Optionally disable "render back faces" for the shadow caster

gazebo/physics/World.cc

@@ -229,6 +229,18 @@ void World::Load(sdf::ElementPtr _sdf)
     this->dataPtr->shadowCasterMaterialName = "Gazebo/shadow_caster";
   }
 
+  if (this->dataPtr->sdf->GetElement("scene")->
+      HasElement("ignition:shadow_caster_render_back_faces"))
+  {
+    this->dataPtr->shadowCasterRenderBackFaces =
+      this->dataPtr->sdf->GetElement("scene")->
+        Get<bool>("ignition:shadow_caster_render_back_faces");
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    this->dataPtr->shadowCasterRenderBackFaces = 1;
+  }
+
   // The period at which messages are processed
   this->dataPtr->processMsgsPeriod = common::Time(0, 200000000);
 
@@ -296,12 +308,21 @@ void World::Load(sdf::ElementPtr _sdf)
         << std::endl;
   }
 
-  std::string shadowCasterService("/shadow_caster_material_name");
-  if (!this->dataPtr->ignNode.Advertise(shadowCasterService,
-      &World::ShadowCasterService, this))
+  std::string shadowCasterMaterialNameService("/shadow_caster_material_name");
+  if (!this->dataPtr->ignNode.Advertise(shadowCasterMaterialNameService,
+      &World::ShadowCasterMaterialNameService, this))
   {
-    gzerr << "Error advertising service [" << shadowCasterService << "]"
-        << std::endl;
+    gzerr << "Error advertising service [" << 
+        shadowCasterMaterialNameService << "]" << std::endl;
+  }
+
+  std::string shadowCasterRenderBackFacesService(
+      "/shadow_caster_render_back_faces");
+  if (!this->dataPtr->ignNode.Advertise(shadowCasterRenderBackFacesService,
+      &World::ShadowCasterRenderBackFacesService, this))
+  {
+    gzerr << "Error advertising service [" << 
+        shadowCasterRenderBackFacesService << "]" << std::endl;
   }
 
   // This should come before loading of entities
@@ -3368,8 +3389,15 @@ bool World::PluginInfoService(const ignition::msgs::StringMsg &_req,
 }
 
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////
-bool World::ShadowCasterService(ignition::msgs::StringMsg &_res)
+bool World::ShadowCasterMaterialNameService(ignition::msgs::StringMsg &_res)
 {
   _res.set_data(this->dataPtr->shadowCasterMaterialName.c_str());
   return true;
 }
+
+//////////////////////////////////////////////////
+bool World::ShadowCasterRenderBackFacesService(ignition::msgs::Boolean &_res)
+{
+  _res.set_data(this->dataPtr->shadowCasterRenderBackFaces);
+  return true;
+}

gazebo/physics/World.hh

@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ namespace ignition
   {
     class Plugin_V;
     class StringMsg;
+    class Boolean;
   }
 }
 
@@ -654,7 +655,16 @@ namespace gazebo
       /// \brief Callback for "<this_name>/shadow_caster_material_name" service.
       /// \param[out] _response Message containing shadow caster material name
       /// \return True if the info was successfully obtained.
-      private: bool ShadowCasterService(ignition::msgs::StringMsg &_response);
+      private: bool ShadowCasterMaterialNameService(
+          ignition::msgs::StringMsg &_response);
+
+      /// \brief Callback for "<this_name>/shadow_caster_render_back_faces" 
+      ///     service.
+      /// \param[out] _response Message containing shadow caster render back
+      ///     faces
+      /// \return True if the info was successfully obtained.
+      private: bool ShadowCasterRenderBackFacesService(
+          ignition::msgs::Boolean &_response);
 
       /// \internal
       /// \brief Private data pointer.

gazebo/physics/WorldPrivate.hh

@@ -391,6 +391,9 @@ namespace gazebo
 
       /// \brief Shadow caster material name from scene SDF
       public: std::string shadowCasterMaterialName;
+
+      /// \brief Shadow caster render back faces from scene SDF
+      public: bool shadowCasterRenderBackFaces;
     };
   }
 }

gazebo/rendering/RTShaderSystem.cc

@@ -788,7 +788,8 @@ void RTShaderSystem::UpdateShadows(ScenePtr _scene)
 #endif
 
   sceneMgr->setShadowTextureSelfShadow(false);
-  sceneMgr->setShadowCasterRenderBackFaces(true);
+  sceneMgr->setShadowCasterRenderBackFaces(
+      _scene->ShadowCasterRenderBackFaces());
 
   // TODO: We have two different shadow caster materials, both taken from
   // OGRE samples. They should be compared and tested.

gazebo/rendering/Scene.cc

@@ -207,24 +207,48 @@ Scene::Scene(const std::string &_name, const bool _enableVisualizations,
   this->dataPtr->sceneSimTimePosesApplied = common::Time();
   this->dataPtr->sceneSimTimePosesReceived = common::Time();
 
-  // Get shadow caster material name from physics::World
-  ignition::transport::Node node;
-  ignition::msgs::StringMsg rep;
-  const std::string serviceName = "/shadow_caster_material_name";
-  bool result;
-  unsigned int timeout = 5000;
-  bool executed = node.Request(serviceName,
-      timeout, rep, result);
-  if (executed)
-  {
-    if (result)
-      this->dataPtr->shadowCasterMaterialName = rep.data();
+  {
+    // Get shadow caster material name from physics::World
+    ignition::transport::Node node;
+    ignition::msgs::StringMsg rep;
+    const std::string serviceName = "/shadow_caster_material_name";
+    bool result;
+    unsigned int timeout = 5000;
+    bool executed = node.Request(serviceName,
+        timeout, rep, result);
+    if (executed)
+    {
+      if (result)
+        this->dataPtr->shadowCasterMaterialName = rep.data();
+      else
+        gzerr << "Service call[" << serviceName << "] failed" << std::endl;
+    }
     else
-      gzerr << "Service call[" << serviceName << "] failed" << std::endl;
+    {
+      gzerr << "Service call[" << serviceName << "] timed out" << std::endl;
+    } 
   }
-  else
+
   {
-    gzerr << "Service call[" << serviceName << "] timed out" << std::endl;
+    // Get shadow caster render back faces from physics::World
+    ignition::transport::Node node;
+    ignition::msgs::Boolean rep;
+    const std::string serviceName = "/shadow_caster_render_back_faces";
+    bool result;
+    unsigned int timeout = 5000;
+    bool executed = node.Request(serviceName,
+        timeout, rep, result);
+    if (executed)
+    {
+      if (result)
+        this->dataPtr->shadowCasterRenderBackFaces = rep.data();
+      else
+        gzerr << "Service call[" << serviceName << "] failed" << std::endl;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      gzerr << "Service call[" << serviceName << "] timed out" << std::endl;
+    } 
   }
 }
 
@@ -3311,6 +3335,12 @@ std::string Scene::ShadowCasterMaterialName() const
   return this->dataPtr->shadowCasterMaterialName;
 }
 
+/////////////////////////////////////////////////
+bool Scene::ShadowCasterRenderBackFaces() const
+{
+  return this->dataPtr->shadowCasterRenderBackFaces;
+}
+
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void Scene::AddVisual(VisualPtr _vis)
 {

gazebo/rendering/Scene.hh

@@ -424,6 +424,10 @@ namespace gazebo
       /// \return Name of the shadow caster material
       public: std::string ShadowCasterMaterialName() const;
 
+      /// \brief Get the shadow caster render back faces
+      /// \return Shadow caster render back faces
+      public: bool ShadowCasterRenderBackFaces() const;
+
       /// \brief Add a visual to the scene
       /// \param[in] _vis Visual to add.
       public: void AddVisual(VisualPtr _vis);

gazebo/rendering/ScenePrivate.hh

@@ -379,6 +379,9 @@ namespace gazebo
 
       /// \brief Shadow caster material name
       public: std::string shadowCasterMaterialName = "Gazebo/shadow_caster";
+
+      /// \brief Shadow caster render back faces
+      public: bool shadowCasterRenderBackFaces = 1;
     };
   }
 }