System and method for generation of shadow effects in three-dimensional graphics

A system applying a lighting texture to a three-dimensional graphics object comprising:

• a memory configured to store data corresponding to a plurality of polygons in a three-dimensional graphical model that depicts an object;
• a display device configured to generate a visual depiction of the three-dimensional graphical model;
• and
• a processor operatively connected to the memory and the display device, the processor being configured to:
• identify an orientation of one polygon in the plurality of polygons that correspond to the object with respect to a surface that engages the object in the three-dimensional graphical model in the memory;
• identify a dimension of the one polygon in the identified orientation extending from the surface;
• map a predetermined lighting texture that is stored in the memory to an entire face of the one polygon in response to the identified dimension of the one polygon being less than a predetermined threshold;
• map the predetermined lighting texture to only a portion of a face of the one polygon with a dimension extending from the surface by a predetermined distance in response to the identified dimension of the one polygon being greater than the predetermined threshold;
• and
• generate a display of the three-dimensional graphical model including the one polygon in the object with the mapped predetermined lighting texture.