[RELEASED] SharpText

[SumFX]

Marketplace page

SharpText is a plugin for Unreal Engine 4 which provides a way to create a sharp, in-game text by using the MSDF (Multi-channel signed distance field) fonts. For features, please see below.

• Download the playable demo (Win64 Build)
• Online MSDF Font Generator is available
• Download the playable demo project (4.20 source files. Requires SharpText plugin.)
• Download the playable demo project (4.21 source files. Requires SharpText plugin.)

Features

• MSDF (Multi-channel Signed Distance Field) fonts
• Procedurally generated, singe mesh for the whole text.
• Lit & Unlit material option
• Horizontal & Vertical alignment
• Dynamic font size
• Line height
• Character spacing
• Outline text effect with customizable color and width
• Bevel text effect with customizable height and intensity (Beta)
• Animations (Beta)
• Show/Hide effect (Dissolve)
• Blueprint interface for non-programmers

Screens from the downloadable demo room

[SumFX]

Close-up comparison between Unreal Engine's native Text Render and Sharp Text Render

[SumFX]

SharpText is now available on the marketplace: https://www.unrealengine.com/marketplace/sharptext

[SumFX]

SharpText 1.1 is live on the marketplace! Please restart your launchers to make sure you get an update notification.

-Changelog-

• Fix: New fonts will now render correctly.
• Fix: SetCharacterProperties blueprint function will now act properly.

[IPovolny]

I have just downloaded the plugin and am loving it so far! Great effects, really crisp even in VR which is what I bought it for in the first place. Would highly recommend to anyone!

One question, in the demo scene provided you have a lot of examples where the text has a highly vibrant emissive outline, I've attached an example of it. I can't replicate this through playing with the outline colour etc and I can't find any documentation on how to use the plug-in properly.

So, could you please shed some light on how to get an emissive effect on the outlines like you have? Or, could you please include the demo map in the purchase so that we can dissect it in engine.

Thank you!

[SumFX]

I have just downloaded the plugin and am loving it so far! Great effects, really crisp even in VR which is what I bought it for in the first place. Would highly recommend to anyone!

One question, in the demo scene provided you have a lot of examples where the text has a highly vibrant emissive outline, I've attached an example of it. I can't replicate this through playing with the outline colour etc and I can't find any documentation on how to use the plug-in properly.

So, could you please shed some light on how to get an emissive effect on the outlines like you have? Or, could you please include the demo map in the purchase so that we can dissect it in engine.

Thank you!

Hi,

Thanks for kind words. Below is a screen from the demoscene. Documentation is in progress by the way.

[IPovolny]

Hi,

Thanks for kind words. Below is a screen from the demoscene. Documentation is in progress by the way.

Hey!
Thank you for your repsonse.
I was controlling the outline colour the same way as you. I've also replicated your exact colour value, yet for me the emission that is produced is very soft and wide rather than being sharp and concentrated like yours.
Could it perhaps be an engine setting or post processing?

[SumFX]

Could it perhaps be an engine setting or post processing?

I would also suspect that since no fancy work happening here. It's just an HDR value to give emissive look.

[datee]

Any update on an 4.19 version? Been waiting for this, so really need it!

[SumFX]

Any update on an 4.19 version? Been waiting for this, so really need it!

I’ll send it to marketplace team in this week, so you can grab it this week or the next.

[TurtleSimos]

This crashes on a listen server running from the command line with -game, as it calls CreateEditorOnlyDefaultSubobject, then doesn't check the return value before using it. Changing to:

        BillboardComponent = ObjectInitializer.CreateEditorOnlyDefaultSubobject<UBillboardComponent>(this, TEXT("Billboard"), true);
        if(BillboardComponent != nullptr)
        {        
            SpriteTexture = ConstructorStatics.STIconTextureObject.Get();
            BillboardComponent->Sprite = SpriteTexture;
            BillboardComponent->RelativeScale3D = FVector(0.4f, 0.4f, 0.4f);
            BillboardComponent->bIsScreenSizeScaled = true;
            BillboardComponent->bAbsoluteScale = true;
            BillboardComponent->bReceivesDecals = false;
            BillboardComponent->SetupAttachment(this);
        }

Fixes that.

-Brian.

[SumFX]

This crashes on a listen server running from the command line with -game, as it calls CreateEditorOnlyDefaultSubobject, then doesn't check the return value before using it. Changing to:

 BillboardComponent = ObjectInitializer.CreateEditorOnlyDefaultSubobject<UBillboardComponent>(this, TEXT("Billboard"), true);
if(BillboardComponent != nullptr)
{
SpriteTexture = ConstructorStatics.STIconTextureObject.Get();
BillboardComponent->Sprite = SpriteTexture;
BillboardComponent->RelativeScale3D = FVector(0.4f, 0.4f, 0.4f);
BillboardComponent->bIsScreenSizeScaled = true;
BillboardComponent->bAbsoluteScale = true;
BillboardComponent->bReceivesDecals = false;
BillboardComponent->SetupAttachment(this);
}

Fixes that.

-Brian.

Thanks for reporting this Brian. Fix will be available ASAP.

[h.a.n.d]

Is it possible to generate a font with special characters from the UTF-8 set?

[SumFX]

Is it possible to generate a font with special characters from the UTF-8 set?

This is in development already and will be available in a week. Follow this thread for any updates, please. Edit: I suppose you realize that your font should support those special characters.

[SumFX]

The new version of the online MSDF Font Generator is available! Check it out: https://sumfx.net/products/sharptext...ont-generator/