Cinematic Vanilla Shaders Wiki › Guides › Adjusting Shadow Intensity and Softness
Adjusting Shadow Intensity and Softness
Access Shader Settings
Open your shader options menu while in-game. This is typically found in Video Settings > Shaders > Shader Options, though the exact path depends on your launcher.
Fine-Tune Shadow Parameters
Look for shadow-related sliders such as:
- Shadow Distance: Controls how far shadows render from your character. Increasing this makes distant shadows visible but uses more performance.
- Shadow Softness: Adjusts the blur and feathering of shadow edges. Higher values create softer, more cinematic shadows; lower values produce sharper, more defined shadows.
- Shadow Brightness: Lightens or darkens shadowed areas. Increase if caves feel too dark; decrease for more dramatic contrast.
Test Your Changes
After adjusting each setting, move around your world to see how shadows fall on buildings, terrain, and vegetation. Pay attention to how shadows look during different times of day—morning and evening light creates the most noticeable shadow effects.
Performance Consideration
If your frame rate drops noticeably after increasing shadow distance or softness, reduce these values incrementally until you find a balance between visual quality and smooth gameplay.