Stencil, masks & decals
The stencil buffer and masking techniques let you cut holes, reveal hidden worlds, draw portals and project decals. This section covers stencil tests in shaders, render objects features in URP, and decal approaches. It is a small topic with a lot of clever effects. 16 hand-picked Unity guides, tutorials, videos and repos, kept current.
- Holofoil Cards in Shader Graph and Unity URP
Makes Pokemon-style holofoil cards in Shader Graph using the stencil buffer and other tricks in URP.
danielilett.com · Oct 2025 - Infinity Nikki: One-way Window
Looks at the one-way window effect in Infinity Nikki.
simonschreibt.de · Feb 2025 - Tip: RTHandles.Alloc ignores the stencil in RenderTextureDescriptor
Mastodon tip: RTHandles.Alloc ignores the stencil format set in the RenderTextureDescriptor.
mastodon.gamedev.place · Jul 2024 - Dithered Transparency in Shader Graph
Builds dithered transparency in Shader Graph.
youtube.com · Apr 2024 - Portal Effect Patreon post
Patreon post breaking down a portal effect in Unity.
patreon.com · ~Oct 2023 - Recreating Wind Waker Style Lights in Unity
Recreates Wind Waker style lights in Unity using stencil techniques.
youtu.be · Mar 2023 - The Unreal Stencil Dragon
Builds a stencil dragon effect in Unreal, extending a project on one shader for many effects.
simonschreibt.de · Feb 2023 - World Position Effects 2: More Shapes
Patreon post on world position effects with more shapes for URP.
patreon.com · Jan 2023 - Portals | Series Introduction
Introduction to a series on portal rendering techniques.
danielilett.com · Dec 2019 - https://www.ronja-tutorials.com/post/042-dithering/
Ronja tutorial on dithering in shaders for transparency effects.
ronja-tutorials.com · May 2019 - Stencil Buffers
Explains stencil buffers and how they differ from depth buffer testing.
ronja-tutorials.com · Aug 2018 - Deus Ex – Occlusion
Explains how Deus Ex handles occlusion and object visibility through walls, with updates.
simonschreibt.de · Jan 2013 - Parallax Card
Tutorial on building a parallax card effect.
alexanderameye.github.io - My take on shaders: Stencil shader (Antichamber effect) – Harry Alisavakis
Builds an Antichamber-style effect with a stencil shader.
halisavakis.com - Stencil Portal in Unity: VFX Breakdown
Breakdown of VFX tricks in a scene, including a stencil portal and related rendering issues.
shahriyarshahrabi.medium.com - How I’d do it: ABZÛ portal cards – Harry Alisavakis
Recreates ABZU portal cards, inspired by a GDC talk on the game's art tricks.
halisavakis.com