SharpText

[SUMFX]

The plugin is now 4.19 and 4.21 compatible.

[h.a.n.d]

The new font generator is an excellent addition to your plugin! Great work!

One issue I've found: The texture size 2048x2048 does not work for me. (UE 4.20.3 and 4.21) the letters aren't positioned right, so you see only "text garbage".

[SUMFX]

The new font generator is an excellent addition to your plugin! Great work!

One issue I've found: The texture size 2048x2048 does not work for me. (UE 4.20.3 and 4.21) the letters aren't positioned right, so you see only "text garbage".

Thanks for reporting this. I'll check and see what's wrong and will let you know when it's resolved.

[Sly401]

I Can confirm 2K does not work (in 4.19) cropping the 2K texture to 1K (top left orientated ) will correct it


Paul G

[Sly401]

A few things good and bad :-)

Changing the PNG to 16 bit increasess the definition, especially if you set 16 bit, scale x 4 and then scale back down again, sort of anti aliases the shape.
Use a huge font size and scale the component will also give sharper / smoother results.

I do however get crashes a lot when simply changing the Text or the font size of a sharp text component.

I made a BP class with exposed variables for text, font size, scale, font type and this does not crash the scene editor, the crashes occur in the BP editor

Has good potential, but could I suggest that you look at 16 bit and sizes up to 4K for your font generator tool

Cheers

Paul G

[SUMFX]

A few things good and bad :-)

Changing the PNG to 16 bit increasess the definition, especially if you set 16 bit, scale x 4 and then scale back down again, sort of anti aliases the shape.
Use a huge font size and scale the component will also give sharper / smoother results.

I do however get crashes a lot when simply changing the Text or the font size of a sharp text component.

I made a BP class with exposed variables for text, font size, scale, font type and this does not crash the scene editor, the crashes occur in the BP editor

Has good potential, but could I suggest that you look at 16 bit and sizes up to 4K for your font generator tool

Cheers

Paul G

Hi,

First of all, thanks for the suggestions! Actually, there's no need for scaling the font texture up and down. Changing the imported font texture's "Texture Group" setting to "ColorLookupTable" would increase your text's quality greatly. I'm working hard to create an in-depth documentation, including usage instructions like that but I'm not there yet : /

This way you don't need large textures for your fonts. Actually, the whole point of texture size option is that you can put more characters into your sheets. The technology I'm using (MSDF) is almost texture resolution independent.

Please let me know if this solves your problem.

[Sly401]

Yep setting to color look up helped a lot,
But where is the documentation ?
What about including the demo project in the plug in ?
The materials need to be exposed and swapable , translucency and height / displacement.
Unstable, once the component has been saved you cannot change parameters eg text or text size without the editor crashing 4.19

This has great potential but urgently needs sorting

Paul G

[SUMFX]

But where is the documentation ?

As I said in my previous post, It's under active development and will be online as soon as possible.

What about including the demo project in the plug in ?

Marketplace guidelines don't allow us to include the demo project in code plugins. I'm thinking about the alternative solutions for this.

The materials need to be exposed and swapable , translucency and height / displacement.

Sorry, but I didn't understand this. Can you detail it, please?

Unstable, once the component has been saved you cannot change parameters eg text or text size without the editor crashing 4.19

I didn't experience any crash on my tests in 4.19 but I'll take a deeper look for sure.

[Sly401]

Hi
I realise that you are working on the documentation, but how crazy is it to release a "code" plugin without anything to explain or anyway to examine its working.
We cannot even look inside your example project to see how you have done it.

Use the top post of this support thread to write a brief text only descrition of how to use it - call it "usage overview" together with limitations of use etc.
Or answer these questions.

Can this be used successfully as a text render component or is it only suitable for UMG ?
How do I use multi-line ?
How can I give the Text an element of transparency ?
How can I add a height or normal map ?
How can I change the surface material of the render ?
Can I set a negative outline, to reduce the thickness of the text ?
(the present method I guessed at to be able to import a new font makes the lettering bolder.)
How do you use bevel, they are greyed out ?

To elaborate on the material thing....
At present we have a choice of using your two default materials lit or unlit.....
if neither of these meet my needs, I could go into your plugin content and edit your material.
However I cannot make a copy of the material and either add it to your list to select or apply my new material to that instance of Sharp Text.
Basically I have changed it for everything in the project.
Therefore expose the material that sharp text is using in the details panel.
So we can duplicate edit then apply it to sharp text.

Nearly everyone of my purchased plugins has a demo map, that I can examine to see how different things are acheived,
If still a problem make several actors using your various techniques, Example 1, 2 , 3 etc that we can place in our own worlds and examine.

Paul G

[SUMFX]

Hi
I realise that you are working on the documentation, but how crazy is it to release a "code" plugin without anything to explain or anyway to examine its working.
We cannot even look inside your example project to see how you have done it.

Use the top post of this support thread to write a brief text only descrition of how to use it - call it "usage overview" together with limitations of use etc.
Or answer these questions.

Can this be used successfully as a text render component or is it only suitable for UMG ?

There's no UMG support ATM as stated in the marketplace page. You can add SharpText component just like the native Text component to your actors.

How do I use multi-line ?

Same. Just as like as in the native Text Render input: CTRL+ENTER

How can I give the Text an element of transparency ?

SharpText currently doesn't support custom materials and properties.

How can I add a height or normal map ?

SharpText currently doesn't support custom textures.

How can I change the surface material of the render ?

SharpText currently doesn't support custom materials and properties.

Can I set a negative outline, to reduce the thickness of the text ?

There's no term like "negative outline" so you can't.

(the present method I guessed at to be able to import a new font makes the lettering bolder.)
How do you use bevel, they are greyed out ?

What do you mean by greyed out? Can I see some screen(s), please?

To elaborate on the material thing....
At present we have a choice of using your two default materials lit or unlit.....

Yes.

if neither of these meet my needs, I could go into your plugin content and edit your material.
However I cannot make a copy of the material and either add it to your list to select or apply my new material to that instance of Sharp Text.
Basically I have changed it for everything in the project.
Therefore expose the material that sharp text is using in the details panel.
So we can duplicate edit then apply it to sharp text.

SharpText currently doesn't support custom materials and properties.

Nearly everyone of my purchased plugins has a demo map, that I can examine to see how different things are acheived,

Marketplace team was very clear about not including the demo project with the plugin. This is what I've experienced and don't know yours.

If still a problem make several actors using your various techniques, Example 1, 2 , 3 etc that we can place in our own worlds and examine.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[datee]

Thanks for a great plugin! The text looks SO much better than standard UE4 text!

The web page conversion workes fine, but would it be possible to do from within UE4? Maybe a script or something? Also default change the tx to ColorLookupTable..
Also a little note : there is no "space" char included in the default char setup of the conversion page - i encoded 10 fonts then realised space didnt work. Just added a " " in the charset and it worked. Maybe add it?

Otherwise, fantastic work!

[Edit]
Seems the plugin crashes in standalone mode:

UE4Editor_SharpText!USharpTextComponent::USharpTextComponent() [d:\build\++portal+dev-marketplace+full\sync\localbuilds\plugintemp\hostproject\plugins\sharptext\source\sharptext\private\sharptextcomponent.cpp:26]
UE4Editor_CoreUObject!UClass::CreateDefaultObject() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\coreuobject\private\uobject\class.cpp:3019]
UE4Editor_CoreUObject!UObjectLoadAllCompiledInDefaultProperties() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\coreuobject\private\uobject\uobjectbase.cpp:793]
UE4Editor_CoreUObject!ProcessNewlyLoadedUObjects() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\coreuobject\private\uobject\uobjectbase.cpp:867]
UE4Editor_CoreUObject!TBaseStaticDelegateInstance<void __cdecl(void)>::ExecuteIfSafe() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\core\public\delegates\delegateinstancesimpl.h:813]
UE4Editor_Core!TBaseMulticastDelegate<void>::Broadcast() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\core\public\delegates\delegatesignatureimpl.inl:974]
UE4Editor_Core!FModuleManager::LoadModuleWithFailureReason() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\core\private\modules\modulemanager.cpp:510]
UE4Editor_Projects!FModuleDescriptor::LoadModulesForPhase() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\projects\private\moduledescriptor.cpp:593]
UE4Editor_Projects!TryLoadModulesForPlugin() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\projects\private\pluginmanager.cpp:922]
UE4Editor_Projects!FPluginManager::LoadModulesForEnabledPlugins() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\projects\private\pluginmanager.cpp:987]
UE4Editor!FEngineLoop::LoadStartupModules() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\launch\private\launchengineloop.cpp:2897]
UE4Editor!FEngineLoop::PreInit() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\launch\private\launchengineloop.cpp:2310]
UE4Editor!GuardedMain() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\launch\private\launch.cpp:135]
UE4Editor!GuardedMainWrapper() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\launch\private\windows\launchwindows.cpp:145]
UE4Editor!WinMain() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\launch\private\windows\launchwindows.cpp:276]
UE4Editor!__scrt_common_main_seh() [f:\dd\vctools\crt\vcstartup\src\startup\exe_common.inl:283]
kernel32
ntdll

[SUMFX]

Thanks for a great plugin! The text looks SO much better than standard UE4 text!

The web page conversion workes fine, but would it be possible to do from within UE4? Maybe a script or something? Also default change the tx to ColorLookupTable..
Also a little note : there is no "space" char included in the default char setup of the conversion page - i encoded 10 fonts then realised space didnt work. Just added a " " in the charset and it worked. Maybe add it?

Otherwise, fantastic work!

[Edit]
Seems the plugin crashes in standalone mode:

UE4Editor_SharpText!USharpTextComponent::USharpTextComponent() [d:\build\++portal+dev-marketplace+full\sync\localbuilds\plugintemp\hostproject\plugins\sharptext\source\sharptext\private\sharptextcomponent.cpp:26]
UE4Editor_CoreUObject!UClass::CreateDefaultObject() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\coreuobject\private\uobject\class.cpp:3019]
UE4Editor_CoreUObject!UObjectLoadAllCompiledInDefaultProperties() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\coreuobject\private\uobject\uobjectbase.cpp:793]
UE4Editor_CoreUObject!ProcessNewlyLoadedUObjects() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\coreuobject\private\uobject\uobjectbase.cpp:867]
UE4Editor_CoreUObject!TBaseStaticDelegateInstance<void __cdecl(void)>::ExecuteIfSafe() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\core\public\delegates\delegateinstancesimpl.h:813]
UE4Editor_Core!TBaseMulticastDelegate<void>::Broadcast() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\core\public\delegates\delegatesignatureimpl.inl:974]
UE4Editor_Core!FModuleManager::LoadModuleWithFailureReason() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\core\private\modules\modulemanager.cpp:510]
UE4Editor_Projects!FModuleDescriptor::LoadModulesForPhase() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\projects\private\moduledescriptor.cpp:593]
UE4Editor_Projects!TryLoadModulesForPlugin() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\projects\private\pluginmanager.cpp:922]
UE4Editor_Projects!FPluginManager::LoadModulesForEnabledPlugins() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\projects\private\pluginmanager.cpp:987]
UE4Editor!FEngineLoop::LoadStartupModules() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\launch\private\launchengineloop.cpp:2897]
UE4Editor!FEngineLoop::PreInit() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\launch\private\launchengineloop.cpp:2310]
UE4Editor!GuardedMain() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\launch\private\launch.cpp:135]
UE4Editor!GuardedMainWrapper() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\launch\private\windows\launchwindows.cpp:145]
UE4Editor!WinMain() [d:\build\++ue4\sync\engine\source\runtime\launch\private\windows\launchwindows.cpp:276]
UE4Editor!__scrt_common_main_seh() [f:\dd\vctools\crt\vcstartup\src\startup\exe_common.inl:283]
kernel32
ntdll

Hi,

Thanks for reporting. What is your engine version?

[SUMFX]

INFO: Project files (4.20 - 4.21) for the SharpText Demo is now available at https://sumfx.net/products/sharptext

[datee]

Hi,

Thanks for reporting. What is your engine version?

This was with 4.21

[Feror]

The crash also happens with your 4.20 example project (Standalone from Editor).