# Sky Light - Buildings are Pitch Black

**URL:** <https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/sky-light-buildings-are-pitch-black/2652422>\
**Category:** Rendering\
**Tags:** Mobile, unreal-engine, level, bug-report, Lighting, question\
**Created:** [August 30, 2025, 6:29pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/sky-light-buildings-are-pitch-black/2652422 "2025-08-30T18:29:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mando\_2700](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Mando\_2700](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Mando_2700)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 6:29pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/sky-light-buildings-are-pitch-black/2652422/1 "2025-08-30T18:29:09Z")

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I use sky light for my mobile game as the only light source. Cast shadows is disabled. On mobile devices sometimes, not often though, some buildings are pitch black. What is the reason?

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**Author:** ![ZyLogic](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@ZyLogic](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/ZyLogic)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 12:37pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/sky-light-buildings-are-pitch-black/2652422/2 "2025-09-01T12:37:22Z")

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Could it be this? [Issues with Shadows and MSAA enabled on 5.5 when using distance field indirect shadow. - #3 by Huge9458](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/issues-with-shadows-and-msaa-enabled-on-5-5-when-using-distance-field-indirect-shadow/2283689/3)

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**Author:** ![Mando\_2700](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Mando\_2700](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Mando_2700)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 1:31pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/sky-light-buildings-are-pitch-black/2652422/3 "2025-09-02T13:31:41Z")

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Unfortunately no. Just some buidlings are entirely black except lights. I don’t use shadows

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**Author:** ![ZacD](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@ZacD](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/ZacD)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 2:13pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/sky-light-buildings-are-pitch-black/2652422/4 "2025-09-02T14:13:59Z")

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Double check that you’re not using DFAO, it’s one of the few things that can block skylight lighting, but I wouldn’t expect it to be enabled by default on mobile.

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**Author:** ![Mando\_2700](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Mando\_2700](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Mando_2700)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2025, 2:27pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/sky-light-buildings-are-pitch-black/2652422/5 "2025-09-02T14:27:33Z")

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![image](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/8/0/9/809cd93135224f14c44c34e2923f44b242921907.png)

That’s how every mesh looks like. What’s odd is that there is no issue with cars. They are BPs but still.

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**Author:** ![Mando\_2700](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Mando\_2700](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Mando_2700)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 8:44am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/sky-light-buildings-are-pitch-black/2652422/6 "2025-09-03T08:44:01Z")

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The buildings look exactly the same as when there is no sphere. Sphere is added at the beginning of the game.

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**Author:** ![Mando\_2700](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Mando\_2700](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Mando_2700)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2025, 5:37pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/sky-light-buildings-are-pitch-black/2652422/7 "2025-09-06T17:37:39Z")

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If I switch to Real Time capture all buildings are black the same way. Also it happens ONLY on merged meshes.

 ![image](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/a/d/3/ad37ed4188a9773e81a92df8a4000e3b5c3f19da.png)

 ![image](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/3/4/a/34a3a0cf83188ff49a2ecbcdeed8bf2464e53ea4.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mando\_2700](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Mando\_2700](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Mando_2700)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2025, 6:53pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/sky-light-buildings-are-pitch-black/2652422/8 "2025-09-07T18:53:44Z")

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The thing those buildings have in common is that they are merged. Not merged meshes don’t have this problem.