How do you shade smooth in object mode in Blender?

To shade a mesh object smoothly in Blender's Object Mode, you use the dedicated menu option designed for this purpose.

The most straightforward way to make an entire object appear smooth is by selecting the object and applying the "Shade Smooth" function available within the Object Mode context.

Steps to Shade Smooth in Object Mode

Applying smooth shading to an object in Blender is a simple process directly accessible in Object Mode.

Here's how to do it:

1. Select Your Object: In the 3D Viewport, ensure you are in Object Mode. Click on the mesh object you wish to shade smoothly to select it.
2. Access the Object Menu: With the object selected, navigate to the menu bar at the top of the 3D Viewport.
3. Select Shade Smooth: Click on the Object menu. From the dropdown list that appears, choose the Shade Smooth option.

• Reference Note: As stated in the reference, "The easiest way is to set an entire object as smooth or faceted by selecting a mesh object, and in Object Mode, select Shade Smooth in the Object menu."

What Does Shade Smooth Do?

Selecting "Shade Smooth" doesn't actually add more geometry or curves to your object. Instead, it changes how the surface normals are calculated and rendered.

• It tells Blender to calculate the shading across the faces of the mesh as if the surface were smooth, creating a visually smooth transition of light and shadow between adjacent faces.
• Reference Note: This action "forces the assignment of the 'smoothing' attribute to each face in the mesh, including when you add or delete geometry." This means the smooth shading effect will persist even if you edit the mesh later (though sometimes further adjustments like Auto Smooth are needed for complex geometry).

When to Use Shade Smooth

You typically use "Shade Smooth" on objects that represent curved surfaces, such as spheres, cylinders, organic models, or anything you don't want to appear faceted.

Returning to Faceted Shading

If you decide you prefer the original, faceted look (where each face appears flat), you can revert this setting.

• Simply select the object again in Object Mode.
• Go to the Object menu.
• Select Shade Flat.

This removes the smoothing attribute and returns the object's shading to show distinct faces.

Applying "Shade Smooth" in Object Mode is the primary method for quickly changing the visual appearance of an entire object from faceted to smooth shading in Blender.