Version: Unity 6 Preview (6000.0)
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The Shader class
Shader compilation

Create a new shader asset

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A shader asset is an asset in your Unity project that defines a Shader objectAn instance of the Shader class, a Shader object is container for shader programs and GPU instructions, and information that tells Unity how to use them. Use them with materials to determine the appearance of your scene. More info
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. It’s a text file with a .shader extension. It contains shader code.

  1. Select AssetsAny media or data that can be used in your game or project. An asset may come from a file created outside of Unity, such as a 3D Model, an audio file or an image. You can also create some asset types in Unity, such as an Animator Controller, an Audio Mixer or a Render Texture. More info
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    > Create > ShaderA program that runs on the GPU. More info
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    from the main menu.

  2. Create a shader.

You can create the following types of shaders:

Shader type Description
Standard Surface Shader A shader that lets you write streamlined shader code that interacts with lighting.
Unlit Shader A basic shader that displays a texture without any lighting.
Image Effect Shader A shader file associated with a C# script that creates an image effect.
Compute Shader A shader that performs calculations on the GPU, outside of the regular graphics pipeline.
Ray TracingThe process of generating an image by tracing out rays from the Camera through each pixel and recording the color contribution at the hit point. This is an alternative to rasterization. raytracing
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Shader
A shader that performs calculations related to ray tracing.

Unity populates a new .shader file in your Assets folder with basic code.

Shader

The Shader class
Shader compilation