Improve Visibility in Dark Caves and Mines

Understand the Lighting Refresh

Vanilla Shading Renewed improves how block light (from torches, lava, glowstone) spreads through dark spaces. The shader recalculates lighting to make caves feel less pitch-black while preserving the natural darkness of unlit areas.

Optimize Your Lighting Strategy

Place torches, lanterns, or other light sources strategically:

• Spacing: Light sources illuminate a radius around them; place them close enough that their glow overlaps to avoid dark pockets.
• Height Variation: Mount lights at different heights on walls and ceilings to create more natural, layered illumination.
• Colored Lights: Use different block types (soul lanterns, redstone lamps) to add visual variety while maintaining visibility.

Adjust Brightness if Needed

If caves still feel too dark, check your Gamma setting in Options > Video Settings. Increasing gamma brightens unlit areas without affecting lit zones. Alternatively, enable Ambient Occlusion in shader options for subtle fill light in shadowed corners.