No shadows

[shivrod]

I've seen people playing KSP with shadows, but I've been unable to get them myself. Is there something more I need to do than turn up the shadow cascade slider?

I'm playing on a Windows 7 computer, if that helps.

[vexx32]

You need to turn the Render Quality slider up to at least the middle setting or higher (apologies, I can't quite remember what the setting is called; they have nonstandard names :/).

[shivrod]

I've tried that, all my settings have been turned up to max. Is there an option in a text file somewhere I need to change to 1 or something?

I ask because I recall a Scott Manley video looong ago where he was talking about enabling the shadows manually.

[theersink]

I've tried that, all my settings have been turned up to max. Is there an option in a text file somewhere I need to change to 1 or something?

I ask because I recall a Scott Manley video looong ago where he was talking about enabling the shadows manually.

Are you running in OpenGL? If you are you will not get shadows.

[shivrod]

I don't believe I'm running OpenGL. How would I check to see if I am?

[shivrod]

Could somebody check this page here: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/22893-FIX-Shadows-Missing-Check-this-out?p=287616&viewfull=1#post287616 and see if it's anything that might help? The forum tells me I don't have permission to view it.

I found it linked in this thread: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/23150-how-do-i-enable-shadows-again, so it's possible it might help.

[FenrirWolf]

I don't believe I'm running OpenGL. How would I check to see if I am?

If you're playing the game in Linux or OSX, or if you're on Windows and you specified -force-opengl as a launch parameter.

[BudgetHedgehog]

Odd - I force OpenGL and have always seen shadows. Granted, they're a bit weird at times, but no worse than I've seen in other peoples videos.

[shivrod]

Checked my launch parameter, nothing there about openGL.

Was anybody able to check the link I posted to see if there's any pertinent advice in it? I'd check myself, but like I mentioned, I don't have permission for some strange reason.

[vexx32]

Could somebody check this page here: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/22893-FIX-Shadows-Missing-Check-this-out?p=287616&viewfull=1#post287616 and see if it's anything that might help? The forum tells me I don't have permission to view it.

I found it linked in this thread: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/23150-how-do-i-enable-shadows-again, so it's possible it might help.

That was one of mine, so funny you should ask, ehehe.

No, it likely won't help. It was from before KSP exposed the Render Quality setting in the game's settings, so altering actually forced you to do a registry hack. The setting in-game does the same thing (or it should). Here's a quote of that particular post, on the off chance it manages to help you.

OK, so the issue of missing shadows comes up every once in a while. I've seen it countless times, and I know a lot of inexperienced users should probably not be tampering with the registry (yeah, curiosity kills the cat, and in this case if you mess something up bad enough, it'll kill your computer). The fix for the missing shadows is as simple as editing one single registry value. With that in mind, I have provided a .reg file here for anyone who is having this issue to use. It should quickly and easily eliminate the problem, without requiring a long how-to each and every time. It'll be as simple as giving the person this link, and saying "here, run this:"

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/42485542/KSP%20Graphics%20Fix.reg

Download that and run it, and it should fix it up quick smart. It's a plain reg file that just changes the registry setting for KSP's graphics quality to 3.

If you have a higher-end system, you may want to change it to 5 instead. Here's a file that'll do just that:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/42485542/KSP%20Graphics%20Quality%205.reg

If possible, could this either be put in an existing sticky, or this thread itself stickied? Thanks. It'll make it much easier for those of us who are around in the Support section answering questions and helping out where we can if we reduce the number of duplicate threads by having a solution always easily visible.

However... Hmm. I'm not sure it'd be of any use. I don't know exactly where those .reg files were uploaded, and if they were in my own dropbox account, I doubt they're still there.

EDIT: Nope, seems like they're gone with the wind. Sorry.

[shivrod]

Do you recall the location of the registry value? If you can, I might just try to edit it manually.

[vexx32]

Hmm. It should be something along the lines of HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Squad\Kerbal Space Program, from memory.

[shivrod]

Is it UnityGraphicsQuality? Currently set to 0 for me.

[vexx32]

That is most interesting. Set it to 3, and see how it goes.

[shivrod]

It reset to 0 after I started up KSP. No shadows. I seem to recall reading about somebody else with this problem, not sure where though.

Would changing the value with the game running be viable?

[shivrod]

Nevermind, tried that. It still resets to 0.

What about deleting it? Or is that a horrendous idea?

[vexx32]

It'll just be regenerated. I wonder... mind checking the folder permissions on KSP's main folder (and subfolders)? I know some users with a Steam install can have trouble with settings not taking effect, because Steam sometimes arbitrarily sets the KSP folder to Read-Only for no apparent reason. That mightn't be the precise case here, but it doesn't hurt to check it.

Also, if you don't have a Steam install... where is KSP installed? If it's on the Desktop or anywhere else within your user folder (Documents, etc.), or indeed anywhere within the standard Program Files folder(s) (barring a Steam install, which mostly takes care of the otherwise messy permissions issues), you might want to try making a second copy in a more reliable location, like C:\KSP, or C:\Games\KSP.

[shivrod]

\steamapps\common\Kerbal Space Program is Read Only as it happens. In fact, all the subfolders appear to be Read Only.

(Thanks for helping with this, btw)

[vexx32]

Yeah, you'll probably want to take it off for the main folder and all subfolders. Changing the Render Quality setting in-game should then fix your shadow issue, though I'm not sure if modifying that setting requires a game restart or not to take effect.

[shivrod]

Huh. Small problem, whenever I untick "Read Only" and hit Apply, it asks me to confirm the changes. After hitting okay, the properties window vanishes and when I open it back up, "Read Only" is back on.

[vexx32]

Hmm, interesting. I've heard of that before, but I figured I may as well google it and see what happens. This Microsoft KB article is for windows 2000, but I can't help but wonder if it's still applicable. It's worth a shot: https://support.microsoft.com/kb/256614?wa=wsignin1.0 (They have a workaround that might work.)

EDIT: Scratch that. I found one for Win7, too. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326549

Edited December 18, 2014 by vexx32

[shivrod]

Just doesn't seem to be my day. I followed the instructions, but as soon as I re-open properties, Read-only is back on. I even went into security and turned on full control for all Authenticated Users to see if that would make a difference. It didn't.

[shivrod]

I should mention that I've taken a look at the files inside the KSP folder and none of them are Read-only, just the folders. Not sure what difference if any that makes.

[sal_vager]

Three pages in and all we know is that shivrod has a "Windows 7 computer", but what does that even mean here?

shivrod, you may not have a graphics card that can render shadows, or your driver may be old or nonexistant, please see the sticky threads in this section as we will need a lot more info.

Right now all we're doing is chasing shadows...

[shivrod]

I took your recommendation and started digging up my system information. While double checking my graphics drivers were up to date, I noticed GeForce Experience had KSP listed as one of their supported games, so I went ahead and hit the optimize button.

When I fired the game back up, shadows were working.

So that's a victory, even if it's a slightly bewildering one.

Below is my system specs, if anybody is interested. I'd like to thank you all for trying to help. Even though the solution seems like a trivial one, I don't think I'd have found it without first trying to trouble-shoot here.

------------------

System Information

------------------

Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.140303-2144)

Language: English (Regional Setting: English)

System Manufacturer: System manufacturer

System Model: System Product Name

BIOS: BIOS Date: 06/04/12 17:18:09 Ver: 14.04

Processor: Intel® Core i7-3930K CPU @ 3.20GHz (12 CPUs), ~3.2GHz

Memory: 16384MB RAM

Available OS Memory: 16356MB RAM

Page File: 3606MB used, 29102MB available

Windows Dir: C:\Windows

DirectX Version: DirectX 11

DX Setup Parameters: Not found

User DPI Setting: Using System DPI

System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)

DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled

DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode

------------

DxDiag Notes

------------

Display Tab 1: No problems found.

Sound Tab 1: No problems found.

Sound Tab 2: No problems found.

Sound Tab 3: No problems found.

Input Tab: No problems found.

--------------------

DirectX Debug Levels

--------------------

Direct3D: 0/4 (retail)

DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)

DirectInput: 0/5 (retail)

DirectMusic: 0/5 (retail)

DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)

DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)

DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)

---------------

Display Devices

---------------

Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770

Manufacturer: NVIDIA

Chip type: GeForce GTX 770

DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC

Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1184&SUBSYS_27763842&REV_A1

Display Memory: 4038 MB

Dedicated Memory: 1990 MB

Shared Memory: 2048 MB

Current Mode: 1920 x 1200 (32 bit) (59Hz)

Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor

Monitor Model: DELL E248WFP

Monitor Id: DELA02D

Native Mode: 1920 x 1200(p) (59.950Hz)

Output Type: HD15

Driver Name: nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um

Driver File Version: 9.18.0013.4475 (English)

Driver Version: 9.18.13.4475

DDI Version: 11

Driver Model: WDDM 1.1

Driver Attributes: Final Retail

Driver Date/Size: 11/13/2014 10:20:36, 19966344 bytes

WHQL Logo'd: Yes

WHQL Date Stamp:

Device Identifier: {D7B71E3E-52C4-11CF-894A-7B071CC2C435}

Vendor ID: 0x10DE

Device ID: 0x1184

SubSys ID: 0x27763842

Revision ID: 0x00A1

Driver Strong Name: oem29.inf:NVIDIA_SetA_Devices.NTamd64.6.1:Section035:9.18.13.4475:pci\ven_10de&dev_1184

Rank Of Driver: 00E02001

Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_C ModeVC1_C ModeWMV9_C