SDF Generator

Module: Tech · Category: TextureGenerators · Tool ID: SDFGenerator

Generate Signed Distance Field (SDF) textures from source images. SDFs let you render shapes at arbitrary resolution without pixelation — perfect for UI icons, glyphs, vector-style VFX, and any material that needs sharp edges that scale. Supports two SDF algorithms (Brute Force / Dead Reckoning Sweep), three output modes (Grayscale / RGBA-with-source / Multi-Channel SDF), and configurable spread distance.

Tool open with a logo source loaded, SDF preview visible at the bottom showing the smooth distance gradient.

When to use it

• UI icon SDFs: sharp at any resolution
• Vector-style VFX masks
• Glyph / text SDF generation for custom font systems
• Distance-driven material effects (outlines, dilation, erosion)

What it isn’t for

• Don’t use this for general-purpose textures. SDFs encode distance, not color. Standard textures are usually what you want.
• Don’t expect 3D SDFs. 2D output only.

Opening the tool

1. Open the EQLabs Hub and search for SDF (or browse to Tech → TextureGenerators).
2. Click the tool card.
3. Browse for a source image (or pick from Content Browser).
4. Configure, click Generate Preview.

Interface tour

Section	What it does	Default
Source Texture File	External file path (Browse)	(empty)
Source Texture (Content Browser)	UTexture2D from CB	(empty)
Threshold	Binary mask threshold	0.5
Spread	Maximum distance encoded (in pixels)	32
Output Resolution	Output texture size	256
Algorithm combo	Brute Force (slow, accurate) or Dead Reckoning Sweep (fast, near-accurate)	Brute Force
Invert	Flip inside/outside	false
Output Mode	Grayscale / RGBA (source RGB + SDF in alpha) / MSDF (3-channel SDF)	Grayscale
Save Asset Path	Output asset path	/Game/Textures/T_Generated_SDF
Browse Source	OS file picker
Generate Preview	Computes the SDF
Export PNG / Save as UE Asset	Saves the result

Output modes

Mode	What it produces
Grayscale	Single-channel SDF (smallest, simplest)
RGBA + SDF Alpha	Source RGB preserved, SDF in alpha channel
MSDF	Multi-channel SDF — sharp corners are preserved better than single-channel SDFs

Algorithms

Algorithm	When to use
Brute Force	Small images / when accuracy matters most
Dead Reckoning Sweep	Large images — much faster with negligible quality loss for typical use

MSDF mode result showing distinct R/G/B channels around a logo.

Workflow

Standard UI icon SDF

1. Browse / pick a source icon.
2. Set Threshold (0.5 is the default for clean black-and-white icons).
3. Set Spread (32 for typical 256² output; raise for larger).
4. Pick Grayscale mode.
5. Click Generate Preview, then Save as UE Asset.

Logo with sharp corners

1. Same setup as above.
2. Pick MSDF mode — preserves corners better.
3. Generate, save as asset.

Settings reference

Settings persist to [Project]/Saved/EQLabs/Settings/SDFGenerator.json.

Output

• UTexture2D asset. Via Save as UE Asset.
• PNG file. Via Export.
• Compression. Auto-set appropriate per output mode.

Tips and gotchas

• Spread sets the max encoded distance. Too small clips at the boundary, too large wastes precision.
• MSDF needs a shader that knows how to sample 3 channels. Vanilla Grayscale works with any sampler.
• Dead Reckoning Sweep is the production default. Brute Force is fine for hero icons but slow on 1024+.
• Source image binary threshold matters. Clean black-on-white sources work best; antialiased edges can shift the mask boundary.

Related tools

• Gradient Ramp Generator — for color-ramp generation
• Noise Texture Generator — for procedural noise textures