How to Fix the Light Contour Issue in Blender’s Line Art Modifier

• This article that explains how to fix the light contour issue in Blender’s line art modifier.
• The light contour issue is caused by the artifacts or errors that ray tracing can create when the light rays hit certain parts of the object, such as sharp edges, thin faces, or overlapping geometry.
• The easiest way to fix the light contour issue is to adjust the settings of the light source that illuminates the object, such as its type, size, strength, or angle.
• The article provides examples of how different light settings can affect the light contour lines and gives step-by-step instructions on how to apply them to the line art modifier.

Blender is a powerful and free 3D software that can be used for modeling, animation, rendering, and more. One of the features that Blender offers is the line art modifier, which can generate stylized line art from 3D objects using grease pencil. However, some users may encounter a problem with the light contour option in the line art modifier, which is supposed to create lines where the object is lit by a light source.

Instead of creating smooth and consistent lines, the light contour option may produce unwanted lines on the surface of the object, making it look messy and noisy. In this article, we will explain why this issue happens and how to fix it using a simple trick.

What Causes the Light Contour Issue in Blender’s Line Art Modifier?

The light contour issue in Blender’s line art modifier is caused by the way Blender calculates the illumination of the object. Blender uses a technique called ray tracing, which simulates how light rays interact with the object and its environment. Ray tracing can produce realistic and accurate lighting effects, but it also has some limitations and drawbacks. One of them is that ray tracing can create artifacts or errors when the light rays hit certain parts of the object, such as sharp edges, thin faces, or overlapping geometry. These artifacts can result in incorrect or inconsistent illumination values, which then affect how the line art modifier generates the light contour lines.

How to Fix the Light Contour Issue in Blender’s Line Art Modifier?

The easiest way to fix the light contour issue in Blender’s line art modifier is to adjust the settings of the light source that illuminates the object. By changing some parameters of the light source, such as its type, size, strength, or angle, we can reduce or eliminate the artifacts caused by ray tracing and improve the quality of the light contour lines. Here are some examples of how different light settings can affect the light contour lines:

Light type

The type of light source can have a significant impact on how it illuminates the object and how it creates shadows. For instance, point lights and spot lights can create hard and sharp shadows, while area lights and sun lights can create soft and smooth shadows. Depending on the style and mood of your scene, you may want to choose a different type of light source for your line art. For example, if you want to create a dramatic and contrasty line art, you may want to use a point light or a spot light with a small size and a high strength. On the other hand, if you want to create a subtle and gentle line art, you may want to use an area light or a sun light with a large size and a low strength.

Light size

The size of the light source can also affect how it illuminates the object and how it creates shadows. Generally speaking, larger light sources create softer and smoother shadows, while smaller light sources create harder and sharper shadows. This is because larger light sources emit more rays from different directions, which can fill in the gaps between the shadows and create smoother transitions. Smaller light sources emit fewer rays from a single direction, which can create more defined and crisp shadows. Therefore, if you want to reduce or eliminate the artifacts caused by ray tracing on your object, you may want to increase the size of your light source. This will make your shadows softer and smoother, which will also make your light contour lines smoother and more consistent.

Light strength

The strength of the light source can also affect how it illuminates the object and how it creates shadows. Generally speaking, stronger light sources create brighter and more saturated colors, while weaker light sources create darker and more desaturated colors. This is because stronger light sources emit more energy and intensity, which can increase the contrast and vibrancy of your scene. Weaker light sources emit less energy and intensity, which can decrease the contrast and vibrancy of your scene. Therefore, if you want to reduce or eliminate the artifacts caused by ray tracing on your object, you may want to decrease the strength of your light source. This will make your colors darker and more desaturated, which will also make your light contour lines less visible and less noisy.

Light angle

The angle of the light source can also affect how it illuminates the object and how it creates shadows. Generally speaking, angled light sources create more dynamic and interesting lighting effects, while frontal or parallel light sources create more flat and boring lighting effects. This is because angled light sources emit rays from different directions, which can create more variations and details on your object. Frontal or parallel light sources emit rays from a single direction, which can create less variations and details on your object. Therefore, if you want to reduce or eliminate the artifacts caused by ray tracing on your object, you may want to change the angle of your light source. This will make your lighting more dynamic and interesting, which will also make your light contour lines more varied and detailed.

How to Apply the Light Settings to Your Line Art Modifier?

To apply the light settings to your line art modifier, you need to follow these steps:

1. Select your object and go to the modifiers tab in the properties panel.
2. Add a line art modifier and set the source type to scene, collection, or object, depending on what you want to generate line art from.
3. Enable the edge types that you want to include in your line art, such as contour, crease, intersection, or material borders.
4. Enable the light contour option and set the illumination filtering to illuminated or shaded, depending on what you want to generate line art from.
5. Select your light source and go to the light tab in the properties panel.
6. Adjust the type, size, strength, and angle of your light source until you get the desired result for your line art.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: What is Blender’s line art modifier?

Answer: Blender’s line art modifier is a grease pencil tool that can generate stylized line art from 3D objects using various edge types and illumination filtering.

Question: What is the light contour option in Blender’s line art modifier?

Answer: The light contour option in Blender’s line art modifier is an option that can create lines where the object is lit by a light source.

Question: What causes the light contour issue in Blender’s line art modifier?

Answer: The light contour issue in Blender’s line art modifier is caused by the artifacts or errors that ray tracing can create when the light rays hit certain parts of the object, such as sharp edges, thin faces, or overlapping geometry.

Question: How to fix the light contour issue in Blender’s line art modifier?

Answer: The easiest way to fix the light contour issue in Blender’s line art modifier is to adjust the settings of the light source that illuminates the object, such as its type, size, strength, or angle.

Summary

In this article, we have explained why the light contour issue happens in Blender’s line art modifier and how to fix it using a simple trick. By changing some parameters of the light source that illuminates the object, we can reduce or eliminate the artifacts caused by ray tracing and improve the quality of the light contour lines. We hope this article has been helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. The author and publisher are not responsible for any damages or losses that may result from following the instructions or suggestions in this article. Always use caution and common sense when working with 3D software and hardware.