Uploaded November 2020 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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✔️ Works in 2020.1 ➕ 2020.2 ➕ 2020.3
🩹 Fixes:
► Make sure your source mesh has read/write enabled in it's asset importer inspector.

Compute Shaders are scripts that run on the GPU! They're very powerful, allowing you to leverage the GPU's unique abilities and generate meshes to draw procedurally. There's not a lot of information on using them, so I hope to demystify them and add another wrench to your game development toolbox. Specifically, I convert a geometry shader to a compute shader, increasing compatibility and efficiency.

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► nedmakesgames.github.io

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🎬 Previous videos
► Introduction to graphics shaders: youtu.be/7C-mA08mp8o

✨Follow up videos
► Using compute shaders to generate meshes: youtu.be/AiWCPiGr10o
► Layered grass: youtu.be/c1JThTu6-Ok
► Procedural blade grass: youtu.be/DeATXF4Szqo

📜 Required scripts
► NMGPyramidComputeHelpers.hlsl: gist.github.com/NedMakesGames/a7f200245e2bb5095e21e9b3ce6a1f86
► NMGPyramidGraphicsHelpers.hlsl: gist.github.com/NedMakesGames/0c6d8c3f0d983887c3c3f08b7fe7ebb9

📚 Reference scripts
► PyramidFaces.compute: gist.github.com/NedMakesGames/fbea5caa8a4f4475cb3f6f1b8358fca1
► PyramidFaces.shader: gist.github.com/NedMakesGames/902f619471a35b4368aa59cff5659b8a
► PyramidFaces.hlsl: gist.github.com/NedMakesGames/232d5eb58f55c3341a860b63d8fcd976
► ProceduralPyramidRenderer.cs: gist.github.com/NedMakesGames/c14853ae86c43e86a70bb16dbf46ffe9
► TriCountToVertCount.compute: gist.github.com/NedMakesGames/4342891e191064217cc80fd2e95fc531

⏲️ Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:02 Theory
3:00 The compute shader
7:00 The graphics shader
9:42 The C# renderer
16:11 Fixing vertex count
17:42 Wrap up and credits

🎖️ Credits and references:
• Documentation: Unity Technologies - docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/Graphics.DrawProceduralIndirect.html
• Noise Ball: Keijiro Takahashi - github.com/keijiro/NoiseBall2
• URP Lens Flares: Sam Driver - github.com/Anatta336/bright-spots
• Compute Shader: TotallyRonja - ronja-tutorials.com/2020/07/26/compute-shader.html
• MarchingCubesGPU: DuncanF - gist.github.com/DuncanF/353509dd397ea5f292fa52d1b9b5133d
• TransformBounds: benblo - answers.unity.com/questions/361275/cant-convert-bounds-from-world-coordinates-to-loca.html
• Paper texture: freepik - freepik.com/premium-vector/wrinkled-paper-texture_711440.htm
• Music: sawquerenoise "RottenMage SpaceJacked OST" - freemusicarchive.org/music/sawsquarenoise/RottenMage_SpaceJacked
• Compute Shaders: Jasper Flick- catlikecoding.com/unity/tutorials/basics/compute-shaders
• Binary sphere: Openclipart - publicdomainvectors.org/en/free-clipart/Binary-sphere/75700.html

#GameDev #IndieDev #Unity