# Games with dynamic lighting only, how do they solve the problem of shadows being too dark/sharp?

**URL:** <https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/games-with-dynamic-lighting-only-how-do-they-solve-the-problem-of-shadows-being-too-dark-sharp/470545>\
**Category:** Rendering\
**Tags:** dynamic-lighting, dynamic-shadows, unreal-engine, directional-light, Lighting, question\
**Created:** [August 30, 2020, 11:07am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/games-with-dynamic-lighting-only-how-do-they-solve-the-problem-of-shadows-being-too-dark-sharp/470545 "2020-08-30T11:07:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Unisink2020](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Unisink2020](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Unisink2020)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 11:07am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/games-with-dynamic-lighting-only-how-do-they-solve-the-problem-of-shadows-being-too-dark-sharp/470545/1 "2020-08-30T11:07:56Z")

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I’m working on a project with a day/night cycle and everything looks good ATM except how stark the shadows are. I’d like some lighter/softer shadows., how do other games do it? Know any examples of games in Unreal with a day/night cycle I can look at? Thanks.

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**Author:** ![ClockworkOcean](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/clockworkocean/32/1169999_2.png) [@ClockworkOcean](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/ClockworkOcean)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 11:17am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/games-with-dynamic-lighting-only-how-do-they-solve-the-problem-of-shadows-being-too-dark-sharp/470545/2 "2020-08-30T11:17:52Z")

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Basically turn the skylight up 🙂

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**Author:** ![Unisink2020](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Unisink2020](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Unisink2020)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 12:08pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/games-with-dynamic-lighting-only-how-do-they-solve-the-problem-of-shadows-being-too-dark-sharp/470545/3 "2020-08-30T12:08:44Z")

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I’ve tried that with mixed results. It does give me lighter shadows but overall the noon light is too bright and the shadows still have a sharp edge.

Essentially it still looks like an alien planet in the middle of the day.

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**Author:** ![ClockworkOcean](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/clockworkocean/32/1169999_2.png) [@ClockworkOcean](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/ClockworkOcean)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 12:29pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/games-with-dynamic-lighting-only-how-do-they-solve-the-problem-of-shadows-being-too-dark-sharp/470545/4 "2020-08-30T12:29:50Z")

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I assume you’re using a moveable directional light, that usually give very soft shadows by default.

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**Author:** ![Unisink2020](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Unisink2020](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Unisink2020)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 12:32pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/games-with-dynamic-lighting-only-how-do-they-solve-the-problem-of-shadows-being-too-dark-sharp/470545/5 "2020-08-30T12:32:30Z")

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Yeah I’m using a movable Directional light.

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**Author:** ![ClockworkOcean](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/clockworkocean/32/1169999_2.png) [@ClockworkOcean](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/ClockworkOcean)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 1:05pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/games-with-dynamic-lighting-only-how-do-they-solve-the-problem-of-shadows-being-too-dark-sharp/470545/6 "2020-08-30T13:05:08Z")

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By default, moveable directional light settings will get very soft shadows in a default map and in the time of day map.

Dynamic shadow distance movable light ( param name ), if that’s too low, you’ll get hard shadows.

Num dynamic shadow cascades - increasing that will sharpen everything.

As will tweaking ‘distribution exponent’.

Are you using default params?

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**Author:** ![Unisink2020](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Unisink2020](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Unisink2020)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2020, 1:30pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/games-with-dynamic-lighting-only-how-do-they-solve-the-problem-of-shadows-being-too-dark-sharp/470545/7 "2020-08-30T13:30:24Z")

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I’m using Defaults for those, yes. I’ll look at these settings, thanks.