OpenCourser brand icon
Sign in
We may earn an affiliate commission when you visit our partners.

Unity Shader Graph

Create Procedural Shaders & Dynamic FX

GameDev.tv Team and Chris Kurhan

Master the Art of Unity Shader Graph: Your Gateway to Breathtaking Visuals.

Embark on a transformative journey into the world of Unity Shader Graph, the revolutionary tool that allows you to unlock the door to creating stunning visual effects for your games.

Our comprehensive online course, crafted by industry experts, shows you how to master this powerful technology and level up your game dev skills.

With Shader Graph, you'll gain the ability to:

Read more

Master the Art of Unity Shader Graph: Your Gateway to Breathtaking Visuals.

Embark on a transformative journey into the world of Unity Shader Graph, the revolutionary tool that allows you to unlock the door to creating stunning visual effects for your games.

Our comprehensive online course, crafted by industry experts, shows you how to master this powerful technology and level up your game dev skills.

With Shader Graph, you'll gain the ability to:

  • Craft realistic and captivating materials that bring your game environments to life

  • Design mesmerising lighting effects that immerse players in your world

  • Create dynamic and responsive visual effects that enhance gameplay

  • Push the boundaries of visual storytelling with advanced shader techniques

Tailored for beginners and experts alike. Whether you're a budding game developer eager to expand your skillset or an experienced professional seeking to refine your shader expertise, our course is designed to cater to your needs.

Our engaging and interactive learning platform provides an immersive learning experience, featuring:

  • High-quality video tutorials that guide you through each concept step-by-step

  • Hands-on practical exercises to solidify your understanding

  • Real-world project-based learning to apply your newfound skills in a practical setting

Unleash your creativity with Shader Graph, take the course and get the power to:

  • Create procedural textures that add depth and realism to your environments

  • Design custom lighting effects that illuminate your scenes with stunning precision

  • Develop unique visual effects that enhance gameplay and engage players

  • Explore advanced shader techniques to push the boundaries of visual storytelling

You’ll get full lifetime access for a single one-off fee. The creators are qualified and experienced with modelling and coding, so are able to explain complex concepts clearly, as well as entertain along the way.

And you’ll get access to the Q&A where our Instructors, Teaching Assistants and Community are ready to help answer your questions and cheer on your success.

Join us on this immersive journey into the world of Unity Shader Graph and unlock a world of possibilities.

Enroll now

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction & Setup

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Chris Kurhan gives you a warm welcome and an overview of what will be covered in this course.

Read more

In this video (objectives)…

  1. We install Unity Hub, Unity, install core packages, and set up our base scene.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Create our very first Shader in ShaderGraph that lets us render a texture and tint that texture with any color.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. We introduce the ways that you can get help, support and contribute to the community.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Any time we change our project during a lecture we will commit that change to a public source control repository for students to access. In this video, we show you how to access that content.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Learn a common trick in shaders to make a texture scroll automatically over time!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Learn how to make reusable logic with a Sub Graph

Wind

In this video (objectives)…

  1. In this section you’ll learn how to move objects using a shader to create a cool wind effect.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Create your first displacement Shader! We’ll move an object automatically in the shader by manipulating the vertex positions with ShaderGraph

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Learn about Normal Vectors and how we can use them to get some cool “squishy” looking objects!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. We’ll use MATH to create waves that move linearly across a plane, or any other mesh shape!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. We’ll make a shader that shows off the 3 different built-in noise generators in Shader Graph: Simple, Gradient, and Voronoi.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Learn how to make your environments come alive with Wind! Yes! In this lecture of the “Wind” section we’ll be talking about making a Wind Shader!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Control which parts of a mesh are affected by wind, and by how much with the power of Vertex Colors!

Fire & Smoke

In this video (objectives)…

  1. In this section you’ll learn how to create a Fire and Smoke effect that don’t rely on textures or sprite sheets.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Learn how to make a fully procedural fire shader that doesn’t use any textures!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. We’ll upgrade our Fire shader to move and be masked to make it look way cooler!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Create a customizable smoke shader to add some more life to our fire.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Add some additional flair to the fire effect with a new ember flare shader!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Upgrade the Embers effect by height masking out some areas of the mesh, and adding a pulsing intensity to the flares.

Considering Different Input Geometry
Moss

In this video (objectives)…

  1. In this section you’ll learn how to “mask” where effects appear on objects by creating a moss shader.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Learn how to progressively apply a moss effect to any object!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. On some objects without UVs, or with UVs that aren’t designed to be used with general textures, it can be useful to use world space positions for the UVs. We’ll look at one convenient way of doing that called Triplanar Mapping.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Learn how to control the growth of the moss with a directional vector to keep it blending in nicely!

Snow

In this video (objectives)…

  1. In this section you’ll learn how to combine everything we’ve talked about so far together to create a snow shader that “grows” up and can be “pushed down” by objects as they move around.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. See how easy it is to create a snow shader that will build up on different faces of objects using what we've already learned so far!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Learn how we can dynamically "build up" snow on objects as we fade in more snow!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Learn how to deform snow as objects move around in the world!

Water

In this video (objectives)…

  1. In this section you’ll learn how to create a stylized water shader using components from all the other sections!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Step 1 in making a good looking water shader is to fade between 2 colors based on how “deep” the water is. Learn how to achieve this effect in this lecture!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Learn how to add depth-based foam to the water Shader so it only shows up in shallow areas.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. In this lecture we’ll level up the water shader to fake bending light to give us a nice refraction effect.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Learn how to generate a Normal Map from our noise that we’re using to handle refraction.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Begin combining some of the vertex displacement techniques from earlier sections with our water shader to add in simple waves.

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Upgrade the vertex wave displacement with Noise for a more realistic look!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. Further upgrade the Water shader, apply some Post Processing effects, and add a snow Particle System to make the scene look great!

In this video (objectives)…

  1. End of course message from Chris

Save this course

Save Unity Shader Graph: Create Procedural Shaders & Dynamic FX to your list so you can find it easily later:
Save

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Unity Shader Graph: Create Procedural Shaders & Dynamic FX with these activities:
Review Vector Math Fundamentals
Reinforce your understanding of vector math, which is crucial for manipulating vertices and creating shader effects.
Show steps
  • Review vector addition and subtraction.
  • Practice calculating dot products and cross products.
  • Understand vector normalization and its applications.
The Book of Shaders
Deepen your understanding of shader concepts with this comprehensive guide.
View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on color, noise, and transformations.
  • Experiment with the code examples provided in the book.
  • Try to recreate some of the effects in Shader Graph.
Recreate Shader Graph Examples
Improve your proficiency by recreating shader examples from tutorials or online resources using Shader Graph.
Show steps
  • Find shader examples online.
  • Analyze the shader's functionality.
  • Recreate the shader in Shader Graph.
  • Compare your result with the original.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Document Your Shader Creations
Solidify your learning by documenting the shaders you create, explaining the techniques and nodes used.
Show steps
  • Choose a shader you've created.
  • Write a detailed explanation of its functionality.
  • Include screenshots of the Shader Graph and the resulting effect.
  • Share your documentation on a blog or forum.
Create a Custom Water Shader
Apply your knowledge by building a custom water shader with features like depth-based color, waves, and reflections.
Show steps
  • Implement depth-based color gradient.
  • Add wave motion using sine waves and noise.
  • Simulate reflections using a reflection probe.
  • Incorporate foam effects near shorelines.
Unity Shaders and Effects Cookbook
Explore a variety of shader techniques and effects with this practical cookbook.
View Unity Shaders and Effects Cookbook on Amazon
Show steps
  • Browse the cookbook for interesting effects.
  • Study the code examples and explanations.
  • Adapt the examples to your own projects.
Portfolio of Shader Effects
Showcase your skills by creating a portfolio of shader effects that demonstrate your understanding of Shader Graph.
Show steps
  • Select your best shader creations.
  • Create a presentation or website to showcase them.
  • Include descriptions and explanations of each effect.
  • Share your portfolio with potential employers or collaborators.

Career center

Learners who complete Unity Shader Graph: Create Procedural Shaders & Dynamic FX will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Shader Developer
A Shader Developer specializes in writing and optimizing shaders, which are programs that instruct the graphics card how to render images. This course directly aligns with this role, as it focuses on mastering Unity Shader Graph, a tool used to create shaders without writing code. You will learn to craft captivating materials, design dynamic visual effects, and create procedural textures. This course assists shader developers create realistic and dynamic environments. It helps to explore advanced shader techniques for visual storytelling.
See salaries and explore the career path for Shader Developer
VFX Artist
The responsibilities of a VFX Artist include creating visual effects for games, film, or television. This course on Unity Shader Graph is particularly relevant as it teaches you how to design dynamic and responsive visual effects using a node-based visual editor. You'll learn to create procedural textures, custom lighting effects, and unique visual effects that enhance gameplay and engage players. The course helps VFX artists craft realistic materials and develop advanced shader techniques, enabling you to push the boundaries of visual storytelling, an important skill in visual effects. These are essential for improving the immersive quality of games.
See salaries and explore the career path for VFX Artist
Technical Artist
As a Technical Artist, you bridge the gap between artists and programmers. One of your key responsibilities is optimizing art assets and creating visual effects within a game engine like Unity. This course on Unity Shader Graph directly helps you create stunning visual effects, craft realistic materials, and design mesmerising lighting effects, all of which are essential for enhancing the game's overall look and feel. Learning how to create procedural textures, custom lighting, and unique visual effects using Shader Graph puts you ahead in this career field. The dynamic effects and shader techniques covered can be used to improve gameplay.
See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Artist
Environment Artist
As an Environment Artist, you specialize in creating the environments and backgrounds for games. This course on Unity Shader Graph is directly applicable, as it focuses on creating realistic and captivating materials that bring game environments to life. It helps design mesmerizing lighting effects and create procedural textures that add depth and realism to environments. Enrolling in this course is valuable in learning how to design custom lighting effects and implementing a unique visual style to your game environments. The course provides a strong foundation for creating visually stunning and immersive game worlds.
See salaries and explore the career path for Environment Artist
Material Artist
As a Material Artist, you specialize in creating the textures and materials used on 3D models and environments. This course on Unity Shader Graph is helpful for this career, teaching you how to craft realistic and captivating materials that bring game environments to life. You will learn how to create procedural textures that add depth and realism to environments. You can design custom lighting effects that illuminate your scenes with precision. This course provides a practical, hands-on approach to material creation, a valuable skill for any aspiring material artist.
See salaries and explore the career path for Material Artist
Lighting Artist
A Lighting Artist is responsible for creating and implementing lighting schemes within a game or other visual project. This course on Unity Shader Graph is relevant to this role as it focuses on designing mesmerizing lighting effects that immerse players in your world. You will learn how to create custom lighting effects that illuminate your scenes with precision. The techniques taught in this course allow you to manipulate light in creative ways, which can be used to bring depth and mood to the scenes. Furthermore, the step-by-step video tutorials are useful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Lighting Artist
Virtual Reality Developer
Virtual Reality Developers create immersive experiences. This course on Unity Shader Graph is a key resource for VR developers looking to create realistic and engaging visuals. The course teaches you how to craft captivating materials and design dynamic visual effects. This course is helpful to create procedural textures and implement advanced shader techniques. This knowledge is useful to create immersive, believable VR environments.
See salaries and explore the career path for Virtual Reality Developer
Indie Game Developer
An Indie Game Developer works independently or in a small team to create and publish video games. This course on Unity Shader Graph can assist indie developers to create stunning visual effects and captivating materials, even with limited resources. You will learn how to design mesmerizing lighting effects and dynamic visual effects that enhance gameplay. This course gives indie game developers greater control over the look and feel of their games. Also, the access to the Q&A can be useful in learning how to use Unity.
See salaries and explore the career path for Indie Game Developer
3D Artist
3D Artists are responsible for creating three-dimensional models and environments for various applications, including video games and films. This course on Unity Shader Graph helps improve the visual quality of 3D models. It helps create realistic and captivating materials that bring game environments to life. You will also learn how to create procedural textures, custom lighting effects, and unique visual effects. The exploration of advanced shader techniques will help.
See salaries and explore the career path for 3D Artist
Game Developer
As a Game Developer, you are involved in the creation of video games, which may require a broad skillset. This course on Unity Shader Graph helps expand your capabilities by teaching you how to create stunning visual effects and captivating materials. It helps you design mesmerizing lighting effects and dynamic visual effects. This course may be useful in creating procedural textures, custom lighting effects, unique visual effects, and exploring advanced shader techniques. The hands-on practical exercises are useful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Game Developer
Simulation Developer
Simulation Developers create software that simulates real-world scenarios for training, research, or entertainment purposes. This course on Unity Shader Graph can be useful for simulation developers. You will learn how to craft realistic and captivating materials that accurately replicate real-world textures and surfaces. This course may be helpful as it helps design custom lighting effects that mimic natural lighting conditions and dynamic visual effects that simulate environmental phenomena. These skills are used to create convincing and effective simulations.
See salaries and explore the career path for Simulation Developer
Augmented Reality Developer
An Augmented Reality Developer creates applications that overlay digital content onto the real world, often using platforms like Unity. This course on Unity Shader Graph can be useful for AR developers to create realistic and interactive visual effects. You will learn how to craft realistic and captivating materials that seamlessly blend virtual elements with the real world. This course may be helpful by designing mesmerizing lighting effects and dynamic visual effects that respond to user interactions and environmental conditions. By mastering Shader Graph, you enhance the visual fidelity of AR experiences.
See salaries and explore the career path for Augmented Reality Developer
Game Designer
Game Designers are responsible for the overall vision and design of video games. This course on Unity Shader Graph may be useful as it teaches you how to create visual effects that enhance gameplay and engage players. You will learn how to explore advanced shader techniques that push the boundaries of visual storytelling. By understanding the capabilities of Shader Graph, game designers communicate their vision to the art and programming teams, ensuring that the game's visuals align with the intended player experience.
See salaries and explore the career path for Game Designer
Animator
Animators create moving images. This course on Unity Shader Graph helps animators add visual polish to their work. You will learn how to create dynamic visual effects that enhance animations. This course may be useful to create procedural textures that add depth and realism to animated scenes. Knowledge of shader techniques can enhance the impact and appeal of animations.
See salaries and explore the career path for Animator
Software Engineer
Software Engineers design and develop computer software. This course provides an understanding of shader creation, which can be valuable in optimizing graphical performance. The course may be useful as it covers the creation of dynamic effects to enhance gameplay. It helps explore advanced shader techniques. Software engineers may find that the knowledge gained in this course broadens their skillset and allows them to contribute to projects.
See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Featured in The Course Notes

This course is mentioned in our blog, The Course Notes. Read one article that features Unity Shader Graph: Create Procedural Shaders & Dynamic FX:
Game Development: The Complete Learning Roadmap
62 minute read

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Unity Shader Graph: Create Procedural Shaders & Dynamic FX.
Cover image
Putting Knowledge to Work
Save
Provides a comprehensive introduction to shader programming concepts. It covers a wide range of topics, from basic color manipulation to advanced techniques like noise and procedural textures. It is particularly useful for understanding the underlying principles behind Shader Graph nodes and creating custom shader functions. This book is valuable as additional reading to expand on the course.
Putting Knowledge to Work
Paperback
Check
Putting Knowledge to Work
Kindle Edition
Check
Cover image
Unity Shaders and Effects Cookbook
Save
This cookbook offers a collection of practical shader examples and techniques for Unity. It covers a wide range of effects, from simple color adjustments to complex lighting and post-processing effects. It useful reference for implementing specific visual effects in your projects. is commonly used by industry professionals.
Unity Shaders and Effects Cookbook
Paperback
Check
Unity Shaders and Effects Cookbook
Kindle Edition
Check

Share

Help others find this course page by sharing it with your friends and followers:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Reddit
X
Link
Email

Similar courses

Similar courses are unavailable at this time. Please try again later.
Effort
4.5 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructors
GameDev.tv Team
Chris Kurhan
Language
English
Featured in The Course Notes
Read one article that features this course, Unity Shader Graph: Create Procedural Shaders & Dynamic FX from our blog, The Course Notes:
Game Development: The Complete Learning Roadmap
62 minute read
Share and help others discover this course.
Facebook LinkedIn X Reddit Link Email
Don't miss out
Enroll today to gain access to this course
Enroll in this course
Our mission

OpenCourser helps millions of learners each year. People visit us to learn workspace skills, ace their exams, and nurture their curiosity.

Our extensive catalog contains over 50,000 courses and twice as many books. Browse by search, by topic, or even by career interests. We'll match you to the right resources quickly.

Find this site helpful? Tell a friend about us.

Affiliate disclosure

We're supported by our community of learners. When you purchase or subscribe to courses and programs or purchase books, we may earn a commission from our partners.

Your purchases help us maintain our catalog and keep our servers humming without ads.

Thank you for supporting OpenCourser.

© 2016 - 2025 OpenCourser