AUTO
Automatically inherits the culling mode from the associated material.
The rendering backend queries the object's MaterialCullingMode during shadow pass preparation and maps it to a shadow culling mode. This maintains visual consistency between material rendering and shadow casting.
Mapping Rules
| MaterialCullingMode | → | ShadowFaceCullingMode | Behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
| BACK | → | BACK | Render front faces only |
| FRONT | → | FRONT | Render back faces only |
| NONE | → | NONE | Render both sides |
| FRONT_AND_BACK | → | No shadows | Object casts no shadows |
Note on FRONT_AND_BACK: When a material has cullingMode = FRONT_AND_BACK (culls all faces), the object is invisible and thus cannot cast shadows. This mode is functionally equivalent to disabling shadow casting via castsShadowEnabled = false, so no explicit FRONT_AND_BACK enum constant is provided in ShadowFaceCullingMode.
Pros:
Recommended default — maintains coherence between material and shadows
Automatically adapts when material properties change
No manual synchronization required
Performance impact: Varies based on the resolved mode at runtime.
Best for: Most scenarios. Override only when you need explicit control over shadow rendering independent of material appearance (e.g., forcing BACK for performance on foliage that uses NONE for material rendering).