Unity URP Simplified Toon Lit Shader Example (for you to learn writing custom lit shader in URP)

This repository is NOT the full version shader. Currently, this repository is just a very simple and short shader example, only for tutorial purposes, it is under MIT license so you can do whatever you want with the code.

We are now developing a "easy-to-use + high-performance + cross-platform(include mobile)" Closed source toon shader package - NiloToonURP, to meet the toon shading needs of most URP's user.

NiloToonURP is tested and working correctly on 2019.4LTS and 2020.3LTS (confirmed on 2021-3-11).

Download NiloToonURP android .apk demo (2020.3LTS build):

• https://drive.google.com/file/d/13DdRKXZpugnK-rTeXTDcAHWLeiLzbKH_/view?usp=sharing

Download NiloToonURP PC, Mac, and Linux standalone demo (2020.3LTS build):

• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MubGDhlDRKKxR9xyl7fcLyECyBJdsqrI/view?usp=sharing

NiloToonURP's runtime video:

• https://youtu.be/q7VloWbkSaA
• https://youtu.be/hBNs-7tyrU4
• https://youtu.be/NI-n-cmTJHM

If you/your company needs

• latest source code of NiloToonURP (with all detail comments and notes)
• complete 2020.3LTS demo project of NiloToonURP (include everything you see in the downloadable demo)
• perpetual royalty-free commercial license
• every future update
• (optional) project specific customization and support

of NiloToonURP for your URP project, please send the following info to nilotoon@gmail.com

• name (your name or your company's name)
• a google account email for gaining permission to access NiloToonURP in google drive

NiloToonURP's preview image:

If you want to keep the current tutorial shader, please fork it or download a copy now since it may be removed in the future.

Screenshots of NiloToonURP:

shader ON shader OFF shader ON shader OFF

SHADER ON BEFORE AFTER: see it in motion-> https://youtu.be/D9ocVzGJfI8

3D enviroment model TEST
see it in motion-> https://youtu.be/GcW0pNo-zus

湊 あくあ（みなと あくあ，Minato Aqua） model TEST see it in motion-> https://youtu.be/7zICgzdxuGg

see it in motion-> https://youtu.be/X3XoYMTleJ0

Auto Phong tessellation

(shader off, no tessellation) (shader on, no tessellation) (shader on, enable tessellation! Phong tessellation can make your model smooth without changing your .fbx) see it in motion-> https://youtu.be/D-MxyBa0nJE

Kawaii model TEST (@ganbaru_sisters)

Upgraded to Unity2020.2 (URP 10.2.1) SHADER ON SHADER OFF HD

shader ON shader OFF shader ON shader OFF

BEFORE AFTER see it in motion-> https://youtu.be/KpRkxPnHuK0

BEFORE AFTER (more shadow from trees)

BEFORE AFTER: see it in motion-> https://youtu.be/hUWacEQH6js

BEFORE

AFTER:

BEFORE

AFTER:

add 2D hair shadow & rim light

see it in motion-> https://youtu.be/S67GlGAnvWA

BEFORE AFTER:

see it in motion-> https://youtu.be/M6FKoEiOAzU

BEFORE AFTER: Sunny + StreetLight ON Sunny + StreetLight OFF Night + StreetLight ON Night + StreetLight OFF see it in motion -> https://youtu.be/jDSnJmZrKPw

BEFORE AFTER

BEFORE AFTER see it in motion -> https://youtu.be/ZfSZOHTBypc

BEFORE AFTER see it in motion -> https://youtu.be/EgxiWPk-vaE

BEFORE AFTER see it in motion -> https://youtu.be/Ty4DXLFqqDo

BEFORE AFTER see it in motion -> https://youtu.be/cebGl_MaWnI

BEFORE AFTER see it in motion ->https://youtu.be/nl5z0r8a9vk

see it in motion -> https://youtu.be/uVI_QOioER4

Fake Skin SSS & specular

BEFORE AFTER

What is included in this "simplified version" toon lit shader repository?

This repository contains a very simple toon lit shader example, to help people writing their first custom toon lit shader in URP.

This example shader's default result(without editing material params) = the following picture

Because this example toon lit shader aims to help people learning shader writing in URP, it is an extremely simplified version of the full version one. This repository only contains ~10% of the full version shader, which only contains the most useful & easy to understand sections, to make sure everyone can understand the shader code easily.

It is actually a "How to write your first custom lit shader in URP" example, instead of a good-looking toon lit shader example (lots of toon lit tricks are not included in this example shader, for tutorial reason).

Why creating this "simplified version" toon lit shader?

Lots of my shader friends are looking for a toon lit example shader in URP (not Shader Graph), I want them to switch to URP with me (instead of still staying in built-in RP), so I decided to provide a simple enough URP toon lit shader example.

How to try this simplified toon lit example shader in my URP project?

1. Clone all .shader & .hlsl files into your URP project.
2. Put these files inside the same folder.
3. Change your character's material's shader to "SimpleURPToonLitExample(With Outline)"
4. make sure at least _BaseMap(albedo) is assigned
5. setup DONE, you can now test your character with light probe/directional light/point light/spot light
6. edit the material properties to see how the render result changes
7. Most important: open these shader files, spend some time reading them, you will understand how to write custom lit shader in URP very quickly
8. Most important: open "SimpleURPToonLitOutlineExample_LightingEquation.hlsl", edit it, experiment with your own toon lighting equation ideas, which is the key part of toon lit shader!

I see the shader is working now, but the outline is broken?

For this tutorial shader, you can let Unity to calculate smooth normal for you, which can produce better outline, but doing this will make lighting slightly incorrect.

1. click your character's .fbx
2. In the model tab
3. edit "Normals" to Calculate
4. edit "Smoothing Angle" to 180

before calculate smooth normal (printscreen of tutorial shader, not NiloToonURP)

after calculate smooth normal (printscreen of tutorial shader, not NiloToonURP)

*NiloToonURP contains a few editor C# scripts, which can help the shader to produce correct lighting and perfect outline together.

What is NOT included in this simplified example shader?

For simplicity reason, I removed most of the features from the NiloToonURP (deleted 90% of the original shader), else this example shader will be way too complex for reading & learning. The removed features are:

• face anime lighting (auto-fix face ugly lighting due to vertex normal without modifying .fbx, very important)
• smooth outline normal auto baking (fix ugly outlines without modifying .fbx once you attach a script on character, very important)
• auto 2D hair shadow on face (very important, it is very difficult to produce good looking shadow result using shadowmap)
• sharp const width rim light (Blue Protocol / Genshin Impact)
• tricks to render eye/eyebrow over hair
• hair "angel ring" reflection
• PBR specular lighting (GGX)
• HSV control shadow & outline color
• 2D mouth renderer
• almost all the extra texture input options like roughness, specular, normal map, detail map...
• LOTS of sliders to control lighting, final color & outline
• per character "dither fadeinout / rim light / tint / lerp..." control script
• volume override control of global "dither fadeinout / rim light / tint / lerp..."
• anime postprocessing
• auto phong tessellation
• perspective removal per character
• ***just too much for me to write all removed feature here, the full / lite version shader is a totally different level product

How to get a test character model?

The easiest way to get a character model is by downloading Unity-Chan in the assetstore.

Also, here are some websites that can download models(If the creator allows it)

• https://3d.nicovideo.jp/
• https://hub.vroid.com/

if you downloaded a .pmx file, use MMD4Mecanim to convert it to .fbx & prefab directly inside unity http://stereoarts.jp/

if you downloaded a .vrm file, use UniVRM to convert it to .fbx & prefab directly inside unity https://github.com/vrm-c/UniVRM

Editor environment requirement

• URP 10.3.2
• Unity 2020.3

Apply our shader to another model (2020-2 early version screen shots) https://youtu.be/uVI_QOioER4

More old screenshots from the Full version shader(not yet released):

https://youtu.be/IP293mAmBCk

different Background image TEST

credits

model's creator in shader demo image/video:

• https://i-fox.club/pcr/
• https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/band-of-sisters-2f1c0626d4cf4fd286c4cf5d109f7a32
• miHoYo - Honkai Impact 3
• Kuro Game - Punishing: Grey Raven
• Azur Lane: Crosswave
• Sour式鏡音リン
• Unity-Chan
• https://www.bilibili.com/blackboard/activity-mrfzrlha.html
• 【オリジナル3Dモデル】Eve -イヴ- by ganbaru_sisters https://booth.pm/en/items/2557029
• https://www.mmd.hololive.tv/
• Japanese Street by Art Equilibrium https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/urban/japanese-street-170162
• miHoYo - Genshin Impact
• 【セール中】【オリジナル3Dモデル】ドラゴニュート・シェンナ by rokota https://rokota.booth.pm/items/2661189
• Cygames - Uma Musume
• Cygames/Arc System Works - Granblue Fantasy Versus