Alan Zucconi

Category: Unity

  • Shader Showcase Saturday #5: Dripping Rain

    Shader Showcase Saturday #5: Dripping Rain

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    The first time I played Diablo 2 I remember how impressed I was to see rain causing ripples on the river just behind the Rogue Encampment. But only when I looked closer I realised that those ripples were not actually caused by any raindrop. Both ripples and raindrops were simply unrelated. As it often happens, improving…

  • Shader Showcase Saturday #4: How To Start A Fire With Shaders

    Shader Showcase Saturday #4: How To Start A Fire With Shaders

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    In the two previous instalments of Shader Showcase Saturday, we have talked about waterfalls and interactive grass. Those two subjects sound very different from each other, yet they share something in common: the original phenomenon can be modelled as a fluid simulation. This week’s Shader Showcase Saturday will continue this trend, talking about another effect…

  • Shader Showcase Saturday #3: Interactive Grass

    Shader Showcase Saturday #3: Interactive Grass

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    Forests and fields have always been present in video games. These environments are particularly challenging to reproduce with high fidelity, mostly due to the fact that the behaviour of grass and leaves is exceptionally complex to capture. There are three main challenges.

  • Shader Showcase Saturday #2: Waterfalls

    Shader Showcase Saturday #2: Waterfalls

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    Historically speaking, waterfalls have always had a special place in games. From Super Mario to Tomb Raider, their role has been more than just aesthetic. Often hiding secret caves, waterfalls are now iconic. This is why I believe is important to celebrate some of the most well-crafted waterfalls that have been posted online in the past…

  • Shader Showcase Saturday #1: Volumetric Crystals

    Shader Showcase Saturday #1: Volumetric Crystals

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    When a 3D object is drawn on the screen, only its outer shell is actually rendered. This works for most solid and opaque materials, but is not powerful enough to bring life to transparent and translucent materials. Currently, this is one of the biggest limitations of most modern game engines. Volumetric rendering is a technique that…

  • Unite Berlin 2018: What Went Wrong

    Unite Berlin 2018: What Went Wrong

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    If you have been following Unite Berlin, you might be aware that OMG NESTED PREFABS! Fun fact: I was literally below the confetti explosion; I’m back to London, and I’m still finding those damn confetti everywhere. And I have evidence…

  • Inverse Kinematics in 2D – Part 2

    Inverse Kinematics in 2D – Part 2

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    You can read the rest of this online course here: A follow-up that focuses on 3D is also available:

  • Inverse Kinematics in 2D – Part 1

    Inverse Kinematics in 2D – Part 1

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    If you have been following this blog for a while, you might have noticed some recurring themes. Inverse Kinematics is definitely one them, and I have dedicated an entire series on how to apply it to robotic arms and tentacles. If you have not read them, do not fear: this new series will be self-contained,…

  • Learning Shaders

    Learning Shaders

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    Making games is hard. Engines like Unity and Unreal have massively lowered the barrier to entry into this industry. And now that making games is easier than it has ever been before, developers are facing a new crisis. More and more people are joining this industry every day, making it harder to succeed in such an…

  • GPU Sorting

    GPU Sorting

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    You can read the full series here: You can find a link to download the Unity source code at the end of this tutorial.