# Weird Shadows **URL:** \ **Category:** Asset Creation\ **Tags:** UE5-0, question\ **Created:** [August 29, 2022, 5:43pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/weird-shadows/636609 "2022-08-29T17:43:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CapitaoGio](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@CapitaoGio](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/CapitaoGio)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 5:43pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/weird-shadows/636609/1 "2022-08-29T17:43:43Z")
I’ve ran into a problem in UE5 I was hoping some of you could have the answer for (Image 1). I have this triangulated mesh in UE that generates this weird shadows. Turning “Self Shadows Only” removes those but the mesh doesn’t cast shadows on the scene (Image 2), which I need, and turning Contact Shadows On aggravates the problem as you can see in Image 3. Any idea how to get rid of these? I know the problem isn’t the mesh triangulation, just can’t figure out what is. Thanks ![3](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/0/3/4/03495189656aab5f08d01b52880c6f11deb42251.jpeg) ![2](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/3/9/7/3970f039b754475d99b6cfc142ed834a8440d724.jpeg) ![1](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/3/4/2344795ba56f01d15c15d6de9531aee93de575d3.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![ZenLeviathan](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/zenleviathan/32/551307_2.png) [@ZenLeviathan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/ZenLeviathan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 10:02pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/weird-shadows/636609/2 "2022-08-29T22:02:40Z")
Hey @CapitaoGio, Do you have a physics asset attached to your mesh? ---
**Author:** ![CapitaoGio](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@CapitaoGio](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/CapitaoGio)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 11:10am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/weird-shadows/636609/3 "2022-08-30T11:10:12Z")
I do have the physics asset that generates automatically when I import the mesh to Unreal Engine ---
**Author:** ![dorusoftware](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@dorusoftware](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/dorusoftware)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 11:17am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/weird-shadows/636609/4 "2022-08-30T11:17:52Z")
is this nanite? also the material seems to be the default missing material? Why it has a physycs asset? is that a skeletal mesh? ---
**Author:** ![CapitaoGio](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@CapitaoGio](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/CapitaoGio)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 12:15pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/weird-shadows/636609/5 "2022-08-30T12:15:51Z")
It is not nanite. It is in fact the default missing material but If I apply the correct material to it doesn’t change much besides the color. I have suspicions that it has something to due with the fact that the mesh has soften edges but those are the shadows from the mesh with hard edges. There’s no particular need for a physics asset yes so I can delete it but it is a Static Mesh generated from a skeletal mesh. Here’s another SS of the object imported as a static mesh only, no physics asset no skeletal mesh and Material applied. ![](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/7/0/e/70edefc8f5decd8e96f15b0186ed77a901f6e913.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![dorusoftware](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@dorusoftware](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/dorusoftware)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 2:46pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/weird-shadows/636609/6 "2022-08-30T14:46:41Z")
I don’t follow this. is a static mesh or a skeletal mesh? when hoovering over the file in the content browser what it say? are you sure doesn’t have nanite enabled. those looks like nanite triangles when the nanite files is not setup correctly. also quite common ---
**Author:** ![CapitaoGio](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@CapitaoGio](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/CapitaoGio)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 3:17pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/weird-shadows/636609/7 "2022-08-30T15:17:30Z")
Ok let me recap, since it may have gotten a bit confusing with all the info. It’s a static mesh and it has nanite disabled ---
**Author:** ![dorusoftware](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@dorusoftware](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/dorusoftware)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 4:09pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/weird-shadows/636609/8 "2022-08-30T16:09:44Z")
what happens if you move the camera? did you actually check if is a static mesh with nanite disabled or you think it is because you have generated the mesh somehow. sorry 🤪 you never know ---
**Author:** ![CapitaoGio](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@CapitaoGio](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/CapitaoGio)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 10:44pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/weird-shadows/636609/9 "2022-08-30T22:44:43Z")
No problem! Yes I checked the nanite and it is in fact disabled, I’ve come to the conclusion that this is happening with all my shadows in the scene, some are just more abrupt like in this example. Here’s a gif of another example where you can see the sharp shadows. > **[Gyazo](https://gyazo.com/dec2d6b62937ef51883d31b4ad2ddbc5)** > > Easily capture screenshots, GIFs, and replays that are ready to share. Download the free app for windows and mac. ---
**Author:** ![Apgar426](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/apgar426/32/555912_2.png) [@Apgar426](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Apgar426)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 3:42pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/weird-shadows/636609/10 "2022-09-02T15:42:56Z")
This looks like something that virtual shadow maps does (ray traced shadows too). It appears to ignore normals smoothing in the mesh when creating shadows. Only good old Cascaded shadow maps (“shadow method”-\>“shadow maps” in settings) seems to create soft shadows that are aware of smoothing. ![shadows_CSM](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/4/6/1/4611d23ddcc97e19d12c5072e90a847322e7bfb1.gif) ---
**Author:** ![CapitaoGio](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@CapitaoGio](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/CapitaoGio)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 1:07pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/weird-shadows/636609/11 "2022-09-12T13:07:55Z")
That was 100% correct! I was disabling contact shadows because it seemed to make it less visible but it was still there. That setting made it much better! Thanks