ScreenSpaceSelfShadow

ScreenSpaceSelfShadow — Screen-Space Directional Soft Self-Shadow Post Effect for Unity 6 URP

Innovation

A high-performance screen-space directional soft self-shadow solution for Unity 6 URP, built on the RenderGraph pipeline for artifact-free contact shadows on characters and hard-surface models

Use Cases

Adding natural self-shadow details for character faces in eye sockets, nose sides, and neck areas

Smooth contact shadows for hard-surface models and mechanical props

Selective layer-based self-shadow control for specific objects

Soft ambient occlusion-like shadows aligned with main light direction

URP-based NPR and realistic rendering workflows in Unity 6

Core Features

RenderGraph Workflow:

built specifically for Unity 6 URP with modern RenderGraph renderer feature

Artifact-Free Soft Shadows:

directional hemisphere occlusion algorithm eliminates stair-step moire artifacts common in ray-marched shadows

Layer-Based Filtering:

apply self-shadows only to selected Unity layers with customizable LayerMask

Automatic Light Alignment:

automatically uses the scene main directional light direction, no manual configuration

Adjustable Quality Presets:

Low/Medium/High quality levels automatically tune sample count and mask resolution for performance

Intuitive Parameters:

simple controls for shadow distance, intensity, and thickness

You’ll Benefit

Instantly add subtle contact shadow details without modifying existing object shaders

Smooth, artifact-free shadows even on hard-edged models

More control over where the effect appears through LayerMask filtering

Cross-platform performance with automatic sample count scaling

Compatible with other IGD post-processing effects including NPR outlines and SSSSS skin scattering

Recommended For

Character-focused games (anime, stylized, semi-realistic)

Hard-surface and mechanical prop rendering

Mobile games needing high-quality soft shadows

Dialogue scenes and cutscene close-ups

Unity 6 URP projects needing controllable self-contact shadows

Projects looking to add occlusion detail without complex shadow map setups

---

WebSite: https://kop098.github.io/igdmaster/

Discord: igdmaster

Technical Support: https://discord.gg/dzJzhaCeUg

Add natural, realistic self-shadow detail to your project today! 🔥