Text Mesh Pro 3D

This is a small extension that makes 3D text with Unity's TextMeshPro possible. It uses raymarching and a geometry shader to work around the limitations of TMP at the moment.

Features

• Solid, unlit shader (3D)
• 3D character properties and animation
• Outline support
• Bold text support
• Italic text support
• Debug rendering
  • Steps: Showing shader complexity
  • Mask: 3D uvs
• Text Creation Helper
• Multiple Raymarching Algorithms
  • Simple: Equal sized steps
  • Temporal: Optimized for Temporal Antialiasing
  • SDF: Using TextMeshPro's distance values
• Strikethrough text support
• Underline text support
• Face texture support
• Documentation
• Solid, surface shader
• Solid, unlit shader (UI)
• Sprite support

In Evaluation

• Bevelled text¹
• Full fledged freeform text using textures¹
• Translucent, unlit shader
• VR optimizations²

Compatibility

Graphics API	Built-in	HDRP	URP
DirectX 11	✔️ Compatible	✔️ Compatible	✔️ Compatible
DirectX 12	✔️ Compatible	✔️ Compatible	✔️ Compatible
Vulkan	✔️ Compatible	✔️ Compatible	✔️ Compatible
OpenGL Core	✔️ Compatible	⚠️ Invalid	✔️ Compatible
OpenGLES23	❌ Incompatible	⚠️ Invalid	❌ Incompatible
OpenGLES3	✔️ Compatible	⚠️ Invalid	✔️ Compatible
Metal4	〰️ To Be Tested	〰️ To Be Tested	〰️ To Be Tested

If the shader doesn't work for a compatible combination try to reimport the shader file first! When the issue persists contact me!

Installation

1. Open the package manager in Unity from Window>Package Manager
2. Select the + dropdown button in the top-left corner of the package manager
3. Select Add package from git URL...
4. Enter https://github.com/Ikaroon/TMP3D.git as url and confirm

This method will always install the current state of the git. To get a released version head to the release page!

How to use

To understand how to setup a TextMeshPro for 3D you can check out the sample in the package. For downloading that follow these steps:

1. Open the package manager in Unity from Window>Package Manager
2. Select Text Mesh Pro 3D Support in the section Ikaroon
3. Expand Samples
4. Click Import next to Solid Text
5. Now open the scene from Assets/Samples/Text Mesh Pro 3D Support/<version>/Solid Text/Scenes/Sample_TMP3D

If you still need help, here are some steps how you setup a TextMeshPro for 3D. There are two ways of creating a TextMeshPro 3D.

The Automatic way:

1. Create a TextMeshPro in a scene from 3D Object>Text - TextMeshPro (3D)
2. Replace the FontAsset with another font
3. Click Create 3D Font Asset Variant if it's not a 3D font already (The button will be disabled otherwise)
4. You have now access to 3D text!

The Manual way:

1. Create a new FontAsset by using the Font Asset Creator from Window>Text Mesh Pro>Font Asset Creator
2. Expand the created Asset and select the Material
3. Change the Material's shader to TextMeshPro/3D/Unlit
4. Create a TextMeshPro in a scene from 3D Object>Text - TextMeshPro NOT from UI>Text - TextMeshPro this is not supported yet.
5. Add a TMP3D_Handler component from Script>Ikaroon.TMP3D>TMP3D_Handler
6. Apply the FontAsset to the TextMeshPro component
7. You have now access to 3D text!

Notice

Work on this project happens in my freetime and, therefore, I cannot promise if and when certain features are added.

Bugs

When you find a bug you can create a bug report on Github! I will try to cover them as quickly as possible.

Footnotes

1. Tempering with the SDF values in the distance makes raymarching more difficult, I need to find a good way of evaluating the shortest distance. ↩ ↩²

2. I currently don't have access to any VR device and, therefore, cannot optimize for it right now. ↩

3. Support for OpenGLES2 is currently NOT planned. ↩

4. I currently don't have access to any Mac and, therefore, cannot test it for Metal right now. ↩