The system is a kind of bridge aimed to solve the situation that artist need to make animation of properties on some materials.

Chapter 1 - Modules

The system is combined with two modules:

1. Component MatAnimManager used to control the animation curve configs.
2. ScriptableObject MatPropCurve used to save the curve configs eternally.

Chapter 2 - Create and edit configs

1. Create asset config

   Right click on Project View or click Assets on Menu Bar, find item on following path:

   Create - Moonflow - MFMatPropCurve

   click to add a new asset config to the current path.

2. Add and remove property config

   Select the asset config file, you will see the following interface.

   

   • Mat to control - only used for default mode (described in chapter 3), it shows the material which will finally edited by this config on runtime.
   • Add Button - click to add new property config

     • The view will changed to seemed like this after click

       

       • + Float Param - Click to add a float typed property curve config. It will use a single channel AnimationCurve to control the property.
       • + Vector Param - Click to add a vector typed property curve config. It will use 4 AnimationCurves to simulate the 4 channels of vector property.
       • + Color Param - Click to add a color typed property curve config. It will use a Gradient to control the property.
       • x - Click to back

3. Edit config

   After add curve configs to asset, you will see the following table view.

   From top to the bottom row of this example, they’re float param\ vector param\ color param

   

   The left column “Prop Name” used to record which property in target material will be edited by the curve on it’s right side. “Prop Name” must be the same on target material.

   IMPORTANT: most of time the real property name is not the same as shown on material inspector. The real name of properties can be found on Debug Mode of Inspector (in the “Saved Properties”, the following screen capture shows how to switch to debug mode and find the real name). If you cannot recognize the matching relations of properties on target material, you have to ask the writer who write down the code of shader of target material for help.

   

   

   The following config means that property called “_Str” will be edited. It’s an example to control a material used “Distortion” shader, You cannot find any property called “_Str” but at the same time, another property called “Str” is displayed on view. It is because that the property “_Str” is edited to displayed as “Str”.

   

   

4. Save changes - Click save to save all the changes. And you can find the sub asset of curve config is renamed as the prop name you have just edited.

   

Chapter 3 - Use Controller Component

1. Add Component

   Add MatAnimManager to a gameobject which will use animation.

   You will find the following view.

   

2. Add Curve Config

   Drag the MFMatPropCurve asset which created at the previous step into Mat Prop Curves list.

   And the same editor view of curve configs will displayed on the bottom of this component.

   Of course the functions and interactives are also the same.

   

   If there is any empty reference in the Mat Prop Curves list, there will show the error info with red color font.

   

3. Control Panel

   The mid panel between two cyan divide line is control panel. ****

   Every properties in control panel could be recorded by animation.

   The default state of Auto Update is inactive.

   

   • Play - The animation will only be played when this play toggle is set to be true, whichever the state of Auto Update is.

   • Auto Update (inactive) - It means that this script don’t manage the tick. Every property use Timer to read value, and Timer won’t change itself. However, Timer could be totally edited with the Keyframe on Animation view .

     In this mode, the trend of curve can be reversed on play mode conveniently.

     • Timer - Shows the current time with will be used. The default value is 0.

   • Auto Update (active) - It means that this script will manage the time tick itself. Property will changed once by curve in time what duration value defines, whatever the length of time of animation is.

     

     • Pause - Just pause the animation. Uncheck pause checkbox will resume play and start animation from the paused timing. While uncheck play checkbox then recheck it will restart at 0 second.
     • Play On Awake - Check to set Timer to 0 and play when gameobject is awake
     • Loop - Check to loop play, else the animation will only played once
     • Duration - In most cases, the duration is the same with the largest number of time of all the keyframe. If there is some reusability situation, like that the curve has two seconds long but it just need to play the first second, you can set duration to 1(second). So that the animation will only play the first one second.

4. Collect Renderer

   

   Press Collect Renderer Button to collect renderers from current object which added this component.

   For this manager only apply changes to materials from renderers on Renderers list, you can manually pick out which renderer will be effected.

   You can also drag renderers from other gameobjects into the list or even added any renderer you want via script(be careful you have to be sure that every renderer you need is added perfectly before play toggle is checked). It’s usually useful for those character rendering which prefab has more than one skinned mesh renderer.