This may sound like a newb question bit I've actually been using Poser for quite some time and this puzzles me. Some of the "packaged" scenes I have do not accept shadows. In other words if I place a figure in the scene they do not cast a shadow. I have the figure set up to cast shadows. I know in Vue there is a setting to receive shadows, but I haven't seen anything like this in Poser. What gives with this? Can I change something for my figures to cast a shadow in these scenes?

Could be that the scene includes lights, and none of the lights are set to cast shadows...?

Another possibility:  a PZ3 always includes render settings.   You can set the
renderer to cast shadows or not.

I've tried replacing the lights in the scenes with my own. They wouldn't inherit the settings from the original light would they? I've honestly never checked that.

I'm importing the scenery into a scene I've already started but I'll check the render setting to see if the import is futzing with the render settings.

Thanks for the tips,
UC

No, the lights wouldn't inherit.  If you delete the originals and add new ones,
the new ones will be just the way you set them.

Another thing to do is look through the shadow camera for each light that is supposed to cast
a shadow and see if the figure is indeed in a position to cast a shadow, and see if there is
anything behind the figure for the shadow to fall upon.

one problem with poser's infinite lite shadow maps since day 1: they will try to encompass the entirety of a giant scene, hence if there are small objects in said scene, their shadows will be poor or indistinct at low shadow map size.

There are many possible reasons why you are getting no shadows... here are all the requirements for getting at least some shadow that I can think of off the top of my head.
(Well, to tell the truth, from somewhere inside it).

Some of these are stating the obvious, but still....

Shadows must be switched on in the render settings.
At least one light must have shadows switched on, either raytraced or depth map.
If using raytraced shadows, raytracing must be switched on in the render settings.
The light must illuminate an object that has Cast shadows switched on in its properties.
There must be a surface within the scene that the light would also be seen to illuminate if the object was not in the way. (Yes, I know... sorry!).

Ok figured it out. The lights were set to "depth map shadows". I changed it to "ray trace shadows" and bam, shadows!! Woot!!
 
Thanks for everyone's input,
UC