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4-2. Toonline Plugin


1. Overview

A toonline system plug-in draws the line of an anime tone on the outline of an object, the border of a surface, etc., and component two or more plug-ins, such as shader and a pixel filter.

In unReal, the outline detection of 2D base is done, data are collected by shader at the time of the rendering of Lightwave, a buffer is generated inside, and it has become the mechanism of processing the buffer with a pixelfilter and drawing an outline.
Therefore, even if the number of objects and the number of polygons of a scene increase, the consumption memory by the side of unReal and a processing speed do not change so much, but if a rendering resolution goes up, a consumption memory and a processing speed will be affected.


2.EdgeTracer Shader

Main panel
  • Buffer tab
    • It is a tab into which the settings to the buffer for an outline detection is edited.
  • Group ID
    • Any ID are set up to a surface.
    This ID is used in order to be used as a specification for applying setting of ToonTracer or to specify the surface pierced by SurfacePiercing.
    The span of 0 to 99 can be specified as a value, and the same user ID may be used by two or more surfaces.

  • Surface Normal
    • The type of normal written in the internal buffer for unReal is specified.
    "Smooth": Use the normal according to smoothing setting of the surface.
    "Flat": Use the polygon normal which is not interpolated regardless of surface setting.
    "Smooth+Bump": Output normal also including unevenness of a bump mapping. In this setting, it becomes possible to draw a line on the edge of a bump mapping.

  • Transparency Limit
    • Since unReal detects an outline by processing of 2D base, it cannot perform an exact processing in the case where two or more surface data are mixed with one pixels by which a rendering is performed, such as a transparent surface and a surface in which other objects are reflected.
    A Transparency limit sets up the value which closes an outline drawing by the falloff in transparency, when the lei penetrates two or more surfaces.

  • Reflection Limit
    • The limiting value of the pixel data acquisition to a Reflection is set up like a Transparency limit.

  • Custom Buffer 1 to 4
    • Although basic outline detections, such as a border of objects and a border of surfaces, are supported as standard in ToonTracer,A value is set as this Custom buffer to add a transition to parameters, such as a case where he wants to make an outline detected on any requirements, and thickness of an outline, and a more complicated expression is enabled by using it in the buffer value border and gradient input of ToonTracer.

    Although a texture can also be used for a Custom buffer, the input parameter of the gradient texture is extended from the standard thing for Lightwave.
  • Independent Brush tab
    • Usually, although brush setting for drawing a line is done by the ToonTracer side, brush setting only with that original surface can be used by validating this independent brush setting.
    Brush setting overwrites only the parameter which checked effectively at setting of ToonTracer, and works.

    Refer to the instruction of ToonTracer for the details of each topic.
  • A support of a spreadsheet

    • EdgeTracer supports the spreadsheet of a layout.
    A bank of surface setting has the following.
    "unReal2:EdgeTracer Buffer"
    "unReal2:Brush Flags"
    "unReal2:Brush Parameter"


3.EdgeTracerNode Shader(for LW9)

Main panel


 Although this shader also has the same role as EdgeTracer, a buffer value can be more freely controlled using the node editor carried from Lightwave [9].

Refer to the EdgeTracer for the details of each parameter.


4. ToonTracer Pixelfilter

Main panel


 ToonTracer is a plug-in which takes charge of a drawing of a line, detects the section which serves as an outline and a boundary line from the buffer created by EdgeTracer at the time of a rendering, and draws a line using a brush.
  • Layer edit area
    • ToonTracer handles brush setting and drawing setting as one layer.
    It also becomes possible to draw an object and the line of different setting for each surface by using two or more layers.
    An edit of these layer list and a selection are done in a layer edit area.
  • Layer
    • The list of the current layers is displayed.
    A layer to edit into by clicking a list can be selected.
    A layer can be temporarily repealed with the check on the left-hand side of a list.
    The topic of a list is left-dragged to replace the order of a layer.
    A layer is drawn in layers sequentially from the bottom of a list like a texture.

  • Add Layer
    • A new layer is created.

  • Delete Layer
    • The layer selected by a list is deleted.

  • Copy Layer
    • The layer selected by a list is duplicated.
  • Group setting area
    • The target which draws a line with the layer of ToonTracer can be specified to any GroupID set up by EdgeTracer.
    In this area, it can be set up to which GroupID the selected layer draws, or whether it excludes from a drawing.
  • Group
    • It is specified by a GroupID to which surface drawing setting of the selected layer is applied, or whether it excludes.
    If a check is attached to a left column, it will become a target for a drawing.
    If a check is attached to a right column, it will become a target for an exclusion.
    It is ignored when a check is attached to neither.

  • Object Link
    • Limitation so that only the GroupID set as the surface of an object by specifying an object file name may be applicable from the input to a text area, or a popup.
    When you want to use layer setting which is different by the object A which this is a useful function when handling a lot of objects, and has a surface of 10, for example, and Object B,At Object A, even GroupIDs 1 to 10 are used and mandatory of using 11 to 20 becomes unnecessary by Object B.

    Moreover, although it is the difference in the attitude of an outline with the case where the target for an exclusion is used, between the surfaces of ID specified as the target for an exclusion, a line is correctly drawn in consideration of a relationship before and after a surface with limitation by an object linking to a line not being drawn by any means.

  • Surface List
    • A surface list panel is opened and closed.
    Details here
  • Option
    • An option setups area is opened and closed.
    Details here


Layer setup area
In this area, the layer under selection is set up by a layer list.
  • Layer Name
    • It is a name displayed on a layer list.
    It can be used to the half-width alphanumerical of 80 characters.

  • Brush basic setups area
    • In this area, the form used as the base of the brush used for a drawing of a line etc. is set up.
  • Type
    • The form of a brush is selected.
    "Circle": circle.
    "Square": Square
    "Image": Any images can be used from a right popup.

  • Brush AA
    • Except standard antialiasing setting, antialiasing by oversampling is applied to the brush pattern itself at a generate time.
    It is effective, when having set the degree of rotation angle as a brush, or especially when having opened the drawing space character greatly.

  • Edit Nodes (LW9)
    • A brush parameter can be set using a node system.
    However, a part of nodes currently made only for shader may not work normally.

  • Paint Mode
    • If this check is validated, it will become a mode which smears away not a line but the specified surface of a GroupID.

  • Brush setup tab

    • The detailed drawing style of a brush is set up in this tab.
  • Color
    • It is a color of a brush.

  • Size
    • The size of a brush is set up by a pixel measure.

  • Softness
    • It becomes so thin that the gray level of a brush will go outside if a value is enlarged.

  • Stretch
    • If a value is enlarged, a brush will be shrunk by a lengthwise direction.

  • Rotate
    • An angle is applied to a brush.

  • Opacity
    • The opacity of a brush is set up.

  • Pivot X
  • Pivot Y
    • The center of a brush is shifted at the percentage to a brush size.
    At 100%, it shifts by one brush and is drawn.

  • Space
    • The drawing space of a line is set up.
    However, if it uses together with antialiasing of a camera, it will not be drawn normally.

  • Distance Control
    • A brush size can be changed according to distance using a gradient texture.

  • Bold Line
    • If this check is validated, a thin line will be drawn thickly a little.

  • Edge Overwrite
    • When drawing a line with two or more layers, a line is not overwritten at the section by which the line was usually already drawn with the front layer.
    If this check is validated, that layer will be overwritten also in the section by which the line is already drawn.

  • Depth Check
    • Usually, the pixel does not take a detection processing of a line into consideration to which is in a foreground within 3D scene in order to check the pixel which adjoins each other toward a lower-right from a upper left.
    However, the right result is not obtained unless it gives priority to the data on the pixel in a foreground, when the control using pixel data is done in the independent brush and brush parameter which were set as the surface using a texture.
    It is set up whether a depth check checks a relationship around the pixel, and does an outline detection.
    However, shakiness happens on the line of the section which has caved in by which the polygon intersects that a processing time increases a little when a depth check is validated.

    "Auto Detect": Confirm whether the texture is used for the brush parameter and set up ON and OFF automatically.
    "Always OFF","Always ON" : setting is fixed regardless of brush parameter.
    "Attribute Only": it is a special mode and is a mode which validates a depth check, suppressing the shakiness of a line which occurs in the transposition section of the above-mentioned polygons.

  • Independent Brush Off
    • Whenever it validates this check, brush setting set up by EdgeTracer is disregarded and layer setting is used.
  • Border Setting 1, 2 tab
    • The requirements of a border section of generating a line are set up in the tab of demarcation.
  • Object Border
    • A line is drawn into the border sections of an object and a background, and a different border section of objects.

  • Surface Border
    • A line is drawn into the border section of a different surface.
    The surface name of the same name in a different object is also handled as another surface.

  • Group Border
    • A line is drawn into the border section with a different GroupID of a surface.

  • Depth Border
    • The depth of an adjacent pixel is measured and a line is drawn into a section with the difference more than fixed.
  • Depth Threshold
    • When the depth is separated greater than the specified distance, it is the drawing target of a line.

  • Check Border
    • The requirements which check a depth border are selected.
    "Polygon Border" checks only in the border section of a polygon.
    "Polygon Set" checks only in a section only by the section from which the Polygonset in which a polygon belongs differs.
    "CustomBuffer 1 to 4" checks only in the section in which the difference greater than the value of a check threshold has a value of the specified Custom buffer.
    "Zero Crossing" calculates the amount of transitions of a depth with an neighborhood pixel, and checks only in the intense section of a transition.
    "Cluster Group 0 to 3" checks only in the section from which the cluster name of the specified cluster group differs.

  • Check Threshold
    • It is a finding threshold used when a "Custom Buffer" is specified on a check border.
  • Group Outline
    • A line is drawn for the group which drew effectively for the outline as one cluster.
  • Draw Side
    • "Doubleside": Draw the normal line.
    "Inside": Draw a brush pattern only inside from a drawing border section.
    "Outside": Draw a brush pattern only outside from a drawing border section.
  • Cluster Border
    • A line is drawn on the border of a section where the cluster names of the cluster set up by the modeler differ.
    However, a line does not draw in the border of the polygon under a cluster, and the polygon which does not belong to a cluster.
  • Cluster Group
    • The cluster group used as the target for a check is specified.
    A cluster border checks the clusters of the same group.
  • Normal Creases
    • The angle of the normal of an adjacent pixel is checked and a line is drawn into the section which is an acute angle from the threshold.
  • Zero Cross Detect
    • The amount of transitions of a normal angle with a neighborhood pixel is calculated, and it checks only in the intense section of a transition.

  • Evaluate Unit
    • "Per Polygon" checks only in the border section of polygons.
    "Per Pixel" checks by the pixels after a rendering.
    Therefore, although a processing becomes slow, it can draw a line also to unevenness of a bump map.

  • Convex
    • A border section sets up the threshold of the section which is a mountain fold.

  • Hollow
    • A border section sets up the threshold of the section which is a valley fold.
    Since it will be the drawing target of a line unconditionally if it is set as 180 degrees, a wireframe can be drawn, if a validation unit of measure is performed per polygon and a threshold is performed into 180 degrees also with a mountain and a valley.
  • Buffer Border
    • A line is drawn using the value of a Custom Buffer.
  • Evaluate Unit
    • "Per Polygon" checks only in the border section of polygons.
    "Per Pixel" checks by the pixels after a rendering.

  • Input Buffer
    • The Custom Buffer used for the check of a value is selected.

  • Buffer Invert
    • It is used inverting the value of a Custom Buffer.

  • Check Value
    • "Neighbor Difference": Compare the adjacent absolute value and threshold of a difference of pixels.
    "Pixel Value": Use the buffer value of a pixel for comparison as it is.

  • Border Threshold
    • A line is drawn when a check value becomes more than this threshold.
  • Node Edge Detect
    • A line can be freely drawn using a node system.
    The input of the root node serves as an integer value, and a line is drawn in case of one or more values.


Option setups area
An option area does overall setting of ToonTracer.
  • Render Setting tab
    • In this tab, the file I/O of print setting of a line or layer setting is done.
  • Enable VIPER
    • ToonTracer setting can be previewed using VIPER.
    For enabling VIPER, it is necessary to enable VIPER by the side of this checkbox and a layout, and it is necessary to do a rendering once.

  • Update
    • Since VIPER of ToonTracer is not automatically updated like a surface, it needs to change setting, and needs to push the button of cod roe, or needs to press F5 key, and needs to update VIPER.

  • Evaluate After Volumetric
    • If this check is enabled, a processing of ToonTracer will come to be done after Volumetric plug-ins, such as HyperVoxel.

  • BG Color
    • The color of sections other than a line can be by force changed in this popup to perform the rendering only of the line and check it.
    "Render Image": Overlapping a line on top of the normal rendering image.
    "Surface Color": Use the setups color of the surface which has not taken shading.
    "Defined Color": Any colors can be specified by a right color slider.

  • Line Output
    • In this popup, painting and a line are outputted separately and the outputted place of a line can be changed for composing later etc.
    "Render Image": Output to the normal rendering image.
    "TGA File": Output the image of a line to a TGA file and don't output to the normal rendering image.
    "Both": Output a line also to a rendering image and output also to a TGA file simultaneously.
    The print place of a TGA file can be set up in the text area under a popup.

  • Color
    • The mode at the time of outputting a line to a TGA file is set up.
    "Alpha Only": Output only the Alpha data on a line as an 8bit gray-scale.
    "RGBA": Output as 32bitTGA of the color of a line, and Alpha data.

    When composing the line outputted by "RGBA", it can compose correctly to antialiasing of a line by clipping a RGB image by an alpha channel.

  • File button
    • The File-menu panel which outputs and inputs setting of ToonTracer is opened.
    Details here
  • Performance Setting tab
    • In this tab, the consumption memory of the internal buffer of unReal and balance setting of a performance are done.
  • Buffer Segment
    • The internal buffer of unReal is divided in the shape of a tile, and is managed, and the tile in which an object does not exist is stopping the consumption memory by not creating.
    The splitting mode of a tile can be specified in this popup.
    "Auto": Decide a number of partitions with a suitable value according to the rendering resolution of a camera.
    "Custom": A user can set up arbitrarily using a slider.

    Probably, in many cases, it will be satisfactory with "Auto."
    If a number of partitions is greatly set up by "Custom" when the rendering of the image of a big resolution is performed by little memory and an error of an out of memory happens, an issue may be able to avoid.
    However, if a number of partitions is enlarged, a rendering velocity will fall a little.

  • Render Buffer X , Y
  • ToonLine Buffer X , Y
    • The number of partitions of the tile at the time of setting a buffer splitting to "Custom" can be specified.
    A render buffer is a buffer holding the data on the scene seen from cameras, such as surface ID.
    A cell edge buffer is a buffer holding the line drawing image for one layer of ToonTracer.

  • Custom Buffer 1 to 4
    • In this popup, the size per pixel of a Custom Buffer is set up.
    "1Byte": As for a Custom Buffer, the 1-pixel value of 1 byte, and 0 to 255 gets to enter.
    "4Byte": A consumption memory becomes 4 fold although the Custom Buffer can put in now floating decimal 1-pixel the value of 4 bytes.
  • About tab
    • In this tab, the version of a unReal and the version of Support Lightwave are displayed.


File Menu panel
 By this panel, the processing which reads setting of ToonTracer into a foreign file from a save or a file is done.
The Read of setting related with the object besides the input/output of all the simple setting etc. is possible.
  • Export tab
    • The current ToonTracer setting is outputted to a external file (an extension is .TT3).

  • The export mode selection button
    • The output mode of a data is selected.
    "All Setting Save"
    All the layer data are collectively saved to one file.

    "Save Per ObjectLink"
    The layer data for which the object linking to the object which attached the check by an object choice list is stretched are saved.
    An archive file is created for every object as object name .TT3.
    Moreover, "Global" of the list highest rung has pointed out the layer with which the object linking is not specified, and when this is checked, it is saved by a file called Global.TT3.
    When this mode is selected, the file save place of each object linking can be selected from a save place selection button.

    "Select Layer Saved 1 File"
    Only the layer which attached the check by an object choice list is collectively saved to one file.

    "Saves Per Select Layer"
    The layer which attached the check by an object choice list is saved as 1 layer 1 file by layer name .TT3.

  • Include Option Setting
    • If this check is enabled, option setting is also included in an archive file.
    The export mode
    "All Setting Save"
    "Select Layer Saved 1 File"
    Option setting is also saved at one file outputted.

    "Save Per ObjectLink"
    Option setting is saved only Global.TT3.
    Even when Global is not specified by an object choice list, Global.TT3 file where only option setting was saved is outputted.

    "Saves Per Select Layer"
    Option setting is included in all the output files.

  • Output place selection button
    • When "Save Per ObjectLink" is specified by the export mode selection button, the output location of TT3 file to each object is selected.
    "The same folder as LWO"
    It saves at the folder in which each LWO file exists.
    Even when this mode is selected, a folder selection dialogue is displayed first, but this specifies the output location of Global.TT3.

    "Arbitary folders"
    The file of Global.TT3 and each object name is outputted to the folder specified in the dialog.

  • Target Select
    • The layer list of the current ToonTracer or the object file list in a scene is displayed.
    The target outputted by attaching a check can be selected.

  • Execute
    • An export is executed.

  • Import tab
    • Setting is read from an external file.

  • The import mode selection button
    • A way to read a configuration file is selected.
    "Replace All Layer"
    Layer setting is read after canceling all the current layer setting.

    "Add Import Layer"
    Read setting is added to the current layer list.

    "Replace Same Name Layer"
    It is replaced only when there is a layer of setting read into the current layer list and a same name.

    "Import Select ObjectLink"
    The configuration file of the object name selected by an object choice list is read.
    The description of Global.TT3 is added to the current list among the read datas, and if TT3 file of each object has a layer of a same name, it will be replaced, and if there is nothing, it will be added.

  • Include Option Setting
    • If this check is enabled, when option setting is included in the Read file, the current setting will be overwritten by that setting.

  • Target Select
    • When "Import Select ObjectLink" is specified by the import mode selection button, the Read location of tt3 file to each object is selected.
    "The same folder as LWO"
    A Read is tried from the folder in which each LWO file exists.
    Even when this mode is selected, a folder selection dialog is displayed first, but this specifies the location of Global.TT3.

    "Arbitrary folders"
    The file of Global.TT3 and each object name is read from the folder specified in the dialog.

  • Target Select
    • The Object file list in the current scene is displayed.
    The target read by attaching a check can be selected.

  • Execute
    • An import is executed.


Surface List panel

The list of surface names with arbitrary GroupID is displayed as this panel.
It can work checking a surface and a GroupID at the time of setting of ToonTracer and SurfacePiercing.


5. RenderAssist Pixelfilter

When segmenting memory setting of a rendering is lessened at the time of a ToonTracer using and a splitting rendering is done, a line level at the joint of the divided section will be drawn.
In this case, an issue is avoidable by setting RenderAssist to the plug-in slot above ToonTracer.
There is no setups panel in RenderAssist and it is only that you may set to a plug-in slot.


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