UE5: FIX - Single-Layer Water with Directional Light Blocky Hard Shadow Problem and Solution

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Published on ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqP0WrZnbEc


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When using a Single Layer Water Shader, a common issue you’ll experience is with Directional Light casting harsh shadows from nearby geometry. These shadows appear incorrectly on the water plane, creating an unnatural effect. In this video I'll show you how to fix this.

3 Console Commands mentioned in the video:

r.Water.SingleLayer.DepthPrepass=1
r.Water.SingleLayer.ShadersSupportVSMFiltering=1
r.Water.SingleLayer.VSMFiltering=1

#unrealengine #ue5 #unrealengine5 #gameart #gamedesign #gamedev

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
00:47 Everything I Have Setup
02:40 Solution 1: Ray Traced Shadows
04:29 Solution 2: Don’t Use Directional Light
05:03 Solution 3: HDRI Lighting
06:01 Directional Light Source Angle



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