How to Use “Easy Effect Viewer”

日本語 | English

This is an explanation of how to use Easy Effect Viewer, which is sold on the Unity Asset Store and Booth.
It is also explained in the video below.

Overview

Easy Effect Viewer is a tool for thumbnailing and organizing ParticleSystems and VFX Graphs in a project via tagging.
It is intended to assist engineers, effect artists, and level designers with asset management.

Unity's built-in Prefab preview does not support effect visualization, which can make locating specific assets time-consuming.

By using this asset, you can greatly streamline the process of finding the effects you’re looking for.

When developing with Unity, I believe it is common to import numerous effect assets into a project and then extract only the necessary ones for your specific use case.
However, external assets typically contain a large number of effects, making the process of picking out only the ones you truly need very time-consuming.

Therefore, this asset is designed for a workflow where you can tag, categorize, and manage the effects required for your project, allowing you to instantly locate and use only the specific effects you want from a large collection of assets.

The main features are as follows:

1. Thumbnail display of effect prefabs
2. Tagging functionality for each effect
3. Simulation playback in the Inspector’s Preview window

Update History

V1.1.2

• Fixed an issue in the EffectViewer window where the scrollbar's bottom arrow button was pushed outside the window frame and could not be clicked.

V1.1.0

New Features

• Added thumbnail generation for UI objects
• Added a wizard feature after project import

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug where the playback speed in the VFX Graph InspectorPreview did not change
• Fixed a bug where automatic thumbnail generation failed in VFX Graph

Supported Environment

• Unity Version: Unity 2019.4 or later
• Render Pipelines:
  • Built-in Render Pipeline
  • URP
  • HDRP

Quick Start

Quick Start - 1. Wizard

From Ver1.1, a wizard popup will appear after installation. Please select the items you wish to create thumbnails for, for both Effects (ParticleSystem/VFX Graph) and UI.

When you select Generate Effect Thumbnails or Generate UI Thumbnails, thumbnails will be generated automatically.

The Prefabs in the Project Window will also switch to the automatically generated thumbnails.

Quick Start - 2. Open EffectViewerWindow

Select Tools > EffectViewer > Viewer from the menu to open the window.
You can also open it with Ctrl + Shift + E.

When the window is opened, all Particle Systems and VFX Graph effects in the project are automatically displayed.
On the first display, thumbnail generation will run, so it may take a little time.

Quick Start - 3. Manage Effects with Tags - Create New

From the left lane, press the + New Tag button to create a new tag.

Quick Start - 4. Managing Effects with Tags - Tagging

Select the effect you want to tag and right-click to assign a tag.
You can also assign tags by dragging and dropping the effect into the tag lane.

Quick Start - 5. Previewing effects in the Inspector

When you select an effect, it will play in the Preview within the Inspector.

Press the Thumbnail button in the Preview to capture the current state of the effect and set it as the thumbnail.

Details of the Effect Viewer window

Automatic thumbnail generation feature

• You can automatically detect all prefabs that have ParticleSystem or VFX Graph components attached within the project and generate thumbnails for them. The generation process runs at the following times:
• When the project is first opened in Unity.
• When a prefab containing a ParticleSystem is added.
• Thumbnails are created mechanically by capturing the state of the effect after a certain amount of time has elapsed during playback. You can change the thumbnail capture timing via the settings if you wish to adjust it.

Toolbar Button Descriptions

• Tag display toggle button:
  Toggles the visibility of the tag pane using the tag icon on the far left.
• Search box:
  Allows you to filter effects by name.
• Refresh button:
  Rescans the project. Use this when importing effect assets while the Viewer is open.
• Regen Thumbs:
  Regenerates all thumbnails.
• Settings Button:
  Open the settings file.See here for details.

Thumbnail Information

Each thumbnail displays the following information:

• Prefab Name
• Effect Type Icon:
  An icon indicating either Particle System or VFX Graph
• Tags:
  Up to two assigned tags are displayed

Thumbnail Operations

• Right-Click: Display the context menu
  • Add Tag:
    Add a tag
  • Instantiate at Origin:
    Instantiate the effect at the scene origin (0,0,0)
  • Show in Project:
    Highlight the effect in the Project window

Creating a Tag

1. Click the + New Tag button in the sidebar on the left of the window
2. Enter the tag name
3. Press Enter to confirm

Assigning Tags

Method 1: Drag & Drop

• Drag the effect thumbnail to a tag in the left panel

Method 2: Right-Click Menu

1. Right-click the effect
2. Select Add Tag
3. Choose the tag you want to assign

Filtering by Tags

Click a tag on the left panel to display only the effects assigned with that tag

Managing Tags

Right-click a tag to rename or delete it.

• Rename: Right-click the tag → Rename
• Delete: Right-click the tag → Delete (a confirmation dialog will appear)

The target of the effects displayed in the Effect Viewer window

Objects displayed in Effect Viewer must meet the following criteria:

How to display effects that do not appear in the EffectViewer window

Even if a prefab does not meet the above conditions, you can add it to the Viewer by right-clicking it in the Project window and selecting Effect Viewer > Add to Viewer.

Prefabs added manually will display an icon in the top-right corner.

Inspector Preview

When an effect prefab is selected, an interactive preview appears at the bottom of the Inspector.

Note: Selecting a prefab in the Scene hierarchy will not display the preview. It only plays when a prefab is selected in the Project window.

If the preview is not visible, click the area highlighted in red in the image at the bottom of the Inspector window.

Playback Controls

• Play / Stop Buttons:
  Play or stop the effect
• Speed Slider:
  Adjust playback speed (0.1x – 3.0x)
• Playback Time Display:
  Shows the current playback time

Camera Controls

• Right-Click + Drag:
  Rotate camera (orbit)
• Middle-Click + Drag:
  Pan camera
• Mouse Wheel:
  Zoom in/out
• Reset Camera Button:
  Reset camera position
• Zoom Slider:
  Adjust zoom level (0.1x – 3.0x)

Display Settings

• Background Color:
  Change the preview background color
• Show Grid:
  Toggle grid plane visibility

Thumbnail Update

• Thumbnail Button:
  Capture the current preview state and update the thumbnail

Manual thumbnail generation feature

Automatic Generation

• During the initial scan, thumbnails that have not yet been generated are created automatically.
• Generated thumbnails are saved in Assets/EasyProjectViewer/ThumbnailImage/.
• Thumbnails are captured after a certain period of effect playback. To change the timing, use Tools > EffectViewer > Settings > ViewerSettings.
• Effects that have a delay before playback may not be captured correctly in automatically generated thumbnails. In such cases, use the Thumbnail Generation feature in the Preview.

Viewer Settings

You can open the settings window from Tools > EffectViewer > Settings > Viewer Settings.

Thumbnail Capture Settings

Configure settings for automatically generated thumbnails.

Basic Camera Settings for Auto-Generated Thumbnails

• Camera Yaw: Horizontal camera angle
• Camera Pitch: Vertical camera angle
• Camera Distance: Camera distance

Basic Camera Settings for Auto-Generated Thumbnails (Advanced)

• Thumbnail Camera FOV: Camera field of view (higher values capture a wider range)
• Camera Zoom Factor: Camera zoom (higher values make effects appear larger)
• Thumbnail Pivot Offset: Camera offset distance
• Thumbnail Background Color: Background color for the thumbnail

Thumbnail Generation Settings

• Thumbnail Size: Thumbnail size (default: 128px)
• Simulation Time:
  The timing to simulate the effect when capturing the thumbnail. For example, 0.5 generates a thumbnail at the 0.5-second mark. (0 to 5 seconds, default: 0.5 seconds)

Preview Settings

You can open this from Tools > EffectViewer > Settings > Preview Settings.

Preview Display Settings

• Background Color: Preview background color (default: gray)
• Show Grid: Toggle grid plane visibility (default: ON)
• Camera FOV: Camera field of view (10° – 90°, default: 30°)

Default Camera Settings

• Camera Yaw: Initial horizontal angle of the camera
• Camera Pitch: Initial vertical angle of the camera
• Camera Distance: Initial camera distance

Grid Display Settings

• Grid Material: Set the material for the grid. Two materials are provided, but you can switch to any material you like:

• M_EffectViewer_Grid: Checkered grid
• M_EffectViewer_TransparentGrid (default): Transparent grid

Grid Display Parameters

• Grid Plane Size: Size of the grid plane (1 – 100)
• Grid Height Offset: Height offset of the grid (-10 – 10)

Storage and Specifications of Thumbnail and Tag Data

• Tag Data: Assets/EasyProjectViewer/EffectTagDatabase.asset (ScriptableObject)
• Thumbnails: Assets/EasyProjectViewer/ThumbnailImage/{GUID}.jpg

When a prefab is deleted, its corresponding thumbnail and tags are automatically removed as well.

Troubleshooting / FAQ

Q:The size of the object in the auto-generated thumbnail is too small.

You can adjust the effect size by changing the thumbnail generation settings.
First, open EffectViewerSettings.

Decrease the Thumbnail Camera FOV value.

Select the small thumbnail, right-click it, and select Regenerate Auto Thumbnail.

Then, the thumbnail will be regenerated with the effect appearing larger.

Q: Can I change the thumbnail resolution?

A: Yes. You can change it in Tools > EffectViewer > Settings > Viewer Settings > Thumbnail Size. After changing, you need to regenerate thumbnails using Regenerate All.

Q: Is performance okay if I have a large number of effects (100 or more)?

A: Thumbnails are generated progressively and cached, so the Viewer runs quickly after the initial scan.

Q: Will thumbnails disappear if I move a prefab?

A: No. Thumbnails are managed by GUID, so they remain even if the prefab is moved.

Q: How are prefabs containing both VFX Graph and Particle System handled?

A: They are treated as Particle System (priority: Particle System > VFX Graph).

Q: Thumbnails are not generated / Thumbnails appear completely black.

A: It is possible that the capture occurred before the effect started. Increase the Thumbnail Simulation Time in Viewer Settings, then regenerate thumbnails using Regen Thumbs.

Q: VFX Graph is not detected.

A: Only VFX Graphs that have been converted to prefabs are scanned. Please convert your VFX Graph to a prefab. Also, make sure the VFX Graph package is installed.

Q: Inspector preview is not displayed.

A: Check that Enable Inspector Preview is turned on in Preview Settings.

Q: I want to display an effect in the Viewer that was previously excluded.

A: Right-click the prefab and select Add to Viewer.

Q: Can I change the thumbnail size?

A: Yes, you can change it in Viewer Settings > Thumbnail Size.

After changing the setting, press the Regen Thumbs button on the toolbar to regenerate thumbnails with the new size.

Q: Is performance okay if I have many effects?

A: The initial thumbnail generation may take some time.
Since thumbnails are cached, the Viewer runs quickly after the first scan.

Q: Will thumbnails disappear if I move a prefab?

A: No. Thumbnails are managed by GUID, so they remain even if the prefab is moved.

Q: How are prefabs containing both Particle System and VFX Graph handled?

A: They are treated as Particle System.

Q: The tag list is not displayed.

A: Click the tag icon on the far left of the toolbar to toggle the tag pane.

Q: How can I stop automatic thumbnail generation after importing assets?

A: Turn off Auto Generate Thumbnails in Viewer Settings.

Support

For questions or bug reports, please contact me at:

• Twitter (X): https://x.com/mitakamikata (via DM)
• Email: inquiry@yurinchi2525.com

Related Assets

I also offer "Easy Custom VFX/UI", a collection of over 120 effects and shaders.
If you enjoy this asset, please take a look at it as well:

• Asset Store version: https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/vfx/shaders/easy-custom-vfx-ui-built-in-294357
• Booth version: https://yurinchi2525.booth.pm/items/5740481

Third-Party Licenses

Some features were developed with reference to open-source code under the MIT License.
For details, please see the included THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md.

Update Archive

V1.0.7(2026/3/7)

New Features

• Default Loop Playback Setting — You can now set the default loop playback behavior in the Settings asset. No more toggling it manually each time you preview an effect.

Improvements

• Improved playback for effects without a root ParticleSystem — Effects that only have ParticleSystems on child objects now play correctly in the preview.
• Accurate playback speed for nested particle effects — Nested ParticleSystems now simulate at the correct speed, resolving an issue where they could appear faster than intended.

V 1.0.6 (2026/2/15)

• Fixed a bug where objects could not be drag-and-dropped from the Project window to the Scene after importing assets.

• Fixed a mysterious 0.5cm gap that appeared at the top of the Inspector window so that it is no longer displayed.

V 1.0.5 (2026/2/14)

Added a sample dummy ParticleSystem.

V 1.0.4 (2026/2/13)

Removed the specification to reset the Transform to the origin when generating a Prefab; modified to place the Prefab in the scene with its configured Transform.

V 1.0.3 (2026/2/7)

Initial Release