# GroundingShadowComponent A component that controls an entity’s grounding shadow. ``` struct GroundingShadowComponent ``` ## Overview A grounding shadow is an effect that makes an entity look like it has a light source directly above it. You can add a grounding shadow to any entity that has a [`ModelComponent`](/documentation/RealityKit/ModelComponent) in its component set by adding a grounding shadow component to the entity’s [`components`](/documentation/RealityKit/Entity/components) property. ```swift if let model = try? await ModelEntity(named: "tv_retro") { let shadowComponent = GroundingShadowComponent(castsShadow: true) model.components.set(shadowComponent) } ``` |Without shadow |With shadow | |:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------:|:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------:| ||| You need to add the grounding shadow component to each entity you want to apply the effect to, because the grounding shadow component doesn’t apply to hierarchies. > Note: Neither virtual nor physical light sources affect grounding shadows. ### Receiving Shadows By default, all entity models with a grounding shadow component can cast a shadow onto any other model entities in the scene. However, you can configure an entity to opt out of receiving shadows from other entities by setting a grounding shadow component’s [`receivesShadow`](/documentation/RealityKit/GroundingShadowComponent/receivesShadow) property to `false` and adding that component to the entity that’s opting out. ```swift let tvShadow = GroundingShadowComponent(castsShadow: true) tvShadow.receivesShadow = false tv.components.set(tvShadow) ``` Alternatively, you can create a new grounding shadow component instance that opts out of receiving shadows by passing `false` to the `receivesShadow` parameter of the [`init(castsShadow:receivesShadow:)`](/documentation/RealityKit/GroundingShadowComponent/init(castsShadow:receivesShadow:)) initializer. ```swift let robotShadow = GroundingShadowComponent(castsShadow: true, receivesShadow: false) robot.components.set(robotShadow) ``` |Receiving shadows |Not receiving shadows | |:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------:|:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------:| ||| RealityKit generates grounding shadows from the perspective of another entity that receives the first entity’s shadow. One-sided geometry only casts a shadow if its facets face the entity that receives the shadow, which typically means they face downward. Make each 2D object cast a grounding shadow by applying a material that disables face culling, or by replacing it with a watertight mesh. --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)