Hello,
when I create the package some trees dont cast shadows, but when I play the game in preview (selected viewport) all is ok. See screenshots below. Could you help please?
-raytraced shadows, active in material and static mesh. They work in viewport but not in packed game.
The trees are datasmith forestpack export, an actor composed from instanced meshes.
In package: When I change the static mesh component of the forestpack actor for something simple, the shadows work. If I place the tree static mesh only the shadows work.
Is there some raytrace shadow limit for more complex actors in packed game?
I am sad to hear that you are experiencing these issue. For once, you’d actually expect the packaged version to have higher quality. I would package the project in the debug mode, open the console and verify that you are using the right settings. Here is a reference to the scalability settings which should be a good way to start: Scalability Reference | Unreal Engine 4.27 Documentation
Thanks Elias, scalability was very good advice that directed me to the solution of another problem with virtual shadow maps beta. Unfortunately the problem with the lack of raytraced shadows on some trees is somewhere else. Strange, if I drag the tree to the viewport it casts shadow, if I drag it to “composed instances” actor it cast it as well in editor. If I run the packed game it is shadowless. Finally figured out there are two versions of the same static mesh tree in the megascans library one with _PP at the end. The tree with PP cast shadow in any situation. “SM_EuropeanHornbeam_Field_02” and “SM_EuropeanHornbeam_Field_02_PP”. Do you know what is the difference between these two? Could not find any info in the description.
I just switched the tree static mesh to one with the _PP at the end.
" Finally figured out there are two versions of the same static mesh tree in the megascans library one with _PP at the end. The tree with PP casts shadow in any situation."
or you can try better scalability settings as EliasWick mentioned.
Hi @filanek and @wams-97. We are having the same issue with the trees when packaging the project, they lose the shadows, ambient oclussion, self shadows. We tried changing the tree type from Simple Wind to PP, and it’s true that now it creates a different effect but they look much darker. We think it might a mix related to Ray Tracing Translucent or nanite. It’s odd to us that it works fine in the editor but not in the packaged version. Have you found another solution?
