Blender 5.2.0 LTS NPR Port - Features and Usage Guide

Project Introduction

Blender 5.2.0 LTS NPR Port is an NPR-focused Blender branch. In addition to integrating characteristic nodes from Goo Engine and the 4.4 NPR-prototype, it adds a set of Eevee-oriented extension nodes, a Filter Graph workflow, and interface improvements.

The release package includes Cycles, but the NPR extensions documented here are Eevee-only and cannot be used in Cycles.

Documentation Scope

This document describes the NPR / Eevee extension features that have been added to the current Blender 5.2.0 LTS NPR Port branch compared with official Blender 5.2.0 LTS, together with their basic usage.

5.2.0 LTS Highlights

• Migrated to the official Blender 5.2.0 LTS code base and adapted the Eevee NPR render paths
• Replaced the legacy linear Filter Materials list with a scene-level Filter Graph supporting four execution stages and reusable Filter Pass materials
• Added a Node / Code editor to GLSL Function, with inline internal-Text editing and an atomic Apply / Discard workflow that protects the live material
• Added mat2, mat3, and mat4 input, out parameter, and return-value support to GLSL Function, available in Eevee object materials, Filter materials, and NPR Tree
• Retained NPR extensions such as GLSL Script Expression, Native Camera FX Outputs, Eevee Performance shadow / probe attribution, and OKLab Color Ramp
• Fixed Eevee shader, transparent AOV, Scene Color offset-sampling, and node-interface compatibility regressions found during the 5.2 migration

Node Overview

_{Shader Nodes}

_{NPR Tree Nodes (some shader nodes can also be used inside NPR Tree)}

_{Eevee Filter Graph}

• Scene-Level Extensions

  ---

  Start with the scene-level Eevee extensions to understand the core features.

  View Scene-Level Extensions →

• Extended Nodes

  ---

  Dive into the functionality of each newly added node.

  View Extended Nodes →

• NPR Workflow

  ---

  Learn how the NPR Tree workflow is organized.

  View NPR Workflow →

• Interface & Settings

  ---

  Check additional interface options and workflow settings.

  View Interface & Settings →

Main Feature Categories

1. Scene-Level Eevee Extensions

• Render Textures
• Filter Graph
• Eevee Outline
• Native Camera FX Outputs
• Scene Color / AOV Input / Filter Pass / Stage Output

2. Shader Nodes

• Filter Object Info
• Filter Mask
• Scene Color
• Render Info
• Scene Time
• Screen Derivative
• Portal In / Portal Out
• Outline Control
• Screenspace Info
• World Environment
• Light Probe Color
• World To Tangent
• GLSL Function
• GLSL Script Expression
• Image to Closure
• Light Shader Info
• Light Shader Output
• Basis Transform
• Twirl
• Water Ripples
• Hex Grid Texture
• SDF Primitive
• SDF Operator
• SDF Vector Operator
• Bevel
• Curvature
• Shader Info
• Light Info
• OKLab Color Ramp

3. NPR Workflow

• NPR Input
• NPR Refraction
• Image Sample
• For Each Light
• Built-in node-group assets

4. Interface & Settings

• Eevee Performance Outliner view
• Shadow / probe cost attribution in Eevee Performance
• Material preview control
• Material face culling
• Material ZTest / Stencil / Color Write / Depth Write
• Lightgroup management
• Sun Shadow Map Scale
• Splash version tag
• Pose bone Outliner visibility

Eevee Only

The release package can run Cycles, but the NPR Port extensions documented here require the Eevee render engine and cannot be used in Cycles.