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Cavity Fx

by Flidoh Animations·Rendering

Images © Flidoh Animations. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Cavity FX earns its place for turning a viewport-only look into something you can carry into a final render. The pitch is narrow and honest: it takes solid-mode cavity shading and routes it through the compositor, with Crease and Edge sliders and a realtime mode rather than a hand-built node tree.

What is Cavity Fx?

Cavity FX, from Flidoh Animations, adds crisp cavity shading to Blender's viewport and final output. Cavity shading normally lives only in solid-mode viewport shading, with no official route into a final render short of building a custom node setup. Cavity FX captures what you see in the solid viewport and pushes it into the compositor, working in both EEVEE and Cycles.

Activation is a single click on the Cavity FX button, with immediate feedback in the viewport. Crease and Edge sliders adjust the intensity, and you can preview the effect or bake it to an animation. A Realtime FX mode updates every second for live demos, or you can set the update timing manually. It supports both world and screen space, ships with a compositor-ready custom node group, and handles temporary files and nodes for you. A Smart UI flags when your scene is missing key elements.

Cavity FX is screenspace-based, so it works with what the camera sees and calls for rendering from the full camera view; press HOME to reset if it drifts out of alignment. PNGs and alpha objects don't respond to the effect. It requires Blender 4.4 or newer.

Who is Cavity Fx best for?

Cavity Fx is best for stylized renders and toon shading, quick turnarounds in concept art or client previews, and layered compositing workflows in Blender.

How much does Cavity Fx cost?

Cavity Fx is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • One-click activation via the Cavity FX button, with Crease and Edge intensity sliders and instant viewport feedback
  • Works in both EEVEE and Cycles
  • Preview the effect or bake it to an animation
  • Realtime FX mode that updates every second, or a manually set update interval
  • World and screen space support
  • Compositor-ready custom node group, with temporary files and nodes handled automatically
  • Smart UI that flags when a scene is missing key elements

Tags

#cavity shading#stylized rendering#toon shading#compositor#EEVEE#Cycles#Blender add-on

Frequently asked questions

Does Cavity FX work with both EEVEE and Cycles?

Cavity FX works in both EEVEE and Cycles, translating the ridges and valleys you see in Blender's solid viewport shading into your material render. The effect is captured from the solid viewport and pushed into the compositor, so you can preview it live or bake it to an animation regardless of which of the two engines you are using. Activation takes a single click on the Cavity FX button, and the Crease and Edge sliders let you adjust the intensity of the result.

What Blender version does Cavity FX need?

Cavity FX requires Blender 4.4 or newer. The download includes a Cavitylib.blend file that the add-on depends on, so keep it in place after installing. Once set up, clicking the Cavity FX button activates the effect with instant feedback in the viewport, and the Crease and Edge sliders control its intensity. Since it targets Blender 4.4 and up, older Blender releases fall outside its stated support, so confirm your version on the developer's page if you are unsure.

What are the system requirements for Cavity FX?

Cavity FX lists Windows 11 as recommended, with Linux and macOS partially supported. A 3.5GHz or faster processor is suggested for the best Realtime FX performance, since that mode updates every second by default or on a manual interval you set. The download also includes the Cavitylib.blend file the add-on needs. If you plan to lean on the realtime mode for live demos, the faster processor recommendation is worth keeping in mind before you install.

Why isn't the cavity effect showing on some objects or views?

Cavity FX is screenspace-based, so it works with what your camera sees and needs you to render from the full camera view for best results. If the effect looks misaligned, pressing HOME resets your camera view. Note that PNGs and alpha objects do not respond to the cavity effect, so those elements will not pick it up. The add-on's Smart UI also flags when your scene is missing key elements and helps you address them.

Is Cavity FX free?

Cavity FX is listed as free in this catalog, though licensing can change over time. The add-on is released under the GPL license. For the current terms and to download the Cavitylib.blend file bundled with it, head to the developer's page. A demo video is also available if you want to look before installing. It works across EEVEE and Cycles and activates with a single click once set up.

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