Choosing a Lighting Pipeline: Importing To URP

With the level’s static elements finished, I moved on to lighting. Unity offers two different lighting pipelines: URP and HDRP.

Default Lighting

URP is similar to the default Unity project’s lighting, but runs more efficiently. It allows for a solid level of graphical fidelity and boasts excellent performance alongside it.

HDRP is the eye-candy lighting pipeline. If you want photorealism and high fidelity VFXs, look no further. Keep in mind, however, that with higher visuals come a cost to performance.

I will be building this level in both pipelines eventually, but I began with URP as it is the simpler of the two.

So how do you import to URP? It’s very easy!

First, package your scene in your original project.

Export your scene. Save it somewhere you will remember!

Now, create a new Unity project using the URP template.

Name your project something applicable.

Open up your project and drag the exported file into your assets folder. A window will appear asking you to select what you want to import. Assuming you want the entire scene, hit import.

Now load up your scene in Unity and you will notice right away something is awry. The textures are all purple!

This is expected behavior, as the lighting on those textures needs to be updated.

Go to Edit > Render Pipeline > Universal Render Pipeline > Upgrade Project Materials

Visual guide for above directions.

I threw in a spotlight to give some illumination!