shader don't have to do anything with shadows...
shader just calculate how the pixels of a model look like.
the only shadows a shader can do is to calculate the difference of 2 directions per dot-product and make the pixel brighter or darker...(its that shading that the models have ion the engine by default)

I am not 100% sure how the shadows are generated, but not with a shader

i think its not much hard if you are not talking about toon shader...

do you need to just use the light & shadows with materials ?


i think you can use free image hosting like :
http://imageshack.us/
http://www.tinypic.com
,etc


below i attached demo of a picture that i created with 3DGS.
that is using a simple material with ambient light settings ,etc
ScreenShot : http://i9.tinypic.com/4utrtdw.jpg

Thank You

Try something like this:

material flat_mat
{
ambient_red = 100; // play with these values
ambient_green = 100;
ambient_blue = 100;
diffuse_red = 200;
diffuse_green = 200;
diffuse_blue = 200;
specular_red = 200;
specular_green = 200;
specular_blue = 200;
power = 50;

effect = "
technique flatshadow
{
pass p0
{
fillmode = solid;
shademode = flat;
}
}
technique fallback
{
pass p0
{
}
}";
}

action flat_me
{
my.material = flat_mat
}

To fiddle around with materials you can download "MatsEd" at my signature. It´s a Gamestudio material editor.

Some screen-shots...

This is how it should look like: (MED)




And this is how it looks like: (in game)

Do you use any materials/shaders?


nipx

No. I don`t use any shader.
I tried it with materials and without them. It`s the same.
It looks always like the picture.

@ACKNEX007 :
That picture of yours looks really great!
That`s the same effect as the one I would like to have.

It looks like it doesn´t have a skin at all.
What happens if you load it into MatsEd?

Freddy : if you need i can give you the source of that file..

also did u tried to create a empty file in WED and place this model only..
and do a test-Run ?

also..


i think the PROBLEM IS :

in the new version of Game Studio the Material Setting can be changed in MED..

try to change the ambient to (0,0,0,) and Specular To Whiter (255,255,255) , and Diffuse to any colors like (255,0,0)

then save and re-try..

Thank You..

also.. try to texture the model in MED , Maybe try with a Solid Color Picture..
..

if the error continues.. i think its probably a problem in model..
if yes : i can help you to fix the model..

Thanks.