Are Arrays avaliable?

[DuvE]

Hi, long time ago I asked about arrays in ASE. For now, I'm making shaders then writing array functions by hand. For example, I do something like this (5-sized Array): https://prnt.sc/k29qpr

Then I need to write by hand the code to make proper arrays in a shader.

- Is there a way to make arrays in ASE?
- One more question about new ASE versions, when I'm trying to open older shaders with new versions, they somehow become broken. They can be fixed if I just delete some of the nodes and create exactly the same ones. Is there a way to properly update older shaders to a newer ASE version?

PS: One more little question, is ASE is still worth using? You know, Unity made their own Shader Editor but I think it's still don't have so many functions and other examples like ASE.

[Amplify_Borba]

Hey there!

You can create Global Arrays and Texture Arrays, and in case of the latter use our Texture Array Creator Tool which you can find in Unity's Window > Amplify Shader Editor > Texture Array Creator.

You can also use our Custom Expression node to iterate through the array, as per the example below:



Regarding your second question, we always recommend backing up your shaders and current ASE version before updating to a new one, since certain changes in code or for specific nodes may result in loss of certain shader data or wire connections. There's currently no other way of updating a shader other than compiling it in a later version.

That being said, could you elaborate on which nodes broke and from which ASE version did you update to and towards?


My opinion might be a bit biased but, since our development path somewhat differs from what Unity currently offers, I believe that both solutions can co-exist.

You can also count on us for mature and future-proof shader development since we have no plans to discontinue ASE, and you can always expect responsive support and blazing fast iteration times. We also provide over 60 varied free shader samples, Shader Functions, a Custom Node API, an innovative Template System, extensive Wiki references, community contributions, and an ongoing tutorial series, which in my opinion gives ASE an excellent bang for its buck.

Here are some of the features and improvements that you can expect during 2018:

- SRP Support
- Material Layers
- Improved Shader Functions
- New samples and Templates
- Searchable knowledge base
- Additional artist-friendly nodes for simplified usage

We have a lot planned for this year so stay tuned, and please let me know if you have any further questions, thanks!