urp-postprocessing

Help the user set up, configure, and debug post-processing effects using URP's Volume framework.

Goal: The user should have a working visual result with zero console errors after setup.

0. Prerequisite: an Editor you can run C# in

Volume profiles, VolumeParameter.overrideState, and the camera's post-processing flags are Editor/runtime object state — the checks and edits below all run C# inside a live Editor.

The unity-cli skill owns getting you there — installing the CLI, confirming a connected Editor, adding the project's com.unity.pipeline package, telling a genuinely absent Editor apart from one stuck in Safe Mode, and discovering the Editor's command catalog. Follow it first; don't re-derive any of it here. You need eval in particular, not just a reachable Editor: its presence depends on the Pipeline package version, not on the CLI. If it's missing, say so and stop.

Run C# through the connected Editor with the eval command. Discover its parameter shape from unity command --format json rather than assuming one — the inline form is unity command eval --code '<snippet>', and some Pipeline versions also register eval_file for running a snippet from a file. Check the catalog before reaching for eval_file; it is frequently absent. unity command defaults to a 30 second timeout.

Passing C# to eval

eval compiles a statement block, not a file. Two consequences, both of which cause a compile error rather than a warning:

• No using directives. The compiler reads using UnityEngine; as a resource-disposal statement and rejects it (CS0210).
• Types must be fully qualified. A bare AssetDatabase or Volume does not resolve (CS0246 / CS0103), and a bare Object is ambiguous with object (CS0104).

Where a snippet below is written as a file — with usings, for readability, or because it is meant to be saved into the project — qualify the types before passing it to eval.

0. Pre-Flight Checks

Before configuring any effect, verify all checks. Fix failures first.

1. URP is the active render pipeline — If not, inform the user and stop.
2. HDR is enabled on the URP Asset — Required for Tonemapping. Bloom works best with HDR; in SDR it still works but threshold must be < 1.
3. Camera has post-processing enabled — renderPostProcessing must be true (defaults to false). Camera Stacking: only a CameraRenderType.Base camera (or the last Overlay in the stack) should enable post-processing. Also verify the Renderer's PostProcessData asset is not null — if it is, the post-process pass won't exist.
4. The Volume's GameObject layer is in the Camera's Volume Layer Mask — volumeLayerMask defaults to layer 0 "Default" only. The Volume's GameObject.layer must be included, otherwise the camera ignores it.
5. Volume exists with enabled = true, a valid Profile, and at least one override — The Volume component must be enabled, have a non-null profile (or sharedProfile), and at least one VolumeComponent with overrideState = true on its properties.

Pre-Flight Check Snippet

Run this to verify the setup programmatically:

// `eval` compiles a statement block, not a file: no `using` directives are
// allowed, so every type is fully qualified.
var report = new System.Text.StringBuilder();

// 1. Check URP is active — a hard stop, so throw: it fails the eval loudly
var urpAsset = UnityEngine.Rendering.Universal.UniversalRenderPipeline.asset;
if (urpAsset == null)
    throw new System.Exception("URP is not the active render pipeline.");

// 2. Check HDR
if (!urpAsset.supportsHDR)
    report.AppendLine("Warning: HDR is disabled on the URP Asset. Tonemapping won't work; Bloom requires threshold < 1.");

// 3. Check camera post-processing
var cam = UnityEngine.Camera.main;
if (cam == null)
    throw new System.Exception("No Main Camera found.");
if (!cam.TryGetComponent<UnityEngine.Rendering.Universal.UniversalAdditionalCameraData>(out var camData))
    throw new System.Exception("Missing UniversalAdditionalCameraData on camera. Is URP active?");
if (!camData.renderPostProcessing)
    report.AppendLine("Warning: Post-processing is disabled on the camera. Enable via camData.renderPostProcessing = true.");

// 4. Check volume layer mask
var volumes = UnityEngine.Object.FindObjectsByType<UnityEngine.Rendering.Volume>(UnityEngine.FindObjectsSortMode.None);
foreach (var vol in volumes)
{
    if (!vol.enabled) { report.AppendLine($"Warning: Volume '{vol.name}' is disabled."); continue; }
    if ((camData.volumeLayerMask & (1 << vol.gameObject.layer)) == 0)
        report.AppendLine($"Warning: Volume '{vol.name}' on layer {vol.gameObject.layer} is not in camera's volumeLayerMask.");
    // 5. Check profile and overrides
    var profile = vol.sharedProfile;
    if (profile == null) { report.AppendLine($"Warning: Volume '{vol.name}' has no profile assigned."); continue; }
    if (profile.components.Count == 0)
        report.AppendLine($"Warning: Volume '{vol.name}' profile has no overrides.");
}

// Return the findings: logs land in the Editor console, the returned value comes back to you
return report.Length == 0 ? "Post-processing setup looks correct." : report.ToString();

1. Volume Setup

Effects are added as VolumeComponent overrides on a VolumeProfile (a ScriptableObject).

Global Volume (most common): GameObject with Volume component, isGlobal = true, profile assigned. Affects every camera whose volumeLayerMask includes the Volume's layer.

Local Volume (optional, but takes precedence): GameObject with trigger Collider + Volume component, isGlobal = false. Properties:

• priority (float) — higher values override lower when volumes overlap.
• blendDistance (float) — outer distance in world units to start blending from (0 = no blend, instant transition at collider boundary).
• weight (float, 0–1) — scales the volume's overall influence.

2. Post-Processing Effects

All effects are VolumeComponent subclasses added as overrides on a VolumeProfile via profile.Add<T>(). Check existence with profile.Has<T>() or profile.TryGet<T>(out var t). Remove with profile.Remove<T>().

Every property is a VolumeParameter. You must set overrideState = true before setting value, otherwise the Volume system ignores it.

When configuring a specific effect, load the full API reference:

• references/effect-reference.md — All VolumeComponent properties by effect (Bloom, Tonemapping, ColorAdjustments, DepthOfField, Vignette, MotionBlur, FilmGrain, ChromaticAberration, SplitToning, LensDistortion, WhiteBalance, PaniniProjection, LiftGammaGain, ShadowsMidtonesHighlights, ColorCurves, ChannelMixer)

For code templates:

• references/code-templates.md — Global Volume setup, camera post-processing, and profile modification templates

3. Anti-Hallucination Rules

Required Usings

These apply when you write a .cs file into the project. A snippet passed to eval cannot carry them — qualify the types instead (see "Passing C# to eval" above).

using UnityEngine.Rendering;           // Volume, VolumeProfile, VolumeComponent, VolumeParameter
using UnityEngine.Rendering.Universal;  // Bloom, Tonemapping, ColorAdjustments, UniversalRenderPipeline, etc.

Wrong → Correct API Mapping

WRONG	CORRECT
PostProcessVolume	Volume (from UnityEngine.Rendering)
PostProcessLayer	UniversalAdditionalCameraData.renderPostProcessing (bool)
UnityEngine.Rendering.PostProcessing	UnityEngine.Rendering.Universal
profile.GetSetting<T>()	profile.TryGet<T>(out var t) (returns bool)
profile.AddSettings<T>()	profile.Add<T>() (returns T; throws if already exists — check profile.Has<T>() first)
volume.sharedProfile (to modify at runtime)	volume.profile (auto-clones the asset into an instance)
VolumeManager.instance.stack.GetComponent<T>()	volume.profile.TryGet<T>(out var t)

Key Facts

• overrideState = true is required on every VolumeParameter you set. The volume system skips parameters where overrideState is false. This is the #1 scripting mistake.
• sharedProfile = returns the asset directly (edits persist to disk). profile = auto-clones into an instance if needed (safe for runtime edits). Check with volume.HasInstantiatedProfile().
• profile.Add<T>(bool overrides = false) — pass true to auto-enable overrideState on all parameters of the added component.

4. Debugging Checklist

When post-processing isn't working, check in order:

1. cam.TryGetComponent<UniversalAdditionalCameraData>(out var data) succeeds and data.renderPostProcessing is true?
2. Volume exists in scene with a non-null profile (or sharedProfile) assigned?
3. Overrides added via profile.Add<T>() AND overrideState = true on each property you set?
4. Volume's GameObject.layer is included in camera's data.volumeLayerMask? (Default mask is layer 0 "Default" only.)
5. volume.isGlobal = true (for global), or camera is inside the Volume's trigger Collider (for local)?
6. Camera data.renderType is CameraRenderType.Base, not Overlay? (Overlay cameras composite onto the Base camera's output.)
7. UniversalRenderPipeline.asset.supportsHDR is true? Required for Bloom and Tonemapping.
8. Viewing in Game view? Scene view has a separate post-processing toggle in its toolbar.

5. Common Recipes

Format: Effect property=value. Bloom values are threshold/intensity/scatter.

Cinematic (Film): Tonemapping mode=ACES, ColorAdjustments contrast=15 saturation=-10, Bloom threshold=0.9 intensity=0.5 scatter=0.7, Vignette intensity=0.3 smoothness=0.4, FilmGrain type=Medium1 intensity=0.2

Stylized/Vibrant: Tonemapping mode=Neutral, ColorAdjustments saturation=20 contrast=10, Bloom threshold=0.8 intensity=1.5 scatter=0.6, SplitToning highlights=warm shadows=cool

Horror/Dark: ColorAdjustments postExposure=-0.5 saturation=-30 contrast=20, Vignette intensity=0.5 smoothness=0.3 color=dark-red, FilmGrain type=Large01 intensity=0.4, ChromaticAberration intensity=0.15

Clean/Mobile: Tonemapping mode=Neutral, ColorAdjustments postExposure=0.2, Bloom threshold=1.0 intensity=0.3 (subtle). Avoid FilmGrain, MotionBlur, DepthOfField on mobile.

6. Final Confirmation

After setup, report to user:

Post-Processing Setup Complete
- Volume: [Global/Local] on "[GameObject Name]"
- Profile: [Asset Path]
- Effects: [List with key property=value pairs]
- Camera: [Name] — renderPostProcessing=true, volumeLayerMask includes layer [N]

View results in Game view (not Scene view).
Undo all changes with Edit > Undo (Ctrl+Z).