ShadowTrim

More frames in big bases, without a visible change. In a built-up base the sun's shadows are drawn from 10,000–15,000 objects every frame. ShadowTrim stops the ones nobody can see:

• Shadow distance by layer. Building pieces cast the sun's shadow up to 60 m instead of 120 m, small decor 40 m, bushes and small objects 30 m, dropped items 25 m — done inside the engine's own culling, no per-object work. The objects are still drawn; only their own shadow ends earlier. Terrain, trees, rocks and creatures keep the game's distance.
• Flat pieces lying on the ground — floors, path stones, rugs — stop casting a shadow: it falls into the ground right under them and can never be seen. Floors on posts, over a dip or on water are left alone.

Measured at a 7,000-piece base (i5-12400F / RTX 5070): outside, facing the base, −1.00 ms per frame (6.1%) with half the shadow casters; inside a house −0.58 ms (3.8%). Measure your own: stand still and type shadowtrim bench in the console (F5).

• shadowtrim — on / off, to compare on the spot. shadowtrim status — the shadows around you by layer.
• A Low preset for weak PCs; every distance is configurable, for any layer.
• Client-side. Install it if you want it; other players, the host and the server need nothing.
• Pairs well with Valheim Community Patch, which fixes the logic costs of big bases; ShadowTrim takes the rendering side.

Settings

BepInEx/config/j1ga.shadowtrim.cfg, or in-game with ConfigurationManager (F1):

• Enabled — on / off.
• Preset — Normal, Low for weak PCs (shorter distances, rocks and other objects too), or Custom, which it becomes by itself when you change a distance.
• Buildings (60), Decor (40), SmallObjects (30), Items (25) — shadow distance in metres; 0 = the game's own.
• OtherLayers — any other layer as layer=metres, e.g. static_solid=80.
• Flat on the ground: Enabled, MaxGapBelow (0.3 m), MaxHeightAbove (0.6 m).

Compatibility

Built against Valheim 1.0.20, BepInEx 5.4.23.5 (BepInExPack_Valheim 5.4.2351).

Bugs and feedback

GitHub issues - please include BepInEx/LogOutput.log and the output of shadowtrim status.

More mods by j1gA

	Mod
	LivingMap — Your buildings, roads and cleared forest on the map and the minimap — and a detailed map when you zoom in.
	StationSpeed — Faster smelters, kilns, fermenters and crops — consistent even for players without the mod.
	WeaponArts — One key, one active ability per weapon: stagger, taunt, heals, berserk, crits.
	ExtendedBosses — Raid-style boss fights: phases, adds, nests, shields, marks — built from vanilla parts.
	HostOwner — The host takes ownership of stations and bosses near it, so its mods work for everyone.
	HudLayout — Move, resize and restyle your HUD with the mouse: bars, food, hotbar, minimap, even other mods' HUD.
	HealthPulse — Low health warning: the screen edges pulse red like a heartbeat, faster as your health drops.
	ChestReach — Craft, build, refuel and cook from the chests around you — no lag, players without the mod can join.
	SwimGear — Keep your weapons and tools in your hands while swimming — no FPS cost.

Source, full documentation and the changelog: https://github.com/tbsj1ga/ShadowTrimValheim

Developed with the help of an AI assistant (Claude by Anthropic); the design decisions, verification against the game code and in-game testing are the author's.