How to set up a shadow catcher?

Development Rendering
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1

Hi,
I need for a current project a way to set up a shadow catcher to mix objects with a background image. I found really nothing in the internet to do set this up in Unreal. There are really no tutorials for this.

Is there somewhere a manual how to create a shadow catcher in Unreal?

Best regards, Andreas

2

I’m not sure what you mean. Are you talking about casting shadows onto a still image? Blending CG objects with a recorded film sequence?

3

Both. I have a still image as a background (it could be also be a video without camera motion) in which I want to integrate animations. But these objects have to cast shadows on the ground. In every 3D program it’s easy to archive this with a few clicks. But in Unreal it’s so complicated. Furthermore no documentation exists how to set up a shadow catcher in an easy way.

4

You can use this material to filter changes in lighting on the CG scene and the result will be your CG Object + Shadows/Lighting

295291-vp-pp-material.png
295291-vp-pp-material.png1221×741 55.5 KB

(Note: the middle Texture Sample needs to be the scene while being affected by the CG object.)

Sadly that’s the best I can do for you right now, since I have a ton of work in front of me myself, sorry. (I had this material from an older project)

5

Thank you very much for your help. :slight_smile: I will test your setup today in my scene.