Glitter Shader

Introduction to the Glitter Shader

The Glitter Shader is a stylized emissive tool specifically designed for Unreal Engine 5.4 and above. It utilizes material functions to generate medium to large size glitter effects. By using emissive properties, the shader effectively simulates sparkle and shine within a digital environment. This resource provides a procedural approach to creating glittering surfaces without relying on static textures.

Key Features and Customization

The Glitter Shader is generated procedurally using Voronoi 3D noise. Each individual piece of glitter is shaped as a small dot, creating a clean and stylized look. Furthermore, the creator has included options to generate glitter in Local 3D Space, which remains independent of UVs. For skinned meshes such as characters, the shader can also generate glitter in UV Space.

Users have significant control over the final appearance of the effect. For instance, you can easily change the size and amount of the glitter dots. Additionally, the brightness and sparkliness are fully adjustable to suit different art styles. These parameters allow for a high degree of flexibility across various project types.

Flexible Implementation Methods

The developer has included several material functions to streamline the workflow. You can use these functions to create a dedicated Overlay Material for your assets. Alternatively, the shader can be added to an existing material as a separate material layer. Moreover, users can add glitter by merging material attributes directly into their current shaders.

• MF_Glitter_MakeGlitter: Used to create an Overlay Material.
• MF_Glitter_MakeGlitterLayer: Adds glitter as a Material Layer.
• MF_Glitter_MergeGlitter: Merges glitter attributes into existing materials.

Technical Requirements and Limitations

This shader is intended for Windows platforms and requires specific settings for optimal performance. Because it relies on procedural noise, mobile platforms are not supported. Furthermore, the shader is not compatible with Landscapes. It is also important to note that the Anti-Aliasing method must be set to TAA or TSR, as other methods are unsupported.

However, users should be aware of certain shading model restrictions. Models such as Hair, SingleLayerWater, Thin Translucent, and Material Expression are not supported. Consequently, the shader works best when following these technical guidelines. For the most sparkly results, the developer recommends using the Convolution Bloom method in Post Process.

Lighting and Demo Content

The Glitter Shader is largely an emissive effect and does not change based on scene lighting or shadows automatically. Therefore, settings must be adjusted manually to match the environment. If you need the glitter to darken in shadows, you must use Custom Primitive Data parameters and trigger volumes via scripts. This allows for more dynamic integration into complex scenes.

The package includes a variety of demo content to help you get started. This includes the GlitterDemo level, which provides a comprehensive overview of features. You will also find material instances showing different looks and an implementation of the shader on the Quinn character. These examples demonstrate how to use blueprints to adjust emissive brightness effectively.

Conclusion

The Glitter Shader provides a robust and procedural way to add stylized sparkle to Unreal Engine projects. With its multiple implementation methods and adjustable parameters, it offers a versatile solution for developers. While it requires specific technical configurations, its ability to generate UV-independent effects makes it a valuable asset for modern game development.

Screenshots & Gallery