Creating a custom render pipeline based on the Scriptable Render Pipeline

This page contains information on how to get started with creating your own custom render pipeline based on the Scriptable Render Pipeline (SRP).

Creating a new project and installing the packages needed for a custom render pipeline

These instructions show you how to create a custom render pipeline using the SRP Core package. SRP Core is a package made by Unity that contains a reusable code to help you make your own render pipeline, including boilerplate code for working with platform-specific graphics APIs, utility functions for common renderingThe process of drawing graphics to the screen (or to a render texture). By default, the main camera in Unity renders its view to the screen. More info
See in Glossary operations, and the shaderA small script that contains the mathematical calculations and algorithms for calculating the Color of each pixel rendered, based on the lighting input and the Material configuration. More info
See in Glossary library that URP and HDRP use. For more information on SRP Core, see the SRP Core package documentation.

1. Create a new Unity Project.
2. Use Git to create a clone of the SRP source code repository. You can place the SRP source code in any location on your disk, as long as it is not in one of the reserved Project sub-folders.
3. Use Git to update your copy of the SRP source code to a branch that is compatible with your version of the Unity Editor. Read Using the latest version in the SRP repository documentation for information on branches and versions.
4. Open your Project in Unity, and install the following packages from the SRP source code folder on your disk, in the following order. For information on installing packages from disk, see Installing a package from a local folder.
   • com.unity.render-pipelines.core.
   • Optional: com.unity.render-pipelines.shadergraph. Install this package if you intend to use Shader Graph or modify the Shader Graph source code as part of your custom SRP.
   • Optional: com.unity.render-pipelines.visualeffectgraph. Install this package if you intend to use Visual Effect Graph or modify the Visual Effect Graph source code as part of your custom SRP.

You can now debug and modify the scriptsA piece of code that allows you to create your own Components, trigger game events, modify Component properties over time and respond to user input in any way you like. More info
See in Glossary in your copy of the SRP source code, and see the results of your changes in your Unity Project.

Creating a custom version of URP or HDRP

The Universal Render Pipeline (URP) and the High Definition Render Pipeline (HDRP) offer extensive customization options to help you achieve the graphics and performance you need. However, if you want even more control, you can create a custom version of one of these render pipelines, and modify the source code.

Follow steps 1–3 in the section above, Creating a new Project and installing the packages needed for a custom SRP. When you reach step 4, install the following packages in the following order:

URP:

• com.unity.render-pipelines.core
• com.unity.render-pipelines.shadergraph
• com.unity.render-pipelines.universal

HDRP:

• com.unity.render-pipelines.core
• com.unity.render-pipelines.shadergraph
• com.unity.render-pipelines.high-defintion