Question How to make an hlsl file?

So I’m following a tutorial and it told me to make an hlsl file, like it was the easiest thin on earth. I have no idea what to do, how do I make an hlsl file? Please help.

 

To create a new Shader, use

Assets > Create > Shader

from the main menu or the Project View context menu.
https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/class-Shader.html

This could be helpful:
- https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/SL-ShadingLanguage.html
- https://catlikecoding.com/unity/tutorials/scriptable-render-pipeline/custom-shaders/

.

 

So a shader script is a hlsl file on it own? So when it said “Create an hlsl file” it just meant create a shader?

 

Unity uses the HLSL language for its Shaders (.shader files).

A newly created Surface Shader via the main menu looks like this:

Spoiler

Code (CSharp):

1. Shader "Custom/NewSurfaceShader"
2. {
3.     Properties
4.     {
5.         _Color ("Color", Color) = (1,1,1,1)
6.         _MainTex ("Albedo (RGB)", 2D) = "white" {}
7.         _Glossiness ("Smoothness", Range(0,1)) = 0.5
8.         _Metallic ("Metallic", Range(0,1)) = 0.0
9.     }
10.     SubShader
11.     {
12.         Tags { "RenderType"="Opaque" }
13.         LOD 200
14.  
15.         CGPROGRAM
16.         // Physically based Standard lighting model, and enable shadows on all light types
17.         #pragma surface surf Standard fullforwardshadows
18.  
19.         // Use shader model 3.0 target, to get nicer looking lighting
20.         #pragma target 3.0
21.  
22.         sampler2D _MainTex;
23.  
24.         struct Input
25.         {
26.             float2 uv_MainTex;
27.         };
28.  
29.         half _Glossiness;
30.         half _Metallic;
31.         fixed4 _Color;
32.  
33.         // Add instancing support for this shader. You need to check 'Enable Instancing' on materials that use the shader.
34.         // See https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/GPUInstancing.html for more information about instancing.
35.         // #pragma instancing_options assumeuniformscaling
36.         UNITY_INSTANCING_BUFFER_START(Props)
37.             // put more per-instance properties here
38.         UNITY_INSTANCING_BUFFER_END(Props)
39.  
40.         void surf (Input IN, inout SurfaceOutputStandard o)
41.         {
42.             // Albedo comes from a texture tinted by color
43.             fixed4 c = tex2D (_MainTex, IN.uv_MainTex) * _Color;
44.             o.Albedo = c.rgb;
45.             // Metallic and smoothness come from slider variables
46.             o.Metallic = _Metallic;
47.             o.Smoothness = _Glossiness;
48.             o.Alpha = c.a;
49.         }
50.         ENDCG
51.     }
52.     FallBack "Diffuse"
53. }

Unlit shader:

Spoiler

Code (CSharp):

1. Shader "Unlit/NewUnlitShader"
2. {
3.     Properties
4.     {
5.         _MainTex ("Texture", 2D) = "white" {}
6.     }
7.     SubShader
8.     {
9.         Tags { "RenderType"="Opaque" }
10.         LOD 100
11.  
12.         Pass
13.         {
14.             CGPROGRAM
15.             #pragma vertex vert
16.             #pragma fragment frag
17.             // make fog work
18.             #pragma multi_compile_fog
19.  
20.             #include "UnityCG.cginc"
21.  
22.             struct appdata
23.             {
24.                 float4 vertex : POSITION;
25.                 float2 uv : TEXCOORD0;
26.             };
27.  
28.             struct v2f
29.             {
30.                 float2 uv : TEXCOORD0;
31.                 UNITY_FOG_COORDS(1)
32.                 float4 vertex : SV_POSITION;
33.             };
34.  
35.             sampler2D _MainTex;
36.             float4 _MainTex_ST;
37.  
38.             v2f vert (appdata v)
39.             {
40.                 v2f o;
41.                 o.vertex = UnityObjectToClipPos(v.vertex);
42.                 o.uv = TRANSFORM_TEX(v.uv, _MainTex);
43.                 UNITY_TRANSFER_FOG(o,o.vertex);
44.                 return o;
45.             }
46.  
47.             fixed4 frag (v2f i) : SV_Target
48.             {
49.                 // sample the texture
50.                 fixed4 col = tex2D(_MainTex, i.uv);
51.                 // apply fog
52.                 UNITY_APPLY_FOG(i.fogCoord, col);
53.                 return col;
54.             }
55.             ENDCG
56.         }
57.     }
58. }

"HLSL program snippets are written between

CGPROGRAM

and

ENDCG

keywords, or alternatively between

HLSLPROGRAM

and

ENDHLSL

. The latter form does not automatically include HLSLSupport and UnityShaderVariables built-in header files." [src]

More Examples:
- https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/SL-SurfaceShaderExamples.html
- https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/ShaderTut2.html


Do you know how to code Shaders in general? Or is this your first time?
.

 

Thanks for the reply, sorry I took so long for mine. I have never coded shaders, I just have a general understanding of C, so that’s how far my knowledge goes. I’m actually doing shader graph, and I’m trying to add a source file to a custom function. I just need to know how to make a file that will work with the custom function, and all the tutorial told me was to make a hlsl file. I understand that hlsl is just the coding language that shaders use, I just don’t know what file to make - or how to make it.

Also, I’m trying to make a cell shader, so if you know any good tutorials for cell shading with Unity HDRP that would be nice.

 

I did this.

Open Whatever code you have (.cs file) so that Visual Studio opens. Then create "New" file, choose .txt extension to create one. Once created in visual studio, add a comment just like:

// new code

and then save it. In explorer, look for a good place under Assets folder, and, in extensions, choose for "all files", which will allow to name with the extension hlsl (name it MyNewCode.hlsl, for instance). I did this because I did not find a HLSL extensions among the options.

Hope this help
Have a great journey

 

See this tutorial about your issue.

 

Hey thank you sm, this worked for me

 

isnt that a shaderlab file for use within unity? an actual HLSL file seems to be in the format of an #include