Now that we know the mesh’s name, let’s look at the hair particles. If you opened the PixelHair blend file and thought, “Where’s the hair?”, don’t worry! The hair is there, but it’s hidden. This is not the same for all PixelHair files, some have the hair hidden and some don’t.
How to Make the Hair Visible
- Go to the Properties Panel: Look on the right side of your Blender window. Find the Properties tab (the section with multiple icons).
- Select the Particle Properties Tab: Look for the Particles icon (a circle with small dots). Click it to see a list of hair particle systems.
- Check the Hair Particle Systems: Each hairstyle has its own particle system. The names might vary depending on the hairstyle.
Making the Hair Visible Without Lags
Now that you know where the hair is, the next step is to make it visible.
Why Is the Hair Hidden by Default?
PixelHair uses high-quality settings to ensure the best final renders. These settings can slow down lower-end computers, especially when previewing in the viewport.
If you have a high-end PC, you can skip this section and move on.
If not, follow these steps to make the hair visible without lagging your system.
Two Settings That Impact Performance:
Strand Steps – Controls hair flexibility. Too low, and the hair looks stiff and blocky. Too high, and it slows down your viewport. The trick is to reduce them just enough while keeping the style intact.
Children Amount – Duplicates hair strands for a fuller look. The more children strands, the heavier the hair file.
Adjust the Hair Particle System
- Identify the most complex hair system: From the Particle Properties panel, select the hairstyle that requires the most flexibility. Typically, this will be braids, dreads, afros, or curls since they bend and twist the most. If names aren’t clear, pick any hair particle system at random.
- Go to ‘Viewport Display: Open the hair particle settings in the Properties tab. Scroll down and find ‘Viewport Display’. Click to expand it.
- Find the ‘Strand Steps’ Option: This is the setting that controls how smooth and bendable the hair is. The next step is to lower it carefully without making the hair lose its shape!
Optimizing Strand Steps for Better Performance
In Blender, strand steps range from 1 to 10. Higher numbers mean smoother, more flexible hair, but they also slow down performance.
Lower the Strand Steps
Find the ‘Strand Steps’ setting (under ‘Viewport Display’ in the Particle Properties tab). If the current value is close to 10, reduce it by around 2 points. Example: If it’s at 10, lower it to 8. If it’s already low, reduce it only slightly to keep the hair looking good.
Optimizing Children Amount for Better Performance
Now that we’ve adjusted strand steps, let’s talk about children hair.
What Are Parent & Children Hairs?
Parent Hair (Guides): These are the main strands that control the hairstyle. They can also be refered to as hair guides. You manually style these to shape the hair look.
Children Hair: These are automatically generated around the parent hairs. They add volume to make the hair look fuller and more realistic. More children = better volume and realism but higher performance cost.
Reduce the Children Amount
Go to the ‘Children’ section in the Particle Properties panel. Look for ‘Display Amount’ (this controls how many child hairs are visible per parent). Reduce the amount by half to balance quality and performance.
Example: If it was 100, lower it to 50. If the number was already low, decrease it slightly instead of halving it.
Why This Works
Keeps the hair looking natural while reducing viewport lag. Only affects the preview, not the final render. Still gives you a good representation of the final hairstyle.
Final Check:
If Blender feels smoother, great! If it’s still lagging, you might need to lower strand steps a bit more.
Unhiding the Hair in Blender
Now that we’ve optimized strand steps and children amount, it’s time to unhide the hair so you can see it in the viewport.
Locate the Hair Particle System
Go to the Particle Properties panel (right-side menu). Look at the list of hair particle systems.
Make the Hair Visible
Find the TV Icon: This icon controls whether the hair is visible in the 3D viewport. Click it to unhide the hair so you can see it.
Check the Camera Icon (Optional): This controls whether the hair appears in the final render. If it’s disabled, click to enable it.
By now, you should have a hair system optimized for both your computer and your project. The next step is to repeat this process for the other hair systems. This ensures the entire hairstyle is visible and performs well.
Since we started with the most demanding hair system, adjusting the rest should be easier. You might not need to tweak every hair system, especially if there’s no lag after making them all visible.
Once all hair systems are adjusted and visible, you’ll see the full hairstyle in your 3D viewport.
In the next section, we’ll focus on applying this hair to your character.
