How to Enable Poiyomi Shader in URP/HDRP Projects

Introduction

One of the most frequently asked questions in the enable Poiyomi Shader community is whether the shader can be used in Unity’s Universal Render Pipeline or High Definition Render Pipeline projects. The short answer is that Poiyomi Toon Shader was built exclusively for Unity’s Built-In Render Pipeline and does not natively support URP or HDRP out of the box. However, that does not mean URP and HDRP users have no options.

There are multiple practical approaches that Unity developers working in URP and HDRP environments can take to either use Poiyomi Shader alongside their pipeline, convert their project to support it, or find compatible alternative solutions that deliver similar visual results within their existing pipeline setup.

This guide covers every available option in detail, from project pipeline conversion and dual-pipeline setups to the best URP- and HDRP-compatible alternatives to Poiyomi Toon Shader for creators who cannot switch pipelines.

What Is URP and HDRP Compatibility in Unity Shaders?

Render pipeline compatibility in Unity shaders refers to whether a shader is written to work within a specific rendering architecture. Unity currently supports three main render pipelines: the Built-In Render Pipeline, the Universal Render Pipeline, and the High Definition Render Pipeline. Shaders written for one pipeline are not automatically compatible with the others.

Poiyomi Shader is written specifically for the Built-In Render Pipeline using Unity’s legacy shader architecture.

This means its shader code, lighting model, and material inspector are all designed around the Built-In Pipeline’s rendering approach and cannot simply be dropped into a URP or HDRP project without causing shader compilation errors and pink material failures.

How Unity Render Pipelines Differ From Each Other

Comprehending the fundamental differences between Unity’s render pipelines helps explain why Poiyomi Shader cannot simply be ported to URP or HDRP without a complete rewrite:

• The Built-In Render Pipeline uses Unity’s legacy fixed-function and surface-shader system, offering maximum flexibility for customization.
• Universal Render Pipeline uses a scriptable rendering approach optimized for performance, spanning multiple platforms.
• The High Definition Render Pipeline uses a physically accurate rendering approach, developed for high-end image quality on PC and console.
• Each pipeline uses a completely different shader language framework, lighting model, and material property system.
• Shaders written for one pipeline produce compilation errors when imported into a project using a different pipeline.

Poiyomi Shader Built-In Pipeline Architecture

Poiyomi Toon Shader uses the Built-In Render Pipeline’s surface shader system to deliver its hybrid toon-and-PBR rendering. Its lighting model, shadow system, AudioLink integration, and special effects modules are all built around Built-In Pipeline-specific APIs and rendering hooks that simply do not exist in URP or HDRP.

This design dependency is the fundamental reason why a direct URP or HDRP port of Poiyomi Shader has not been released and why the conversion process requires careful handling.

Converting a URP Project to Built-In Pipeline for Poiyomi Shader

The most straightforward way to use Poiyomi Toon Shader in a project that currently uses URP is to revert to the Built-In Render Pipeline. While this may seem like an important step, it is a completely viable approach for projects where Poiyomi Shader’s feature set is a higher priority than URP-specific features.

Steps to Convert URP Project to Built-In Pipeline

Follow these steps carefully to convert a URP Unity project to the Built-In Render Pipeline so that Poiyomi Shader can be installed and used:

• Back up your entire Unity project before making any pipeline changes
• Open Package Manager through Windows, or Package Manager in the Unity menu
• Locate the Universal RP package in your installed packages list.
• Remove the Universal RP package by selecting it and clicking the Remove button.
• Navigate to Edit, Project Settings, Graphics, and remove the URP Render Pipeline Asset from the Scriptable Render Pipeline Settings field.
• Leave the Scriptable Render Pipeline Settings field empty to activate the Built-In Pipeline.
• Allow Unity to recompile all shaders after the pipeline change.
• Reassign any URP-specific shaders in your existing materials to Built-In-compatible shaders.
• Import Poiyomi Shader following the standard installation process after pipeline conversion is complete.

Material Reassignment After Pipeline Conversion

After converting from URP to the Built-In Pipeline, all materials that previously used URP shaders will appear pink because their assigned shaders are no longer compatible. You will need to manually reassign each material to a Built-In Pipeline compatible shader.

For materials that use URP Lit, reassign them to Unity’s Standard shader as a starting point. For materials that you want to use with Poiyomi Shader, assign Poiyomi Toon from the shader dropdown after the Poiyomi Shader package has been successfully imported.

Running Poiyomi Shader Alongside URP in the Same Unity Project

For developers who have to maintain URP in their project as well as want to use Poiyomi Shader materialin particular contexts, there is a more advanced approach: a dual-pipeline setup where certain objects use Built-In Pipeline-compatible materials while the rest of the project uses URP.

Dual Pipeline Setup Limitations

It is important to understand that a true dual pipeline setup in a single Unity project is not officially supported and comes with considerable limitations:

• Unity projects can only have one active render pipeline at a time.
• Materials using Built-In Pipeline shaders will appear pink in a URP project, and vice versa.
• Achieving visual consistency between Built-In and URP materials in the same scene is extremely difficult.
• Runtime switching between pipelines is not a standard-supported workflow in Unity.
• This approach is generally not recommended for production projects and is better suited to experimental or research contexts.

Render Texture Workaround for Poiyomi Shader in URP

One creative workaround developers use to display Poiyomi Shader content in a URP project is the render texture approach. This entails creating a separate Built-In Pipeline Unity project that renders Poiyomi Shader content to a render texture, which is then displayed in the main URP project as a surface texture.

While technically functional for specific use cases, such as displaying Poiyomi Shader avatar previews within a URP game UI, this approach is complex, performance-intensive, and not practical for most standard avatar or game development workflows.

Best URP Compatible Alternatives to Poiyomi Shader

For developers who cannot convert their project to the Built-In Render Pipeline and need a high-quality toon shader that works natively in URP, several strong alternatives to Poiyomi Toon Shader are available. While none of them match the full feature depth of Poiyomi Shader, each offers solid toon shading capabilities within the URP pipeline.

LilToon for URP Projects

lilToon is the closest alternative to Poiyomi Shader available for URP projects. Developed by Japanese shader artist lil, lilToon supports Unity’s Built-In Render Pipeline, Universal Render Pipeline, and High Definition Render Pipeline simultaneously, making it the most versatile free-toon shader available for multi-pipeline Unity development.

lilToon offers a strong feature set for URP toon shading, including the following capabilities:

• Clean anime-style toon shading with customizable shadow ramps
• Multi-layer outline system with width and color control
• Rim lighting with adjustable intensity and falloff
• AudioLink integration for VRChat-compatible URP avatar projects
• Emission and glowing material support
• Basic dissolve and special effects capabilities
• Active community assistance and regular updates

Other URP Toon Shader Options

Beyond lilToon, several other URP compatible toon shading solutions are worth considering for developers working outside the Built-In Pipeline:

• UTS2 (Unity Toon Shader 2.0) — officially developed by Unity Technologies Japan with full URP support
• Toony Colors Pro — a paid Unity Asset Store shader with URP and HDRP compatibility
• Custom URP shader graphs — Unity’s Shader Graph tool allows developers to build custom toon shaders visually within URP
• Various community URP toon shaders are available on GitHub and the Unity Asset Store

HDRP Compatible Toon Shading Options

The High Definition Render Pipeline presents even greater challenges for toon shading than URP due to its physically accurate rendering model, which is fundamentally designed for photorealistic results rather than stylized toon aesthetics. However, achieving toon-style shading in HDRP is possible through several approaches.

HDRP Custom Pass and Post-Processing Toon Effects

One of the most effective ways to achieve toon shading in HDRP is through Unity’s Custom Pass system combined with post-processing effects. This approach uses HDRP’s rendering pipeline hooks to apply outline detection, shadow posterization, and color banding effects as a post-process pass over the entire rendered scene rather than per-material.

While this produces a different type of toon look compared to Poiyomi Shader’s per-material approach, it can achieve impressive stylized results within HDRP.

HDRP Shader Graph Toon Materials

Unity’s Shader Graph tool in HDRP allows developers to build custom toon-shading materials visually without writing shader code. By combining HDRP Shader Graph nodes with custom lighting functions and ramp textures, it is possible to create anime-style toon materials that work natively within the HDRP pipeline. This approach requires more technical knowledge than using Poiyomi Shader but gives developers full control over their toon shading implementation within HDRP.

Poiyomi Shader URP Pipeline Comparison Table

Here is a concise comparison of Poiyomi Shader and its main alternatives across the three Unity render pipelines to help you make the right choice for your project:

Poiyomi Toon Shader	✅ Full Support	❌ Not Compatible	❌ Not Compatible	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
lilToon	✅ Full Support	✅ Full Support	✅ Full Support	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
UTS2	✅ Full Support	✅ Full Support	✅ Full Support	❌ No	✅ Yes
Toony Colors Pro	✅ Full Support	✅ Full Support	✅ Full Support	❌ No	❌ Paid
HDRP Shader Graph	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Custom Build	❌ No	✅ Yes

Poiyomi Shader Project Migration Best Practices

If you have decided to convert your URP or HDRP project to the Built-In Render Pipeline to use Poiyomi Shader, applying a structured migration process reduces the risk of data loss, broken materials, and project instability during the transition.

Here are the most important best practices to follow when migrating a Unity project to the Built-In Pipeline for Poiyomi Shader use:

• Always create a full backup of the project before beginning any pipeline migration.
• Document all URP-specific shader settings on existing materials before conversion so they can be recreated
• Convert the pipeline to a separate branch or project copy before applying changes to your main project.
• Rebuild materials systematically, starting with the most important assets first.
• Test lighting, shadows, and post-processing after conversion, as these behave differently in the Built-In Pipeline
• Import Poiyomi Shader only after confirming the pipeline conversion is fully stable and error-free

Conclusion

Poiyomi Toon Shader does not natively support URP or HDRP, but that does not leave developers without options. Converting your project to the Built-In Render Pipeline is the most complete solution for creators who want full access to Poiyomi Shaders’ feature set.

For developers who need to stay on URP, lilToon offers the closest alternative with genuine multi-pipeline support and a solid feature set. For HDRP projects, Custom Pass post-processing and Shader Graph toon materials provide feasible routes for stylized toon shading within Unity’s most advanced render pipeline.

Understanding your project’s pipeline requirements and choosing the right approach from the options covered in the guide guarantees you can achieve the visual quality you aim for, whether that means switching to Built-In Pipeline for the full Poiyomi Shader experience or finding the best URP- or HDRP-compatible alternative for your specific workflow.

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