Sign Tech empowers users to create and display custom signs and decals from within the game - no external art tools required. The highly-optimized sign rendering system produces the equivalent of many gigabytes of texture data for only a tiny fraction of the cost.
This document acts as a comprehensive guide on all related in-game tools and workflows, from placing sign blocks to creating complex designs of your own.
In-Game Workflows
Sign Blocks
There are currently two broad types of special MultiBlocks designed to display Sign Tech signs; canvas blocks, and decal blocks.
Use canvas blocks when you want a visible frame for your sign.
Use decal blocks when you wish to have a free-floating alpha cutout sign or a sign projected onto an existing surface in the scene.
In the Prefab Editor, open the creative menu and search for “canvas sign” or “decal sign” to isolate relevant blocks from each category.
There are currently wood and metal variant helpers available to choose from. Each one provides a range of different sizes to choose from via the shape selection menu, accessed by holding 'R' whilst placing the block and selecting the “Shape” option.
Note: The advanced rotations mode allows landscape-aspect signs to be reoriented in portrait aspect. Doing so automatically maintains the upright rotation of the design applied to the canvas.
Sign Configuration
Place a sign block in the Prefab Editor and interact with it (press 'E') to access the settings screen. This screen is composed of three main panels; the sign gallery, the sign info panel, and the sign preview/config panel.
The gallery displays thumbnails for signs from a globally accessible built-in “Default Library”, as well as any signs which have been saved to the current Prefab. Thumbnails are given a color-coded border indicating which type of library they belong to, and can be filtered using the colored library toggles or search field at the top of the panel. Selecting a thumbnail will instantly apply that design to the sign block.
The sign info panel shows additional controls for the selected sign. Note that signs from the default library cannot be edited or deleted, but can be duplicated to create editable copies if desired.
The preview panel provides a clear view of how the selected design applies to the current sign block. It allows tweaking the design’s rotation, whether or not it should be visible on the distant prefab imposter mesh, and in the case of decal signs, whether they are rendered as alpha-cutout meshes or projected onto scene geometry with full alpha blending.
This screen can be exited by pressing the ‘escape’ key when done.
Copying signs between prefabs
Sign blocks can be copied between prefabs as part of regular copy/paste flows with the block selection tool ('Z'). Note that doing so creates a unique copy of the sign in the destination prefab; editing a copied design in one prefab will not affect the other.
Sign Editor
To launch the Sign Editor, select a sign in the Sign Gallery and press the “Edit” button. Alternatively you can create a new sign using the “Create New” button. New/duplicated signs are always saved to the current prefab.
Overview
The editor is composed of four main areas; the layer inspector, canvas, and settings panels, and the layer stack.
Layer Inspector
Displays settings for the currently selected layer. Layers can be given custom names to help with organization by editing the name field at the top of the panel. The panel contents are split across multiple tabs which can be navigated by clicking the various icons below the layer name. The first tab changes depending on the type of layer selected, whilst the other tabs are common to all layer types; see Sign Layers for more details.
Canvas
Displays a live view of the current sign design. A darkened frame indicates where the design will be cropped based on the aspect ratio of the sign block the user is interacting with; this overlay can be adjusted or set to the maximum square aspect via the Preview Aspect controls in the settings panel.
Naming or renaming a sign
You can freely set/edit the name of your sign in the text field above the central canvas. Editing the name is safe to do at any time and will not break any existing references to the sign.
Settings
The settings panel has controls for saving the sign, exiting the sign editor, or adjusting the cropping preview aspect ratio. It also hosts the sign complexity bar, tracking the complexity budget of the current design (see Sign Complexity).
Layer Stack
The layer stack displays a scrollable set of thumbnails for each of the layers that make up the sign.
Layers are presented in ascending order from left to right; the leftmost layer is drawn first, then each layer to its right is drawn on top sequentially.
Controls
Universal
Ctrl + A: Select all layers.
Ctrl + C: Copy selected layer(s) to clipboard.
Ctrl + X: Cut selected layer(s) to clipboard.
-
Ctrl + V: Paste layer(s) from clipboard.
Pasted layers are inserted above the currently selected layer in the layer stack.
Ctrl + D: Duplicate selected layer(s).
Ctrl + G: Group selected layers.
Ctrl + Shift + G: Ungroup selected group layer(s).
Del: Delete selected layer(s).
Ctrl + N: Add new layer above the currently selected layer in the layer stack.
Ctrl + Shift + N: Add new layer below the currently selected layer in the layer stack.
Ctrl + Z: Undo. Can be held to rapidly traverse edit history.
Ctrl + Y: Redo. Can be held to rapidly traverse edit history.
Ctrl + S: Save sign.
-
Arrow Keys: Nudge selected layer.
Hold Shift: Increases nudge distance for large movements (10 * base distance).
Hold Alt: Reduces nudge distance for precise movements (0.1 * base distance).
Layer Stack
Mouse Scroll: Scroll through the stack (only if there are more than ten layers).
Left Click: Select a layer.
Ctrl + Left Click: Add or remove a layer from multi-selection.
Shift + Left Click: Multi-select the region between the clicked layer and the previously selected layer.
Left Click + Drag: Reposition the selected layer(s) in the layer stack.
Canvas
Transform Layer(s)
Left Click + Drag: Move selected layer(s).
Shift + Left Click + Drag: Move selected layer(s) with horizontal/vertical locking.
Mouse Scroll: Adjust selected layer rotation.
Ctrl + Mouse Scroll: Adjust selected layer XY (uniform) scale.
Shift + Mouse Scroll: Adjust selected layer Y scale.
Alt + Mouse Scroll: Adjust selected layer X scale.
Right Mouse: Hold whilst scrolling for precise adjustments to rotation or scale.
Adjust View
Middle Click + Drag: Pan the view.
Ctrl + Middle Click + Drag: Zoom the view.
F: Frame the canvas. Resets the view to its default pan/zoom.
Layer Inspector
Right Click On Settings Label: Reset control to default value. Works on most numeric settings for each layer type - e.g. softness, dilate, smoothness (shape layers), direction (text layers), etc.
Sign Layers
Adding a Layer
When the mouse hovers anywhere over the layer stack, a dynamic “Add Layer” button appears and follows the mouse to the nearest spot where a new layer can be inserted above/below existing layers.
Clicking it will update the Layer Inspector with a list of layer types to choose from. Select one to create the new layer, or click on any existing layer in the layer stack to cancel.
Common Attributes
“Softness” and “Dilate” controls are present on all layer types, and function similarly on each. Softness controls how sharp or blurry the layer is, whilst dilation expands or contracts it:
Text Layers
Text layers add customizable text to signs.
There are several fonts to choose from, as well as settings for adjusting text direction and spacing between characters. Advanced effects like outlines, glows and shadows can be achieved by duplicating a text layer and experimenting with alternate dilation, softness and color settings.
They typically have a moderate to high complexity cost, scaling with the number of characters used; each character is roughly equivalent to a single shape layer.
Shape Layers
Shape layers allow the creation of a wide variety of primitive shapes and polygons.
The mode setting allows a choice between a normal fill, an inverted fill, outline-only, or an emanating “ripple” outline effect. The number of sides can be adjusted from 3 to 64, whilst corners can be rounded off with the smoothness setting or made pointed and star-like with “starify”.
The shape layer’s low complexity cost makes it the ideal building block for drawing unique designs, especially when used in conjunction with layer warps.
Noise Layers
Noise layers render an unbounded procedural noise effect.
Different random patterns can be generated by adjusting the seed value. The detail setting can be lowered for smoother, more blob-like patterns, or increased for a more intricate, finely textured look. The fade setting blends the layer’s alpha based on the fully softened noise regardless of the layer’s softness and dilate settings; this can be useful for adding subtle textural detail without needing to add a separate noise layer.
Noise layers have a moderate complexity cost, scaling with the “detail” setting. At the lowest setting, they are roughly equivalent to a single shape layer. At the highest setting, they are roughly equivalent to two shape layers.
Group Layers
Group layers combine other layers of any type (including other group layers) into a single layer in the stack, allowing them to be edited as a group. To make a group layer, select one or more layers in the layer stack and use the group keyboard shortcut:
Group Color
The color mode setting affects how the group layer’s color is applied to child layers inside the group.
-
Multiply scales the RGBA values of all child layers by the RGBA values set for the group. Note that this applies to child layers individually - so lowering the group opacity will lower individual opacities of each child. If you’d rather reduce the opacity of a group as a whole, refer to the Fading Groups tip.
Multiply - useful for darkening or simulating filtered light. -
Blend uses the group’s alpha value to blend the RGB values of all child layers towards the RGB values specified for the group.
Blend - useful for color fading or homogenizing. -
Override explicitly sets the RGBA values on all child layers to directly match the values set on the group.
Override - useful for unifying color and alpha to a specific value.
The color bake button applies color changes directly to all child layers - so if the layer is ever ungrouped, the children will maintain their altered colors.
Group Offsets
The offset settings allow the softness and dilate settings of child layers to be adjusted in unison. The target setting allows choosing between affecting all children, or filtering to specific child layer types.
This effect stacks across nested groups; so if a child group has +50% Softness for Shape layers and the parent group has +100% Softness for All layers, shape layers inside the child group will receive a combined +150% Softness boost. In the case of shape layers specifically, this even allows adjusting softness and dilate settings beyond the normal limits (other layers such as text are restricted to a max of 100% for technical reasons).
Baking offsets will apply them directly to all child layers, so the effect is preserved if the layer is ever ungrouped.
Group Transform
The transform buttons toggle different modes for adjusting the position of child layers relative to the group pivot point. This can be especially handy for positioning warps.
Affect Pivot moves the group’s pivot point without affecting the final position of child layers on the canvas.
Affect Children moves child layers without affecting the final position of the group’s pivot point on the canvas.
Group Complexity
The complexity cost of a group is simply the combined complexity cost of all child layers, plus the cost of any extra warps or masks which are applied to the group. Adjusting the group color, offsets or transform does not affect the cost. This means that grouping for the sake of organization or bulk edits is “free” - so groups are safe to use liberally.
Layer Colors and Masks
The color tab (paint-bucket icon) on the layer inspector allows adjusting a layer’s color, opacity (alpha), and masking behavior, with copy/paste buttons to simplify copying colors between layers. Several color/mask modes are available:
-
Color Only is the default mode. It renders the layer without any masking effects.
-
Color And Mask renders the layer and uses its alpha to mask the next layer in the layer stack.
-
Mask Only hides the layer whilst still using its alpha to mask the next layer in the layer stack.
-
Punch Out hides the layer whilst using its inverted alpha to mask the next layer in the layer stack.
Enabling any of the three masking modes will add a very small complexity cost to the layer compared to the Color Only mode. When any of these modes are active on a layer, the thumbnail in the layer stack is given a mask icon in the upper-right corner indicating the mask type.
Note that masks can be chained in sequence or nested inside of groups, and that even complex groups can be used as masks - for example:
Layer Transforms
The transform tab (wrench icon) on the layer inspector allows directly editing the numeric values for a layer’s position, rotation, or scale. This is mostly useful when attempting to perfectly align layers to specific values; otherwise it’s generally more convenient to use mouse and keyboard controls to adjust layers in the Canvas panel directly.
Layer Warps
Warps are Sign Tech’s secret sauce, allowing even the simplest of shape layers to be transformed into dramatic effects with relatively minor complexity costs.
To add warps to a layer, select the “+” icon at the top of the layer inspector panel, then select from one of the available warp types.
Settings for the added warp will become available as a new tab at the top of the inspector.
A single layer can have up to four warps added to it; however it can be affected by additional warps if placed in a group which has its own warps applied. This can stack up to seven groups deep, allowing a single layer to potentially be affected by a total of 32 warps (one child layer and seven group parents, all with four warps each).
Any combination of warps can be applied to any type of layer, including multiple instances of the same warp type. Warps are applied in the order they were added to the layer.
Skew Warp
Skew warps apply a shearing transformation to the layer, slanting it along an axis. This can be useful for making text appear italicized, or for turning squares into parallelograms, etc.
Pinch/Bulge Warp
Pinch/Bulge warps contract or expand the layer around a single point which can be adjusted using the offset sliders. The strength of the effect is controlled by the amount setting; values below 1.0 will pinch, whilst values above 1.0 will bulge.
This warp can be useful for creating pseudo-spherical effects. It can also be a handy way to add subtler, smooth bends to layers, e.g. bending an elongated circle to emulate a flowing brush-stroke. Applying extreme pinches to complex group layers can also create interesting abstract effects.
Twirl Warp
Twirl warps add a ripple-like distortion to layers, radiating out from a single point which can be adjusted using the offset sliders. The strength of the effect is controlled by the amount setting, whilst frequency adjusts the width of each ripple.
The flexible strength and scale of the effect make it particularly useful for turning straight lines into flowing curves when creating line-art.
Kaleido Warp
Kaleido warps add a kaleidoscopic effect to layers, mirroring and repeating them radially around a single point which can be adjusted using the offset sliders. Note that the number of sides has no impact on the complexity cost, allowing for the creation of intricate patterns which won’t blow the budget - e.g.:
Perspective Warp
Perspective warps apply a 3D projection effect to layers, making them appear as though they’re on a 3D plane being viewed from an angle. The rotation sliders allow the angle to be freely adjusted, whilst the strength slider allows for easy tuning of the simulated camera field of view; higher values create a more extreme wide-angle effect, whilst lower values squash the perspective back down.
Arc Warp
Arc warps reproject layers in radial space, effectively bending them around a circular radius. The rotation setting determines the direction of the center of the circle relative to the layer, whilst the radius setting controls how far it is in that direction; the wider the radius, the subtler the effect on the layer.
Stretch Warp
Stretch warps pull two sides of a layer apart from each other, smearing a connection between each side. The position and direction of the effect can be tuned with the offset and rotation sliders, whilst the distance slider controls how far the sides are pulled apart. Increasing the width setting blends more of each side across the stretched distance, creating a smoother effect. The exponent setting adjusts the distribution of the stretched region across the width; higher values make the stretching appear more pronounced in the middle of the effect and softer at the edges, whilst lower values apply a more linear distribution.
Grid Warp
Grid warps tile a layer repeatedly across the canvas, stamping them out in 1D columns, 2D rectangular cells, or 2D hex cells. The offset and rotation controls adjust the alignment of the layer within the cell, whilst scale adjusts the cell size with respect to the layer. Rectangle mode provides additional controls for adjusting the aspect ratio of cells and/or offsetting each row horizontally.
This allows a layer to be repeated infinitely for less than the complexity cost of a single shape layer, making it a powerful creative tool for creating patterns and textures.
Sign Complexity
Sign complexity is a measurement of the overall rendering cost of a sign. All signs are subject to a fixed complexity budget, which is the main limiting factor on the number of layers, warps and masks which can be used. Usage within this budget is indicated by the Complexity bar at the bottom of the Settings panel:
The bright green region highlights the complexity of the currently-selected layer or layers (including all child layers in selected groups), whilst the darker green region shows the combined cost of all other layers and the grey region indicates the remaining budget. When hovering a layer in the stack, a thin outline is added to the bar indicating the hovered layer’s relative cost, making it easy to compare.
The bar fills up as more layers, warps and masks are added to a sign. If total usage exceeds the budget, the bar will be given a red highlight and the save button will be disabled with a tooltip explaining that complexity must be reduced:
Tips and Tricks
ircles: The Cheapest Layers
Increasing the smoothness slider to 100% on a shape layer will round it into a perfect circle, regardless of the number of sides or how “starified” it is. This has the side-effect of reducing the complexity cost of the layer, making it less complex than any other layer type.
Color Fills
A solid color fill effect can be achieved most efficiently with a circle layer which has been scaled up to cover the whole canvas.
Gradients
Shape layers can be used to create gradient effects by increasing their softness to 100% and scaling them. Smoothness and dilate settings can be adjusted for different gradient shapes.
The number of sides can be increased to create star-like flares.
Rounded Rectangles and Capsules
Stretch warps provide an easy way to turn shape layers into rounded rectangles, capsules, and other stylized panels.
Positioning Warps The Easy Way
Warps are applied relative to the pivot point of a layer. The “Affect Pivot” transform mode on group layers allows the pivot point to be freely moved, rotated, or even scaled with mouse/keyboard controls in the canvas area. In effect, this allows all warps applied to the group to be positioned freely by simply dragging the pivot point around on the canvas - which can be much easier than dialing in offsets on the warp itself.
This also allows for unique effects when applying a nonuniform scale to the pivot - for example:
When using this technique, keep in mind that all warps on the layer are affected equally; so if you want multiple warps in different positions/scales/rotations, you still need to use warp offsets or apply each warp to a separate nested group (note that warps can only be stacked up to 7 groups deep).
Mirroring/Repeating
Setting a kaleido warp’s “sides” setting to 1 allows it act as a mirror effect, duplicating a layer without doubling its complexity cost.
Combining a grid warp with masks can also be a handy way of stamping out multiple copies of a complex layer without paying the full cost for actual duplicates.
Single-Layer Groups
The group shortcut works even when only one layer is selected. This can be useful for gaining finer control over the pivot point position on a layer using the group transform modes, or to apply extra warps beyond the limit of four per layer.
Fading Groups
To cleanly fade the alpha of a group as a whole, simply mask the group and reduce the opacity of the mask layer.
Parallel Lines
An infinite field of parallel lines can be drawn most efficiently by setting a square shape layer to the “ripple” mode, then adjusting its scale and position until lines emanating from one side fill the canvas. The spacing and width of the lines can be fine-tuned with the dilate and frequency settings.
Comments
0 comments
Article is closed for comments.