Shader Variant Collection Tool

A tool for managing and collecting shader variants efficiently and quickly, and also includes a better UI for the default Unity shader variant collection file editor (Inspector element)

Table of Contents

• Screenshots
• Installation
• Quick Start Tutorial
• Filters Guide
• Manual Keyword Combinations
• Variant File Ehnanced UI and Browser
• Best Practices
• Troubleshooting

Screenshots

v1.1.0 update, added buttons to create the collection and config files directly from UI

Installation

Via Unity Package Manager

1. Open Unity Package Manager (Window → Package Manager)
2. Click the + button in the top-left corner
3. Select "Add package from git URL..."
4. Install with https://github.com/revoconner/ShaderVariantCollectionTool.git
5. Click Add

Requirements

• Unity 2022.3 or higher
• Compatible with all render pipelines (Built-in, URP, HDRP) tested with URP only
• Tested with Unity 6.1

Quick Start Tutorial

1. Open the tool
2. Add a variant collection file
3. Add a config file
4. Follow the numbers on the button
5. Profit?

Filters Guide

Variant Filters

VariantFilter_Shader

Filter variants based on shader inclusion/exclusion.

Configuration:

• Mode:
  • Strip: Remove variants for listed shaders
  • OnlyReserveContains: Keep only variants for listed shaders
• Shaders: Array of shaders to filter

Advanced Operations (via foldout menu):

• Add shader at specific index
• Delete shader at index
• Swap shader positions

VariantFilter_PassStrip

Remove variants of specific pass types.

Configuration:

• Strip Passes: Array of PassType values to remove

Common Pass Types to Strip:

• Meta: Editor-only lightmapping
• MotionVectors: Not needed for Quest
• ScriptableRenderPipelineBatching: If not using SRP Batcher

Manual Keyword Combinations

When to Use

• Keywords enabled only at runtime via script
• Platform-specific keywords not active in editor
• Quality setting variations
• Feature toggles

How to Add

1. Click Manual Keyword Combinations
2. For each combination:
   • Click Add New Combination
   • Enter keywords separated by spaces
   • Example: FOG_LINEAR SHADOWS_SOFT
   • Example: FOVEATED_RENDERING_NON_UNIFORM_RASTER

Important Notes

• Each line is processed independently
• Keywords must exist in shader to be valid
• Invalid combinations are silently skipped
• Check console for processing results

Variant File Ehnanced UI and Browser

Features

• Shader List: All shaders in collection
• Filter: Type to filter shader names
• Add Shader: Object field + Add button
• Clear: Remove all variants (with confirmation)

Variant Inspector

For selected shader:

• Shows variants grouped by PassType
• Displays keyword combinations
• Add button per pass type
• Remove button per variant
• Keyword filtering with exact match option

Adding Variants Manually

1. Select shader in list
2. Click + button
3. In popup window:
   • Select PassType
   • Click keywords from available list
   • Click selected keywords to remove
   • Click "Add Variant"

Best Practices

1. Collection Strategy

• Start with MaterialCollection_SceneDependency for scene materials
• Add MaterialCollection_TotalMaterial for comprehensive coverage
• Use MaterialCollection_AssignMaterial for specific additions

2. Filtering Strategy

• Strip editor-only passes (Meta, MotionVectors)
• Remove unused shader variants with VariantFilter_Shader
• Create custom filters for project-specific needs

3. Organization

• Create separate variant collections for:
  • Platform-specific variants (Quest, Mobile, Desktop)
  • Quality levels (Low, Medium, High)
  • Feature sets (VR, AR, Standard)

4. Validation

• Use Material Source Check to verify collection sources
• Use Keyword Source Check to find keyword usage
• Review variant count before writing to file

Recommended Filters

1. Strip desktop-only passes:

   • MotionVectors
   • GrabPass
   • Meta (if not lightmapping)

2. Remove heavy shaders:

   • Complex transparent shaders
   • Multi-pass shaders
   • Tessellation shaders

Troubleshooting

No Materials Collected

• Verify collector configuration
• Check path spellings in TotalMaterial collector
• Ensure scenes are in Build Settings for SceneDependency
• Check console for error messages

Missing Runtime Variants

• Add manual keyword combinations
• Verify keywords exist in target shaders
• Check keyword spelling (case-sensitive)
• Enable all quality levels before collection

Tool Window Issues

• Window not opening: Check Unity version compatibility
• Missing config file: Check the Assets/Settings folder, else use the button in the UI to create one.

Credits

Original tool concept from Chinese Unity community - Soco

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Versions

• Last Updated: Sepetember 07, 2025 - Version 1.0.0
• Last Updated: Sepetember 10, 2025 - Version 1.1.0