R T S Shaders Wiki › FAQ
R T S Shaders FAQ
10 questions players actually ask, answered.
How do I turn on global illumination after installing the shader?
Open your shader settings menu (usually accessed through the pause menu or a keybind), then locate the Global Illumination toggle and enable it. You may need to adjust the intensity slider to see the effect clearly on your current build.
Why do my caves look too bright or washed out?
This is often caused by global illumination bouncing light too aggressively in enclosed spaces. Use the guide 'Make Caves and Underground Spaces Feel Naturally Lit' to dial back the GI intensity or adjust ambient occlusion settings for more realistic shadow depth underground.
Does this shader work with other lighting mods?
R T S Shaders replaces the game's core lighting calculations, so using it alongside other lighting mods can cause conflicts or unpredictable results. It's designed to work standalone with vanilla Minecraft.
My FPS dropped a lot after enabling this. How do I fix it?
Global illumination is computationally expensive; refer to 'Optimize Performance While Keeping Visual Quality' to reduce GI sample count, lower render distance, or disable GI on less important areas. You can also reduce shadow quality or resolution settings.
Why does my build have weird colored shadows or a purple/green tint?
This is color casting, usually caused by GI bouncing light from nearby colored blocks too strongly. Check 'Troubleshoot Unnatural Lighting or Color Casting' for steps to balance color saturation and reduce light bounce intensity from specific block types.
Can I use this shader on a multiplayer server?
Yes, shaders are client-side only, so other players won't need it installed and it won't affect server performance. Everyone sees the world normally unless they also have the shader enabled on their own client.
How do I make my build look brighter without it looking fake?
Use 'Adjust Global Illumination Intensity for Your Build Style' to find the right balance for your aesthetic. Increasing GI intensity gradually while monitoring how light bounces off your blocks helps you avoid oversaturation.
Does this work with ray tracing or other advanced graphics mods?
R T S Shaders uses simulated global illumination within the standard game engine, not true ray tracing. Combining it with other shader packs or advanced graphics mods may cause visual conflicts or performance issues.
Why do shadows look different in different parts of my world?
Global illumination recalculates light paths based on surrounding geometry, so shadows naturally vary depending on nearby blocks and terrain. If shadows seem inconsistent or broken, check your GI settings and verify no conflicting mods are active.
Can I disable global illumination for specific biomes or areas?
Most shader packs don't offer per-biome toggles, but you can adjust global settings to work well across all biomes. If certain areas look wrong, use the troubleshooting guide to tweak color casting or intensity rather than disabling GI entirely.