assets/shaders/toon.gdshader

@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ uniform float triplanar_tile = 2.0;      // world units per texture tile
 uniform float band_edge : hint_range(-1.0, 1.0) = 0.05;   // NdotL where light band starts
 uniform float band_softness : hint_range(0.001, 0.5) = 0.04;
 uniform float mid_band_edge : hint_range(-1.0, 1.0) = 0.55; // second, brighter band
+// How dark the mid band sits below full light. Near 1.0 the second step almost
+// disappears, which is what textures that already carry painted cel shading
+// (imported anime characters) need — a hard step on top of painted shading
+// reads as a glossy stripe sweeping across the hair.
+uniform float mid_tone : hint_range(0.0, 1.0) = 0.82;
 uniform vec4 shadow_color : source_color = vec4(0.62, 0.65, 0.78, 1.0); // cool shadow tint
 // Matte-anime defaults: zero specular (any stepped glint reads as shine
 // sweeping across hair/cloth when the camera moves), whisper of rim.
@@ -69,8 +74,8 @@ void light() {
 	float lit = ndotl * ATTENUATION;
 	float band = smoothstep(band_edge - band_softness, band_edge + band_softness, lit);
 	float mid = smoothstep(mid_band_edge - band_softness, mid_band_edge + band_softness, lit);
-	// 3 tones: shadow tint -> base band (0.82) -> full light.
-	float tone = mix(0.82, 1.0, mid);
+	// 3 tones: shadow tint -> base band (mid_tone) -> full light.
+	float tone = mix(mid_tone, 1.0, mid);
 	vec3 shade = mix(shadow_color.rgb, vec3(tone), band);
 	DIFFUSE_LIGHT += ALBEDO * LIGHT_COLOR / PI * shade;
 

characters/skinned_player_model.gd

@@ -154,6 +154,11 @@ func load_model(path: String) -> void:
 
 	# Cel-shaded look: toon shading over the imported textures + ink outline.
 	LevelMaterials.apply_toon_recursive(scene)
+	# ...then the character-only pass: flat line-work + softer banding (see the
+	# function — toon-lighting the model's own outline shell is what put a white
+	# rim on every hair strand, and re-banding already-shaded textures read as
+	# gloss).
+	LevelMaterials.apply_character_look(scene)
 	if animation_player:
 		_index_animations()
 		_setup_anim_tree(scene)

debug/character_look_capture.gd

@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+extends SceneTree
+
+## Dev tool: a skin's RAW import beside the same model with the game's character
+## treatment, under identical lighting — the reference shot for tuning
+## LevelMaterials.apply_character_look() against the model's source render.
+##   godot --path . --windowed --resolution 1280x720 \
+##       -s res://debug/character_look_capture.gd -- <out_dir> [res-path-to-glb]
+## Saves look_head.png and look_body.png (left = raw import, right = ours).
+
+const DEFAULT_GLB := "res://assets/characters/skins/taila.glb"
+
+var _frames := 0
+var _out_dir := "."
+var _glb_path := DEFAULT_GLB
+var _cam: Camera3D = null
+
+
+func _initialize() -> void:
+	var args := OS.get_cmdline_user_args()
+	if args.size() > 0:
+		_out_dir = args[0]
+	if args.size() > 1:
+		_glb_path = args[1]
+
+	var scene := Node3D.new()
+	root.add_child(scene)
+	current_scene = scene
+
+	# Neutral studio light, matched to the game's tonemap so colours compare.
+	var env := WorldEnvironment.new()
+	var e := Environment.new()
+	e.background_mode = Environment.BG_COLOR
+	e.background_color = Color(0.30, 0.32, 0.38)
+	e.ambient_light_source = Environment.AMBIENT_SOURCE_COLOR
+	e.ambient_light_color = Color(0.85, 0.87, 0.95)
+	e.ambient_light_energy = 1.1
+	e.tonemap_mode = Environment.TONE_MAPPER_FILMIC
+	e.tonemap_white = 2.4
+	env.environment = e
+	scene.add_child(env)
+
+	var sun := DirectionalLight3D.new()
+	sun.rotation_degrees = Vector3(-38, 28, 0)
+	sun.light_energy = 2.0
+	scene.add_child(sun)
+
+	var raw := GLBLoader.load(_glb_path)
+	if not raw:
+		printerr("character_look_capture: could not load ", _glb_path)
+		quit(1)
+		return
+	raw.position = Vector3(-0.45, 0, 0)
+	scene.add_child(raw)
+
+	var ours := GLBLoader.load(_glb_path)
+	ours.position = Vector3(0.45, 0, 0)
+	scene.add_child(ours)
+	LevelMaterials.apply_toon_recursive(ours)
+	LevelMaterials.apply_character_look(ours)
+
+	_cam = Camera3D.new()
+	scene.add_child(_cam)
+
+
+func _process(_delta: float) -> bool:
+	_frames += 1
+	if _frames < 30:
+		return false
+	if _frames == 30:
+		_look(Vector3(0, 1.42, 1.05), Vector3(0, 1.38, 0))
+		return false
+	if _frames == 32:
+		_snap("look_head")
+		_look(Vector3(0, 1.15, 2.2), Vector3(0, 0.95, 0))
+		return false
+	if _frames == 34:
+		_snap("look_body")
+		return true
+	return false
+
+
+func _look(pos: Vector3, at: Vector3) -> void:
+	_cam.global_position = pos
+	_cam.look_at(at, Vector3.UP)
+
+
+func _snap(tag: String) -> void:
+	var img := root.get_viewport().get_texture().get_image()
+	img.save_png(_out_dir + "/" + tag + ".png")
+	print("character_look_capture: saved ", tag)

scenes/maps/level_materials.gd

@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ static func toonify(src: Material) -> Material:
 	mat.set_shader_parameter("albedo_color", col)
 	# Fully matte characters: NO specular (even a 2% stepped glint reads as
 	# shine sweeping across hair when the camera moves) and only a whisper
-	# of rim for silhouette separation. Cel banding carries all the shape.
+	# of rim for silhouette separation.
 	mat.set_shader_parameter("rim_strength", 0.05)
 	mat.set_shader_parameter("rim_width", 0.28)
 	mat.set_shader_parameter("specular_strength", 0.0)
@@ -95,6 +95,59 @@ static func toonify(src: Material) -> Material:
 	return mat
 
 
+## Ink used for the line-work an imported character carries in its own mesh.
+const CHARACTER_INK := Color(0.07, 0.06, 0.09)
+
+
+## Second pass for IMPORTED CHARACTER models (the anime GLB skins), run right
+## after apply_toon_recursive. Two things those models need that props don't:
+##
+## 1. Their line-work is part of the mesh. Anime GLBs ship an inverted-hull
+##    outline shell plus eye-line/eye-highlight cards as extra, UNTEXTURED
+##    surfaces (Taila names them FullBlack / EyesFullBlack / EyesInvL / EyesHL).
+##    They are authored to read as flat black — or flat white for a highlight —
+##    and the glTF import hands them a default near-white albedo. Toon-LIGHTING
+##    that turns every black shell pale: that was the thin white rim tracing
+##    every hair strand.
+##
+## 2. Their textures are ALREADY painted with cel shading. Stacking the hard
+##    3-tone break on top read as gloss — a bright stripe sliding across the
+##    hair as the camera moved. Characters get a soft terminator and an
+##    almost-invisible second step so the painted shading carries the form.
+##
+## Props and level geometry keep the crisp banding they were calibrated with.
+static func apply_character_look(root: Node) -> void:
+	for mi in root.find_children("*", "MeshInstance3D", true, false):
+		if not mi.mesh:
+			continue
+		for s in range(mi.mesh.get_surface_count()):
+			var src: BaseMaterial3D = mi.mesh.surface_get_material(s) as BaseMaterial3D
+			if src == null:
+				continue
+			if src.albedo_texture == null:
+				# Untextured surface on a character = the model's own line-work.
+				var flat := StandardMaterial3D.new()
+				flat.shading_mode = BaseMaterial3D.SHADING_MODE_UNSHADED
+				flat.cull_mode = src.cull_mode
+				# "HL" marks a highlight card (the glint in the pupil) — that
+				# one really is meant to be white.
+				var is_highlight: bool = src.resource_name.to_lower().contains("hl")
+				flat.albedo_color = Color.WHITE if is_highlight else CHARACTER_INK
+				mi.set_surface_override_material(s, flat)
+				continue
+			var toon: ShaderMaterial = mi.get_surface_override_material(s) as ShaderMaterial
+			if toon == null:
+				continue
+			toon.set_shader_parameter("band_softness", 0.16)
+			toon.set_shader_parameter("mid_tone", 0.92)
+			# Shadow tint measured off the Sketchfab reference render: sampling
+			# Taila's hair there, shadow/midtone lands near (0.63, 0.53, 0.70).
+			# Green drops hardest, and that is what keeps copper hair COPPER in
+			# shadow — the level default (0.62, 0.65, 0.78) lifts green above
+			# red and washes ginger toward a dull brown.
+			toon.set_shader_parameter("shadow_color", Color(0.64, 0.56, 0.72))
+
+
 ## Swap every mesh surface under `node` to toon shading and add an
 ## inverted-hull outline overlay. Safe on skinned meshes (material_overlay
 ## re-renders the same deformed mesh).