# Get \_Time from shader for script
**URL:** https://discussions.unity.com/t/get-_time-from-shader-for-script/424075
**Category:** Shaders & Materials
**Tags:** Shaders
**Created:** [September 28, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/get-_time-from-shader-for-script/424075 "2010-09-28T00:00:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@antonbursch](https://discussions.unity.com/u/antonbursch)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/get-_time-from-shader-for-script/424075/1 "2010-09-28T00:00:43Z")
I have an ocean shader that uses a vertex sine wave to make waves on a grid mesh.
I have an object that I want to float in the ocean. I can use the exact same sine wave to get a y position for the floating object. I have done this in a shader for the floating object and it works perfect.
I have a water vehicle that I want to float in the ocean. I can use the exact same sine wave to get a y position for the floating object. But I can’t do it in a shader because I need the collision working and that gets all messed up. Therefore I need to do this using a script. And that’s simple. Except I can’t figure out how to sync up the time in the script to the time in the shader.
Script time is Time.time.
Shader time is \_Time.
They do not appear to be in sync.
I tried to use the following:
float timeY = renderer.material.GetVector(“\_Time”);
But it only returns (0, 0, 0, 0).
Any suggestions on how to sync my times between script and shaders?
Thanks
Anton
---
### Author:  [@reissgrant](https://discussions.unity.com/u/reissgrant)
#### Post date: [September 28, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/get-_time-from-shader-for-script/424075/2 "2010-09-28T23:05:30Z")
Pass the Time.time variable to the shader with:
```auto
On Update(){
float theUnityTime = Time.time;
myCustomMaterial.SetFloat("unityTime",theUnityTime);
}
```
Then declare this in your shader to access it:
```auto
float unityTime;
```
---
### Author:  [@antonbursch](https://discussions.unity.com/u/antonbursch)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/get-_time-from-shader-for-script/424075/3 "2010-09-29T22:18:09Z")
yeah, that is what i did. it was right in front of my face too. 😜
> [@reissgrant](#):
>
> Pass the Time.time variable to the shader with:
>
> ```auto
> On Update(){
> float theUnityTime = Time.time;
> myCustomMaterial.SetFloat("unityTime",theUnityTime);
> }
>
> ```
>
> Then declare this in your shader to access it:
>
> ```auto
> float unityTime;
>
> ```
---
### Author:  [@adamgryu](https://discussions.unity.com/u/adamgryu)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2018, 8:54pm UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/get-_time-from-shader-for-script/424075/4 "2018-09-10T20:54:02Z")
You can get the shader’s \_Time value from a C# script by calling this:
```csharp
Shader.GetGlobalVector("_Time")
```
This way, you don’t have to modify your shaders to use a custom time variable.
---
### Author:  [@DearUnityPleaseAddSerializable](https://discussions.unity.com/u/DearUnityPleaseAddSerializable)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2020, 2:42pm UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/get-_time-from-shader-for-script/424075/5 "2020-12-12T14:42:51Z")
> [@adamgryu](#):
>
> You can get the shader’s \_Time value from a C# script by calling this:
>
> ```csharp
> Shader.GetGlobalVector("_Time")
>
> ```
>
> This way, you don’t have to modify your shaders to use a custom time variable.
Shader.GetGlobalVector(“\_Time”)[1] or Shader.GetGlobalVector(“\_Time”)[0]? Seems to be out of sync for me
---
### Author:  [@StaggartCreations](https://discussions.unity.com/u/StaggartCreations)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2020, 7:30pm UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/get-_time-from-shader-for-script/424075/6 "2020-12-12T19:30:35Z")
> [@DearUnityPleaseAddSerializableDictionaries](#):
>
> Shader.GetGlobalVector(“\_Time”)[1] or Shader.GetGlobalVector(“\_Time”)[0]? Seems to be out of sync for me
It depends if you are in play mode or not, otherwise EditorApplication.timeSinceStartup is what’s being fed to the \_Time parameter in shaderland. While in play mode it’s Time.time. This what I use in my buoyancy script and it matches the \_Time.x value used in shaders:
```csharp
private static float _Time
{
get
{
#if UNITY_EDITOR
return Application.isPlaying ? Time.time : Shader.GetGlobalVector("_Time").x;
#else
return Time.time;
#endif
}
}
```
---
### Author:  [@nasos\_333](https://discussions.unity.com/u/nasos_333)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2024, 7:53pm UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/get-_time-from-shader-for-script/424075/7 "2024-01-24T19:53:32Z")
> [@DearUnityPleaseAddSerializableDictionaries](#):
>
> Shader.GetGlobalVector(“\_Time”)[1] or Shader.GetGlobalVector(“\_Time”)[0]? Seems to be out of sync for me
By Unity docs, \_Time.y is the game time, \_Time.x is the 1/20 of time.