Ethereal URP - Volumetric Lighting and Fog system for the Universal Pipeline
Ethereal URP is a new ARTnGAME asset that allows the creation of light volumes in URP.
The system can work in any URP above 7.4.3 and works best in the newest URP11, because it support spot light shadows as well. The 4rth video is from URP11 demo.
The system will be released in few weeks, it is also part of the Sky Master ULTIMATE URP suit, which is available now to all Sky Master ULTIMATE users.
The videos below are from Sky Master ULTIMATE URP, using Ethereal module for the light volumes.
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Changes Log
Ethereal v1.1.8l
- Added extra demo with more cases of light selection, in this demo only a single light is excluded.
Ethereal v1.1.8k
- Added tutorial demo showcasing the ability to enable volumetrics only for certain local lights using the light selection based on color system and added detailed instructions inside the demo scene for the usage and for direct reference.
Ethereal v1.1.8j
- Updated documentation - video tutorials
Ethereal v1.1.8i
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Fixed the local volume light intensity in two of the demos, due to the new change in “StepsControl.x” variable range in the shader.
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Added a version of the latest 6 local lights streaming demo for lower end systems in mind
Ethereal v1.1.8h
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Added new option to use infinite local lights directly, versus the previous 6 local lights limit. To enable replace the Legacy material in the “VolumeFogSRP_FORWARD_URP” material with the non Legacy version (Legacy is default as has the best performance, because hardcoding 6 lights is faster than the new loop that supports any number)
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Fixed an issue in the new fixed step method where lights might appear in front of objects, also regulated the effect more precisely, it might need to re-adjust the “StepsControl.x” variable for best result. Also decoupled the fixed step system from the directional light, now only applies to the local lights.
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Added first Beta version of the new light streaming - management module, that will assign volumes to lights as the player moves around the map and assign distant volumes to impostor light volume system automatically, for large scale maps light management. This is the first base version and the system will be updated with more features, smooth out transitions and impostors in next versions.
Ethereal v1.1.8g
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Added new version of the Dual Cameras demo with utilizing the new local lights rendering methods, for reference of the new distance based ray tracing method
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Added patch for the case an error appears about variable protection level in some of the temporal AA scripts, in Unity 2020 and above, the patch is inside the “ARTnGAME-VolumeFogSRP-Pathces” folder
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Refined some of the demo scenes for better visuals
Ethereal v1.1.8f
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Added option to render the volume effect from up to eight different cameras.
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Added demo with 4 cameras
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Added new space oriented demo with adjustments for big scale
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Added sand storm demo
Ethereal v1.1.8e
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Added fix for an issue when the dual cameras rendering mode is used where the sun would not update correctly in one of the cameras.
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Added more forest demos with different settings and local lights showcase
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Fixed an issue where the fog distance from the camera would not follow the camera in horizontal space, making fog density calculated based on distance from world space zero point.
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Addressed an issue where the volume sampling steps are variable depending on the scene depth, which may cause issue as a light volume intersects various scene depths and the sky and the volume may appear uneven. The “Step Control” X variable in the connectVolumeFogSRP script can now be used to control this effect, zero will disable the new system, values like 0.01 or 0.1 will enable an even volume sampling step independent of the scene depth, resulting in the volume of light appear even between the various ground distances and sky.
Ethereal v1.1.8d - Major Upgrade - Read Manual last paragraphs for adapting in the case of spot lights
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Restructured the project folders so can get a minimal (20MB) version with erasing the “Ethereal Volumetric Lighting”, “Common Tools” and “ARTnGAME GI PROXY” folders.
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Addressed issue where inserting the connect fog script directly (than copy from a demo scene camera) would not give good first results. The zero noise option is now the default for local lights.
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Added Tutorial videos
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Added link in Ethereal Manual for the Tutorials videos play list
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Added Tutorial related demo scenes
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Added first Virtual Reality (VR) Beta patch in “ARTnGAME-VolumeFogSRP-Scripts-URP-Resources” folder, for using the system with Multi pass, the testing was done on MockHMD inside Unity 2021 with URP12 and is emulation, so cannot yet say for sure if this WIP Beta VR patch will play in an actual device.
Ethereal v1.1.8c
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Solved issue where fog height level was changing on camera vertical movement
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Solved issue where black dots might appear on volumes of strong intensity lights
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Fixed issue where screen might go black if camera Z position was zero
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Identified an issue where the screen may go black in certain camera angles if the fog height variable is lower than 5m (make sure to put fog height above that value if see the issue, will be fully addressed in next patch v1.1.8d)
Ethereal v1.1.8
Ethereal v1.1.7a
Ethereal v1.1.7
- Added new option to use zero noise sampling for spot and point lights. The new
option requires the use of few extra sampling steps, and the spot and point volumes
can have zero noise without any image effect (e.g. temporal AA).
- Added demo scenes showcasing the new zero noise option and sample videos of the two different ways of sampling below
Video 1: Random sampling noise reduction with image effects
Video 2: No noise sampling, for zero spot-point volume noise without image effects
Ethereal v1.1.6a
Ethereal v1.1.6
- Added a fix for extra shadow volumes created by sampling of the shadow map behind occluding objects, now the ray casting stops sampling the directional light shadow if the ray hits a scene object surface. This will also increase performance when directional light is used.
Ethereal v1.1.5a
- Added two new demos, showcasing the fog effect in lower camera view distances
Ethereal v1.1.5
- Added new dual camera setup demo, rendering the same scene from two cameras. (One camera must be set as “MainCamera” and hold the “connectVolumeFog” script and the other “Untagged” and use the Reflections system forward renderer (volume fog renderer feature has the isForReflections checkbox enabled). The 2ond camera must be referenced in the connect script in the reflection camera slot.
Both cameras render to a rendertexture and the two textures are applied in two quads rendered by a global camera that only renders those, with all image effects disabled for that camera.)
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Added new system to change volumetric lighting parameters on entering specific volumes, like enter a house from outdoors.
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Added three new forest demos showcasing volumetric lighting at day and dusk times and with camera from above the fog.
Ethereal v1.1.4
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Added new forest with noisy wind demo
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Fixed an issue where absence of the 2D noise texture would create a memory leak
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Added check for sun light existence in the script if sun has not been referenced
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Added tooltips and categories for easier navigation of the script parameters
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Added Beta version of a new system of light array impostor lights (spot and point lights) for adding multiple cheaper light sources in the scene without actual scene lights activated
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Add bonus screen space volumetric sun light module
Ethereal v1.1.3a
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Per light power control. The LightControlA.x controls the Directional Light power, the LightControlA.y the Local lights overall power (inverse power), LightControlA.z-w and LightControlB.x,y,z,w control individually each of the 6 local lights power (all values are offset additionally to the individual Unity light power).
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Light selection controls (experimental feature), new system to allow volumes on a single local light, as selected in the relevant script slot. Option for two lights will be added in v1.1.4 (using the 2ond local light B slot in the script). The volume effect in the selected light is enabled when one of its R, G or B colors is at 128, it does not matter which one, the other colors can vary as needed.
Ethereal v1.1.2
- Added New system for volumetric wind with parametric noise
Sample video
- Added example demo with use of the system with additive scene loading, with lights in the second loaded scene.
Sample video
Ethereal v1.1.1
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Added fix for flicker in editor, when both editor and game windows are open
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Added support for up to 6 local lights plus directional volumetric effect
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New performance optimizations
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Added option to pass a reflections camera to the script to render the effect in a second camera (e.g. can be used for reflections), using a different renderer that will have the isForReflections checkbox selected in the fog renderer feature.
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Addressed some issues in Reflections script in Sky Master ULTIMATE URP Water module and added a public reference to the reflections camera so can be passed to the fog script (Sky Master ULTIMATE URP version)
January 2021 ARTnGAME big offers !!!
Sky Master ULTIMATE users can upgrade to the following ARTnGAME assets for only $3 for a limited time and to InfiniGRASS for only $5 !!!
Upgrade:
Sky Master ULTIMATE to InfiniGRASS - $5.00
Sky Master ULTIMATE to InfiniTREE - Procedural Forest Creation & Optimization - $3.00
Sky Master ULTIMATE to Advanced FX Creator - Decals, Particles, Radiosity & Splines - $3.00
Sky Master ULTIMATE to Particle Dynamic Magic 2: Decal, Spline, AI Particles & dynamics - $3.00
Sky Master ULTIMATE to Sun Shafts SRP Beta - $3.00
Sky Master ULTIMATE to **Volumetric Fog SRP **Beta - $3.00
Sky Master ULTIMATE to InfiniCLOUD HDRP - URP, Volumetric clouds & particles - $3.00
__InfiniGRASS __users can also upgrade to Sky Master ULTIMATE for only $5.
Enjoy
Ethereal will be released in February 2021, but the system is available right now as part of Sky Master ULTIMATE URP Suit, which is available to all Sky Master ULTIMATE users.
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Update:
The system is now ready for release and will be submitted soon to the store.
The system is also available right now as part of Sky Master ULTIMATE URP Suit, which is available to all Sky Master ULTIMATE users.
Ethereal URP WIP.
Testing the system with a forest and the Atrium scene, all assets will be included in the system.
UPDATE:
Added wind and sub surface scattering shader to the tree samples and tweaked the fog further for dramatic sun light beams.
Ethereal URP WIP. Sky Master ULTIMATE URP Volumetric lighting and Fog module.
Testing the system with a forest, also added wind to the tree shader for nicer look in the included demo scenes.
Test of the system in URP11 with Point Light volumetric shadows
Ethereal URP WIP. Sky Master ULTIMATE URP Volumetric lighting and Fog module.
Testing the system with the new URP11 and Point Light Shadows.
** Sky Master ULTIMATE** URP - Progress on adding water reflections of all effects, now volumetric clouds and the Volumetric fog - Lighting module (**Ethereal **) can combine properly in water reflections.
Ethereal URP Volumetric Lighting and Fog, has been submitted for review to the store !!!
The system is also part of the Sky Master ULTIMATE URP suit, which is available now to all Sky Master ULTIMATE users.
An upgrade price to Ethereal of $5 will apply for Sky Master ULTIMATE users that may want access to the bonus Forest assets and the extra foliage shader packed in the Ethereal asset and the relevant new demo scenes.
Ethereal v1.1 Update - Coming soon
The next version will have support for up to 6 local lights and also a much more optimized light loop (previously 18fps become 26fps with 5 local lights and sun volumes)
Also will support the passing of a reflection camera to the script, for rendering through it for water reflections.
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Ethereal URP Volumetric Lighting and Fog, has been released to the Unity Asset Store !!!
The system is also part of the Sky Master ULTIMATE URP suit, which is available now to all Sky Master ULTIMATE users.
Sky Master ULTIMATE users can upgrade to Ethereal for $5 and benefit from the extra Forest demo scene, URP foliage shader and forest assets.
Sky Master ULTIMATE Volumetric Lighting System - Ethereal v1.1 Update
Ethereal Volumetric Lighting System Patch v1.1 is now available for download, the system now supports up to 6 local lights (point or spot) plus directional volumetric effect and has new performance optimizations, also addresses some issues in Reflections in Sky Master ULTIMATE URP version water
The update will be integrated in the coming Sky Master ULTIMATE Beta 11 and **Ethereal **asset v1.1
Sky Master ULTIMATE Volumetric Lighting System - Ethereal v1.1.1 Update
- Added fix for flicker in editor, when both editor and game windows are open
The update is available as a patch on PM request and also will be integrated in the coming Sky Master ULTIMATE Beta 11 and **Ethereal **asset v1.1
Sky Master ULTIMATE URP Volumetric Lighting System - Ethereal v1.1.1 Update has been released at Unity Asset Store !!
Ethereal v1.1.1:
- Added fix for flicker in editor, when both editor and game windows are open
- Added support for up to 6 local lights plus directional volumetric effect
- New performance optimizations
- Added option to pass a reflections camera to the script to render the effect in a second camera (e.g. can be used for reflections), using a different renderer that will have the “isForReflections” checkbox selected in the fog renderer feature.
- Addressed some issues in Reflections script in Sky Master ULTIMATE URP Water module and added a public reference to the reflections camera so can be passed to the fog script (Sky Master ULTIMATE URP version)
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Ethereal URP - (Sky Master ULTIMATE URP Volumetric lighting and Fog module)
Testing the system with additive scene loading.
One scene has the camera with the connect to fog script and another the lights, the Sun light must be grabbed after loading the scene and passed to the script for correct sun positioning in the fog.
Sky Master ULTIMATE (Sky Master ULTIMATE: Volumetric Skies, Clouds & Weather | Particles/Effects | Unity Asset Store) Volumetric Lighting System - Ethereal (http://u3d.as/2jQH) v1.1.2 Update
New demo and Ruins assets Coming soon as a bonus download for all Sky Master ULTIMATE and Ethereal users !!! The demo uses Sky Master ULTIMATE water and water reflections system.