PathMax Shaders Wiki › FAQ
PathMax Shaders FAQ
10 questions players actually ask, answered.
How do I turn on PathMax Shaders after installing it?
Open your Video Settings in-game, go to Shaders, and select PathMax from the list. The shader will apply immediately to your world.
Why does my world look too dark or too bright with PathMax?
Use the Lighting Intensity setting in the shader options to adjust how strong the path-traced light bounces appear. Lower values darken the scene, higher values brighten it to match your preference.
Can I use PathMax with other mods that change lighting or blocks?
PathMax works with most mods, but mods that heavily alter lighting systems or add custom block rendering may cause visual conflicts. Test compatibility by loading your modpack and checking for unusual shadows or missing glow effects.
My FPS drops a lot when I use PathMax. How do I fix this?
Reduce the path tracing quality or sample count in shader settings, lower your render distance, or disable advanced features like reflections if your GPU struggles. See the performance optimization guide for more detailed steps.
Why do I see flickering or grain in my world?
Flickering usually means the path tracer needs more samples to stabilize—increase the sample count in settings or wait longer for the image to converge. Grain can also appear at low sample counts; the Troubleshoot Flickering guide has detailed fixes.
Does PathMax work in the Nether and End?
Yes, PathMax applies to all dimensions, but the Nether and End use different lighting setups that may look unusual. Adjust your Lighting Intensity or color settings separately for these dimensions if needed.
Can I use PathMax on servers or multiplayer worlds?
Shaders are client-side only, so you can use PathMax on any server or multiplayer world without affecting other players or requiring server mods.
How do I make colors look more vibrant with PathMax?
Check the Saturation or Vibrancy slider in shader settings, or refer to the Enhance Colors guide for biome-specific adjustments. You can also tweak gamma and contrast to make colors pop more.
Why do reflections look weird or not appear at all?
Reflections in PathMax are subtle by design to keep the vanilla feel. If they're missing, check that reflection quality isn't set to off in shader options, or lower your render distance if performance is causing them to disable automatically.
Does PathMax work with ray tracing GPUs, or is it just path tracing?
PathMax uses path tracing, which works on any GPU but is more demanding than traditional shaders. Ray tracing hardware can speed it up, but it's not required—the shader will run on standard graphics cards.