---
title: Matcap
order: 3
---

Chisel uses Blender's matcap library for shading. Pick a matcap from the dropdown — it's the same list as Blender's solid-mode matcaps, plus a few SDF-friendly defaults.

![Matcap settings](../assets/rendersettings-matcap.webp)

## Parameters

- **Matcap** — choose from the available matcaps (populated dynamically from Blender's `studio_lights` API).
- **Use Specular** — when *on*, applies the matcap's specular layer if it's a multi-layer studio light. Some matcaps ship a separate spec layer that captures highlight detail; toggle this to enable or disable that layer.
- **Matcap Color** — RGB tint multiplied over the matcap diffuse. White (`1, 1, 1`) leaves the matcap untouched. Use a cool tint for chrome, warm for brass, etc. The **Reset** button next to it returns the tint to white.

## Choosing a matcap

| Matcap style | Good for |
|---|---|
| Bright clay / matte | Form readability while modeling |
| Polished metal | Final hard-surface presentation |
| Skin tones | Organic / character work |
| Soft shadow | Architecture, environment props |

Blender includes a varied set out of the box. You can also drop additional `.exr` matcaps into Blender's `datafiles/studiolights/matcap` folder to extend the library.

## Per-object color

Each Chisel object also has its own *Color* in [Material Properties](../materials/panel.md) — that's what gets multiplied with the matcap to give per-object tint. The scene-wide *Matcap Color* applies on top of all of them.

## See also

- [Display](display.md) — outline and mesh-object draw modes
- [Interface: Object Panel](../interface/panels.md#object-panel) — per-object color