TUTORIAL 2
MASTERING RENDER
GROUPS & CREATING A
SKY CASTLE AR EFFECT
Creating AR experiences made simple.
Structure
Introduction & Overview (5 minutes)
Understanding Render Groups (20 minutes)
Creating a Sky Castle AR Effect (40 minutes)
Wrap-Up & Next Steps (5 minutes)
Introduction &
Setup
Overview
This tutorial will expand your knowledge of render groups and how they affect
object rendering in Effect House. Additionally, it will guide you through creating a
Sky Castle AR effect using templates and custom assets.
Understanding
Render Groups
Overview
Broaden your understanding of how objects are rendered in Effect House. This
conceptual module explains render groups and their impact on object rendering
and camera order.
What Is a Render Group?
A render group is a container in the Hierarchy panel that groups related objects to
optimize rendering.
Render groups are added automatically when you add an object, or you can add
one manually.
Objects from the Object menu are categorized under specific render groups.
Render Groups List
2D Background Effects
Generative Effects
Filter
Face Mask Effects
Face Shape Effects
General
AR Tracking
2D Foreground Effects
Post Effects
Camera Render Order
Each render group has its own camera(s) that render objects within that group.
You can add multiple cameras and adjust their render order properties.
Practical Example:
The default Camera in the General render group has a Render Order of 0.
Adding another Camera to the same group (Layer 1) will have a Render Order of
1.
Changing a Camera’s Render Order affects which objects appear first in the
final preview.
Using the Sky
Castle Template
Overview
Create an immersive AR environment with the Sky Castle template. This module
guides you through using and customizing the template to develop your unique
sky effect.
Open the Template
Launch Effect House and navigate to the Templates tab.
Select the Sky Castle template and choose the appropriate preview media.
Under the Preview menu, hover over Environment and select Sky.
Hierarchy Overview
Notice two render groups in the Hierarchy panel: General and 2D Foreground
Effects.
These groups determine how different elements of your effect are layered and
rendered.
Main Elements of the Sky Castle Effect
Skybox: A cube object with a skybox material applied, creating the background sky
environment.
AR Container: A Scene Object containing AR elements like the castle and rocks.
2D Foreground Effects: Houses the Sky Segmentation object, ensuring buildings
and AR objects appear in the foreground.
Customizing the
Sky Effect
Customize the Skybox
Import Your Own Cubemap:
In the Assets panel, click the Add button [+] and select Import to add your
Skybox cubemap.
Ensure the cubemap image has a 2:1 ratio and is under 1 MB in size.
Apply Your Cubemap:
Open the Skybox folder within the Assets panel and select Skybox_Mat.
In the Inspector panel, replace the default Skybox Texture with your imported
cubemap.
Customize the AR Container
Adding New Objects:
Import premade 3D objects from the Asset Library or create your own.
Drag and drop the object into the AR Container in the Hierarchy panel.
Adjusting Position:
Use the Scene panel to reposition your objects.
Hide existing objects (like the Castle and Rocks) to emphasize custom assets.
Wrap-Up and
Troubleshooting
Recap Key Concepts
Render Groups:
Understand the purpose and types of render groups.
Adjust rendering order through drag-and-drop in the Hierarchy panel.
Configure Camera Render Order for precise control over layers and effects.
AR environment with the Sky Castle template:
Utilize the Sky Castle template to create dynamic AR environments.
Customize the Skybox with personal cubemap textures.
Enhance your scene by managing objects within the AR Container and
leveraging render groups.