Render 3D GameObjects in 2D scenes

To render a 3D GameObject in a 2D Universal Render Pipeline (URP) scene, set its Mesh 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 shader 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 Inspector window, go to the Mesh Renderer 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