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Falloff Node

By Kriss Norde

The Falloff node mixes two materials based on the angle of incidence between the surface and the camera. Classic uses: Fresnel effects (edges brighter than the center), stylized toon shading, ghost/hologram. An alternative to Reflect when you want direct control over the blend.

Overview

Falloff creates a material that blends two inputs, weighted by the angle between the surface normal and the camera vector. Where the surface faces the camera, you see the Face On Material. At grazing angles, you see the Glancing Material.

It naturally reproduces the Fresnel effect without manual math, and also enables stylized looks (toon, ghost, rim highlights).

Where to find this node

  • Effects Library: Tools > 3D > Texture > Falloff
  • Quick add: right-click in the Node Editor → Add Tool > 3D > Texture > Falloff

Inputs

  • Face On Material (orange) - material visible when the surface faces the camera (normal pointing at the camera). A 2D image or a 3D material is accepted.
  • Glancing Material (green) - material visible at grazing angles (surface perpendicular to the camera). 2D or 3D.

Output = always a 3D material, whatever the type of the inputs.

Setup

Dark Blinn ──→ Face On
Light Blinn ──→ Glancing
             → Falloff → Shape 3D (MaterialInput)

Result: the object looks dark in the center and bright on the edges - an automatic rim light through Fresnel.

Controls tab

Color Variation
Two modes:
  • Two Tone - distinct Face On and Glancing tints, with a smooth transition between them.
  • Gradient - interpolation along an adjustable gradient. Allows toon looks with 3+ bands.
Face On Color
Tint applied to the areas facing the camera.
Glancing Color
Tint applied to the areas perpendicular to the camera (the edges of the object in silhouette).
Falloff
Controls the transition between Glancing and Face On. According to the docs, it is "very similar to a gamma operation applied to a gradient". Low = smooth transition, high = sharp transition (crisp toon-style edge).
Material ID
Identifier for the Material ID AOV.

Use cases

  • Automatic rim light - Face On = dark Blinn, Glancing = light/white Blinn. The object gets a natural rim light on every edge without a dedicated light.
  • Stylized Fresnel effect - Face On = base color, Glancing = boosted color. Reproduces the look of the Reflect node without an environment map.
  • Ghost / hologram - Face On very transparent (low opacity), Glancing more opaque. The object looks "misty" in the center and more defined on the edges - the classic ghost effect.
  • 2-tone toon shader - Face On = light color, Glancing = dark color, high Falloff for a sharp transition = cel shading look.
  • Colored outline on a logo - Face On = the logo's main color, Glancing = a contrasting color. The edge looks "framed" automatically.
  • Approximate anisotropic metal effect - dark Face On (metal tinted), light Glancing to simulate a highlight bleeding at the edges.

Tips

  • Falloff = gradient gamma - for a strong toon look (2 sharp bands), raise Falloff to 5+. For a soft Fresnel, keep Falloff around 1-2.
  • Counterintuitive material order? - "Face On" = visible head-on, not on the edges. A common mistake: putting the intended rim light on Face On. It goes on Glancing.
  • Alternative to Reflect for a Fresnel without an environment map. Cheaper to render (no reflection calculation) but also less realistic (no real reflections).
  • For smoke / liquid effects, combining Falloff + variable Opacity gives a convincing "cloud" look.
  • Falloff works even without lighting enabled, unlike many shaders. Handy for emissive or stylized renders.
  • Stackable - connect a Falloff into one of the inputs of another Falloff for 3+ layer effects.