UnityLaparoscopicSceneSimulator/.opencode/skills/urp-render-pipeline/SKILL.md

name, description

name	description
urp-render-pipeline	URP 14.0.11-specific render-pipeline work in the LaparoscopicSurgeryEmulation scene. Use when adjusting URP assets, Volume profile overrides (Bloom, Vignette, DepthOfField, Tonemapping, etc.), reflection probes, color space, exposure, fog, skybox, or post-processing on this project. Translates HDRP-flavoured requests into URP-safe operations.

URP Render Pipeline (project-scoped)

This project runs URP 14.0.11 on Unity 2022.3.25f1. Any request that mentions HDRP-specific features (ray-traced reflections, planar reflection probes, path tracer, physical-camera exposure) must be translated to URP equivalents before execution. Default URP asset for this project is one of URP-Balanced.asset, URP-HighFidelity.asset, or URP-Performant.asset (in Assets/Settings/) — confirm which one is the scene's RenderPipelineAsset before changing it.

When to load

Load when the agent is about to:

• Touch any URP-*.asset or URP-*-Renderer.asset.
• Add or modify a Volume, Volume Profile, or Volume override.
• Adjust reflection probes, lightmaps, light probe groups, or environment lighting.
• Change color space, HDR enable state, MSAA, or post-processing toggles.
• Bake lighting, light probes, or reflection probes.
• Diagnose "scene looks flat" or "scene looks washed out" reports.

URP assets inventory (do not move)

• Assets/Settings/URP-Balanced.asset + URP-Balanced-Renderer.asset
• Assets/Settings/URP-HighFidelity.asset + URP-HighFidelity-Renderer.asset
• Assets/Settings/URP-Performant.asset + URP-Performant-Renderer.asset
• Assets/Settings/SampleSceneProfile.asset — the Volume profile (post-processing overrides live here)
• Assets/Settings/TexturesSettings.asset — texture import / quality settings

Confirm which URP asset is current before changing it:

manage_graphics(action="pipeline_get_info")
manage_scene(action="get_active")

If the active scene's quality setting references a different URP asset, call it out in the handoff and ask before swapping.

Translating HDRP concepts to URP

HDRP concept	URP equivalent	Notes
HDRP Volume with Bloom, Vignette, ChromaticAberration, DepthOfField, MotionBlur, FilmGrain, Tonemapping, ColorAdjustments, LensDistortion, PaniniProjection	URP Volume with the same override types (URP package provides them)	Use manage_graphics(action="volume_set_effect", effect="<Name>")
Exposure in EV (physical)	ColorAdjustments.postExposure (in stops, not EV)	Keep range conservative (e.g., -1.0 to +1.0 stops)
Sky and Fog Volume for fog	URP Volume with a Fog-style override is not first-class; use RenderSettings.fog + URP-compatible setup, or a custom Volume override	URP fog is limited; document the limitation in the handoff
HDRP ReflectionProbe (refresh mode = Every Frame)	URP ReflectionProbe with Refresh Mode = Via Scripting (or On Awake for static)	Document when re-bake is needed
HDRP PlanarReflectionProbe	Not available in URP 14.0.11 by default; use a ReflectionProbe or render feature	If a real planar reflection is required, propose a render feature and ask for approval
HDRP DecalProjector	URP DecalProjector (from com.unity.render-pipelines.universal)	Both packages ship decals; behaviour differs slightly — verify in-scene
HDRP ray-traced reflections / path tracer	Not available in URP	Refuse; suggest baked reflection probe + roughness modulation instead
HDRP light cookies via area lights	URP supports light cookies for directional / spot / point lights	Use a baked or runtime-generated cookie texture

Volume profile: how to add / edit overrides

1. Locate the active Volume profile with manage_graphics(action="volume_get_info") or by reading SampleSceneProfile.asset. If there is no profile, create one in Assets/Settings/LaparoscopicBenchmark/ (bounded folder creation).
2. Add a Volume override only when the existing profile lacks it:
   • manage_graphics(action="volume_add_effect", profile_path="Assets/Settings/SampleSceneProfile.asset", effect="Bloom") — or whichever override is needed.
3. Set parameters on the override:
   • manage_graphics(action="volume_set_effect", effect="Bloom", parameters={"threshold": 1.0, "intensity": 0.25, "scatter": 0.7}) (example values; treat as placeholders, verify against current state).
4. Override names to expect in URP 14: Bloom, Vignette, ChromaticAberration, DepthOfField, MotionBlur, PaniniProjection, LensDistortion, FilmGrain, Tonemapping, ColorAdjustments, LiftGammaGain, ChannelMixer, ShadowsMidtonesHighlights, SplitToning, WhiteBalance, HDROverrides. URP-specific: ScreenSpaceAmbientOcclusion (URP SSAO renderer feature), ScreenSpaceShadows (URP shadow cascade quality).

A laparoscope-friendly starting profile is conservative: low Bloom.intensity (0.1–0.3), tight Vignette.intensity (0.2–0.4), moderate DepthOfField focused on 0.05–0.5 m, Tonemapping set to Neutral or ACES, ColorAdjustments.postExposure near 0, ColorAdjustments.contrast slightly positive (0.05–0.15). Verify each value by visual inspection, not by assumption.

Reflection probes for the cavity

The laparoscope sees a small concave cavity with wet specular highlights. A single well-placed ReflectionProbe per CavitySlot is enough; HDRP's "Refresh = Every Frame" is not available in URP, so:

• For static cavities: Refresh Mode = On Awake (re-bake on enable).
• For slowly-changing cavities: Refresh Mode = Via Scripting and trigger a RenderProbe call when an instrument moves (only with explicit approval, because it adds a per-frame dependency).
• For dynamic per-frame updates: refuse unless a URP render feature or CommandBuffer solution has been bounded and approved.

Cubemap capture size: 256 is a reasonable starting point for cavity work; 128 for performance-bound scenarios; 512 only for hero shots.

Color space and HDR

• The project is most likely Linear color space (URP default in 2022.3 LTS). Confirm with manage_graphics(action="pipeline_get_info"). Switching color space requires an Editor restart and re-bake of lighting — do not do it casually.
• HDR should be enabled on the camera for any post-processing chain that includes Bloom or Tonemapping. Check via manage_camera(action="set_lens", ...) is not the right tool — use the camera's allowHDR flag through manage_components or by reading the camera component first.

Renderer features

• This project may have a custom DepthRenderPassFeature (under Assets/Scripts/DepthRenderPassFeature.cs). Renderer features on URP-*-Renderer.asset are how the project's depth pass is wired. Adding a new feature requires editing the renderer asset — bounded change, document the addition in the handoff.
• If a new renderer feature is needed (e.g., a custom SSAO override, a custom post-process pass), prefer adding it to the renderer asset only after the Lighting/Rendering agent has produced a one-sentence bounded change statement.

Fog

URP's built-in fog is limited. The two practical options:

• Enable Unity's legacy RenderSettings.fog and let URP render it. Document that URP does not have HDRP's volumetric fog; for cavity haze use a custom particle system or a low-cost ParticleSystem with additive blending.
• If true volumetric fog is required, refuse unless the user explicitly accepts the cost of a render feature or a third-party package.

Baking

• bake_start and bake_status are the right MCP calls for lighting bakes.
• bake_clear and bake_get_settings / bake_set_settings are read/clear primitives.
• Bake after any change to static geometry, materials with emission/occlusion, or light positions. The cavity is small enough that a fast bake is fine; do not run a "Production" quality bake unless the user asks.

Common bounded changes (templates)

1. Add Bloom to the Volume profile: locate profile → volume_add_effect with effect="Bloom" → volume_set_effect with conservative intensity/threshold. Verify with screenshot.
2. Tighten vignette for the laparoscope look: volume_set_effect(effect="Vignette", parameters={"intensity": 0.3, "smoothness": 0.4}). Verify.
3. Switch the active URP asset to HighFidelity for the cavity scenario: confirm quality setting → pipeline_set_settings (if supported) or write a bounded change in the handoff. This is destructive of performance budget; ask first.
4. Place a reflection probe inside the cavity: manage_gameobject(action="create", name="CavityReflectionProbe", parent="CavitySlot", components_to_add=["ReflectionProbe"]) → set resolution=256, clearFlags=Skybox (or SolidColor if the cavity is enclosed), mode=Realtime (or Baked). Bake if Baked.

Anti-patterns to refuse

• Enabling ray-traced reflections, path tracer, or any HDRP-only feature.
• Switching color space without explicit approval.
• Adding a new URP asset when one of the three existing assets already fits the scenario.
• Disabling MSAA, HDR, or post-processing globally — these are per-camera or per-renderer toggles.
• Bumping RenderScale above 1.5 to "fix" softness — that is a performance landmine, propose a different fix.
• Adding a renderer feature that has not been bounded in a one-sentence change statement.