# Render View Shadows Incorrect

**URL:** <https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/render-view-shadows-incorrect/6601>\
**Category:** Rhino for Mac\
**Created:** [March 7, 2014, 5:16pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/render-view-shadows-incorrect/6601 "2014-03-07T17:16:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![carterskemp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/carterskemp/32/511270_2.png) [@carterskemp](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/carterskemp)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 5:16pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/render-view-shadows-incorrect/6601/1 "2014-03-07T17:16:11Z")

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I am working on doing a sun-study in Rhino for Mac and my Rendered View is not giving accurate shadows. The Shadows in Render View are oddly offset. They are fine when actually rendered. I have gone in and basically tried to adjust every setting in the Preferences\>Display Modes\>Rendered.

Here is an image of what I am talking about. The box that you see is sitting flush on the surface. There is a single directional light setup. The problem is also in the technical mode.

The second image is the system info for this setup I am working on.

![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/d/b/db30a757d7082a72c8b44f23c3af65893f3b2b14.png)

EDIT: Originally thought I was posting to a thread from November 13. Edited out that I had tried those resolutions first before posting.  
EDIT 2: Added information about the light setup and other modes.

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**Author:** ![carterskemp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/carterskemp/32/511270_2.png) [@carterskemp](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/carterskemp)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/render-view-shadows-incorrect/6601/2 "2014-03-07T17:25:11Z")

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Software information

Software versions  
Rhinoceros version: 5.0 Wenatchee 2014-03-05 (505)  
OS X version: Version 10.9.2 (Build 13C64)

Plug-ins  
None

Hardware information

Computer hardware  
Hardware model: Macmini5,2  
Processor: Intel Core i5-2520M CPU @ 2.50GHz  
Memory: 16 GB  
Architecture: Intel 64 bit

Video hardware  
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6630M 256 MB  
Memory: 256 MB  
Screen size: 1920 x 1200  
Displays: Cinema HD

USB devices  
Western Digital : External HDD  
Apple Computer, Inc.: IR Receiver  
Apple, Inc: Apple Keyboard  
Logitech: G9x Laser Mouse  
Apple Computer, Inc.: Apple Cinema HD Display  
Apple Inc.: Bluetooth USB Host Controller

Bluetooth devices  
None

OpenGL information

OpenGL software  
OpenGL version: 2.1 ATI-1.20.11  
Render version: 2.1  
Shading language: 1.20  
Maximum texture size: 16384 x 16384  
Z-buffer depth: 24 bits  
Maximum viewport size: 16384 x 16384

Implementation settings  
Use texture compression: No

Appearance settings  
Antialiasing: None  
Mip map filtering: None  
Anisotropic filtering: None

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**Author:** ![BrianJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/brianj/32/751593_2.png) [@BrianJ](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/BrianJ)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/render-view-shadows-incorrect/6601/3 "2014-03-10T15:19:32Z")

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Hi Carter,

This looks like what will happen when the object casting the shadow is much smaller than the ground plane surface.

This happens in Windows Rhino 5 as well but there is a ground plane primitive object that helps decrease the offset some in that version of Rhino. Try making the plane you are using as the ground smaller without exposing the edges of it in the view you’ll use. The Windows version of Rhino also has a Sun object with GPS control and a default animation tool for a day light study. These features are not yet supported in the Mac version of Rhino.

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**Author:** ![Holo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/holo/32/496872_2.png) [@Holo](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Holo)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/render-view-shadows-incorrect/6601/4 "2014-03-10T15:22:06Z")

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If you turn off “cast shadows” for the ground then this should improve. Is that hooked up in the Mac version?