------------------
// enable: Adv. Light Res?
// help: Improve light resolution
// id: 29
var d3d_lightres = 1;
[/CODE]

If that don't work I don't know what else I can think of.
Other than look at the Acknex site and download tutorials from there.

Remember, the tutorials you are doing are simple, the only teach you the basics. Better ones are available, you only need to be patient and
search.

Well, still no solution.
I tried all the suggestions of Nidhogg to no effect.
I just discovered that A7 map compiler has a slider that controls the Lightmap scale. I think that is exactly what we are looking for.
I'll test it and give you feedback.

Ok tested it.
No difference at all!

Well, I got something.
Following one of the first suggestions of the post I reduced the sizes of the textures from 1.000 to 0.100 – anything smaller than that I get a warning saying that the surface is too big to use shaded mode.
I got a much better shadow resolution. But the gradient is still an issue.


At the first image the textures are scaled down.
At the second one I moved the Light Ambiance slider of the map compiler all the way to 100 in spite of what the tooltip says. At the 0 position there are more gradients than at 100 but they are far from smoother.

In my opinion that's still not what we expected but I wander if we build a bigger level the shadowmap will look right.

That's not the solution I was hoping to find honestly.
I'm following a tutorial too, Grimber's FPS tutorial and he used version 6.22 of the engine, I'm using 6.60, and his shadows are excellent, just the way they're supposed to be. His textures are at their original size and there are much more tiles, so I assume his level is bigger than mine.
I prefer to think this way than to think that a patch broke something between 6.22 and 6.60

Anyway, that's what I found out.
I wish someone involved with engine development would give his opinion on the subject or shed some light on our ignorance.