Render 3D GameObjects in 2D scenes

To render a 3D GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary in a 2D Universal Render PipelineA series of operations that take the contents of a Scene, and displays them on a screen. Unity lets you choose from pre-built render pipelines, or write your own. More info
See in Glossary (URP) sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary, set its MeshThe main graphics primitive of Unity. Meshes make up a large part of your 3D worlds. Unity supports triangulated or Quadrangulated polygon meshes. Nurbs, Nurms, Subdiv surfaces must be converted to polygons. More info
See in Glossary Renderer component to be compatible with 2D scenes. This makes the 3D GameObject use 2D features like 2D lighting in URP.

Use either of the following approaches:

• Create a 3D GameObject in a 2D URP project.
• Create a custom shaderA program that runs on the GPU. More info
  See in Glossary in Shader Graph.

Create a 3D GameObject in a 2D URP project

When you create a 3D GameObject in a 2D URP project, Unity automatically assigns the Mesh2D-Lit-Default material. This material makes the GameObject compatible with 2D Lights.

Add the default material to a 3D GameObject

To add the default Mesh2D-Lit-Default material to an existing 3D GameObject, follow these steps:

1. Select the 3D GameObject.
2. In the InspectorA Unity window that displays information about the currently selected GameObject, asset or project settings, allowing you to inspect and edit the values. More info
   See in Glossary window, go to the Mesh RendererA mesh component that takes the geometry from the Mesh Filter and renders it at the position defined by the object’s Transform component. More info
   See in Glossary or Skinned Mesh Renderer component.
3. Open the Materials dropdown, then select the Material picker (⊙).
4. Select Mesh2D-Lit-Default.

Create a compatible custom shader in Shader Graph

To create a compatible shader in Shader Graph for a Mesh Renderer or Skinned Mesh Renderer, follow these steps:

1. From the main menu, select Assets > Create > Shader Graph > URP, then either Sprite Lit Shader Graph, Sprite Unlit Shader Graph, or Sprite Custom Lit Shader Graph.
2. Open the Graph Inspector, then in the Graph Settings enable Sort 3D As 2D Compatible.
3. Complete and save your shader. Refer to the Shader Graph package documentation for more information.
4. In the Inspector window of a 3D GameObject, apply the new custom material to the Mesh Renderer component or Skinned Mesh Renderer component.

Additional resources

• Shader Graph package documentation
• 2D lighting in URP
• 2D Renderer asset component reference for URP