{"product_id":"advanced-shader-development-in-unity-ethan-g-mccarthy-9798294540906","title":"Advanced Shader Development in Unity and HLSL: A Complete Shader Workflows for URP, HDRP, and Cross-Platform Games","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eHave you ever stared at a jaw-dropping visual effect in a AAA game and thought, \u003ci\u003e\"How did they make that?\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOr maybe you've opened Unity's Shader Graph or written a few lines of HLSL, only to feel lost, overwhelmed, or worse-stuck copying tutorials that don't explain \u003ci\u003ewhy\u003c\/i\u003e things work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat if you could break through the fog of confusion and finally \u003ci\u003emaster\u003c\/i\u003e the art and science of shader development?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNot just to copy effects, but to design your own-from scratch-for any platform, any pipeline, and any creative vision?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWelcome to \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eAdvanced Shader Development in Unity and HLSL: A Complete Shader Workflow for URP, HDRP, and Cross-Platform Games\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e by Ethan G. McCarthy-a book designed not just to teach you shaders, but to make you \u003ci\u003ethink like a shader artist\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis isn't a paint-by-numbers guide. This is a full-scale exploration of \u003cb\u003ehow shaders really work\u003c\/b\u003e-across Unity's Scriptable Render Pipelines (URP and HDRP), in HLSL, and with Shader Graph-so you can build robust, beautiful, and performant effects across PC, console, mobile, and XR.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eSo, ask yourself...\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eDo you actually understand how light interacts with a surface-or are you still relying on prebuilt materials?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eCan you design a toon shader that responds to shadows and rim lighting-or do you tweak sliders until something \"looks right\"?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eDo your shaders scale across platforms-or break the moment you shift from URP to HDRP?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eCan your effects hold up at 120 FPS on a phone, or are you unknowingly pushing the GPU over the edge?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eHave you ever written a surface shader in HLSL and wondered-\u003ci\u003ewhat just happened\u003c\/i\u003e?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you've ever felt like shaders are a \"black box\" of math, magic, and obscure syntax, you're not alone. But here's the truth: \u003cb\u003eyou don't need a PhD in graphics programming to master them. You just need the right map-and a guide who speaks your language.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInside this book, you'll learn how to: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eUnderstand the rendering pipeline\u003c\/b\u003e and where your shader fits within it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDesign interactive visual effects\u003c\/b\u003e that respond to physics, audio, player input, and time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBuild stylized, photorealistic, and cinematic shaders\u003c\/b\u003e using real-world game examples.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWrite efficient HLSL code\u003c\/b\u003e for both URP and HDRP that scales across devices.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eUse Shader Graph like a pro\u003c\/b\u003e, avoiding common traps and performance bottlenecks.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIntegrate shaders into your workflows\u003c\/b\u003e with particle systems, terrain, UI, and post-processing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTransition confidently from the Built-In pipeline\u003c\/b\u003e to URP or HDRP-without rewriting everything from scratch.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBenchmark, profile, and optimize your shaders\u003c\/b\u003e so they \u003ci\u003elook\u003c\/i\u003e amazing and \u003ci\u003erun\u003c\/i\u003e smoothly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd this isn't just about technical details. You'll dive deep into \u003cb\u003edesign principles\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eartist-programmer collaboration\u003c\/b\u003e, and \u003cb\u003ereal-world case studies\u003c\/b\u003e from successful games and studios.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhether you're a technical artist, indie developer, shader hobbyist, or a student aiming to break into the game industry-\u003cb\u003ethis book will challenge you, empower you, and transform the way you think about visual effects.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo here's the real question: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAre you ready to stop relying on other people's shaders and start building your own, fully custom, fully optimized, cross-platform visual magic?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecause if you are-\u003cb\u003ethis is the book you've been waiting for.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Ethan G. 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