Fastest way to get noise free shadows without GI, for 2D/motiongraphics stuff...

So,

Is there a way to generate soft/noise free shadows in blender that dont take too long? I dont need realistic shadows, just soft shadows, sometimes when i do some basic stuff in blender with 2D or for motion graphics, i just want some shadows, or like drop shadows, but as it is doing all this complex Global illumination and stuff sometimes it takes forever what for example would spit in 1 second…

So… how to get noise free shadows fast? they dont need to be realistic just not noisey…

thanks!

If you switch the Render to Blender Game and place a splotlight in the scene you will discover that the game engine spotlight has a new shadow buffer type called “Variance”. Adjust the Size to soften the shadow. It renders at the speed of OpenGL so to leverage it you may have to setup some of your object materials for the viewport. But it does render fast, soft and noise free.

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Nice, will try that! and im guessing i can also composite renders from blender render and cycles if needed right ?

Say you want to use cycles:
Set Light Paths to “Direct Light” (from the presets). Give your objects white diffuse shader, set up lamps (maybe a single sun with appropriate size would do) and you’re done.
Shadow pass is useless, but if you take your render to compositor, pass it through color ramp with proper settings - it should do the trick.