MeshSSSNodeMaterial
An experimental extension of MeshPhysicalNodeMaterial that adds an approximate Subsurface Scattering (SSS) term to the physical lighting model (not a screen-space algorithm). It blends view direction, surface normals, and light direction to achieve a soft translucent look.
Core Advantages
Provides a convincing translucent appearance for skin, wax, and similar materials at low cost. It avoids volumetric rendering and only adds a per-pixel lighting term, keeping performance overhead small and controls intuitive.
Common Uses
Rendering organic materials such as human or creature skin
Simulating candle wax
Creating realistic marble or jade statues
Representing translucent plastics or gummy materials
Visualizing foods with translucency, e.g., grapes or dairy
How to adjust
This material inherits all properties from `MeshPhysicalNodeMaterial`. To enable SSS, set `thicknessColorNode` (often a reddish tint for skin). Use `thicknessScaleNode` and `thicknessPowerNode` for intensity and falloff; `thicknessAttenuationNode` for overall SSS strength; `thicknessAmbientNode` for a baseline contribution; and `thicknessDistortionNode` to modulate scattering direction by the surface normal.
Code Examples
1<mesh>
2 <torusKnotGeometry args={[0.4, 0.15, 128, 32]} />
3 {/* A wax-like SSS example */}
4 <meshSSSNodeMaterial
5 color="ivory"
6 roughness={0.3}
7 metalness={0.0}
8 thicknessColorNode={color(0xff8C00)} // color of internal scattered light
9 thicknessScaleNode={10} // scattering intensity scale
10 thicknessPowerNode={2} // falloff shape/sharpness
11 thicknessAttenuationNode={0.8} // overall SSS strength
12 thicknessAmbientNode={0.05} // baseline ambient scattering
13 thicknessDistortionNode={0.1} // normal-driven scattering direction
14 />
15</mesh>