Pros of Graphics

• Official Unity repository, ensuring compatibility and long-term support
• Comprehensive graphics package covering various rendering techniques
• Regular updates and contributions from Unity's development team

Cons of Graphics

• Larger codebase, potentially more complex to navigate and understand
• May include features beyond custom passes, which could be overwhelming

Code Comparison

HDRP-Custom-Passes:

[CustomPassDrawer("My Custom Pass")]
class MyCustomPass : CustomPass
{
    protected override void Execute(CustomPassContext ctx)
    {
        // Custom pass implementation
    }
}

Graphics:

[VolumeComponentMenu("Post-processing/Custom Effect")]
public class CustomEffect : VolumeComponent, IPostProcessComponent
{
    public BoolParameter enable = new BoolParameter(false);

    public bool IsActive() => enable.value;
    public bool IsTileCompatible() => false;
}

Summary

Graphics is the official Unity repository for graphics-related features, offering a comprehensive solution with regular updates. HDRP-Custom-Passes focuses specifically on custom rendering passes, providing a more targeted approach. While Graphics offers broader functionality, HDRP-Custom-Passes may be easier to navigate for developers primarily interested in custom passes. The code examples demonstrate the different approaches: HDRP-Custom-Passes uses a dedicated CustomPass class, while Graphics utilizes the VolumeComponent system for post-processing effects.

Pros of UnityRenderStreaming

• Designed for real-time streaming of Unity content over the web
• Supports WebRTC for low-latency video and audio streaming
• Includes signaling functionality for establishing peer connections

Cons of UnityRenderStreaming

• Focused on streaming, not custom rendering techniques
• May have higher performance overhead due to streaming capabilities
• Less flexibility for custom rendering passes compared to HDRP-Custom-Passes

Code Comparison

HDRP-Custom-Passes:

[System.Serializable, VolumeComponentMenu("Post-processing/Custom/MyCustomPass")]
public sealed class MyCustomPass : CustomPass
{
    protected override void Execute(CustomPassContext ctx)
    {
        // Custom rendering logic here
    }
}

UnityRenderStreaming:

public class StreamingHandler : MonoBehaviour
{
    private void Start()
    {
        var streamingManager = GetComponent<StreamingManager>();
        streamingManager.Run(WebRTCSettings.SignalingURL);
    }
}

The code snippets highlight the different focus areas of each project. HDRP-Custom-Passes allows for custom rendering passes within the High Definition Render Pipeline, while UnityRenderStreaming emphasizes setting up and managing streaming connections.

Pros of TestbedHDRP

• More comprehensive set of HDRP examples and test cases
• Regularly updated with the latest Unity and HDRP versions
• Includes advanced rendering techniques like ray tracing

Cons of TestbedHDRP

• Less focused on custom passes specifically
• May be overwhelming for beginners due to its breadth of content
• Requires more setup and configuration to get started

Code Comparison

TestbedHDRP:

[CustomPassDrawer("My Custom Pass")]
class MyCustomPass : CustomPass
{
    protected override void Execute(CustomPassContext ctx)
    {
        // Custom rendering logic here
    }
}

HDRP-Custom-Passes:

[System.Serializable, VolumeComponentMenu("Custom Passes/Example/Outline Pass")]
public class OutlineCustomPass : CustomPass
{
    protected override void Execute(CustomPassContext ctx)
    {
        // Outline rendering logic here
    }
}

Both repositories provide examples of implementing custom passes in HDRP, but HDRP-Custom-Passes offers more specialized and focused examples for custom pass implementation, while TestbedHDRP covers a broader range of HDRP features and techniques.

Pros of PostProcessing

• Widely adopted and well-established in the Unity community
• Supports both built-in render pipeline and URP
• Extensive documentation and community support

Cons of PostProcessing

• Limited flexibility for custom effects
• May have performance overhead for some effects
• Not optimized for HDRP-specific features

Code Comparison

PostProcessing:

[PostProcess(typeof(PostProcessRenderer), PostProcessEvent.AfterStack, "Custom/Effect")]
public sealed class CustomEffect : PostProcessEffectSettings
{
    public FloatParameter intensity = new FloatParameter { value = 1f };
}

HDRP-Custom-Passes:

class CustomPass : CustomPass
{
    protected override void Setup(ScriptableRenderContext renderContext, CommandBuffer cmd) {}
    protected override void Execute(ScriptableRenderContext renderContext, CommandBuffer cmd, HDCamera camera, CullingResults cullingResult) {}
    protected override void Cleanup() {}
}

The PostProcessing package uses a more traditional approach with effect settings and renderers, while HDRP-Custom-Passes provides a more flexible and HDRP-specific implementation with custom passes.

Pros of VolumetricLighting

• Official Unity repository, potentially offering better integration and support
• Focuses specifically on volumetric lighting, which may provide more advanced features in this area
• Likely to be more regularly updated and maintained by Unity Technologies

Cons of VolumetricLighting

• Limited to volumetric lighting effects, less versatile than HDRP-Custom-Passes
• May require more setup and configuration for specific use cases
• Potentially more resource-intensive due to its specialized nature

Code Comparison

HDRP-Custom-Passes:

[System.Serializable]
public class CustomPassVolume : MonoBehaviour
{
    public List<CustomPass> customPasses = new List<CustomPass>();
}

VolumetricLighting:

[System.Serializable]
public class VolumetricLightingSettings
{
    public float scattering = 0.5f;
    public float extinction = 0.5f;
}

The code snippets show that HDRP-Custom-Passes offers a more flexible approach with customizable passes, while VolumetricLighting provides specific settings for volumetric lighting effects. HDRP-Custom-Passes allows for a wider range of custom rendering effects, whereas VolumetricLighting is tailored for achieving realistic atmospheric lighting.