I am facing a problem and need your expertise. I am using a plane right below my 3D model as a shadow catcher using the Cycles rendering engine.
The plane is casting the shadow perfectly but as you can see on the attached screenshot the plane edges while casting the shadow is too hard. Is there a way to soften the edges? I guess I can not really use transparency on the material since I enabled the Shadow Catcher for the plane under visibility> Object properties.
I have enabled transparency under films > Render Settings.
Thanks a lot Kazrarr for your response, I am a newbie on blender and I am not sure how I could achieve it with Subdivision surface. Could you please explain the steps in detail or if it is too much send me a link to review it in detail?
hello again, first : Iâm sorry for the misunderstanding, It was part me too, Now I get the problem : you want some kind of gradient/ramp between transparent shadow and hard shadow following your circle right ?
Second, Iâm sorry to disappoint you, but Iâm not an expert in this subject, so I hope youâll find someone to answer you
What you need is a gradient transparent shader on the plane? But i am not sure if it works with the shadow catcher. I quickly test it and will come back with results.
Thanks for your effort 3DArtGuy. I also posted the problem on blender.stackexchange.com and someone responded with a different node setup. Unfortunately I fail to find the âDistanceâ node and add it to the the setup. can you replicate the solution and perhaps explain why the âDistanceâ node is not showing up on my Blender but the other solution has it? Ia it because of my blender version 2.92 ?
I have the same issue for adding the âPowerâ node using the link you shared. When I search for âPowerâ or âDistanceâ node after hitting shit + A on the node setup nothing shows up. :((
Thanks for your patience and bearing with my newbie blender level.
not sure of what light source you use but if point or projector, i once notice that the size of the light emitter ( in the light tab of ⌠well lemme do a thing⌠)
Thanks for your responses @pitibonom & @moony . The problem is something else. I like to have a defined plane as a shadow catcher (view the post image) and like to have the shadow ramped to transparent before reaching the edge of the plane. I like to achieve like what 3DArtGuy have shared in the post but unfortunately, it doesnât work.
Maybe reviewing the problem here will give you an insight.
It was part me too, Now I get the problem : you want some kind of gradient/ramp between transparent shadow and hard shadow following your circle right ?
but Iâm not an expert in this subject, so I hope youâll find someone to answer you 
, solution by Gordon Brinkmann