# Excluding objects from rendering but still casting shadows

**URL:** <https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/excluding-objects-from-rendering-but-still-casting-shadows/37501>\
**Category:** V-Ray\
**Created:** [October 6, 2016, 1:25pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/excluding-objects-from-rendering-but-still-casting-shadows/37501 "2016-10-06T13:25:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Michael\_Gersbach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/michael_gersbach/32/716523_2.png) [@Michael\_Gersbach](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Michael_Gersbach)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2016, 1:25pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/excluding-objects-from-rendering-but-still-casting-shadows/37501/1 "2016-10-06T13:25:35Z")

</div>

Dear All,

I’m trying to exclude the crowns of trees from a render scene but I still wanna see the shadows hitting the ground…  
Any idea how I could get this effect? Seems like my skills are not experianced enough…  
I’m using Rhino V5 and VRAY…

Best,  
Michi

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lopacki](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/lopacki/32/158093_2.png) [@lopacki](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/lopacki)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/excluding-objects-from-rendering-but-still-casting-shadows/37501/2 "2016-10-06T15:52:02Z")

</div>

Michi,  
You can turn the sun on and set it at the required angle for your shadows.  
Danny

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Michael\_Gersbach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/michael_gersbach/32/716523_2.png) [@Michael\_Gersbach](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Michael_Gersbach)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/excluding-objects-from-rendering-but-still-casting-shadows/37501/3 "2016-10-06T16:27:45Z")

</div>

Danny,  
Thanks for your advice.  
I’m using the sun for lighting…  
My shadow is already perfect… I just don’t wanna see the treeobject… the tree should cast shadow but shouldn’t be visible in the rendering…  
Michi

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mcvltd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/mcvltd/32/493080_2.png) [@mcvltd](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/mcvltd)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/excluding-objects-from-rendering-but-still-casting-shadows/37501/4 "2016-10-06T17:12:14Z")

</div>

I think you’ll have to turn on the ‘only in secondary’ option for all of your tree materials for this to happen.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Michael\_Gersbach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/michael_gersbach/32/716523_2.png) [@Michael\_Gersbach](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Michael_Gersbach)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/excluding-objects-from-rendering-but-still-casting-shadows/37501/5 "2016-10-06T20:06:35Z")

</div>

Thanks a lot!!!  
‘only in secondary’ works perfect!!!  
great!!!