Dithering Shader - Unreal Engine 5

Inspired by the stunning work of Plastiboo, particularly the Vermis series published by Hollow Press, this Dithering Shader aims to replicate the unique dithered surfaces from these books. Designed for Unreal Engine 5, this shader not only captures that aesthetic but is also highly versatile, making it applicable to a wide variety of scenes and contexts. It achieves an average render time of 0.4 ms at its heaviest load.

Unlike other shaders, this Dithering Shader applies dithering using Camera Vector projections rather than Screen Space. This approach ensures that the dither effect is "pinned" to the geometry, enhancing the 3D feel of the scenes. 

* Since v 2.0, the shader support both methods, conveniently swappable through a checkbox.

The shader is implemented through a Post Process Material, packing all parameters in one place. It supports up to 4 different dithering settings in the same scene using Custom Depth Stencil Masks.

Be sure to check the original ArtStation post for more information: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/5vQ4XA. It will take me some time to update it to v2.0 as well.

You can watch this showcase video instead to have some insights about the shader and its features: https://youtu.be/fH2lJH04f9w (v 2.0) or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16H6Fn2pVOg (v 1.0). 

Features

• Performant and User-Friendly: Easy-to-use Post Process Material.
• Versatile Results: A wide range of visual effects are possible.
• Enhanced 3D Feel: The dithering effect looks "pinned" to the geometry, not the screen.
• Multiple Dither in One Scene: Up to 4 different dithering settings in the same scene thanks to Stencil Masks, which can be toggled to save performance.
• Outline: Add outlines to the scene.
• Pixelation: Give a retro look with pixelation.
• Additional Effects: Includes Depth Fade and Vignette, which can be overlaid or dithered.
• 2 Different Dithering Approaches: 
  • Overlay Scene: Dithering overlaying the original material, that remains visible underneath.
  • Overwrite Scene: Up to 5 colors blended through dithering overwriting the scene. *For both approaches it's possible to control blending amounts and color range offsets.
• Adjustable Parameters: Opacity, Tiling, and Threshold Maps are parametrized.
• Extra Dithering Layer: An extra dithering layer can be added on top of an already dithered area.

Package Includes

• Unreal Project Folder (UE5).
• User Guide.
• 20+ threshold maps to use with the shader. ***Important: in the v 2.0 file I forgot to put all the threshold maps already included in the previous version. You can migrate them from there. Sorry :/

Support

If you need support, please feel free to contact me. You can find my contact information in the attached user guide. 

Thank you all so much for your support!

Please consider crediting me and/or linking to my ArtStation on works using this product :)

- Added Pixelation effect and Outline feature

- Added 2D Screen Space method, so it's possible to choose between that and the 3D one

- Dithering pattern size will now be consistent regardless of the size of the window

- Polished the whole system. It's now a bit more expensive but achieve better results and less distortions

- Changed approach to what was called "Simple Dither", now it uses the same structure of what was the "Complex" one