Day 109: How to install the Universal render pipeline/Add a custom Skybox.

Alright so before I get started with this, I need to make some tweaks to the scene like I mentioned in my prior story.

This height is fine if the character you’re playing as is a toddler.

So remember the ‘Environment’ game object?

Let’s throw everything in there.

I tweaked the scale of the environment game object which adjusts everything parent in that game object the same. I settled on a .6 scale for X, Y, and Z.

I’d say it’s a good height all in all.

Now I’m going to take everything back out of the environment game object.

Save your scene BEFORE lighting:

Again, vitally important as there’s many different directions to go with installing the pipeline and you might have a change of heart deep into it.

Many error messages popped up. Hopefully nothing big.

Goal accomplished.

Which Pipeline — HDRP or URP?

Before you get into setting up the nuances of your game, you need to come to terms with 3 different rendering standards and choose the one that suits what you’re attempting to do.

You have the Standard Rendering Engine, the Universal Rendering Pipeline, and the HD Pipeline.

I have been building in the standard version of the Unity Render Engine Pipeline.

I could continue to go this route but at the expense of some pipeline benefits such as optimization and post processing tools.

Unity Editor 2020 versions and above started using URP by default. The biggest difference from that and the Standard version is that its more optimized. The HD Pipeline is more-so for High End graphics, like an AAA game.

Given my lack of experience.. Well it’s an easy choice.

Setup URP:

Now, instead trying to upgrade my project to URP, I’m just going to start anew.

Looks like my day job.

Welp, remember the project I exported to my desktop?

We’re going to drop that in.

I got hit up with 51 questions but hopefully I made the right choices. Nevertheless, the project restarted and the prior project has been loaded in.

The Control Room scene is pink because standard shaders no longer apply in URP.

But after we mass upgrade, we’re back!

Same process would apply to HDRP.

Procedural Skybox:

The URP and standard skyboxes are the same. HDRP not so much.

I’m going to create a skybox, first step is to generate

I got the Lighting tab by going into the Window menu:

Now we’re going to adjust some settings with a new skybox:

It was just a material before but now we have a procedural skybox with additional settings that wouldn’t be in a standard skybox.

You can also change your ‘sun source’ to your directional light, which is by default in my case.

I will cover the other skybox options in my next story.