{"record":{"id":"d473ad4905a41aa1","repo":"stride3d/stride","slug":"missing-forward-lighting-render-feature","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"Missing forward lighting render feature","messagePattern":"Missing forward lighting render feature","errorType":"exception","errorClass":"InvalidOperationException","httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"sources/engine/Stride.Rendering/Rendering/Images/LightShafts/LightShafts.cs","lineNumber":96,"sourceCode":"            lightShaftsEffectShader = ToLoadAndUnload(new ImageEffectShader(\"LightShaftsEffect\"));\n\n            // Additive blending shader\n            applyLightEffectShader = ToLoadAndUnload(new ImageEffectShader(\"AdditiveLightEffect\"));\n            applyLightEffectShader.BlendState = new BlendStateDescription(Blend.One, Blend.One);\n\n            minmaxVolumeEffectShader = new DynamicEffectInstance(\"VolumeMinMaxShader\");\n            minmaxVolumeEffectShader.Initialize(Context.Services);\n\n            blur = ToLoadAndUnload(new GaussianBlur());\n\n            // Need the shadow map renderer in order to render light shafts\n            var meshRenderFeature = Context.RenderSystem.RenderFeatures.OfType<MeshRenderFeature>().FirstOrDefault();\n            if (meshRenderFeature == null)\n                throw new InvalidOperationException(\"Missing mesh render feature\");\n\n            var forwardLightingFeature = meshRenderFeature.RenderFeatures.OfType<ForwardLightingRenderFeature>().FirstOrDefault();\n            if (forwardLightingFeature == null)\n                throw new InvalidOperationException(\"Missing forward lighting render feature\");\n\n            shadowMapRenderer = forwardLightingFeature.ShadowMapRenderer;\n\n            for (int i = 0; i < 2; ++i)\n            {\n                var minmaxPipelineState = new MutablePipelineState(Context.GraphicsDevice);\n                minmaxPipelineState.State.SetDefaults();\n\n                minmaxPipelineState.State.BlendState.RenderTargets[0].BlendEnable = true;\n                minmaxPipelineState.State.BlendState.RenderTargets[0].ColorSourceBlend = Blend.One;\n                minmaxPipelineState.State.BlendState.RenderTargets[0].ColorDestinationBlend = Blend.One;\n                minmaxPipelineState.State.BlendState.RenderTargets[0].ColorBlendFunction = i == 0 ? BlendFunction.Min : BlendFunction.Max;\n                minmaxPipelineState.State.BlendState.RenderTargets[0].ColorWriteChannels = i == 0 ? ColorWriteChannels.Red : ColorWriteChannels.Green;\n\n                minmaxPipelineState.State.DepthStencilState.DepthBufferEnable = false;\n                minmaxPipelineState.State.DepthStencilState.DepthBufferWriteEnable = false;\n                minmaxPipelineState.State.RasterizerState.DepthClipEnable = true;\n                minmaxPipelineState.State.RasterizerState.CullMode = i == 0 ? CullMode.Back : CullMode.Front;","sourceCodeStart":78,"sourceCodeEnd":114,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/stride3d/stride/blob/96fad776d210c221682aac1ccdf4c79dc046fc38/sources/engine/Stride.Rendering/Rendering/Images/LightShafts/LightShafts.cs#L78-L114","documentation":"After finding a MeshRenderFeature, LightShafts.InitializeCore also requires a ForwardLightingRenderFeature nested within it, because it needs that feature's ShadowMapRenderer to render light shafts. It throws InvalidOperationException when the ForwardLightingRenderFeature is absent. The pipeline meshes but uses a different lighting strategy (e.g. deferred), so light shafts cannot obtain shadow data.","triggerScenarios":"A compositor whose MeshRenderFeature does not include ForwardLightingRenderFeature (deferred lighting pipeline or custom lighting features), while a LightShafts renderer is enabled in the scene.","commonSituations":"Switching a project from forward to deferred lighting and leaving light shafts enabled; custom lighting render features replacing the stock forward one.","solutions":["Add a ForwardLightingRenderFeature as a child feature of the MeshRenderFeature in your RenderSystem configuration.","If using deferred lighting, remove LightShafts or implement/port it for your lighting feature.","Verify with code: meshRenderFeature.RenderFeatures.OfType<ForwardLightingRenderFeature>().Any() before enabling light shafts."],"exampleFix":"// before\nvar meshFeature = new MeshRenderFeature(); // no lighting sub-feature\n// after\nvar meshFeature = new MeshRenderFeature();\nmeshFeature.RenderFeatures.Add(new ForwardLightingRenderFeature());","handlingStrategy":"validation","validationCode":"var mesh = Context.RenderSystem.RenderFeatures.OfType<MeshRenderFeature>().FirstOrDefault();\nif (mesh == null || !mesh.RenderFeatures.OfType<ForwardLightingRenderFeature>().Any())\n    throw new InvalidOperationException(\"LightShafts requires ForwardLightingRenderFeature under MeshRenderFeature\");","typeGuard":null,"tryCatchPattern":"try { EnableLightShafts(scene); }\ncatch (InvalidOperationException e) { Log.Warning($\"Light shafts unavailable with current lighting pipeline: {e.Message}\"); }","preventionTips":["When migrating to deferred lighting, audit and remove forward-only effects like LightShafts.","Always add ForwardLightingRenderFeature as a child of MeshRenderFeature in setup code.","Check for ForwardLightingRenderFeature presence before enabling shadow-dependent effects."],"tags":["missing-dependency","forward-lighting","shadow-map","stride"],"backgroundTag":"missing-dependency","analyzedSha":"96fad776d210c221682aac1ccdf4c79dc046fc38","analyzedAt":"2026-09-14T02:59:31.279Z","contentChangedAt":"2026-09-14T02:59:31.279Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-09-23T08:17:48.524Z"}