Translucent Shader

Material Editor > Standard material > Shader Basic Parameters rollout > Translucent shader > Translucent Basic Parameters rollout

The bust on the right has been made translucent.

Translucent shading is similar to Blinn shading, but it also lets you specify translucency. A translucent object allows light to pass through, and also scatters light within the object. You can use translucency to simulate frosted and etched glass.

Translucency is inherently a two-sided effect. To generate translucency, both sides of the material receive diffuse light, though only one side is visible in renderings and shaded viewports unless you turn on 2-Sided (in the Shader Basic Parameters rollout). For specular highlights, you have a choice: to model materials like translucent plastic, you can choose to have highlights on both sides; to model materials like frosted glass, which is reflective on one side only, you can choose to have highlights on only one side. This is controlled by the Backside Specular toggle in the translucent highlight controls.

Translucent materials also capture shadows cast on the backfaces of the material.

The translucent effect appears only in renderings. It does not appear in shaded viewports.