Utility category

Description

This category contains useful nodes that alter texture coordinates and color values in various ways.

Nodes

Blend Normals Blends the values from two normal maps together.

Inputs
vector3		Base			The first normal map to blend in.
vector3		Detail			The second normal map to blend in.
Outputs
		Out		auto	The result of blending the two input normal maps together.
Options
Method					The blending method used to combine the values from the two maps. See this page for a discussion of normal map blending, and for details on these options. Whiteout: As the Whiteout Blending method described at the link above. Ignore Detail Z: Adds the X and Y axis components of the two input vectors, but ignores the value of the Z axis component(the height, or blue channel) of the Detail map. This makes the apparent height of the surface come entirely from the base map, and the apparent orientation of the surface come from the combination of the two inputs. As the UDN Blending method described at the link above. Reoriented: As the reoriented or Detail Oriented method described at the link above.
					NOTE: To set the options listed above, select this node in the shader graph and open the Property Editor panel in the Stingray Editor.

For example, you could use this node to add high-frequency small-scale detail to a less detailed base surface.

NOTE: If the inputs to this node are coming from sampled textures, make sure that the Encoding option for those sampling nodes is set to Normal Map.

Node definition in file: core/shader_nodes/blend_normals.shader_node

Bump This node perturbs the normal based on specified inputs.

Inputs
vector3		Position			The world position
vector3		Normal			The world normal
vector3		Color			A color input used to perturbe the normal
scalar		Scale			A pertubation intensity value (defaults to 0.1)
Outputs
		Out		auto	The perturbed normal

Node definition in file: core/shader_nodes/bump.shader_node

Depth Fade Adjusts the opacity of a pixel based on the distance between the pixel being shaded and the pixel behind it.

Inputs
scalar		Opacity			The input opacity of the pixel being shaded. Values closer to 0 make the surface more transparent; values closer to 1 make the surface more opaque. Default value: 1.0.
scalar		Fade Distance			The distance behind the pixel being shaded at which its opacity begins to apply, expressed in meters. Default value: 1.0.
Outputs
		Out		scalar	The adjusted opacity value of the surface.
Pre-requisites
Output nodes					This node can only be used in a shader graph that contains the following output node: Output > Standard Base

Use this node in order to make a transparent surface in which closer objects appear more clearly than faraway objects.

Node definition in file: core/shader_nodes/depth_fade.shader_node

Desaturation Blends an input color towards grayscale, based on the amount and luminance inputs.

Inputs
vector3		Color			The input color that will be desaturated.
scalar		Amount			The blend weight between the original input color and its fully grayscale equivalent. A value of 0 leaves the input color unaltered. A value of 1 (or higher) produces a fully grayscale final result. Default value: 1.
vector3		Luminance			Determines the brightness of each channel in the desaturated color. This allows you to compensate for the way the human eye perceives the relative lightness of different colors. This value is expressed as a coefficient for each color channel. To determine the grayscale color, the value of each color channel is multiplied by the coefficient for that channel, and the three channel values are added. For example, setting a value of (1, 0, 0) makes red areas in the original image come through as white, while blue and green areas come through as black. Some common luminance settings are: (0.3, 0.6, 0.1) (the default value if this slot is not connected) (0.2126, 0.7152, 0.0722) (the BT 709 standard) (0.299, 0.587, 0.114) (the BT 601 standard)
Outputs
		Out		auto	The RGB values for the desaturated color.

Node definition in file: core/shader_nodes/desaturation.shader_node

Discard Do not render the pixel if 'Discard' is true, otherwise, return the 'Input' value.

Inputs
scalar		Discard			The value to test.
auto		Input			The value we want to output if Discard is false.
Outputs
		Out		auto	The output value or values produced by this node.

Node definition in file: core/shader_nodes/discard.shader_node

Fresnel Produces a value that changes depending on the viewing angle of the surface.

Inputs
scalar		Minimum			When the Method option is set to Use Min/Max, this setting defines the minimum value used in the calculation. Default value: 0.8. When the Method option is set to Use Exponent, this setting is not used.
scalar		Maximum Exponent			When the Method option is set to Use Min/Max, this setting defines the maximum value used in the calculation. When the Method option is set to Use Exponent, this setting specifies the exponent value used in the calculation. Default value: 1.
vector3		Normal			Sets a custom surface normal for the calculation.
Outputs
		Out		scalar	The result of the Fresnel calculation for the surface.
Options
Method					Determines the method of calculation used by the shader.
					NOTE: To set the options listed above, select this node in the shader graph and open the Property Editor panel in the Stingray Editor.

You can use this effect to change the color or reflectance of a surface when seen from different angles.

Node definition in file: core/shader_nodes/fresnel.shader_node

HSV to RGB Converts an HSV color value to RGB.

Inputs
vector3		HSV			The input HSV color.
Outputs
		Out		auto	The RGB equivalent of the input value.

Node definition in file: core/shader_nodes/hsv_to_rgb.shader_node

Option Switch Chooses between one of two input values, depending on the value of an option set on the node in the Property Editor.

Inputs
auto		Enabled			The output value to choose when the Option is set to Enabled.
auto		Disabled			The output value to choose when the Option is set to Disabled.
Outputs
		Out		auto	Either the Enabled or Disabled input, depending on the Option value.
Options
Option					Determines which input value this node returns.
					NOTE: To set the options listed above, select this node in the shader graph and open the Property Editor panel in the Stingray Editor.

You can use this node to switch easily between two different graph chains.

Note that you can only adjust this option inside the shader graph; it is not exposed as a property on the material. Therefore, it cannot be modified in the game at runtime, or in the Property Editor when the material is selected. If you need to be able to switch between the input chains in response to values set on the material either in the Property Editor or at runtime, use the Math > If node instead.

Node definition in file: core/shader_nodes/option.shader_node

Panner Offsets the input texture coordinates over time along the U and V axes.

Inputs
vector2		UV			The input texture coordinates before being panned.
scalar		Time			The current system time. Required. You can get this value from the Input > Time node.
scalar		Speed U			The speed at which the texture should appear to move along the U axis. Default value: 0.33
scalar		Speed V			The speed at which the texture should appear to move along the V axis. Default value: 0.33
Outputs
		Out		auto	The input UV coordinates after being panned.

When you sample a texture at the UV coordinates produced by this node, the texture appears to be panning across the surface at a speed specified by the Speed U and Speed V parameters.

Node definition in file: core/shader_nodes/panner.shader_node

Parallax / Bump Offset This node gives a surface the illusion of depth by shifting the UV coordinates of the pixels being shaded according to the height of the pixels from the surface and the camera's point of view.

Inputs
vector2		UV			The input UV that will be adjusted by the height value.
scalar		Height			The height of the pixel being shaded, usually drawn from a height map or bump map texture.
scalar		Parallax Scale			The amount of apparent deviation the heightmap causes in the surface. Default value: 0.04
scalar		Parallax Bias			A constant amount subtracted from the height in order to cause "lower" pixels to appear sunken below the surface plane. You will typically want this value to be about half of the parallax scale value, so that the median of the low and high points will lie approximately on the level of the original mesh surface. Default value: 0.02
Outputs
		Out		auto	The output value or values produced by this node.
Pre-requisites
Output nodes					This node can only be used in a shader graph that contains the following output node: Output > Standard Base

This means that "lower" pixels can be occluded by "higher" pixels.

The technique used by this node is known as "parallax mapping" or "bump mapping". It is similar to normal mapping, except that instead of using a map that contains the normal vectors of a surface, it typically uses a greyscale map (a scalar input value) that determines the height of the surface. Lighter color values or higher scalar values are "higher" in relief, and darker color values or lower scalar values are "lower".

For example:

Visit the AREA to download this sample parallax shader and watch our tutorial on Parallax Mapping in Stingray.

Node definition in file: core/shader_nodes/parallax.shader_node

RGB to HSV Converts an RGB color value to HSV.

Inputs
vector3		RGB			The input RGB color.
scalar		Hue			An optional hue value that will be added to the value produced by the conversion in order to adjust the result.
scalar		Saturation			An optional saturation factor that will be multiplied with the value produced by the conversion in order to adjust the result.
scalar		Brightness Value			An optional brightness factor that will be multiplied with the value produced by the conversion in order to adjust the result.
Outputs
		Out		auto	The HSV equivalent of the input color, adjusted by the Hue, Saturation and Brightness / Value inputs if specified.

Node definition in file: core/shader_nodes/rgb_to_hsv.shader_node

Rotator Rotates the input texture coordinates over time.

Inputs
vector2		UV			The input texture coordinates before being rotated.
scalar		Time			The current system time. Required. You can get this value from the Input > Time node.
vector2		Pivot			The UV coordinates that should be the center of the rotation. Default value: 0.5 0.5
scalar		Speed			The speed at which the texture should appear to rotate. Default value: 0.1
Outputs
		Out		auto	The input UV coordinates after being rotated.

When you use the UV coordinates produced by this node to sample a texture, the texture rotates across the surface at a speed specified by the Speed parameter around a pivot point specified by the Pivot parameter.

Node definition in file: core/shader_nodes/rotator.shader_node