Question Shadow Catcher within VAM ?

[VirtualWishX]

Hi All,

Is there a plugin (or any other way) to do Shadow Catcher within VAM instead of in post?
The real question is how to do it within VAM without go to another software such as Blender or After Effects:


More Details of what I'm trying to achieve:
I usually do that in post (After Effects for example) but it's never as accurate or easy as for example any Shadow Catcher in other 3D softwares,
so I'm wonderin if there is a way to do it on a still image as a background for start.

For example:
- Background image with floor, some walls (just a STILL IMAGE, doesn't have to be HDRI, most simple way yet accurate)
- Shaodw catcher within VAM for 1 (or more) characters to cast their shadows on the chosen Background's Floor, Walls (and objects for advanced awesomeness)

The only way I can think of now (consider I'm a VAM NEWBIE) is to set INVISIBLE PLANES based on the background's prespective
I have NO IDEA how to do that yet:
- Creating Planes with NO MATERIAL shown, but does ACCEPT and SHOW any SHADOWS cast on these planes? (character's shadows for example)

If anyone have any suggestion for a plugin, or a tutorial to explain how to do it in VAM, maybe even a simple example SCENE file to learn from,
That will be very helpful.

Thanks ahead!


Shadow Catcher Example in Daz3D:
>> Watch this EXAMPLE of an old yet super simplistic way a Shadow Catcher works in DAZ3D <<

 

[Origin69]

I don't think you can with transparent image panels. You could try the render queue settings, but i think anything with full alpha wont have a shadow cast on it. What you could do is put the image panel where you want the wall. Take two screenshots, one with the panel on, and one off. In an image editor layer them, select the area outlining the image panel and perspective transform that area square and save a new image. You can then use that image on the panel in vam and it should line up with the background image, and catch the shadow.
I know this still takes extra steps, and maybe messy depending on the image detail, but it could be faster than adding and removeing the shadows afterwards.