Episode 4: Advanced 2D Rendering & Performance Techniques in Unity

Take your 2D projects to the next level! In this episode we unpack Unity’s newest rendering and animation tools—and the performance tricks that keep them running smoothly.

What you’ll learn:

• 2D Lights: Dial in color, intensity, and fall‑off for atmospheric scenes.

• Sprite Shape: Sculpt free‑form terrain that tiles and swaps sprites automatically.

• Custom Sprite Sorting Axis: Guarantee correct draw order in card & board games.

• Custom 2D Shaders + VFX Graph: Build dazzling GPU‑driven effects with Shader Graph.

• Reduce Overdraw: Tight meshes, merged sprites, and smart culling for higher FPS.

• Custom Sprite Outlines & Library Editor: Trim transparency and manage huge asset sets.

• Sprite Swap: Re‑skin characters at runtime with streamlined keyframing.

• New 2D Animation Tools: Live deformation previews, IK solvers, and pivot tweaks.

• Pro Tips from Happy Harvest: Neutral poses, higher‑res source art, and halo sprites for subtle lighting.

Plug these tips into your pipeline to unlock richer visuals and faster frame rates.