Quick Start

This guide takes you from a clean install to actively authoring, controlling, and applying the Hardline style system.

1. Setup

This is covered in other documentation, but repeated for continuity.

Activate the Hardline Renderer

After importing the package, the Hardline Wizard opens automatically.

If it does not, open it manually:

Window → Summon Style → Hardline Wizard

If the wizard shows:

Hardline Render Pipeline Asset is available but not active

Click:

Apply Hardline Render Pipeline Asset

This switches the project to the URP configuration required for:

  • Depth Checks
  • Outline rendering feature
  • Procedural skybox features

Hardline will not function fully unless this is active.

2. Demo

This section shows what Hardline actually does.

Open the Demo Scene

Open:

Assets/SmnStyleHardline/Demo/Scenes/Demo_Island01

Press Play.

You should see a remote deserted island environment with some ruins and a camp, rendered entirely in the Hardline style.

Move Time of Day

At the top of the screen is a Time of Day slider.

Drag it.

You will see:

  • Shadow color and density change
  • Ambient fill shift
  • Skybox gradients and starmap update

This is all being dynamically applied via demo scripts.
This is Hardline’s global style system being driven live via its interaction API.

3. Developers

This section explains how the demo is driven.

In the scene hierarchy locate:

SSHDemoDayNightManager

This script drives:

  • Environment light
  • Shadow tint
  • Skybox gradients
  • Referencing preset data.

using the Hardline API SSHStyleManager.API at runtime.

It demonstrates how gameplay systems can control the visual style of the entire world without touching materials or lights directly.

4. Artists

This section is about authoring looks.

Select:

SSHStyleManager

This is the global style controller for the entire scene.

It has four major panels:

  • Core — Presets and system state
  • Environment — Ambient light, shadow properties, etc.
  • Skybox — Gradient sky and stars
  • Outlines — Edge thickness, depth fade, noise

Every change updates the entire scene instantly.

Loading a Preset

In Core, click:

Load Preset

Navigate to:

Assets/SmnStyleHardline/Assets/SampleAssets/StylePresets

Select:

SSHStyle_NoOutlines.asset

The scene will update immediately.

Creating a New Look

Go to Environment.

Under Environment Light set:

  • Light Color → #349854
  • Light Intensity → 0.65

The entire scene shifts into a hazy green atmosphere.

Saving the Style

Return to Core and click:

Save Preset

Save it as:

SSHStyle_NoOutlinesGreener.asset

You now have a reusable style asset that can be loaded into any scene.

5. Applying Hardline to a Scene

This is how you use Hardline in your own levels.

  1. Open or create a scene
  2. Create an empty GameObject
  3. Add the SSHStyleManager component

This single object:

  • Holds the active style
  • Drives all shaders
  • Controls environment lighting
  • Manages skybox and outlines

Only one should exist per scene.

6. Creating Art Assets

This is how geometry and materials interact with the system.

Assigning Hardline Shaders

Create or import a mesh.

Create a material and assign a Hardline shader, for example:

SSH/Geo/GenericBase

All Hardline geometry shaders follow the same core structure.

The Two-Color System

Hardline materials are built around two colors:

  • Color_Base — The main surface color
  • Color_Accent — A secondary band or ramp color

How they blend is controlled by the Accent Mask.

Accent Mask Controls

In the material inspector:

  • AccentMask_Strength
    Controls how sharp the transition is

    • Low = smooth gradient
    • High = graphic band

  • AccentMask_Add
    Slides the accent band up or down across the surface

These two values let you control the shared shadowed/unlit gradient visual language the system allows.

without using textures.

Environment Interaction

Every Hardline material chooses how much it reacts to the world:

  • Environment_Shadow_Influence
  • Environment_Light_Influence

Lower these for:

  • Fire
  • UI meshes
  • Glowing props
  • Magical effects

so they stay bright and readable regardless of lighting.