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Setup

beginner concepts

Global Snow & Rain 3 · Core Concepts

Prerequisites

Before setting up Global Snow, make sure your project meets these requirements:

Unity 6.0 or newer.
Universal Render Pipeline (URP) installed with the Package Manager.
A URP asset assigned in Edit > Project Settings > Graphics and in Project Settings > Quality.
The Universal Renderer set to the Deferred or Deferred+ rendering path.
The Render Graph on: in Unity 6.0 to 6.3, Compatibility Mode (Render Graph Disabled) must be off in Project Settings > Graphics.

Enabling Deferred Rendering

Global Snow works only with the deferred rendering paths. To enable it:

Find the Universal Renderer asset. Your URP asset references it (check Project Settings > Graphics and each quality level in Project Settings > Quality).
Select the Universal Renderer asset in the Project window.
In the Inspector, set Rendering Path to Deferred or Deferred+.

Forward rendering is not supported. With Forward or Forward+, Global Snow does not render and its inspector shows the message "Global Snow requires deferred rendering path".

Adding the Render Feature

Global Snow connects to URP through a Renderer Feature:

Select your Universal Renderer asset.
In the Inspector, scroll to the bottom and click Add Renderer Feature.
Select Global Snow Render Feature from the list.

Keep Global Snow above Screen Space Ambient Occlusion. If the renderer also has the Screen Space Ambient Occlusion feature, Global Snow must be above it in the Renderer Features list, otherwise SSAO shades the objects buried in the Snow Accumulation as if they were uncovered. When the order is wrong and Snow Accumulation is on, the Global Snow inspector shows an error with a Move Global Snow Above SSAO button that fixes it. SSAO with After Opaque on already runs after the Snow Accumulation.

Multiple quality levels? Unity can use a different URP asset per quality level. Add the Global Snow Render Feature to the renderer of every URP asset your project uses, both the one in Project Settings > Graphics and the ones in Project Settings > Quality.

The Render Feature has one option, Cameras Layer Mask. It chooses which cameras render Global Snow, based on the layer of the camera GameObject. Default: all layers.

Only add the Global Snow Render Feature. The list also shows a Global Snow Zenithal Coverage Feature. Global Snow uses it internally for its top-down capture, so you do not need to add it to your renderer.

Adding the Global Snow Component

Global Snow goes on the camera:

Select your main camera in the Hierarchy.
Click Add Component and search for Global Snow.
Adjust the settings in the inspector.

The component needs a Camera on the same GameObject, and only one Global Snow component is allowed per camera. Scripts reach it with GlobalSnow.instance, which looks first on the main camera.

Helper Objects

Global Snow creates a few hidden helper objects while it runs, such as the top-down coverage camera and the snowfall and rain volumes. They are not saved with the scene. Global Snow also adds its own GlobalSnowZenithalRenderer to the renderer list of the active URP asset. It renders the top-down coverage capture, so keep it in the list.

Snow Accumulation Receivers

The Snow Accumulation in Snow Appearance is on by default, but it is drawn only on the objects in its Receivers list, which starts empty. Until you add receivers, the row reads Receivers (none, no accumulation): the snow covers the surfaces without thickness, and Deep Marks draw nothing.

Press Add Terrains to add every terrain of the open scenes.
Press List Receivers and drag other ground objects, such as roads, pavements or roofs, from the Hierarchy into the list. Each object gets the accumulation only on its own renderer or terrain. An object without one, such as the root of a LOD Group or an empty parent of several terrains, passes it to its children.

Only shaders drawn in the deferred G-buffer can carry the accumulation, and the list marks the others with a warning icon. The Receivers belong to the scene, so profiles do not store them. See Receivers for all the list options.

Render Graph

Global Snow runs only on the Render Graph used by URP in Unity 6. In Unity 6.0 to 6.3, check that Compatibility Mode (Render Graph Disabled) is off in Project Settings > Graphics. With it on, Global Snow adds no render passes and its inspector shows the error "Global Snow requires Render Graph" with an Open Graphics Settings button. Unity 6.4 and later always use the Render Graph.

Recommended Project Settings

Setting	Recommended Value	Why
Rendering Path	Deferred or Deferred+	Required by Global Snow.
Depth Texture (URP asset)	Enabled	Required by Snow Dust. The inspector shows an error when it is off.
HDR	Enabled	Snowfall Brightness above 1 pushes the flakes past white for bloom.

Scene View Preview

The snow also shows in the Scene View, so you can work without entering Play mode. The Scene View gets its own snow capture around its camera, so the coverage and the Snow Accumulation of the receivers look right wherever you work, also far from the Global Snow camera. In Edit mode the captures run again only when the scene changes or the Scene View moves far, not while you navigate. You can turn this off with Show In Scene View in the Tools & Debug foldout. Deep Marks, Contact Ripples and Impact FX only work in Play mode.

Verify Setup

After completing the steps above:

Check that the Global Snow inspector shows no red message.
Verify that snow appears on your terrain and objects.
Check that the Receivers row of Snow Accumulation does not read Receivers (none, no accumulation). Turn on Show Receivers in Snow Accumulation to tint in green the surfaces that carry it.
If no snow is visible, check the Troubleshooting page.

Next Steps

Parameters Reference - explore every Global Snow setting.
Rain & Water - set up rain, puddles and running drops.
Demo Scenes - open the included example.

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