How to Stop Parts from Glowing in Roblox Studio: A Comprehensive Guide

The unwanted glow of parts in Roblox Studio can be a persistent nuisance, detracting from the desired aesthetic of your game. Thankfully, Roblox Studio offers several ways to control and eliminate this effect, allowing you to achieve the perfect visual atmosphere for your creations. The primary method involves understanding the Material property of the part and adjusting lighting settings within the Lighting service.

To effectively stop parts from glowing:

1. Check the Material Property: Ensure the part’s Material property is not set to Neon. The Neon material is designed to emit a bright glow, so switching to any other material will immediately remove this effect. Common alternatives include Plastic, SmoothPlastic, Wood, Metal, and many more.

2. Adjust Lighting Properties: If the part is still appearing too bright even after changing the material, you may need to tweak the lighting settings. Access the Lighting service in the Explorer window of Roblox Studio.

   • Ambient: Lowering the Ambient property will reduce the overall brightness of the scene, minimizing the appearance of glow. Experiment with values closer to (0, 0, 0) for a darker environment.
   • Brightness: The Brightness property controls the global brightness level. Reducing this can help dampen unwanted glows.
   • Shadows: If the glow appears as a result of light bleed or improper shadow rendering, ensure GlobalShadows is enabled for realistic shadowing. However, disabling it can sometimes reduce unwanted light effects, especially if using older rendering technologies.

3. Bloom Effect: If you have a BloomEffect enabled within the Lighting service, reduce its Intensity and Size properties. Bloom can exaggerate light and make parts appear to glow unnecessarily. Consider removing the BloomEffect altogether if you don’t need it.

4. PointLights and SurfaceLights: Individual lights like PointLights and SurfaceLights can cause parts to glow if they are too close or their Brightness and Range are too high. Adjust these properties accordingly.

5. Future Lighting: Ensure the Technology property under the Lighting service is set to ShadowMap or Future. These modern rendering technologies handle lighting more accurately and can reduce unwanted light bleed or glow compared to the older Voxel technology.

By mastering these techniques, you can effectively control and eliminate unwanted glows in your Roblox creations, ensuring your games look exactly as you envision.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify how to manage glowing parts in Roblox Studio:

1. Why is my block glowing even though it’s not Neon?

Sometimes, even after changing the Material, a part might still appear to glow due to the lighting settings. Check the Ambient and Brightness properties in the Lighting service. Also, the BloomEffect could be contributing to the glow. If these aren’t the case, ensure that no nearby light sources are excessively bright or close to the part.

2. How do I make a part emit a subtle glow without using the Neon material?

To achieve a subtle glow, use a combination of a light source and careful color selection. Add a PointLight or SurfaceLight near the part with a low Brightness and a small Range. Choose a slightly brighter color for the part itself to enhance the subtle illumination. Experiment with the Shadows property of the light to control how it interacts with the environment.

3. Can I control the intensity of the Neon material’s glow?

Unfortunately, you cannot directly control the intensity of the Neon material’s glow. It’s an all-or-nothing effect. Your best bet is to use the Lighting service’s properties and light objects to adjust the overall lighting of the scene to make the Neon material appear more subtle.

4. What is “light bleeding” and how can I prevent it?

Light bleeding refers to light leaking through walls or other solid objects, causing unwanted illumination in enclosed spaces. To prevent this, ensure your walls are thick enough and use the ShadowMap or Future rendering technology under the Lighting service, which handle shadows and light occlusion more accurately than the older Voxel technology. Adjusting the Shadows property of individual light sources can also help.

5. How does the BloomEffect contribute to glowing parts?

The BloomEffect exaggerates bright areas, making them appear to glow intensely. While this can be desirable in some scenarios, it can also cause unintended glows on parts that are already somewhat bright. Lowering the Intensity and Size of the BloomEffect, or removing it entirely, can reduce these unwanted glows.

6. What’s the difference between Ambient and Brightness in the Lighting service?

Ambient refers to the base level of light present in the environment, affecting the overall color and visibility of objects in shadowed areas. Brightness, on the other hand, controls the overall intensity of the light in the entire scene, affecting both lit and shadowed areas. Adjusting both can dramatically change how parts appear to glow.

7. Does the color of a part affect how much it appears to glow?

Yes, brighter colors will naturally appear to glow more than darker colors, especially when combined with lighting effects like Bloom or high Ambient light. Choose darker or more muted colors for parts you don’t want to glow.

8. How do I change the rendering technology in Roblox Studio?

To change the rendering technology, navigate to the Lighting service in the Explorer window. Find the Technology property and select either ShadowMap or Future. ShadowMap is a good balance between performance and visual quality, while Future offers the most advanced lighting features but may impact performance on lower-end hardware.

9. What are GlobalShadows and how do they affect glowing?

GlobalShadows is a property in the Lighting service that enables shadows to be cast by all objects in the game world. Enabling GlobalShadows can often reduce unwanted glows by properly occluding light and creating realistic shadow patterns. However, disabling it can sometimes mitigate light bleeding issues or improve performance on older hardware.

10. How can I use PointLights and SurfaceLights effectively to avoid unwanted glowing?

When using PointLights and SurfaceLights, carefully adjust their Brightness and Range. Position them strategically to illuminate only the areas you want to highlight, and avoid placing them too close to parts you don’t want to glow. Use the Shadows property to further control their impact on the environment.

11. What are some alternatives to Neon for creating a glowing effect?

Besides Neon, you can simulate a glowing effect using other materials and lighting techniques. Try using a bright color with a Plastic or SmoothPlastic material, combined with a subtle PointLight or SurfaceLight. You can also experiment with post-processing effects like Bloom to enhance the effect.

12. Why does my game look different on different devices?

Roblox games can look different on different devices due to variations in graphics settings and hardware capabilities. Low-end devices often have lower graphics settings, which can affect lighting and rendering. Ensure your game looks good across a range of devices by testing it on different platforms and adjusting your lighting and material choices accordingly. New materials on Roblox are only applied on PC, but not mobile which creates a very bright blinding material instead.

13. Is there a way to turn off all lights in Roblox Studio for testing purposes?

Yes, you can effectively turn off all lights by setting the Ambient property in the Lighting service to (0, 0, 0) and disabling or removing all individual light sources (PointLights, SurfaceLights, etc.). You can also disable GlobalShadows for a completely unlit environment.

14. How do I fix lighting glitches in Roblox Studio?

Lighting glitches can be caused by various factors, including outdated graphics drivers, incorrect rendering settings, or bugs in the Roblox Studio software. Try updating your graphics drivers, switching between rendering technologies (ShadowMap, Future, Voxel), and restarting Roblox Studio.

15. How do I learn more about game development and lighting techniques in Roblox?

To deepen your knowledge of game development and lighting techniques in Roblox, consider exploring resources like the Roblox Developer Hub, YouTube tutorials, and online communities. Joining forums and engaging with other developers can also provide valuable insights and support. Furthermore, consider looking into the Games Learning Society and GamesLearningSociety.org for innovative educational approaches within game development.

By understanding these factors and implementing the techniques described above, you can effectively control and eliminate unwanted glows in your Roblox Studio creations.