► Wireframe shader - The Amazing Wireframe shader ◄

New update v1.1 has been released

• New transparent gradient shaders.
• Transparent shaders wire can be effected by "BaseTex" alpha.
• Fixed face overlapping for transparent shaders.
• Fixed point light rendering.
• Improved shaders by completely removing if/else statements from them
• New material editor.
• Implemented plugin "Update Check". Whenever new version is available you will be automatically informed or you can check for updates manually Menu->Window->VacuumShaders->Check for updates.

Note:
Remove previous version from project before updating.
Script "Wireframe" has been renamed to "TheAmazingWireframeGenerator".

 

Hello. I just purchased the plugin but things don't seem to be working properly. I'm using 4.5.3, but when I open up the demo scenes there's no wireframes, just giant pink shapes. Which is odd because the texture appears to be attached. Is there something else I need to do? I've attached a screenshot:

 

Right click on Shaders folder and choose Reimport, this will force Unity to recompile shaders. Which some how did not happen after importing package.

 

OK I've done that twice now and I keep getting the same set of errors compiling the shaders with the models still pink:

 

@moproductions
Check pm

 

New update v1.2
• Big opengl bug fixed (on some hardware shaders didn't compile)
• Fixed gradient shader switching from Local to World space and vice versa
• Fixed lightmapping
• net Framvework 2.0 support


Before downloading new version remove old one from your project and from Asset Store's folder.

 

24 hour sale with 50% off
https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/en/#!/content/18794

 

Hi,

I am still learning game development - basic csharp programming, currently half way through blender tutorials on basic image creation and editing but no texture work or such done yet so a lot of development terms are still a foreign language.

I have tried using search engines to describe what wireframe shaders are and how they are beneficial but am not seeing anything written for beginners like me.

With my very limited knowledge I suspect that your product may be useful to me in the future on my project (if it works like I think it does) but am at a bit of a loss as it may not be what I am thinking. I am probably not the only beginner who is in this position. Could you please give a description in more basic terms as too what your product does and what benefits it provides over unity`s standard built in tools.

thanks

 

So, it requires pre-processing. I'd say that makes it a "99% shader effect" at most .

Still, it's neat .

 

@docsavage
Wireframe shader visualizes triangles of mesh using GPU. Currently there are some techniques to achieve same effect, but there are very inefficient: using GL.wireframe or generate list of triangles and render them using script with GL.Lines. for dx11 there exist some techniques using geometry shader, but again, there all are very limited and/or slow.

Package contains many additional effects you can use with wireframe.
Try web players to see some of them: Troll or BattleBus


@RC-1290
It is 100% shader effect. Only shader renders wireframe, nothing more.
Shader reads barycentric coordinates written inside color buffer of mesh. If your mesh has no such data package contains tool to fix it for you, inside editor or in game mode.

 

Hello,

Is it possible to see the mesh as quads or ngons?
While on pre-processing, are there any adjustments we can make or is it totally automatic?
Can we manually prepare the pre-computed data (is it vertex color/alpha?) and not use the supplied tool at all?

Thanks.

 

@gurayg
Hi
"Is it possible to see the mesh as quads or ngons?"
Currently shader renders polygons only as triangles.

"While on pre-processing, are there any adjustments we can make or is it totally automatic?"
It is automatic. What adjustments do you mean?

"Can we manually prepare the pre-computed data (is it vertex color/alpha?) and not use the supplied tool at all?"
Yes of course. Shader reads barycentric coordinates of vertex written inside color buffer.

 

Thanks for the reply

 

Thanks for the fast reply.

As an adjustment I wanted to know, if we can get a quad output while on pre-processing, which you already answered.

Do you think it is feasible to get a quad rendering someday?

 

"Do you think it is feasible to get a quad rendering someday?"
May be, I have to make some research.

 

Don't worry, I am somewhat familiar with the technique. I was merely commenting on the marketing.
At runtime lightmapping is also purely a shader effect (either texture lookups with a separate UV set, or using data baked into the vertex colors). But that downplays the importance of the baking tool, to get the necessary data.

 

703 errors on import and the scene manager in the troll scene is missing it's script. Please advise, thanks.

 

Hello, does it work on animated meshes?

 

@topofsteel
Check pm


@pottering
Yes it works with animated meshes

 

Ah thanks, purchased!

 

I liked it and want to purchase it, but i have a question

what is the real benefit of Wireframe shader?

 

@Databases
If you need to visualize mesh triangles, then there is no way but use wireframe shader.

 

New update v1.21
• Added shader optimizer
• Fixed example scenes script warnings


What is shader optimizer:
Unity shader may contain large amount of shaders inside one shader file. Depending on the situation appropriate shader is used.
Instead of writing two shader files, one with wireframe antialiasing ON and another with OFF, I can write just one file with both effects inside. This is achieved using shader "#pragma multi_compile" and you(user) have controller for turning that feature on or off inside material editor.
For this example two shaders will be compiled inside one shader file: ANTIALIASING_ON and ANTIALIASING_OFF

As more parameters become optional (and that is good for user to tweak the shader) more "multi_compiles" are necessary.
For example gradient axis controller has three states: AXIS_X, AXIS_Y and AXIS_Z.
This forces unity to compile 6 variations of the shader inside one file:
1. ANTIALIASING_ON AXIS_X
2. ANTIALIASING_ON AXIS_Y
3. ANTIALIASING_ON AXIS_Z

4. ANTIALIASING_OFF AXIS_X
5. ANTIALIASING_OFF AXIS_Y
6. ANTIALIASING_OFF AXIS_Z

Adding one more optional parameter will increase shader variations to 6 * 2.
Adding even one more to 12 * 2. And so on.

Using "multi_compile" helps developers very much, instead of writing hundreds and thousands (yes 1000s) of shader files, it is possible to write one file with all possible effects inside.
But it has downside.
1. Compilation of the shader needs more time
2. Compilation of the shader needs more memory (may crash application on mobiles)
3. Compiled shader file size increase

And here comes Shader Optimizer.
It takes all used effects and bakes them inside new shader without using any "multi_compiles". But now you will not have further control over optional effects throughout material editor. They all are backed.
This dramatically reduces compilation time, memory and shader size.

If you have material with Antialiasing ON and (for example) Fresnel OFF - with Optimizing they will be backed but you will not be able to modify them - optional parameters will become invisible inside material editor.

To optimize shader, select material(s) and go to Assets/VacuumShaders/The Amazing Wireframe Shader/
This will generate new shader file, but original shader of the package remain unattached, so you can use them further.

Use optimized shaders for final builds and when you do not need material modifications.


I hope I've explained myself well

 

Thanks
I have not thought about terrains, need to make some research.

 

I'm trying to manipulate the Gradient Offset from within a JS script. (say to change its value when a player hovers over the object)

How do I do that?

 

@Alosh
http://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/Material.SetFloat.html
Gradient Offset parameter name inside shader is: V_WIRE_GradientOffset

 

Tested it and it works, thank you for the quick reply.

 

Hi, am i able to keep the mesh color solid?
With no shadow or light effect. I want to keep that with the same color as background so we only see the wireframe.
tks

 

@viniciuscury
There is check box inside material editor "Lights and Lightmaps effect Wire", turn it off.

 

Is it possible to use this shader on a mesh with blendshape animation?

 

Can not say, I have never worked with blend shapes, may be no. But works with skeletal animation.

 

Hello,

I'm working with your tools and I have a problem with the animation... and the materials...

Your tool works very fine but I'm using Megafiers for vertices animations (Point Cache Files), It seams deactivate my animation when using "The Amazing Wireframe Generator (Script)".
Anyway, I didn't find the way to apply a vacuumshader on a mesh from mine without apply this script.
Even if I use the same material used on the transparent troll of your demo scene. This Troll mesh don't have the wireframe generator script... why?
I think I messed something in the workflow... ?

Many thanks.

J

 

@3DJayC
Check pm

 

Hi there!

As someone mentioned before, it would be very useful to mesh in quads instead of triangles. I am trying to add vectorial-like shapes to my game, and with triangles I can't get the look that I want.

I hope you can do some research. I don't see any other shaders asset that do this, so it would be quite a unique feature.

Thanks!

 

Many thanks for four reply!

 

I wonder, can we mix this effect with an opacity map?
I'd like to apply this effect on a sphere but i'd like its poles to be transparent...

 

You can it with transparent shaders.





Vacuum Shaders

 

Can the shaders do IBL lighting from Marmoset Skyshop? (The ODL gradient shader specifically)

Thanks

 

Currently no, but next update will have IBL.



Vacuum Shaders

 

Hi Arkhivag,

Thanks for your reply,

I tested your suggestion but this what I tried to achieve :



Here, the base color of the mesh is fully transparent, I've got only the wire, which is self-illum and I'd like to control the opacity of the wire.
Here, I'd like the poles to fade...

 

Great, thanks. I already bought this and very nice effect. Really like your Flow asset also.

 

@3DJayC
As I guess you want wire transparency control vie texture



Sorry, it is not possible, cos I have not thought about such effect. I will try to add it in the next update.



Vacuum Shaders

 

Yes That's it!

How did you get this effect?

 

It is Photoshopped



Vacuum Shaders

 

Oh man, I was hoping

However, I encountered another issue.

I've got a simple Geosphere, and the wire is transformed in quad on android.



Sorry, I'm insistent

 

@3DJayC
Have never worked with Nexus 5, can you test Troll example scene (it is inside package)



Vacuum Shaders

 

I just tested it right now, here is the result :



The wire isn't homogeneous, It's not Full Tri or Full Quad. (see the base under the grass)

 

@3DJayC
Thanks, It seem that Nexus 5 rendering pipeline renders quads and not triangles. Currently I could not found more info about that, just this one, where nexus 5 could not render single triangle.

edit:
It seems that all vertex colored shaders will have different results on Nexus 5


Vacuum Shaders

 

Hi!

I was wondering if you will add the transparency control via texture for the next update?

J