How Do You Change The Distance In Flat Lit Toon Distance Fade

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The Mesh Distance Fields system in Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) tin be used with various different systems that tin can be enabled or disabled. Y'all can use these settings and properties to obtain a specific style for your Project, or utilize them for optimization purposes.

Below yous'll find the details almost the available menu systems and settings you lot tin use that are specific to Mesh Distance Fields.

Project Settings

The Projection Settings panel contains the settings to enable Mesh Distance Field generation for the assets in your Projection, also as some optimization options you can enable to make the use of them more efficient in some cases.

These settings tin can be constitute past clicking Project Settings > Rendering > Lighting. The table below details the settings available.

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Belongings	Description
Generate Mesh Distance Fields	This determines whether the system volition build Static Mesh Distance Fields, which can be used with Distance Field Shadows and Distance Field Ambient Occlusion. Enabling this volition increase mesh build times and memory usage, and also requires yous to restart the Unreal Editor for information technology to take event. If you enable the Generate Mesh Distance Fields setting for your project, yous volition still have increased memory usage even if you are not using whatsoever Distance Field rendering features on any Actors. If you disable this setting and restart the Unreal Editor, Mesh Distance Fields volition no longer be loaded, and memory usage will go downwardly.
8 Bit Mesh Distance Fields	This determines whether to store Mesh Distance Fields in an eight-flake stock-still point format instead of a xvi-bit floating point. Eight-bit uses half the memory, simply introduces artifacts for big or thin meshes. Changing this setting requires you to restart the Unreal Editor.
Generate Landscape Real-time GI Data	This determines whether to generate a low-resolution base colour texture for landscapes for rendering real-time global illumination. Enabling this option will increase mesh build times and memory usage. Irresolute this setting requires you to restart the Unreal Editor.
Compress Mesh Distance Fields	This determines whether to store Mesh Distance Fields compressed in memory. This reduces how much memory they take up, but too causes serious hitches when making new Levels visible. Information technology should only be enabled if your Project does not stream Levels in-game. Changing this setting requires y'all to restart the Unreal Editor.

Light Components

Below are the available Mesh Distance Field settings and properties that can exist set for each Lite Type available.

Directional Light

Below are the Directional Light settings that affect Altitude Field Shadowing.


Property	Clarification
Light
Light Source Angle	This is the light source's bending in degrees and is used to support soft expanse shadows for dynamic shadowing methods using Altitude Fields or Capsule Shadows.
Distance Field Shadows
Distance Field Shadow Distance	This is the farthest distance that will accept Distance Field Shadowing. Distance Field Shadows will also cover the altitude betwixt this value and the Dynamic Shadow Distance Movable Light for CSM shadows.
Distance Field Shadows	This will toggle Distance Field Shadows on for the lite source.
Avant-garde Properties
Distance Field Trace Distance	This sets a distance in world units for how far shadows tin can cast from their shadow pulley. When using larger values, you will increase the shadowing cost for the scene.
Ray Start Offset Depth Scale	This controls how large an start at that place is for tracing shadows are from the receiving surface as the camera gets farther away. This can be used to hide cocky-shadowing artifacts from low-resolution distance fields on large Static Meshes.

Light Source Bending

The Lite Source Bending softens or sharpens shadows based on the rotational bending of the calorie-free and the value entered. This allows for very soft shadowing to happen for points of the mesh that are farther away from the shadow receiving surface. Shadows closer to the mesh and the receiving surface volition be sharper.

The further the shadows stretch away from the mesh, or the farther that they are from the shadow receiving surface, the softer the shadow will become.

Cascaded Shadow Maps VS Distance Field Shadows

Cascaded Shadow Maps provide very detailed shadowing, simply don't work well across extended view distances. Distance Field Shadows tin cast shadow over a much greater altitude more efficiently, merely its quality relies heavily on the resolution of the volume texture generated for the Mesh Altitude Field. Mesh Distance Field quality may require a higher resolution to capture important details that would unremarkably show upward with shadow mapping. For this reason, information technology is recommended to utilise a combination of Cascaded Shadow Maps for areas close to the camera, and Distance Field Shadowing for farther distances.

Despite the distance of all points of the lift from the ground, the shadow remains crisp and detailed when using Cascaded Shadow Mapping. Distance Field Shadows let for softening of the shadow, based on the Calorie-free Source Radius and the distance of the shadow being cast from the surface, which provides a natural look.

Distance Field Trace Distance

The Distance Field Trace Distance controls how far Distance Field Shadowing can extend for whatsoever mesh that is casting shadows. Because shadows can extend forth receiving surfaces for very long distances, this can cause Distance Field Shadows to increase performance cost for densely populated scenes. Lowering the Distance Field Trace Altitude limits how far whatsoever one point of the Distance Field Shadow can be cast from a particular mesh without using a shorter Altitude Field Shadow Distance.

In this example, a very tall tree is being lit past a Directional Light with a shallow angle (like at sunrise or dusk). Lowering the Distance Field Trace Altitude limits the meridian of the tree from casting indefinitely.

Bespeak/Spot Lite

Beneath are the Indicate and Spot Light settings that touch on Distance Field Shadowing.


Holding	Description
Light
Source Radius	This is used as the size of the light source sphere. When you use larger values, you get a larger penumbra, simply it can cause slightly lower performance.
Distance Field Shadows
Altitude Field Shadows	This controls whether to use Distance Field expanse shadows.
Ray Start Offset Depth Scale	This controls how large of an first Altitude Field Shadows accept from the receiving surface as the photographic camera gets further away. This can exist useful to hide self-shadowing artifacts from low-resolution altitude fields on large Static Meshes.

Source Radius

The Light's Source Radius is used to soften or sharpen expanse shadowing past adjusting the size representation of the calorie-free source itself. Similar the Directional Calorie-free's Light Source Angle, the shadows will soften as the adumbral indicate gets farther from a receiving surface.

In this sit-in, the default value of 0 uses a difficult-coded Source Radius of 20, to automatically provide soft area shadowing. The larger calorie-free source radius of 50 has much softer shadows.

The default Source Radius of 0 has a set up hard-coded value of 20. When using a value greater than 0 and less than xx, the area shadows will sharpen accordingly.

Traditional Shadow Maps VS Distance Field Shadows

The shadow maps for Point and Spot Lights are very detailed and precipitous, similar to Cascaded Shadow Maps for Directional Lights. The quality of Ray Traced Distance Field Shadows relies heavily on the resolution of the book texture generated for the Mesh Distance Field. Mesh Altitude Field quality may require a higher resolution to capture of import details that would normally show up in a shadow map.

Despite the altitude of all points of the lift from the ground, the shadow remains crisp and detailed when using shadow mapping. Distance Field Shadows let for softening of the shadow based on the Source Radius and the distance of the shadow being cast from the surface, which provides a natural wait.

Ray Start Offset Depth Scale

The Ray Start Offset Depth Scale controls the ray starting bespeak for the Distance Field Shadows for a receiving surface, as the photographic camera moves further away. It helps to prevent self-shadowing artifacts that announced from depression-resolution Mesh Distance Fields, or from meshes that have complex geometry which can't exist reasonably captured in a volume texture.

In some cases, adjusting the Mesh Distance Field quality tin can reduce or remove these artifacts, without adjusting where the ray starts. Keep in mind that yous may not want to pay the higher memory price the generated volume texture would require. Ray Start Offset Depth Scale tin help curb that cost for this light.

Some self-shadowing artifacts are present in the stone confront where information technology has some crevices and the resolution of the Distance Field doesn't capture that amount of detail. Adjusting the Ray First Get-go Depth Scale a minimal corporeality will change where the shadow trace should begin by moving information technology inward.

This setting should simply be adjusted by modest amounts, as this can bear on shadowing for any mesh that casts shadows from the light source which has been adapted. When adjusting this setting, exist cautious, and check different areas of your level. This check is peculiarly important for Directional Lights and distance objects where it could have the most impact on visual quality.

Sky Low-cal

Below are the Sky Light settings that affect Distance Field Ambient Occlusion (DFAO). These settings provide the most artistic control of DFAO in your levels.

Property

Description

Apoplexy Max Distance

This is the maximum distance from an occluder to compute occlusion contribution. Raising this value will increment the cost of Altitude Field AO, but will allow occlusion from further away.

Occlusion Max Contrast

This can be used to heighten the contrast of the computed occlusion.

Occlusion Exponent

This is an exponent applied to AO. Values lower than ane will brighten the apoplexy without losing contact shadows.

Min Occlusion

This is useful to foreclose the occlusion from going fully black when desired. This is besides useful to simulate multi-bounce lighting, which would take prevented whatsoever areas from going fully black in real life.

Occlusion Tint

This is constant color used to colour the occlusion. This should be black to be physically correct; other values can provide artistic stylization.

Occlusion Combine Mode

This controls how occlusion from Distance Field Ambient Occlusion is combined with Screen Infinite Ambient Occlusion.


Selection	Clarification
OCM Minimum	This takes the minimum occlusion value. This is constructive for avoiding over-occlusion from multiple methods, but can result in the indoors looking as well apartment.
OCM Multiply	This takes the occlusion values from Distance Field Ambient Apoplexy and Screen Space Ambience Apoplexy and multiplies them. It gives a proficient sense of depth everywhere, but it tin cause over-occlusion. Screen Infinite Ambient Occlusion should exist tweaked to exist less stiff compared to Minimum.

Apoplexy Max Distance

The Apoplexy Max Distance controls the maximum distance between two points, where occlusion of 1 point can affect another. When y'all arrange the Occlusion Max Distance, it likewise adjusts the accuracy that DFAO will have with other objects in the scene, which means you lot're increasing the performance cost of it likewise.

Lowering the Apoplexy Max Distance ways that shadowing item tin can't exist captured for occlusion, since the distance betwixt these points will not crusade them to affect the other.

Increasing the Occlusion Max Altitude will increase the accurateness of occlusion, because more points can be considered for shadowing, but information technology does come at a higher performance cost.

Occlusion Max Dissimilarity

The Occlusion Max Contrast controls the difference in effulgence between objects affected by DFAO.

Increasing the value for Contrast darkens a lot of the crevices and areas that are heavily occluded in this scene.

Occlusion Exponent

The Occlusion Exponent controls the ability of the value being applied to the ambient occlusion. Lower values will brighten upward the occlusion shadows, without losing the details for any contact shadowing nearly surfaces.

The Apoplexy Exponent uses a default middle-ground value that works well for well-nigh scenes. Below are some comparisons of lower and college range values.

With the lower value, occlusion for the scene becomes lighter anywhere that is shadowed using DFAO.

With the higher value, apoplexy for the scene becomes darker anywhere that is shadowed using DFAO.

Min Occlusion

The Min Apoplexy controls how dark any fully occluded areas can go far your level. It gives artists extra control over lightening DFAO in the occluded areas. This setting works well when used with Occlusion Max Contrast. Where occluded areas are darkened too much with Apoplexy Max Dissimilarity, you tin and then use Min Occlusion to lighten the shadowing a flake.

Here, Min Occlusion brightens up the DFAO occluded areas of the scene.

Occlusion Tint

The Occlusion Tint affords artists the most control over the await of DFAO past enabling the color for occluded areas to be adjusted.

Merely occluded areas that are shadowed by DFAO will be tinted based on the colour values used.

Occlusion Combine Mode

The Occlusion Combine Mode enables yous to choose to combine Screen Space Ambience Occlusion with Distance Field Ambient Occlusion in the scene.

Static Mesh Editor

The Static Mesh Editor contains several Actor-specific settings that touch any instance of this Histrion placed in your Levels. These Actor-specific settings are inside the Build Settings and General Settings sections of the Details panel in the Static Mesh Editor.

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Build Settings

The Build Settings enable yous to command the quality of your Mesh Distance Field, to enable two-sided generation for objects similar leafage, and even to assign the Distance Field of another mesh to the current i.


Property	Description
Altitude Field Resolution Scale	This enables you to accommodate the quality of this Thespian's generated Mesh Altitude Field. This setting has an touch on on the size of the volume texture that is created.
Two-Sided Altitude Field Generation	This enables you to control whether the generated Mesh Distance Field should be ii-sided or not. This allows for soft shadows in instances where there are multiple planes that would overlap, just it comes at a college performance cost.
Distance Field Replacement Mesh	This enables you to select the Distance Field of another Static Mesh to use in place of the electric current Actor'southward ain Mesh Altitude Field.

General Settings

In the General Settings, you can enable options that are not quality-related. It includes the ability to generate a Mesh Distance Field for a particular mesh, without requiring Mesh Altitude Fields to exist enabled for the unabridged project. You tin can also control the self-shadowing that tin occur with Static Meshes that are blithe, or that move their vertices within of the Altitude Field.


Belongings	Clarification
Generate Mesh Distance Field	This controls whether to generate a Distance Field for this mesh, which tin be used with Distance Field Indirect Shadows. This is ignored if the Project Setting for Generate Mesh Altitude Fields is enabled.
Distance Field Cocky Shadow Bias	This is used for reducing cocky-shadowing from Distance Field methods when using World Position Offset to animate the mesh'south vertices.

Actor Components

Below are the available Distance Field settings that can be toggled or overridden for individual Actors placed in your Levels.


Property	Description
Distance Field Indirect Shadow	This controls whether to use the Mesh Altitude Field representation (when nowadays) for shadowing indirect lighting on movable components (such as from lightmaps or skylight). This works like Capsule Shadows on Skeletal Meshes, except information technology uses the Mesh Distance Field, so no physics asset is required. The Static Mesh must take Generate Mesh Distance Field enabled in the Build Settings, or the project must have Generate Mesh Distance Fields enabled in society for this feature to work.
Distance Field Indirect Shadow Min Visibility	This controls how dark the Distance Field Indirect Shadow can exist.
Override Distance Field Cocky Shadow Bias	This controls whether to override the Distance Field Self Shadow Bias setting of the Static Mesh Asset, replacing information technology with the Altitude Field Shadow Bias of this component.
Distance Field Self Shadow Bias	This is useful for reducing self-shadowing from Distance Field methods when using Globe Position Offset to animate the mesh'southward vertices.
Bear upon Distance Field Lighting	This controls whether the primitive should affect dynamic Distance Field Lighting methods. This flag besides requires that Cast Shadow exist enabled.

Distance Field Indirect Shadow Min Visibility

When using Distance Field Indirect Shadows, the shadow's tone can be adjusted using the Altitude Field Indirect Shadow Min Visibility setting. It gives artists more command over how nighttime these shadows can be, enabling the indirect shadows to blend with the surrounding static shadowing.