1. A method to determine soft shadows, the method comprising: dividing an area light source into a patch of points; obtaining a packet of points on a surface that is subject to illumination by the patch of points; determining a form-factor value for each of the points in the packet of points; and simultaneously performing adaptive soft shadow calculations by a processor for each of the points in the packet using the point in the packet having the greatest form-factor value for the adaptive soft shadow calculation for each of the points in the packet, wherein the form-factor value is an indication of the fraction of energy from the patch of light that arrives at the points in the packet of points.