Question HDRP roadmap in 2024

What are goals and HDRP roadmap for Unity 2024.1/.2?

 

I mean that depends on if you are asking about the entire year of 2024 or just 2024.1
Due note some of the stuff below is already testable in 2023.2 Beta and 2023.3 Alpha.
Biggest thing is 2023.3 Alpha has the Render Graph update which is what has been causing the major slow down of new features. With it starting to be finished in 2023.3 expect a lot better features, performance, and tools with less bugs.

Mainly the Render Graph big update which is in 2023.3 Alpha and able to be tested now in URP as well with the Render Graph Viewer update.

1. Shader Foundation improvements
   1. Burst Occlusion culling System
   2. Improvements to the SRP volume System for performance in memory and CPU mainly using updated API.
2. Scriptable Render Pipeline API
3. Shader Foundry API
   
   1. Block Shaders which is the replacement for Surface Shaders built on Shader Foundry
      
   2. Shader Graph is is moving stuff to them as much as possible for a lot better shader systems
   3. Shader Templates for shader Graph that can be used in sub shaders and Shader Graphs.
4. DXC Shader Compilation and Shader Model 6 upgrade with no more limitations on uses for DX11 and GLESS
5. WIP tool to view the Shader Variants being created so you can see which shader needed work.
6. The Heat Map tool built into the Shader Graph looks cool.
7. URP and HDRP Cross pipeline coexistence so no longer need to worry about making shaders for different SRP. This is a big one for a lot of people.
8. Possibly Compute Shaders for Web using WebGPU new platform which is in 2023.2 Beta and newer.
9. New built in materials for Water, Ice, Grass, Terrain, and Rocks.
10. New Node Reference for Shader Graph and Shader Example.

 

2024.1/2024.2

I'm interested in new Reflection system, GI, SSGI, volumetric area lights.

 

You still cannot use URP shaders when you are in HDRP mode or vice versa, So still need to have a set of shaders for each pipeline? please correct me If I’m wrong on this.

 

Going to have to look around and see where I first saw it being talked about. There was talks about doing things like creating a uniform module using the new Render Graph API, Shader Foundry, and the Shader Blocks to allow that to be a possibility.

Since the new system let's people create structs in C# and than they can be converted into Shader Structs it is possibly to have the C# be converted for both URP and HDRP uses. I hope this will still be a thing or at least have partial support.

 

Ah okay you are probably wanting information on if they have plans for the Bake Prefabs and the Light baking Management system for Batch Baking than.
Sorry on that front I don't know too much if they plan on doing that or if they decided to change what it is called or found a new way to do it.

Baking Prefabs are a new scene independent lighting data asset that holds information for light probe calculations, reflection probes, lightmaps, and so forth. It kind of unlocks the ability to bake information into prefabs for use in like runtime generated procedural levels or spawned items.

I know they are finishing the new Light Baking API in 2023.3. It is a lot faster and better than the old one. Can bake light maps while editing the scene because it first takes a screen shot of the map than does the light baking in the background allowing you to work in editor without it stalling while light bake. Lot faster too.

Due note this would unlock things like baking Sky Occlusion.

There is also updates coming to the new GI/Dynamic APV System, but I don't know much on that end sorry.
All I know it will help working with Real Time Global Illumination for both ray tracing and screen space rendering.


Are these basically thing you are wanting to know more about. If so I could possibly look back into them a bit more.