Source-checkedBuilding & decoration

Sodium Shadowy Path Blocks (SSPB)

by Rynnavinx · for Minecraft

Reintroduces vanilla-like smooth lighting to non-full blocks (e.g. dirt paths and how they have dark shading when directly next to a full block) when using Sodium.

23MDownloads
48d agoLast updated
LGPL-3.0-onlyLicense
Fabric · NeoForge +1Loaders

About Sodium Shadowy Path Blocks (SSPB)

From Modrinth

Reintroduces vanilla-like smooth lighting to non-full blocks (e.g. dirt paths and how they have dark shading when directly next to a full block) when using Sodium.

Sodium Shadowy Path Blocks (SSPB)

Sodium Shadowy Path Blocks (or SSPB for short) is an addon to Sodium that reintroduces vanilla-like smooth lighting to non-fluid non-full blocks (e.g. dirt paths and how they have dark shading when directly next to a full block), as Sodium removes this (or rather, fixes this, as it's technically a bug).

This was mainly made because I liked the shadowyness of the vanilla dirt paths, hence the name.

Unless "Use vanilla lighting for path blocks" is enabled, this lighting will not be exactly the same as vanilla, only vanilla-like, as the way I'm doing this is entirely based on Sodium's smooth lighting code.

Requires Sodium (duh) and only has an effect with smooth lighting enabled.

Not associated with Sodium or CaffeineMC.

Options

  • Shadowyness: How strong these "bugged" shadows are from 0-100%. Won't affect path blocks if "Use vanilla lighting for path blocks" is on. Defaults to 85%.
  • Only affect path blocks: This lighting "bug" (both in vanilla and this mod) also affects other non-full blocks, such as farmland, slabs, stairs, fences, etc. Turn this setting on to only apply the "bugged" lighting to path blocks, and use sodium's fixed lighting for everything else. Defaults to off.
  • Use vanilla lighting for path blocks: Use a vanilla-accurate algorithm to render path block lighting, rather than a modified version of Sodium's lighting algorithm. Will disable the effect of the "Shadowyness" option on path blocks. If used on a version before 4.x.x, requires Indium and Fabric API (or Quilted Fabric API if using Quilt) to enable. Defaults to off.

Incompatibilities

  • On MC versions before 1.19, when using any mod that renders path blocks with Indium (for example, mods that give path blocks connected textures), they will not become shadowy with this mod. The lighting changes, however, still work on other blocks, and the game will still launch.
    • If you still want shadowy path blocks: Go to .minecraft/config/indium-renderer.properties and change "ambient-occlusion-mode=auto" to "ambient-occlusion-mode=hybrid". You will no longer need SSPB after this unless you still want the lighting changes for blocks other than path blocks. Note that if you keep SSPB installed, the shadowyness option will still have no effect on path blocks. The shading for path blocks will look like the vanilla screenshots below, rather than the SSPB screenshots, regardless of whether or not SSPB is installed.

Screenshots/Comparisons

(using all default options)

Comparison on a fancy path

(and also some bamboo)

Comparison on a simple path

(and also some fences)

Highlights

From source data

Game versions

Supports 38 Minecraft versions, the newest being 26.3.

Loaders

Runs on Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt.

Footprint

Rated a light load on a server.

Sodium Shadowy Path Blocks (SSPB) on Nxeon

From our catalogue
One-click install
Supported on Nxeon Minecraft servers. We download it from Modrinth, place it, and restart the server.
Server side
Client-only: it runs in players’ own games, so it can’t be installed on a server
Server type needed
Fabric, NeoForge, Quilt
Server load
light
Smallest plan we suggest
Minecraft — 2 GB (2 GB RAM). This follows our own load rating above, not a benchmark.
Latest build
8.0.0-neoforge, released 2026-09-17

Game versions by loader

LoaderGame versionsNewest
NeoForge1.21 to 26.3 (10 versions)26.3
Fabric1.21 to 26.3 (6 versions)26.3
Quilt1.21 to 26.3 (6 versions)26.3

From 5 recorded builds of Sodium Shadowy Path Blocks (SSPB).

Recent builds

BuildReleasedGame versionsLoaders
8.0.0-neoforge2026-09-1726.3NeoForge
8.0.0-fabric2026-09-1726.3Fabric, Quilt
4.1.0-neoforge2026-05-251.21 to 1.21.4 (5 versions)NeoForge
4.1.0-fabric2026-05-251.21 to 1.21.4 (5 versions)Fabric, Quilt
7.0.0-neoforge2026-04-0126.1 to 26.2 (4 versions)NeoForge

Run Sodium Shadowy Path Blocks (SSPB) on a Minecraft server

Pick a server or deploy a new one above; it is installed in one click.

What kind of mod it is

From the catalog
Listed on Modrinth as “Mods”

Building & decoration

Blocks, furniture, decorations and building tools.

Client-side mod

From source side support

Modrinth lists Sodium Shadowy Path Blocks (SSPB) as not supported on servers. It runs in players’ own games, not on your server.

Compatibility

Game
Minecraft
Loaders
FabricNeoForgeQuilt
Runs on
Client only
Game versions
26.3 and 37 earlier

Verified at the source

  • ✓ModrinthOfficial listing, checked 2026-10-01Open ↗
  • ✓AuthorRynnavinx, as published on Modrinth
  • ✓LicenseLGPL-3.0-onlyFree

Sodium Shadowy Path Blocks (SSPB), answered

Generated from the mod’s own source data.

Do my players need to install Sodium Shadowy Path Blocks (SSPB)?

Modrinth lists Sodium Shadowy Path Blocks (SSPB) as not supported on servers. It runs in players’ own games, not on your server.

Which loaders does it support?

Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt.

Is it free?

Yes. Sodium Shadowy Path Blocks (SSPB) is free to download from Modrinth. Its license is LGPL-3.0-only.

How do I add it to my Nxeon server?

Use “Add to a server” on this page, or open NxLabs from your dashboard. We install it, restart your server and switch it on.

NxLabs

Run Sodium Shadowy Path Blocks (SSPB) on a Minecraft server.

Deploy in about a minute from $4.99 a month, then add Sodium Shadowy Path Blocks (SSPB) in one click.