Tier 4 Series 306

306A: The Shader Graph

"Standard Materials are boring. To make a shield ripple or an engine glow, you need a custom Shader. A Navigator uses Shader Graph to visually "wire" the surface properties without writing raw code."

The Concept: Node-Based Rendering

Shaders calculate the color of every pixel.

* **Master Node:** The final output (Color, Alpha, Metallic).
* **Properties:** Variables exposed to the Inspector (Color, Speed).
* **Time:** A node that drives animation on the GPU.

Red Flag Detected

The AI Trap: "The Texture Tiling Script"

You ask the AI: "Scroll the water texture."

// AI-Generated Code: CPU Heavy
void Update() {
    // Audit Fail: Modifying the material offset on the CPU every frame.
    // This forces data transfer from CPU to GPU 60 times a second.
    material.mainTextureOffset += speed * Time.deltaTime;
}

This is "Bus Traffic." You are clogging the bridge between CPU and GPU for a simple math operation.

Elite Telemetry

Research shows "Elite" teams achieve 15% faster lead times by keeping AI on a "very tight leash."

Small Batches Solving one problem at a time prevents logic drift.
Modular Design Localizing the "blast radius" of AI changes.
Tight Loops Rapid iteration with constant code review.

DORA Metrics Source

The Navigator's Correction

Corrective Protocol

// Corrected: GPU Native
// No C# code needed.
// In Shader Graph: [Time] -> [Multiply] -> [Tiling And Offset] -> [Base Map]

Your Pilot Command

> A skilled Navigator directs the AI to use Shader Graph.

Take the Controls

Next Mission

The HLSL Code