Joyrok > What are SDFs Anyway?
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"What Are SDFs Anyway?" is a Tech Art Chronicles article on joyrok.com introducing signed distance fields for 2D UI icons. It explains ordinary distance fields, then interior signed distance, with circle and icon GIF walkthroughs.
It shows min/max remapping for glow, sharp edges, and resizing from one baked texture. Photoshop Shape Burst strokes build fields from arbitrary art; channel packing morphs two icons. It also covers outlines, interior sine effects, and remapping negative interiors.
For intermediate technical artists familiar with UI textures and materials. Procedural math SDFs appear only in a follow-up post.
One free page with updates on signed conventions. Demos use Unreal materials and UMG, though baking steps transfer elsewhere.
Useful for HUD icons, glow, and morphing strokes without extra geometry. Often listed on the Cyanilux resources gist.
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