Blender 2.8 Shade Smooth Not Working: Donut Conundrum

When it comes to creating realistic 3D models, understanding normals and shading is crucial. Normals are the direction in which a surface is pointing, and they play a significant role in determining how our objects appear on screen. In this article, we will delve into the world of shade smooth not working in Blender 2.8, specifically when dealing with donuts.

For those unfamiliar, vertices, faces, and edges all have normals. A normal is simply the direction something is pointing. To grasp shading, it's essential to comprehend normals as they are the driving factor behind our shading. Shading can greatly affect how an object looks, whether it's a hard line that shines through the material or different luminance on various faces.

In Blender 2.8, we have two primary types of shading: flat and smooth. By default, all mesh objects in Blender have flat shading. Flat shading is suitable for shapes with sharp edges, such as polygons or buildings. However, when dealing with round or organic shapes like donuts, we require smooth shading to eliminate visible sharp edges between each face.

To switch back to flat shading, simply click on 'Shade Flat' instead. To achieve smooth shading on your object, select it, right-click, and choose 'Shade Smooth'. While this process is straightforward for simple objects, more complex scenarios can arise when working with shapes that require both flat and smooth shading.

One such scenario is a cylinder that needs to display both flat and smooth shading. In this case, we need to manually adjust the normals of the object to achieve the desired effect. This can be accomplished by selecting the object, going into Edit Mode (Tab), and adjusting the normals using the 'Normals' tool in the toolbar.

In conclusion, understanding norms and shading is vital for creating realistic 3D models. Blender's shade smooth not working feature can sometimes cause issues, especially when dealing with complex shapes like donuts. By following these simple steps and understanding how to adjust normals, you'll be well on your way to achieving the desired level of shading in your Blender 2.8 projects.

Related content: The Complete Beginner's Guide to Blender Nodes, Eevee, Cycles, and PBR

For further guidance on shading materials, check out our article 'Shading Materials for Beginners' to get started.

Blender 2.8 shade smooth not working donut