RayTrace ShaderPack Shaders FAQ
10 questions players actually ask, answered.
How do I enable the shader pack after installing it?
Open Options > Video Settings > Shaders, then locate RayTrace ShaderPack Shaders in your shader folder and select it. The shaders will load immediately, and you'll see reflections and global illumination take effect on your next screen refresh.
Why do my reflections look broken or pixelated?
Ray-marched reflections depend on screen resolution and ray quality settings. Lower your render distance or check if ray-marching steps are set too low in the shader options—increasing these will improve reflection clarity at the cost of performance.
Can I use this with OptiFine and Iris at the same time?
No, you should use either OptiFine or Iris as your shader loader, not both. Choose whichever one gives you better performance on your system, as they handle shaders differently.
My indoor lighting looks too dark or too bright. How do I fix it?
Adjust the Global Illumination settings in your shader options—increase the GI intensity to brighten indoor spaces where sunlight doesn't reach, or decrease it if interiors are washed out. You can also tweak block light radius to control how far torchlight spreads.
What's the performance impact of this shader pack?
RayTrace ShaderPack Shaders is moderately demanding because of ray-marching and global illumination calculations. You'll see the biggest FPS drop on older GPUs; reducing shadow softness, reflection quality, or render distance helps recover performance.
Why do shadows flicker or jump around when the sun moves?
This usually means shadow softness is set too high relative to your shadow map resolution. Lower the shadow softness value in shader settings, or increase shadow distance if available, to stabilize shadows as the sun rotates.
Do reflections work on all blocks or just water?
Reflections primarily appear on water and smooth/shiny blocks like ice and polished stone. The shader pack uses screen-space ray-marching, so reflections only render on surfaces the shader recognizes as reflective.
Can I disable global illumination if it's too slow?
Yes, most shader options menus include a toggle or intensity slider for global illumination. Disabling it or setting it to minimum will significantly boost FPS, though you'll lose the realistic light-bouncing effect.
Why does the world look washed out or too saturated?
Check the shader's color grading and tone mapping settings in the options menu. Adjust brightness, contrast, or saturation sliders to match your preferred look, and make sure your monitor brightness isn't set too high.
Does this shader pack work in the Nether and End?
Yes, the shader pack applies globally, but global illumination and shadow behavior will look different in the Nether and End since they lack a traditional sun and moon. Reflections and ray-marching still work on applicable surfaces.