Easy Custom Normals for Clean Toon/Anime Shading

Supported Blender Versions: 4.3, 4.4

NOTE: See documentation for potential stability issues with Blender 4.4

A new toolset for Custom Vertex Normals authoring. Get clean and smooth Normals for your toon shading using our custom Geometry Nodes modifiers loaded with options. Keep the setup live and adjustable within Blender, or apply and export Custom Normals for game engines as usual.

We launched with the Laplacian Smooth + Weighted Normals modifier that instantly improves Toon Shading in most circumstances.

Now for 2.0.0 we're adding the Pro tier to fund continued development. It gives access to our new Anime Face Proxy System.

Stop fighting with unreliable proxy meshes and data transfer interpolation problems. Just align our proxy to match your character's face and use the provided rig to control the Normals and shading shape. Make poses or even shapekeys for different shots or expressions. And it feeds into the Laplacian Smooth modifier!

Key Features

• Laplacian Smooth Normals Modifier (All Versions): Get clean Normals even with imperfect topology. No more fighting with retopology, or needing proxy meshes just to avoid problems from a few triangles. With Weighted Normals and Laplacian Normal Smoothing, you can get the same results on uneven triangulated meshes as on clean quad topology. Often this let's you author directly on game production meshes!

• Anime Face Proxy Mesh (Pro Tier): A convenient solution for clean anime face shading. The Face Proxy is a set of rigged Curves that feed into Geometry Nodes to calculate smooth Normals. Align the rig to your face and then set the Normals using the Bones themselves. Preview, adjust and mask with variety of handy settings in the Geometry Nodes modifier. Attach the whole setup to your character's rig and you can adjust the shading shapes per pose, and even save poses as shapekeys.

• Live Preview & Non-Destructive Workflow: Built with Geometry Nodes, see results live without manually wiring up materials or baking.

These tools speed up your anime and stylized character art workflows. Whether you’re prepping a model for real-time or want simpler shading control within Blender, this makes your life much easier!

Installation

1. Download the addon
2. In Blender, go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons
3. Click "Install" and select the downloaded zip file
4. Enable the addon by checking the box
5. Find the addon’s tab in the 3D Viewport N Panel

Quick Start

1. Install the addon and find the "Fondant Tools" tab in the N Panel
2. Add objects to the list that you want to modify
3. Click Add Normals Modifier to apply the effect
4. Adjust parameters as needed and use Set Custom Normal from Attribute when satisfied

Detailed documentation available along with troubleshooting and FAQs is available at https://tools.fondant.gg/custom-normals/

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Will this work in game engines?

Yes, once you apply the custom normals using "Set Custom Normal from Attribute," they become standard Blender custom split normals. These can be exported to most game engines that support custom normals.

Can I use this with shape keys?

Yes! One of the key advantages of this addon is its ability to work with shape keys. The "Set Custom Normal from Attribute" operation will apply custom normals without applying the modifier, which preserves shape keys.

How can I create different normal effects on different parts of my mesh?

Use vertex groups or color attributes to control the effect. Several parameters support the "Input Attribute Toggle" which allows you to use these attributes to mask or vary the effect across your mesh.

Does this work with the Subdivision Surface modifier?

Yes! The addon temporarily disables Subdivision/Subsurface when you set the custom normals.

A Note on Development and Monetization

This addon is an outgrowth of our own internal tool development. We want to share our methods and problem solving with the wider community. Some parts of this toolset are free, but in order to fund development we must monetize features as well.

We have many more planned features to help with Normals calculation and character faces, and also for other areas like clothing, hair, and body Normals. We do not know exactly what form these will all take or when they may be added as our internal priorities are still developing, and we are watchng user feedback.

We want to be upfront that we plan to treat each of these different major areas as their own component product.

If you buy the the current Pro Tier, you will get access to all future Character Face Normals tools updates.

But if/when we add Clothing or Body Normals tools, those will be separate purchases. This is a compromise to let people get only the components they need without inflating the price of the whole toolset, and to keep it viable to invest development resources on publicly releasing and supporting these tools. And if this goes well, we hope to also develop other tools beyond Normals!