Select Page
View Categories

How to convert a SRP material to URP

4 min read

When encountering a pink appearance upon switching to the Universal Render Pipeline (URP) in Unity, it is typically due to material incompatibility with URP. This article provides a comprehensive, step-by-step guide on converting a Standard Render Pipeline (SRP) material to a URP material, ultimately resolving the pink appearance issue.

Step 1: Generate a new URP Material

To initiate the process, create a new material specifically designed for URP. In the Unity3D Project window, right-click and select “Create > Material” to generate a new Material. Assign an appropriate name to the material and select it to display its properties in the Inspector window.

Step 2: Incorporate a URP Shader into the Material

With the newly created URP material selected, locate the Shader dropdown menu in the Inspector window and choose a URP-compatible shader. The most prevalent shader options for URP include:

  • Universal Render Pipeline/Lit
  • Universal Render Pipeline/Unlit

Choose the shader best suited for your material and preferred rendering style.

Step 3: Transfer SRP Material Properties to the URP Material

The subsequent step involves transferring properties from the original SRP material to the newly created URP material. In the Project window, select the original SRP material and click the “Copy Properties” button in the Inspector window.

Following this, select the new URP material in the Project window and click the “Paste Properties” button in the Inspector window.

Step 4: Modify URP Material Settings as Required

Post-property transfer, the new URP material might still exhibit a pink appearance due to differing URP shader properties and settings. To rectify this, select the new URP material in the Project window and modify its properties within the Inspector window accordingly.

Frequent settings to adjust consist of:

  • Base Color
  • Metallic
  • Smoothness
  • Normal Map

Step 5: Allocate the URP Material to the Relevant GameObject

After adjusting the settings, assign the new URP material to the pertinent GameObject(s) within your scene. Accomplish this by selecting the GameObject(s) and dragging the new material from the Project window onto the Renderer component found in the Inspector window.

Step 6: Evaluate and Refine as Necessary

Lastly, assess your URP material in the scene and refine its settings to attain the desired appearance. Additional adjustments to the URP shader or material properties might be necessary to achieve the intended result.

In conclusion, while converting an SRP material to URP may be a complex process, adhering to these outlined steps will enable the successful creation of a new URP material and adjustment of its properties to resolve the pink appearance issue. Remember to generate a new URP material, transfer properties from the SRP material, modify URP material settings, allocate the URP material to the appropriate GameObject, and evaluate and refine as needed.

To control the transparency of a material using an albedo texture image with an alpha channel, refer to the Unity documentation: Unity – Manual: Standard Shader Material Parameter – Albedo Color

  1. Unity: How to upgrade your project to URP (Universal Render Pipeline) – UnityTips This video provides a comprehensive walkthrough of upgrading an entire project to URP, covering material conversion and related topics.
  2. How to Convert Standard Materials to Universal Render Pipeline (URP) Materials in Unity This tutorial focuses specifically on converting standard materials to URP materials in Unity, demonstrating the process in a clear and concise manner.
  3. How to use URP (Universal Render Pipeline) in Unity 2019.3+ This video offers a beginner-friendly introduction to URP in Unity 2019.3 and later, explaining the benefits and setup process, as well as touching upon material conversion.
  4. Custom Shaders in Unity URP – Beginner TutorialIf you are working with custom shaders, this tutorial serves as an excellent starting point for learning how to create custom shaders compatible with URP.
  5. How to Upgrade to Unity 2020 LTS & URP – Material Upgrade Tutorial This video tutorial covers upgrading to Unity 2020 LTS and URP, including material upgrades and addressing potential issues encountered during the conversion process.

Tips for converting your SRP materials to URP #

When converting materials from Standard Render Pipeline (SRP) to Universal Render Pipeline (URP), a few tips and tools can facilitate the process and ensure a smooth transition. This article offers some practical advice and references useful tools to make your conversion experience more efficient and effective.

Tip 1: Utilize Unity’s Render Pipeline Asset Upgrader

Unity offers an integrated Render Pipeline Asset Upgrader to simplify the conversion process. This upgrader assists in converting materials, shaders, and other assets to be compatible with URP. For more information and guidance on using this upgrader, refer to the Unity documentation.

Tip 2: Examine the URP Material Conversion Guide

Unity provides a comprehensive URP Material Conversion Guide, detailing the process of converting materials from the built-in render pipeline to URP. This guide is a valuable resource for understanding the conversion process, including information on the built-in pipeline shaders and their URP equivalents. Consult the Unity documentation for the URP Material Conversion Guide.

Tip 3: Employ Custom Shader Conversion

If you are working with custom shaders, it is crucial to convert them to be URP-compatible. Custom shader conversion involves replacing built-in shader functions with URP equivalents, which can be found in the Unity ShaderLab reference.

Tip 4: Backup Your Project

Before initiating any conversion process, always create a backup of your project to ensure you have a safe fallback point in case of issues or errors during conversion. This practice minimizes the risk of losing progress or valuable work.

Tip 5: Verify All Dependencies

After completing the material conversion, verify that all dependencies, such as textures and other assets, are compatible with URP. Ensuring that all dependencies are URP-compatible can prevent unexpected issues during runtime.

Tip 6: Batch Convert Materials Using a Script

For projects containing numerous materials, consider writing a script to batch convert materials, saving time and effort. A sample script for batch converting materials can be found in the Unity forum thread.

By following these tips and leveraging the available tools, you can streamline the process of converting materials from SRP to URP. Familiarizing yourself with the resources provided in the Unity documentation, using the integrated upgrader tool, and taking precautions such as project backups will facilitate a smooth conversion experience.

Powered by BetterDocs