In my most recent game jam entry, I set up post-processing effects in Unity for the first time. Even with simple primitive shapes, it really ended up adding a good amount of visual appeal to the game. Now, I just want keep experimenting with them. And I encourage you to do the same. So in this guide, I’ll walk you step-by-step through setting up post-processing effects in Unity.
Step 1: Install Post Processing Package
Before we are able to add any effects to our Unity project, we need to verify that the Post Processing package is installed. This is done from the Package Manager. To access this, click on Window > Package Manager. Once the Package Manager panel has popped up, switch the list to Packages: Unity Registry. Scroll down until you find the Post Processing package. Then, click Install.
Step 2: Create a Post Processing Profile
Once the Post Processing package has been installed, you need to create a Post Processing Volume. This is a special type of object that you can place in your scene to control the post-processing effects. To add this, right-click in the Hierarchy panel and create an empty game object. Rename this game object to “PostProcessingVolume” (or whatever you’d like).
Click the PostProcessingVolume game object to open it in the Inspector panel. Then, click Add Component. Type “Post-process Volume” and add the component that comes up.
Once this component is added, you’ll also want to create a new Layer called “Post Processing” and set this game object to that layer.
Update: I believe newer versions of the Post Processing package is no longer component based. You do not have to create an empty game object and attach a component. Instead, the option to create a Volume > Post Processing Volume is directly on the Hierarchy-Right Click panel.
Please don’t hold me to this, as I have not had the chance to verify it for myself.
Step 3: Add Post Processing Profile
Now you need to add what’s called a Post Processing Profile. This will be where you add the different effects. To do this, go to the Project panel. Right click, select Create > Post-processing Profile.
Once this has been added, we need to add the Profile to the Volume. Click back onto your Volume game object to open it in the Inspector panel. On the Volume component, drag this new PostProcessingProfile into the box marked Profile.
Note, this step is not strictly necessary. You can create the Profile directly on the Volume component by just selecting New. However, I recommend keeping the Profile in your Assets folder. This way, you can reuse it in future projects a little easier. Alternatively, you could just create a Prefab from the Volume game object.
Step 4: Add the Post Processing Layer to Your Camera
Next, add the Post Processing Volume to your Camera. This is what ultimately applies the post-processing effects to the scene. To do this, select the Camera in the Hierarchy window and then navigate to the Inspector window. In the Inspector, you will see a list of Camera components. Add a Post-Processing Layer component to the Camera. Then, select the Layer dropdown and select the Post Processing we created on the Volume.
Step 5: Add Post Processing Effects
Now add post-processing effects to the Profile we created. To do this, click the Profile in the Assets panel to open it in the Inspector. In the Inspector panel, click Add Effect. On the little pop-up, select Unity. Then you will see a list of post-processing effects that you can add. Select the effect you want to add.
Step 6: Adjust Post Processing Settings
After adding post-processing effects to your Profile, you can adjust their settings. Each effect has its own settings that you can adjust in the Inspector window. For example, the Bloom effect has settings for Intensity, Threshold, and Softness. Here, I’ve set only the Intensity to 25 and you can see the effect in the game view.
Conclusion
Post-processing effects are a powerful tool for enhancing the visual quality of your Unity games. But if you’ve never done it before, it can be a little tricky to get set up. With this step-by-step guide, you should be up and running in just a few minutes.
Did this guide help you? Have some useful tips and tricks for Post Processing effects in Unity? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
