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Setup Guide Setup OctoShaper 1.3Updated

Installation

Choose the classic package or the UPM package, let Unity finish compiling, and open the Getting Started window. Both formats set up their dependencies for you, so for most projects that's all there is to it.

Requirements

  • Unity 2022.3 or newer, including Unity 6
  • OctoShaper from the Unity Asset Store, as the classic package or the UPM package
  • For the samples: the Universal Render Pipeline (URP)

Burst, Collections and Mathematics are installed for you (see below).

Import, compile, open Getting Started.

Classic or UPM package?

Since 1.3, OctoShaper is available in two formats on the Asset Store. They contain the same tool, the same samples and behave identically in the editor. Pick one per project:

Classic package UPM package
Installed to Assets/OctoShaper Packages/com.curioustrove.octoshaper (read-only)
Dependencies Added by OctoShaper's own installer Resolved by Package Manager
Updates Re-import over the existing folder Update in Package Manager
Good for Projects that keep everything under Assets, or that need to edit OctoShaper's source Keeping your Assets folder clean and managing versions like any other package

Both ship entirely as C# source, with no precompiled DLLs.

Install

  1. Buy OctoShaper, then open Window > Package Manager > My Assets and find it.
  2. UPM package: click Install. OctoShaper appears under Packages as com.curioustrove.octoshaper. Classic package: click Import and keep the package under Assets/OctoShaper.
  3. Wait for Package Manager and script compilation to finish. The first import may trigger a second compilation.
  4. Open Tools > OctoShaper > Getting Started.

That's it. Continue with Node graph basics, or import a sample first.

Switching between the two

Never install both at once: they share assembly names, so Unity can't compile them side by side. Both use the same asset GUIDs, so your graphs, prefabs and settings keep working when you switch.

  • Classic to UPM: delete Assets/OctoShaper, then install the UPM package. Samples you already imported under Assets/Samples stay where they are.
  • UPM to classic: remove the package in Package Manager, then import the classic package.

Dependencies are automatic

With the UPM package, Package Manager installs Burst, Collections and Mathematics as regular package dependencies, like any other UPM package.

With the classic package, a small separate installer adds any missing Burst, Collections and Mathematics packages after import, at the versions Unity recommends for your editor.

  • It never changes packages you already have, including ones installed through another package.
  • If an installed package is older than OctoShaper supports (Burst 1.8.0, Collections 2.4.3, Mathematics 1.3.3), OctoShaper doesn't compile and the Console names the package to update in Window > Package Manager.
  • Unity 6000.6's built-in Burst is recognized.
  • If something failed, check the Console and Package Manager, then choose Tools > OctoShaper > Repair Dependencies to retry.

Samples and render pipelines

The samples use URP materials. The sample browser shows this requirement, and importing a sample logs a warning when URP isn't active.

  • To use them as-is, install URP and assign a Universal Render Pipeline Asset in Project Settings > Graphics and any Quality overrides.
  • Or replace the sample materials with ones for your pipeline.

OctoShaper never installs URP or changes your render pipeline for you.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Fix
Duplicate assembly errors after switching formats Both the classic and the UPM package are installed. Delete Assets/OctoShaper or remove the package in Package Manager.
Missing OctoShaper menus or compile errors Wait for imports to finish. Check the Unity version and the first Console error. An unresolved Unity.Mathematics reference means Mathematics must be installed, even if Collections is.
"Missing or stale generated executor" Save your graphs, run Tools > OctoShaper > Generate Graph Code, then let Unity compile.
Pink sample materials Use URP, or swap the sample materials.
Nothing appears Check Main Output, required attributes, assigned meshes and materials. Mesh definitions need Realize Meshes and a draw node.

Upgrading an existing project? Read Upgrading to 1.3 first.

Frequently asked questions

Should I get the classic package or the UPM package?
They contain the same tool and behave the same in the editor. The UPM package installs under Packages through Package Manager and keeps your Assets folder clean; the classic package imports into Assets/OctoShaper. Install only one of them.
Which Unity versions does OctoShaper support?
Unity 2022.3 or newer, including Unity 6. The optional AI Integration CLI needs Unity 6.
Do I need URP?
Not for OctoShaper itself. The bundled samples ship URP materials, so they appear pink in other pipelines until you replace the materials.
OctoShaper doesn't compile after import. What should I check?
Wait for Package Manager to finish, then read the first Console error. An older Burst, Collections or Mathematics package is named there with the version to update to. Tools > OctoShaper > Repair Dependencies retries the automatic setup.