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Unity 6 Shaders and Effects Cookbook
Unity 6 Shaders and Effects Cookbook

Unity 6 Shaders and Effects Cookbook: Over 50 recipes for creating captivating visual effects in Unity and enhancing your game's visual impact , Fifth Edition

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Profile Icon John P. Doran
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€27.99 €31.99
eBook Jul 2025 532 pages 5th Edition
eBook
€27.99 €31.99
Paperback
€38.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m
Arrow left icon
Profile Icon John P. Doran
Arrow right icon
€27.99 €31.99
eBook Jul 2025 532 pages 5th Edition
eBook
€27.99 €31.99
Paperback
€38.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m
eBook
€27.99 €31.99
Paperback
€38.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m

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Unity 6 Shaders and Effects Cookbook

Foundations of Shading and Rendering in Unity

The world of real-time rendering is built on shaders — specialized programs that define how objects appear in a game. Unity 6 has shifted its default render pipeline to Universal Render Pipeline (URP), making Shader Graph a key tool for developers looking to create stunning visual effects. This part introduces the fundamental building blocks of shaders, helping you establish a strong foundation in shader development.

We will begin with post-processing effects in URP, exploring how Unity’s built-in screen shaders can be used to refine a game’s style. Without writing custom shaders, you will learn how to apply grain, vignetting, depth of field, bloom, motion blur, color grading, and atmospheric fog to achieve cinematic visuals. From there, we will introduce Shader Graph, a visual tool that allows developers to create shaders without needing to write HLSL code.

Once you understand the basics, we will dive into surface materials and texture mapping, where you’ll learn how to define material properties such as diffuse color, transparency, and reflectivity. We will explore UV mapping, blending multiple textures, and animating texture properties using C# to create dynamic visual effects. The part concludes with Physically Based Rendering (PBR), where we will explore how light interacts with surfaces in a realistic way and how Unity Muse, a generative AI tool, can assist in rapid material creation and refinement.

By the end of this part, you will have a solid grasp of Shader Graph fundamentals, texture mapping techniques, and PBR principles, equipping you with the knowledge needed to move into advanced shader effects and real-time geometry manipulation.

This part has the following chapters:

  • Chapter 1, Using Post-Processing with URP
  • Chapter 2, Creating Your First Shader with Shader Graph
  • Chapter 3, Working with Surfaces
  • Chapter 4, Working with Texture Mapping
  • Chapter 5, Enhancing Realism: Unity Muse and Physically Based Rendering
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Key benefits

  • Explore Shader Graph to develop expertise in post-processing and advanced shading
  • Unlock shortcuts to achieve AAA shader quality without complex algorithms
  • Become proficient in Unity's latest tools, including VFX Graph and Unity Muse
  • Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Description

Shaders enable game developers to craft visually stunning experiences, but their complexity and mathematical and technical challenges make it hard to achieve the desired level of realism. Written by a top-selling author with extensive hands-on expertise in game development, this latest edition is your indispensable guide to mastering the art of shaders within this evolving landscape. Through meticulously curated recipes, this book takes a practical approach to equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to elevate your game visuals to unmatched sophistication. In this updated edition, you’ll gain invaluable insights into leveraging Unity’s latest tools, including Unity Muse for advanced AI-powered texture creation. From fully grasping Shader Graph to harnessing the power of vectors and textures, this Unity cookbook covers all the aspects of shader development without the need for elaborate mathematical calculations. You'll also discover practical techniques for achieving stunning visual effects with ease when creating 2D or 3D elements.

Who is this book for?

This book is for game developers looking to elevate their shader expertise and enhance game visuals using Unity 6. Game programmers, technical artists, and aspiring game developers eager to master shader creation with Shader Graph will find this book very useful. A solid understanding of Unity is required to get the most out of this book.

What you will learn

  • Understand the principles of shaders, along with how to work in Shader Graph
  • Harness URP and HDRP packages for efficient shader creation
  • Enhance game visuals with modern shader techniques
  • Optimize shaders for performance and aesthetics
  • Master the math and algorithms behind the commonly used lighting models
  • Transform your game's atmosphere with the Post Processing Stack
  • Develop sophisticated shader effects by leveraging fragment shaders and grab-pass techniques

Product Details

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Publication date : Jul 28, 2025
Length: 532 pages
Edition : 5th
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781835460801
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Product Details

Publication date : Jul 28, 2025
Length: 532 pages
Edition : 5th
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781835460801
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Table of Contents

19 Chapters
Part I: Foundations of Shading and Rendering in Unity Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Using Post-Processing with URP Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Creating Your First Shader with Shader Graph Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Working with Surfaces Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Working with Texture Mapping Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Enhancing Realism: Unity Muse and Physically Based Rendering Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Part II: Advanced Shader Effects and Geometry Manipulation Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Using Vertex Functions Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Using Grab Passes Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Part III: Performance Optimization and Fullscreen Effects Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Optimizing Shaders Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Creating Screen Effects with Fullscreen Shaders Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Gameplay and Screen Effects Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Part IV: Section Custom Lighting and Advanced Shader Programming Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Understanding Lighting Models Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Developing Advanced Shading Techniques Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Utilizing the HDRP Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Other Books You May Enjoy Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
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