Best Toon Shader for Maya?

[Grooveholmes]

My vote for the best free toon shader would have to be the TJ_toonshader available on highend 3d.

[Chappo]

What i am more interested in is a plug-in that converts the whole animation into flash format, which is a bit like toon too.....

I know there is swiffworks but i think it sucks :(

[Stahlberg]

Hmm... I've never done this but wouldn't it be easier to convert it to Flash if you ran the animation through a really good toon-shader first? (Whatever that is, I've heard Mental Ray's is pretty good but I've never used it.)

[Chappo]

How would you import it into flash then ??

From my experience, when you import it to flash, it treats the "imported" as a movie....

If you want "real" flash stuff , the best way is to trace those images and then it is something that flash will treat as it's own.

In short..movie's tent to give big file sizes...and REAL flash movies do about factor 5 to 8 to that ! depending on the movie....

[MDC]

I haven't used all the commercial toon shaders available for Maya, but I did use Expressive Efffects, and that one seems pretty good. It's capable of all sorts of non photorealistic effects beyond toon shading, and contouring (the outlining drawn around objects) is seperate from the Cel Shader, which is very cool. You can use contour on just about anything, it dosn't have to be a Cel Shader.

[swag]

Expressive Effects ™ looks very nice try the evaluatate

http://www.algorithmic.com/efx_eval.html

http://www.algorithmic.com/image/fabgraphix_dachshund.jpg

[Chappo]

this is the shader you wanna use...just tested it, and it's :applause:



Cell shader (http://www.noboundrees.com/yinako/tut/nprs/nprstut.html)

[chanseimage]

I used TJ_toonshader, it's great and easy.

I've used it for FLash also: Here's how.


After rendering I bring it into PS to eliminate the background using channels and saving it to a PICT or TARGA, TIFF works too I think (recording an action is very handy for animation).

Then I import it into FLash as a sequence and use bitmap tracing. Play with the threshold settings to get the right effect.

The best solution is get streamline or other Flash 3d programs that import 3d Files (swish3d, etc.). But if money is an issue, then you have to waste time.

[Chappo]

Originally posted by chanseimage
I used TJ_toonshader, it's great and easy.

Then I import it into FLash as a sequence and use bitmap tracing.

So what if you have more then 1000 frames ?? you bitmap trace ALL of them by hand ??

:eek:

[chanseimage]

Well if it's that many sometimes yes, you have to remember Flash runs at 12 fps and sometimes you don't need those repeated frames. So before the bitmap trace I would go in and delete some of the unwanted frames.

Also in case you don't know Trace Bitmap is a function in Flash. So it only takes two clicks once you get your settings right.


And like I said either you spend the money to get the softwares that import 3d files to flash or spend you time the hard way....


I hope this helps.

[Chrissy]

I tried the Non photo realistic shading script from highend3d and that is excellent!!:bounce:

[Provide]

Don't forget cellShader Plug-In @ Highend 3D.
It's free !

http://www.highend3d.com/maya/plugins/?section=rendering#1473

Here are some rendering tests I've done with it.
Comments are welcome !

Martin

Martin Leguizamon
provide3d@yahoo.com


http://www.iespana.es/provide3d/images/cellShader_Demo_01.jpg
Standard Cartoon Rendering.

http://www.iespana.es/provide3d/images/cellShader_Demo_02.jpg
Procedural Sketch Rendering.

http://www.iespana.es/provide3d/images/cellShader_Demo_03.jpg
Procedural Sketch Rendering.

http://www.iespana.es/provide3d/images/cellShader_Demo_04.jpg
Procedural Sketch Rendering.

[Stahlberg]

Hey Martin, your plugin looks really nice!
The other day I just needed a simple thin smooth outline and nothing else, no shading or anything, and I tried the XMB Cartoon Tool Set, it's a bit cumbersome but gives a nice predictable line around all edges.

[Chrissy]

Where did you get that xmb tool set from?

[Provide]

> Where did you get that xmb tool set from?

Here :

http://www.highend3d.com/maya/plugins/?section=rendering#1169

[Liquid7800]

I like the toon and cell shaders mentioned above but has anyone tried to create a Sketchy Quake-like shader like the one found on this site: http://www.cs.wisc.edu/graphics/Gallery/NPRQuake/sketchyNPR.html

Any info would be great.

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