Installation and HDRP setup

Requirements and compatibility

Use an HDRP project in Linear color space. The examples in this guide use Unity 2022.3.52f1 and HDRP 14.0.11 on Windows with Direct3D 11. Check the Planets HDRP Asset Store listing for your release’s requirements and follow the setup instructions supplied with your download.

For Unity 6, follow the version-specific shader instructions supplied with your download. The steps and material examples here use the HDRP 14 setup. The Planets 8K Textures Upgrade is sold separately.

Prepare an HDRP project

1. For a new project, choose the High Definition 3D template in Unity Hub. In an existing HDRP project, open Window > Package Manager and check the installed High Definition RP package.
2. In Edit > Project Settings > Graphics, check that Scriptable Render Pipeline Settings references an HDRP Asset.
3. In Edit > Project Settings > Quality, select the quality level in use and check Render Pipeline Asset. A quality-level asset takes precedence over the Graphics assignment. An empty quality slot uses the Graphics default. Check the quality level your target uses too.
4. In Project Settings > Player > Other Settings > Rendering, set Color Space to Linear.
5. If the project needs setup, use Window > Rendering > HDRP Wizard and review the HDRP configuration checks before importing.

Configure lighting in fog

Complete HDRP project configuration before opening a demo with the Unity and HDRP versions used in this guide. This keeps Fog from dimming the planets’ direct lighting.

Import and open a demo

Import Planets HDRP

1. In Window > Package Manager, choose My Assets, select Planets HDRP, and click Download and Import as needed.
2. Import the base content with its materials, textures, meshes and scenes. Wait for Unity to finish importing and compiling shaders.

Follow the Quick Start to set up your own planet, or open a supplied scene first.

Open a demo scene

1. In the Project window, open Assets/FORGE3D/Planets HDRP and double-click a scene.

   Scene	What to look for
   PlanetsDemoscene_01.unity	Three bright stars over rows of worlds. With the HDRP configuration applied, the foreground planets show lit faces and surface detail. See the Demo 01 reference.
   PlanetsDemoscene_02.unity	A star surrounded by planets with lit surfaces, colored rims and rings. See the overview image.
   PlanetsDemoscene_03.unity	A lineup for comparing the supplied worlds under the same scene lighting, with Fog off.

2. In Game view, choose 16:9 to match the reference framing. Let automatic exposure settle. If materials are pink, check the active pipeline and Console.

Use a scene copy when experimenting. Keep its Camera, Lights, Volume Profile and sky settings together, and use the same HDRP configuration to preserve its starting look.