Master Hair Materials in Blender

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Difference Between Eevee and Cycles Render Engines
3. Setting Up Hair Materials for Eevee Render Engine
   • Creating a New Material
   • Assigning the Material to Hair Particles
   • Using the Principled BSDF Shader
4. Setting Up Hair Materials for Cycles Render Engine
   • Switching to Cycles Render Engine
   • Adding the Principled Hair BSDF Shader
   • Adjusting Hair Material Settings for Cycles
   • Creating Color Variation with Curves and Ramp Nodes
5. Understanding the Limitations of Eevee Render Engine
   • Handling Black Hair in Eevee
   • Adjusting Principled BSDF Settings for Eevee
   • Adding Ambient Occlusion and Contact Shadows
6. Comparing Hair Material Setups in Eevee and Cycles
7. Pros and Cons of Using Eevee and Cycles Render Engines for Hair Materials
8. Conclusion

Setting Up Hair Materials for Eevee and Cycles Render Engines

In this tutorial, I will guide you through the process of setting up hair materials for both Eevee and Cycles render engines in Blender. Eevee is a real-time renderer known for its speed, while Cycles is an offline renderer that offers superior quality. By understanding the differences between these two engines and learning how to optimize hair materials for each, you'll be able to achieve stunning results in your Blender projects.

1. Introduction

Before we dive into the specifics of hair material setup, let's briefly introduce Eevee and Cycles render engines. Eevee is a real-time renderer that excels in speed, making it ideal for quick previews and real-time animations. On the other hand, Cycles is an offline renderer that produces high-quality renders with advanced features such as global illumination and ray tracing. Both engines have their strengths and trade-offs, and understanding their differences is crucial for creating the desired effect in your hair materials.

2. The Difference Between Eevee and Cycles Render Engines

The main difference between Eevee and Cycles render engines lies in their rendering speed and overall quality. Eevee is designed for real-time rendering and can provide fast results, making it great for quick iterations and previews. However, its real-time nature means that it sacrifices some of the advanced features and visual accuracy that Cycles offers.

Cycles, on the other hand, is an offline renderer that excels in producing high-quality, photorealistic renders. It utilizes advanced rendering techniques such as global illumination and ray tracing, which result in more accurate lighting and overall better-looking images. However, the downside is that Cycles requires significantly more time to render compared to Eevee.

3. Setting Up Hair Materials for Eevee Render Engine

To start setting up hair materials for Eevee, we first need to create a new material. In the Material Properties tab, click on the plus button and select "New." Give the material a name, such as "Hair Tutorial," and choose a base color that matches your desired hair color.

Next, we need to assign the newly created material to the hair particles. In the Hair Particle System settings, navigate to the Layers section and assign the hair material to each layer individually. This ensures that the material is applied correctly to all hair particles in your scene.

For the actual hair material setup in Eevee, we will be using the Principled BSDF shader. This shader provides a good balance between control and realistic results. Connect the Principled BSDF shader to the material output node, and you will notice an immediate improvement in the appearance of the hair. Adjust the color and roughness settings to achieve the desired look, keeping in mind that lower roughness values create a shinier appearance.

4. Setting Up Hair Materials for Cycles Render Engine

Switching to the Cycles render engine allows us to take advantage of the Principled Hair BSDF shader, which produces even more realistic results compared to the Principled BSDF shader. In the Render Properties tab, select "Cycles" as the render engine.

In the Shader Editor, add the Principled Hair BSDF shader to your material setup. To do this, press Shift+A, search for "Principled Hair BSDF," and select it from the menu. Connect the Principled Hair BSDF shader to the material output node, and you will see a significant improvement in the appearance of the hair.

The Principled Hair BSDF shader offers various settings that allow for fine-tuning the hair material. Experiment with the color, roughness, and subsurface scattering settings to achieve the desired effect. Additionally, you can enable the random roughness feature to add more natural variation to the hair's appearance.

To add color variation based on hair length, we can use the Curves Info and Ramp nodes. Connect the Curves Info node to the Factor input of the Ramp node, and connect the color output of the Ramp node to the Base Color input. Adjust the colors within the Ramp node to control the hair color at different lengths.

5. Understanding the Limitations of Eevee Render Engine

Although Eevee is a powerful real-time renderer, it does have some limitations when it comes to hair materials. One common issue is the hair turning solid black when using the Principled Hair BSDF shader. This occurs because Eevee does not support this particular shader.

To overcome this limitation, we need to switch back to the default Principled BSDF shader in Eevee. Disconnect the Principled Hair BSDF shader and reconnect the Principled BSDF shader to the material output node. This will resolve the issue and restore the hair's appearance in Eevee.

It's important to note that the visual quality of hair materials in Eevee may not match the level of realism achieved in Cycles. However, Eevee's real-time performance makes it a suitable choice for animations and projects where rendering time is a concern. Adjust the hair material settings in Eevee, such as roughness and subsurface scattering, to achieve the best possible results within the engine's limitations.

Additionally, enabling ambient occlusion and contact shadows in the Eevee render settings can greatly improve the overall lighting and shading of the hair.

6. Comparing Hair Material Setups in Eevee and Cycles

When comparing the hair material setups in Eevee and Cycles, there are noticeable differences in visual quality and rendering speed. Eevee excels in real-time rendering, offering fast results and interactive feedback. However, the quality of hair materials may not match the level of realism achieved in Cycles.

Cycles, on the other hand, provides superior quality with its advanced rendering techniques. The Principled Hair BSDF shader in Cycles produces more realistic results by simulating light interaction with individual hair strands. However, the downside is that rendering times in Cycles are significantly longer compared to Eevee.

It's important to consider the specific needs of your project when choosing between Eevee and Cycles for hair materials. If real-time rendering and quick iterations are essential, Eevee may be the preferred choice. However, if photorealism and visual accuracy are the top priorities, Cycles is the go-to option.

7. Pros and Cons of Using Eevee and Cycles Render Engines for Hair Materials

• Eevee:

  • Pros:
  • Real-time rendering for quick previews and interactive feedback.
  • Fast rendering speed, ideal for animations.
  • Good performance in rendering hair materials from a distance.
  • Supports various advanced features such as ambient occlusion and contact shadows.
  • Cons:
  • Limited visual quality compared to Cycles.
  • Hair materials may appear black when using the Principled Hair BSDF shader.
  • Less accurate lighting and shading compared to Cycles.

• Cycles:

  • Pros:
  • High-quality rendering with advanced techniques such as global illumination and ray tracing.
  • Produces realistic results with the Principled Hair BSDF shader.
  • Offers greater control over hair material settings.
  • Suitable for projects where visual accuracy and photorealism are top priorities.
  • Cons:
  • Longer rendering times compared to Eevee.
  • Not as suitable for real-time rendering and quick iterations.
  • Requires more computational resources, especially for complex scenes.

8. Conclusion

Setting up hair materials for both Eevee and Cycles render engines in Blender allows you to achieve the desired look and feel in your hair simulations. By understanding the differences between these two engines and adjusting the material settings accordingly, you can create stunning hair materials in your Blender projects.

Remember to consider the specific needs of your project and weigh the pros and cons of each render engine before making a decision. Whether you prioritize speed and real-time rendering with Eevee or prioritize visual accuracy and photorealism with Cycles, Blender offers the tools and flexibility to achieve outstanding results in your hair materials.