There a way to make toon outline with out surface shading?

[captainrex]

I had an idea for a some alien creature that would not have any surface shading, but just an outline to it. Is there a way to use the toon lines to do that and make the surface completely transparent or not visible and just show the outline of the model?

[Rodney]

There are a couple of different ways but the primary would be to set the Toon setting to Render Toon Lines Only in either the Camera settings or in the Render Panel. This will make the shading option disappear. Underneath the Lines option you can then set the color.

[johnl3d]

just a crazy idea you can select splines into a group and render them as lines then if you want add material to model with transparency and get something like this only better as I rushed this

 

 

outlineguy.mov

 

 

outlineguy.zip

[captainrex]

Okay I think I got it. I tried a gradient and it looked pretty good. Then to add a little detail, I added a material to cause displacement. It looks great with the quick render, but when I render it as a final render, the displacement causes the model to turn black and be transparent in a bunch of random spots. I don't think displacements are compatible with transparency of any kind. I have v15.0j+ so i'm not really sure how to work around the displacement-transparency issue without getting rid of displacement altogether :/

[captainrex]

Here's what happens with the displacement

[robcat2075]

The picture is a bit small to see what's right or wrong, however...Displacement needs to be rendered with multipass or it will not shadow properly.

[captainrex]

Okay here it is again. These all rendered with 16 pass on. Now in my material for the outline, I'm using a gradient for both the the outline and the displacement. When I use the gradient with displacement and transparency, then the black shows up. If it is just a normal turbulence material with no gradient, then there are no issues. Bump maps have caused no problems whatsoever. It may be corrolated with the gradient material. the third picture is just a sine displacement material, no gradient involved with that material. All pictures have the gradient color outline which is just a red color with the edge threshold of 20%, the middle of the gradient is 100% transparent. The color material is the same for all three different renders, only the bump/displacement materials have changed.

[captainrex]

The middle effect is what I'm shooting for, just with a displacement material. Not sure if that is possible after the issues seen with gradients and displacement materials :/

[Rodney]

I was a bit lost... I thought you were playing in the Toon Render Dialogue settings (See image below).

 

Can you share some more information about what type of material you are using? Is it Toon Nation? Just a standard material you've created?

If you can upload that material file to the forum that will help.

 

BTW - I really like that Sine render!

[robcat2075]

I'm lost... why the displacement when you want a transparent effect?

[NancyGormezano]

I just tried in 17a/32 using a gradient material (color & transparency) with a displacement decal. It renders with both multipass and No multipass (a little differently, but not major)

 

1st image is 3 pass, 2nd is Multipass OFF

 

EDIT: tried same project in 15j+, works similarly

 

I guess we'd have to know more about your gradient material and displacement method (decal?)

[fae_alba]

just a crazy idea you can select splines into a group and render them as lines then if you want add material to model with transparency and get something like this only better as I rushed this

 

 

outlineguy.mov

 

 

outlineguy.zip

 

 

Now that just reminds me of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Predator!

[captainrex]

Here is the project. Hopefully this will help. I decided to use the gradient and the displacement in the edges so I could animate it and make the edges look like they were moving like waves of water or something of the sort.

 

For the material I used, I just turned the displacment on in the material. It's not a decal.

Outline.prj

[NancyGormezano]

I decided to use the gradient and the displacement in the edges so I could animate it and make the edges look like they were moving like waves of water or something of the sort.

 

For the material I used, I just turned the displacment on in the material. It's not a decal.

 

So I'm gathering you are happy with this?

 

(and yes transparency doesn't work with gradient materials, that also have displacement turned on in the material - you would have to find a workaround)

[itsjustme]

I decided to use the gradient and the displacement in the edges so I could animate it and make the edges look like they were moving like waves of water or something of the sort.

 

For the material I used, I just turned the displacment on in the material. It's not a decal.

 

So I'm gathering you are happy with this?

 

(and yes transparency doesn't work with gradient materials, that also have displacement turned on in the material - you would have to find a workaround)

 

I'm probably misunderstanding something, but, how about separating it out into two materials?

[NancyGormezano]

I'm probably misunderstanding something, but, how about separating it out into two materials?

 

He did that. See Capt'nRex uploaded project above (post #13).

[itsjustme]

I'm probably misunderstanding something, but, how about separating it out into two materials?

 

He did that. See Capt'nRex uploaded project above (post #13).

 

Missed that, skimming doesn't always work, unfortunately. Sorry about that.

[itsjustme]

You could try using the ToonNation "Xray" material. Something like this? I ended up using three materials.

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

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EDIT

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Oh, I forgot about the displacement...I'll try that real quick.

 

 

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EDIT

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You can add roughness in a matching material, that worked. Or you could use a decal for a more involved displacement. Although, after reading the rest of the thread, I'm probably misunderstanding what you're after...Nancy appears to have a better handle on it, so I'll extricate myself. Maybe something in there will be helpful.

Outline_update.prj

[captainrex]

itsjustme, thank you. I tweaked the updated outline you uploaded and got it to work perfectly! Thanks. I uploaded the project so you can see the final outcome. Thanks a bunch!

Outline_update2.prj

[itsjustme]

itsjustme, thank you. I tweaked the updated outline you uploaded and got it to work perfectly! Thanks. I uploaded the project so you can see the final outcome. Thanks a bunch!

 

It looks like I didn't completely understand what you were after, but I'm glad my stumbling did some good...I've forgotten a lot about materials (it's been a while).

[captainrex]

Sorry about the confusion! I'll be a bit more clear next time. Thanks again tho!