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Cover of Shaders Unchained: Writing Powerful Shaders for Every Platform FROM THE BOOK CATALOGUE

Computers & Technology

Shaders Unchained: Writing Powerful Shaders for Every Platform

By Kenwright

Master the art and science of writing high-performance, portable shaders for graphics and compute across all major modern APIs.

WHAT THE PUBLISHER HIGHLIGHTS

  • Understand the fundamental mathematics and algorithms that power modern shaders.
  • Learn the syntax and quirks of major shading languages: HLSL, GLSL, MSL, and WGSL.
  • Develop strategies for writing portable and performant shader code across different APIs.

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INSIDE THE BOOK

About this book

This book is a comprehensive guide to shader programming in the modern era. It starts with the core mathematical and algorithmic concepts behind shaders and then dives into practical implementation across different shading languages and platforms (HLSL, GLSL, MSL, WGSL). You'll learn how to write shaders that are not only powerful and visually stunning but also efficient and portable, enabling you to target OpenGL, Vulkan, DirectX, Metal, and WebGPU from a solid foundation of knowledge.

From the publisher’s description

  • Understand the fundamental mathematics and algorithms that power modern shaders.
  • Learn the syntax and quirks of major shading languages: HLSL, GLSL, MSL, and WGSL.
  • Develop strategies for writing portable and performant shader code across different APIs.
  • Create advanced visual effects and leverage GPU compute for non-graphics tasks.

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ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE

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Reader review4

Good, but not for absolute beginners

Well worth picking up if you already have the basics.

I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. The author avoids over-explaining, which keeps the pace up but means you need to pay attention. There is a section near the end that ties several earlier ideas together in a way I had not seen before. Solid, and I would buy another book from this author without hesitation.

Petra ThomasIndie game developer · Munich, DE
Shaders Unchained: Writing Powerful Shaders for Every Platform
Reader review4

Good, but not for absolute beginners

Well worth picking up if you already have the basics.

I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. Solid, and I would buy another book from this author without hesitation.

Ewan HernandezComputer science student · Amsterdam, NL
Shaders Unchained: Writing Powerful Shaders for Every Platform
Reader review5

Exactly what I was looking for

Finally, a book that treats computer graphics with the care it deserves.

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. The code samples assume a particular environment, which took a bit of fiddling to get running properly. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. An easy five stars from me. I look forward to whatever the author writes next.

Charlotte PetersonFreelance developer · São Paulo, BR
Shaders Unchained: Writing Powerful Shaders for Every Platform

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