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Semitransparent Shadows?

Discussion in 'Unity 5 Pre-order Beta' started by PhobicGunner, Oct 27, 2014.

  1. PhobicGunner

    PhobicGunner

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2011
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    1,813
    Hey, I noticed that with the new standard shader I can cast semitransparent shadows - which is amazing! That said, I'm trying to see if I can add this functionality to a custom alphablended surface shader (the end goal being a sort of faked lighting particle shader for smoke and such) but I'm having trouble understanding what's going on in the Universal shader.

    Any pointers?
     
    PhobicGunner, Oct 27, 2014
    #1

  2. Aras

    Aras

    Unity Technologies

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    Nov 7, 2005
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    These shadows are a bit of a hack - it's more like "shadow dithering" based on alpha value, and only look okay-ish because shadows are later blurred.

    In a custom shader, you'd have to write a manual ShadowCaster pass, with shader code similar to UnityUniversalShadow.cginc
     
    Aras, Oct 27, 2014
    #2

  3. PhobicGunner

    PhobicGunner

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    I figured you were doing some kind of alpha-to-coverage-style hack :) As far as hacks go, it's pretty damn neat.
    Just as a matter of curiousity, what about adding this as a pragma to surface shaders? Like there's the "alpha" keyword, maybe there could also be "alphaDitherShadows" or something.
     
    PhobicGunner, Oct 27, 2014
    #3

  4. PhobicGunner

    PhobicGunner

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    On a side note, is it possible to modify the included Universal shader to add vertex color support? I think that would probably get me 90% of the way there.
     
    PhobicGunner, Oct 27, 2014
    #4

  5. Aras

    Aras

    Unity Technologies

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    Nov 7, 2005
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    "Not easily" I guess, but since you have the source...

    OTOH, I'm working on making it possible to use Standard shaders' BRDF from surface shaders. Hopefully will land in one of these betas.
     
    Aras, Oct 27, 2014
    #5
    shkar-noori likes this.

  6. StarManta

    StarManta

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    Oct 23, 2006
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    8,775
    I'm curious actually, I can't find this setting for the semitransparent shadows. Where is it? I've looked on the light, the material, the renderer, and the light, to no avail.

    I'm loving the new standard shader, BTW. It's so easy to make objects that look really nice! :)
     
    StarManta, Oct 27, 2014
    #6

  7. Whippets

    Whippets

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2013
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    Aras, need to get you and Joen (Unlogick) together, so that the UMA (and other characters) skin shader can be sorted out and use the new standard shader's internal BRDF system.
     
    Whippets, Oct 27, 2014
    #7