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Strumpy Shader Editor [Now Open Source]

Discussion in 'Works In Progress - Archive' started by Tim-C, Aug 2, 2010.

  1. Frank Oz

    Frank Oz

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    Oooooh now that looks awesome! :D Today has been quite a fun day where creativity is concerned, and that's the icing on the cake :)

    Very much so :D


    Aha! That's it, thank you! That was exactly what I did.. or didn't do in this case.

    Ahh, like I say, no biggy, normally I save things constantly, only noticed cause I was messing around. It unintentionally led to me remaking that shader and finally working out how to do something else I'd tried to do previously, so yay for helpful bugs! :D

    Yeah, couldn't find any info on where to use it or how. I understand the view bit, and the height, but seems whatever I use, I get a black surface with a slight hint of rainbow. I think I'm just forgetting to use a node somewhere along the line.
     
  2. Tim-C

    Tim-C

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    I'll throw together a demo graph tonight.
     
  3. Frank Oz

    Frank Oz

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    Awesome Sauce!! Thanks! :)
     
  4. Tim-C

    Tim-C

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    Hrm, if it happens with the normal unity shader as well then it's unlikely to be something wrong with the editor. Specularity is calculated normally (ie dot of the half vector). Are the normals and tangents in your mesh correct?
     
  5. Tim-C

    Tim-C

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    Here is a simple parallax offset shader. FYI I found a bug in the parallax node so it won't work properly in beta 3.x but it will in 4.x (you can make it work by swapping the inputs to bias and height... they are around the wrong way in code).

     
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2011
  6. Frank Oz

    Frank Oz

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    Wow that's brilliant stramit, thank you so much! I see now I was completely way off the mark with my attempts haha, no wonder I wasn't having much luck with it :D


    I'm really looking forward to beta 4. Every time the thread gets a new post I get all excited and hopeful :p
     
  7. rahuxx

    rahuxx

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    is there any way of accessing quadro card buffers using shader editor?
     
  8. Tim-C

    Tim-C

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    What do you mean?
     
  9. Tim-C

    Tim-C

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    It's very close, just put the final touches on what should be the last internal beta. Will let you know :D
     
  10. rahuxx

    rahuxx

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    i mean to say is it possible to make a shader that sends render to texture to quadro cards buffers for stereoscopy.
    may be i am asking it wrong way, but i found people using shader to build stereoscopic 3d using shaders.
     
  11. SkipKickCrash

    SkipKickCrash

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    Massive props Stramit, I've never got my head around shader coding but I can actually make it work with your tools.

    And it's free.

    Wonderful.
     
  12. janpec

    janpec

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    Has anyone created steep parallax shader or relief shader with this editor? I really need one and cant find any decent shader for Unity 3.0.
     
  13. Reanimate_L

    Reanimate_L

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    Good question.... i was wondering about this too. Stramit, care to help us here??
     
  14. Frank Oz

    Frank Oz

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    There's one in the relief mapping thread, right at the bottom a fixed one for 3.2/3.3 that allows for lighting and shadows. Works a treat.
     
  15. Pirates

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    what is a shader?
     
  16. deram_scholzara

    deram_scholzara

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    A chunk of code that tells your computer how to draw light, textures, and sometimes deformations on your objects.
     
  17. Pirates

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    @ Deram_scholzara Ah Thankyou :)

    does someone have tutorials?

    and i see some peaple having a Preview area i do not have that
    this is what i have : http://i55.tinypic.com/2me4tvm.png
    dunno if its normal or not
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2011
  18. niosop2

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    Yes it's normal. Preview only works in Unity Pro.
     
  19. janpec

    janpec

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    Hm that relief shader on that topic doesnt work for me. Dont know why but i cant see any height at all. I have set fantastic quality in editor and also set height map in normal map alpha channel.
     
  20. Pirates

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    nah :-(
    are there more things locked for unityfree?
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2011
  21. Frank Oz

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    3.x disables/removes alpha channels from any texture marked as normal map, that's why it's not working for you. Put the alpha in another texture, the base color one or it's own texture, it'll work then.
     
  22. Tim-C

    Tim-C

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  23. SeanP

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    Looking great stramit, any idea of a release date or the cost yet? Im eagerly waiting for this project.
     
  24. Tim-C

    Tim-C

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    Today, and Free.
     
  25. SeanP

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    whoah, the whole release? not just the beta?
     
  26. deram_scholzara

    deram_scholzara

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    You can donate to the project through its menu in Unity.

    Yet another donation from me when 4 comes out - this plugin is sooooo good.
     
  27. holyjewsus

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    excitement building....
     
  28. Frank Oz

    Frank Oz

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    Damn! Thats looking good. I seriously can't wait, you're a genius dude!
     
  29. Dreamcube017

    Dreamcube017

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    I know this post is kind of old... and I know this may have been asked already but...

    Can this only be used with the PRO version of Unity? I read in the manual that Pro was needed to see the preview, but can it be used with the free version as well to create ordnary shaders?
     
  30. Frank Oz

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    Unless things are done differently in beta4, it will/should still work in the free version, minus the preview and access to certain shader effects that are pro only. Besides that it'll work just fine, at least up to the latest public version anyway.
     
  31. rahuxx

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    waiting for 4.
     
  32. Tim-C

    Tim-C

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    4.0a - Massive improvements and tweaks

    A few weeks ago we decided to think about what would make the shader editor batter... We came up with a big list, and implemented it. This is Beta 4 of the Strumpy Shader Editor.

    Contributers
    Stramit
    Texel

    Special Thanks
    Alex Chouls
    Sophie
    And the people that tested this (bugs and all) pre release.

    Documentation
    Remember to check out Texel's documentation here.
    Planet tutorial by Clamps here
    Also check out this new video on SSE Beta 4


    A scene made by warby, where the shaders were made in SSE

    Donation
    This project is free for all members of the community. If you are a big studio, or really enjoy using the Shader Editor and would like to donate towards the project we would really appreciate that, the cost of software purchases needed to make this has added up. You can donate via paypal by clicking here.

    Download
    Click the link at the bottom this this post to download.

    Upgrading Notes
    Before upgrading please remove Strumpy Shader Editor 3.3x from your project. Back up / move any graphs you would like to keep before deleting SSE 3.3x.

    Please back up all of your graph files before upgrading. Graphs from Strumpy Shader Editor 3.3 should be compatible with 4.0 with no modification. If this is not the case contact us immediately either via this thread or PM. Please include a copy of the graph. We do not foresee any issues though.

    After you have upgraded to 4.0 it will be necessary to update the shader settings as they have changed between 3.3 and 4.0. These have changes so much that it was impossible to ensure complete backwards compatibility. Of note is that you should really check the depth write states, and the blending states of the loaded shader. These can be found in the 'setting' tab on the right pane.

    Features
    New Preview Window
    The preview window is now it's own entity. This allows for resizing and moving it onto a separate monitor.


    New Input / Property Configuration
    All inputs are now configured via the Input tab on the settings pane. This maps more closely with how unity handles properties. In this block define all the inputs you with to use (Use the ones under the unity tab if you want fallback shaders to work nicely). When you add a property node to a graph you now link it to one of these inputs rather then defining it in the node itself.


    New Settings Configuration
    Selecting settings from the master node of the pixel graph was getting a bit frustrating... especially if you normally work in the vertex or lighting graph... so we moved it to it's own location. It can be found as the third tab on the configuration toolbar.

    Node Menu
    We have also added a new menu which lists all nodes in SSE. If you can't find the node you are looking for this menu can be filtered. It also features handy tooltips explaining what each node does.


    Graph Map
    Sick of getting lost on very big graphs? We have added a map that shows where you are on a given graph! This map automatically pops up when you are panning around. We have found it very helpful!


    New Context Menu
    The old context menu was a bit frustrating to use, so we rewrote it. This menu is much easier to use and matches whichever OS you are on.


    Fallback Support
    If you specify a shader fallback it will be used (default is simple diffuse shader). In unity fallbacks work by the fallback shader having the same property names as those specified in the shader you are falling back from. To make this a bit easier in the Inputs tab we have predefined all the 'default' unity input names. We really recommend using these names if you want fallback to work properly!


    LOD Support
    This is a slider and is supported if you wish to have a LOD for your shader. Make sure you have a valid fallback specified!

    Massive Performance Enhancements:
    Fixes here and there have really added up. This should be the most performant version of the editor thus far. Especially with big graphs!

    Bug fixes
    *XBox 360 shaders should now be working properly
    *Numerous small fixes

    Asking for help with shaders
    If you need any help with the shader editor or shaders in general ask away here. We will help where we can!

    Bugs
    It is inevitable that some bugs have slipped though the cracks for this release. If you run into any issues at all post in this thread. The more issues you report the more we can fix. We want this tool to be as usable as possible so any / all feedback is welcome!


    Procedural Lightening Created using Vertex Shaders in SSE
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Mar 14, 2011
  33. seon

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    Congratulations on getting SSE beta 4 out the door. It looks like a massive update and much improved workflow :)

    Now the only community thing really missing (in my mind) is connectivity to an online database where users can post their shaders (in SSE format) and users can browse them and download and use them, all within your plugin :)
     
  34. Frank Oz

    Frank Oz

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    Beta 4!!!! *downloads* awesomeawesomeawesome!
     
  35. TwiiK

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    I still see shaders as sort of the dark arts of computer graphics.

    For instance how can you create lightning like that with a shader? Wouldn't you need particles or something? :p

    Thumbs up on this. If I'm ever going to learn about shaders I guess this will be of huge help. :)
     
  36. Frank Oz

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    The lightning one is a vertex shader, moving vertices around. I've not had any practice in that side of shaders though so no clue how it's done.
     
  37. Pirates

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    i am excited looks lovely
     
  38. KRGraphics

    KRGraphics

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    Same...perfect time to play with after a workout... I am about to post my character model with my shaders applied :)
     
  39. bigkahuna

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    Awesome, will check it out later today! :)
     
  40. Frank Oz

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    Been having fun with this all day (well the past six hours).

    HUGE improvements in speed

    Movable preview is great, my only niggle would be if we could disable it from appearing when updating the shader if we have an object in the scene we're applying the material to, we've already got our preview so to speak.

    The new input method is a little different to get used to at first, if you've been using the earlier versions, but quickly becomes a great way to do things. Being able to give each piece a decent name (and the Unity specific ones already having them included). Being able to quickly reorder them in the list so they appear how you want them is great too.

    As mentioned, the Unity specific inputs are a great thing to have and should really help with creating better behaved shaders.

    Loving the quick way you can search for the correct node, I'm finding myself using that quite a bit, you can pretty much find what you need (if you know its name) with just a couple of characters, so really speeds things up.

    Seeing where nodes are when middle click and dragging helps a lot. It's far less painful to use docked in the UI now as a smaller window (the detached preview also helping a great deal here).

    It would be nice if there was more info on correctly using the other graphs, but that could just be me not looking properly. There is, I'm sure, a lot of advanced effects you simply can't do with it, but I would think anyone creating highly advanced shaders, wouldn't be using a node editor in the first place.


    Also the Spec/Gloss thing has been swapped to what I understand is the correct way around, but it might throw a few people who don't notice at first (it didn't to me.... honestly....). :)


    I had the chance to try out ShaderFusion a while ago, and in all honesty I prefer Strumpy's Editor, not just because it's free compared to ShaderFusions $100 price tag, but also because Strumpy's feels more capable and dare I say, advanced. But this is entirely a personal opinion and it could be different for everyone.


    Everyone donate money so he can keep developing it!
     
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2011
  41. Pirates

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    is there any way to get the Preview in unity3d free?
    its annoying to everytime save it then look...
     
  42. niosop2

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    No. The preview uses Render Textures to work, those are not enabled in Unity free.
     
  43. 2dfxman1

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    Ability to zoom and pan in preview window would be very nice.

    Also is it possible to have a map name without _ in the front?

    And one more, a feature I'd like to see is ability to collapse trees. For example I can collapse the diffuse or normal tree to give way for other trees.
     
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2011
  44. islanddreamer

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    This is the first version that I've played with. Is there a resource for additional, perhaps user-generated graphs?
     
  45. Frank Oz

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    If you go to input and open the individual input, you can add the name the user sees in the inspector, under description.
     
  46. Spinland

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    I imported the unitypackage into the assets area of my current project, and the Shader Editor menu item appears, but when I try to start the editor I get this:

    NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
    StrumpyShaderEditor.ShaderGraph.<UpdateErrorState> m__1E (StrumpyShaderEditor.SubGraph x)
    System.Linq.Enumerable.All[SubGraph] (IEnumerable`1 source, System.Func`2 predicate)
    StrumpyShaderEditor.ShaderGraph.UpdateErrorState ()
    StrumpyShaderEditor.NodeEditor.OnGUI ()
    System.Reflection.MonoMethod.Invoke (System.Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, System.Reflection.Binder binder, System.Object[] parameters, System.Globalization.CultureInfo culture)

    And just a small empty window pops up, like this:



    I'm running Unity Free 3.3.0f4 (63135) on a Mac with OS 10.6.6.
     
  47. Tim-C

    Tim-C

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    Hi,

    Did you do a clean install (remove any old version of the shader editor before installing)?
    If so could you try creating a new empty project and adding the shader editor?

    If this still has the issue I'll need some help debugging what you are seeing. No one else has seen this so I'd like to narrow down what could be wrong.
     
  48. deram_scholzara

    deram_scholzara

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    How does one go about making a self-illuminated texture that is read by Beast's GI calculations? I tried adding the _EmissionLM input, but I don't really know where to hook it in, and having it linked to nothing doesn't seem to emit any light.
     
  49. JensOwen

    JensOwen

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    Great stuff! I look forward to learning more about Strumpy.
     
  50. makan

    makan

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    Great improvement, I'll try to learn more about it :D