To make a plane not cast a shadow in Blender, select the plane, go to its Object Properties, and disable the "Shadow" casting option in the Visibility settings.
Here's a detailed guide on how to prevent an object, such as a plane used as a ground or backdrop, from casting shadows in Blender, applicable in render preview mode for engines like Eevee and Cycles, as referenced when starting to explore disabling shadows.
Preventing Objects from Casting Shadows in Blender
Blender offers precise control over how individual objects interact with light sources and shadows in your scene. To stop a specific object, like a plane, from casting shadows, you need to modify its object properties.
Steps:
- Select the Object: In the 3D Viewport, select the plane object that you do not want to cast a shadow.
- Access Object Properties: Go to the Properties Editor on the right side of the Blender interface. Click on the Object Properties tab (it looks like an orange square or cube, depending on the Blender version).
- Locate Visibility Settings: Scroll down within the Object Properties panel to find the Visibility section.
- Disable Shadow Casting: In the Visibility section, you will find several checkboxes. Uncheck the "Shadow" checkbox. This specific setting controls whether the selected object will cast shadows from light sources onto other objects in the scene.
Once you uncheck the "Shadow" option for the plane, it will no longer block light and cast shadows when rendering, whether you are using the Eevee or Cycles render engine, as seen when setting up a scene in render preview mode.
Understanding Visibility Options
The Visibility panel contains other useful options related to how an object appears in renders and the viewport:
- Render: Controls whether the object is visible in the final render.
- Display as Bounds: Shows the object as a bounding box in the viewport (useful for performance).
- Instancing: Related to collections and object instancing.
- Ray Visibility: More advanced controls for Cycles and Eevee, determining how the object interacts with different types of rays (Camera, Diffuse, Glossy, Transmission, Volume, Shadow). Unchecking "Shadow" under Ray Visibility achieves the same result as the main "Shadow" checkbox for casting.
Table of Key Visibility Settings for Shadow Casting:
| Setting | Location | Function | Effect on Shadow Casting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow | Object Properties > Visibility | Controls overall shadow casting visibility. | Uncheck to prevent casting. |
| Ray Visibility: Shadow | Object Properties > Visibility > Ray Visibility | Controls interaction with shadow rays (more granular). | Uncheck to prevent casting. |
By unchecking the Shadow option in the Visibility settings for your plane object, you effectively make it invisible to shadow calculations, allowing light to pass through it and preventing it from creating dark areas on surfaces behind it. This is commonly used for ground planes that should receive shadows but not cast them, or for background elements.
