If we all want to help PR get integrated, please go leave a comment in the PR comment thread(it’s’s Pull Request) The more attention it gets in there the more likely we’ll get some news on integration.
In the meantime,
Nate provided 4.9 and 4.10 back-ports for us to use’s shading model. (not a plugin, requires source build) Nate’s post
[EDIT]
Started a Feature Request thread in feedback section for’s Toon Shading Model PR Link to thread
It should be, as long as you have a source with the toon shader in it compiled on your drive (because that’s the only requirement; you need to have an UE4 source code compiled somewhere). The only thing you need to do is switch the current engine version of your project with the new one. To do that, just right click the uproject file and switch the engine version to the one with the toon code in it (can be done for both blueprint based as well as C++ based projects). You may need to reboot the launcher (your project will then show up with “Other” instead of the version of the engine you were using previously), but after that just launch your project and have fun with it.
I tested it on both my most recent C++ based project (moved from version 4.9 to 4.10 with toon integrated) as well as an older blueprint based project (from 4.7.6 to 4.10 with toon integrated), and I got the toon shader working in both instances.
It should be, as long as you have a source with the toon shader in it compiled on your drive (because that’s the only requirement; you need to have an UE4 source code compiled somewhere). The only thing you need to do is switch the current engine version of your project with the new one. To do that, just right click the uproject file and switch the engine version to the one with the toon code in it (can be done for both blueprint based as well as C++ based projects). You may need to reboot the launcher (your project will then show up with “Other” instead of the version of the engine you were using previously), but after that just launch your project and have fun with it.
I tested it on both my most recent C++ based project (moved from version 4.9 to 4.10 with toon integrated) as well as an older blueprint based project (from 4.7.6 to 4.10 with toon integrated), and I got the toon shader working in both instances.
I managed to get the code compiling, but looking in the shading model, I don’t see the option for toon. I have version 4.10, I ran the project setup and generate files in VS2013, am I missing something?
To add to _cDub’s reply; since it was done directly to the shader code in the engine, the toon shading model can only be used within materials. However, obviously also means that if you have a toon shader material, you can use Material in Blueprints as well (and also alter it realtime in Blueprints through the use of a dynamic material instance and parameters).
I managed to get the shader to work after a lot of initial struggles (with github) . and i even managed to get it to build an exe of a sample project (another sequence of initial struggles) . Even though the engine is from the master source , i managed to get the workflow nice and smooth now with the toon shader from development to deployment into a game build(development & production) for windows 64 . So is it safe to assume i can go with production ? (yes i try to live dangerously)
Thanks . Im highly aware to always be ready for surprises so i make sure i follow a safe pipeline in the workflow . like making sure i make different components in different project files . When all is done i’ll just migrate all the components into a final build . If something screws up i can always make sure they can be used in older versions of the engine with approach . but currently the toon shader is just so fantastic for giving that simplistic, bright and stylistic feel for the game .
I’m curious how much work/thought you out into the textures/materials you used for your models, aside from selecting the toon shader and deciding on what parameters specific to the shader needed to be applied?
A lot of thought was put into the texture part although the end textures are comparably simple with subtle details . Materials are very simple though .Used basic settings in the toon shader. Always having toon roughness to 0 and normal roughness to 1 . In some cases i even put the metallic and specular value to 0 as the toon visuals are better without them. I also used an awesome outline shader post process . its the one used by the japanese guy for that anime girl in thread . Will be posting a WIP thread with some videos regarding the game soon once our monsters animation and basic ai are working .
Its not hard at all . Its just a post process material which you just drag drop . But you have to correct the errors in the material by choosing “AnimeShaderSettings” for multiple nodes . Here is the direct link