Lit particles using vfx graph in built-in render pipeline

[DTS_Jolan]

Hello everyone,

Is it possible to have lit particles using the VFX graph with the built-in render pipeline?
Or is it planned to be integrated soon ?

Thanks,

Jolan

[Qriva]

Unless something changed the VFX graph is not supported in built-in RP. It was made for HDRP and URP only.

[andybak]

@Qriva

Unless something changed the VFX graph is not supported in built-in RP. It was made for HDRP and URP only.

It worked for quite a while (unlit only). I think it only stopped working in 2021.1

Source: I have a live piece of work in Museum of Other Realities using VFX Graph under the built-in pipeline.

[Qriva]

Yes, it could work partially, but it was not intended to support built-in RP. Like you can open eggs with hammer, but it was made to hammer nails. Sadly Hammer 2.0 is to heavy to open eggs

Also: VFX Graph Lit Particles in Build-In RP

[andybak]

@Qriva

Yes, it could work partially, but it was not intended to support built-in RP. Like you can open eggs with hammer, but it was made to hammer nails. Sadly Hammer 2.0 is to heavy to open eggs

Also: https://discussions.unity.com/t/818922

I think you’re overstating it somewhat. Supported or unsupported - it ran just as well as it did with URP for several years through several product cycles.

Ironically it stopped working at nearly the exact time Unity decided they would support Shader Graph with the built-in pipeline. What they giveth with one hand…

[Qriva]

@andybak

I think you’re overstating it somewhat. Supported or unsupported - it ran just as well as it did with URP for several years through several product cycles.

Ironically it stopped working at nearly the exact time Unity decided they would support Shader Graph with the built-in pipeline. What they giveth with one hand…

Oh, are they going to support shader graph in builtin RP? Interesting, so VFX could be supported too in future.

Anyway the thing is, I would never use something in production when it’s not intended to work - Vlad said VFX graph is for URP and HDRP 10 months ago and it can “explode” any moment, so there should be just no surprise if it actually happened.

[VladVNeykov]

@Qriva

Oh, are they going to support shader graph in builtin RP? Interesting, so VFX could be supported too in future.

Afraid not; ShaderGraph support for built-in is (to my knowledge) a reaction to feedback to better support asset store publishers in transitioning their existing work to SRP-land, without having to author and maintain separate packages or materials for built-in, URP, and HDRP.

@andybak

It worked for quite a while (unlit only). I think it only stopped working in 2021.1

It stopped working in the late 2020 10.x release; the built-in path for the VFX Graph was remnants of the tool’s early prototype. The built-in shaders have been removed from the package now and in newer versions it should fail more gracefully with a console message that it’s intended to be used with URP or HDRP.

While the intent was always to use the VFX Graph with SRPs (from the original unveiling at Unite LA in 2018) and built-in was never mentioned, we left the shaders in place for some customers who wanted to keep on supporting/maintaining the built-in path themselves.

The team’s resources are spent on delivering a lot of new features and improvements for HDRP/URP, and the 2021.2 release (12.x package) is hands-down my fav so far, so hope you’ll like what’s coming with it!

[Qriva]

I am surprised shader graph will be supported at all, seeing how SRP is pushed by unity.
Personally I like SRP very much, but last 2 years it was a mess, they wanted us to use pipeline that didn’t even support all basic features like AO, point light shadows etc, even now there are many broken things, but it’s getting better now. It makes sense to help publishers get into RP, I would even say it’s quite late.