void render_frame(void)
{
   
	d3ddev->Clear(0, NULL, D3DCLEAR_TARGET|D3DCLEAR_ZBUFFER, D3DCOLOR_XRGB(0, 0, 0), 1.0f, 0);
	d3ddev->Clear(0, NULL, D3DCLEAR_STENCIL, D3DCOLOR_XRGB(0, 0, 0), 1.0f, 0);



    d3ddev->BeginScene();

	// assume the #1 light is the natural light, #0 is the light used for drawing shadowed region.

	// *********************** pass 1  ***********************
	// pass 1
	d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_ZFUNC, D3DCMP_LESS); 
	d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_ZENABLE,TRUE);

	d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_STENCILENABLE,FALSE);
	d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_STENCILFUNC,D3DCMP_ALWAYS);
	d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_LIGHTING, TRUE);
	d3ddev->LightEnable(1, TRUE);  // turn on the normal light
	d3ddev->LightEnable(0, FALSE);// turn off the shadow light

	mesh_landscape->UpdateAll(); // update the matrices
	mesh_landscape->draw();

	objects[0]->UpdateAll(); // draw some random object
	objects[0]->draw();
	// *********************** shadow volume ***********************

	
		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_STENCILENABLE,TRUE);
		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_LIGHTING, FALSE); // not bothering with light when drawing the shadow volume.

		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_ZENABLE,TRUE);
		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_ZFUNC,D3DCMP_LESS);

		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_ZWRITEENABLE, FALSE);

		
		d3ddev->SetRenderState( D3DRS_COLORWRITEENABLE , FALSE); // turn off the color buffer.

		// stencil configurations
		
		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_STENCILFUNC,        D3DCMP_ALWAYS); // stencil test always passes
		
		objects[1]->UpdateAll();

		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_STENCILPASS,       D3DSTENCILOP_INCR);
		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_CULLMODE,D3DCULL_CCW); // render the front face of the shadow volume.
		objects[1]->draw(); // draw the front side of the shadow volume
		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_STENCILPASS,       D3DSTENCILOP_DECR);
		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_CULLMODE,D3DCULL_CW); // render the back of the shadow volume.
		objects[1]->draw();// draw the back side of the shadow volume.
		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_CULLMODE,D3DCULL_CCW); // back to normal face culling.


		d3ddev->SetRenderState( D3DRS_COLORWRITEENABLE , 0xff); // turn the color buffer back on.
	
	// *********************** pass 2  ***********************
	// pass 2: draw the region that is covered by shadow.
	
		

		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_LIGHTING, TRUE); // turn the light back on, but only the shadow light source to draw the shadowed region.
		d3ddev->LightEnable(0, TRUE);  // turn on the shadow light
		d3ddev->LightEnable(1, FALSE);// turn off the normal light

		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_ZWRITEENABLE, TRUE); // turn z-buffer write back on.
		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_ZENABLE,TRUE);
		
		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_ZFUNC, D3DCMP_EQUAL);

		// stencil configurations
		//d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_STENCILENABLE,      TRUE);
		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_STENCILFUNC,        D3DCMP_NOTEQUAL); // for this part even i change it to D3DCMP_NEVER everything still gets drawn
		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_STENCILREF,         0x0);

		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_STENCILFAIL,        D3DSTENCILOP_KEEP);
		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_STENCILZFAIL,       D3DSTENCILOP_KEEP);
		d3ddev->SetRenderState(D3DRS_STENCILPASS,        D3DSTENCILOP_KEEP);
		
		// redraw the landscape
		mesh_landscape->draw();


	/*************************** end  *********************/


    d3ddev->EndScene(); 

    d3ddev->Present(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);

    return;
}