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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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Catalogue reference: d0c064a3a3d220d5

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

Readers, in their own words

Explore reviews
Reader review5

Excellent from start to finish

A superb guide. The examples are small but complete.

This is the third book I have read on computer graphics this year, and it is comfortably the best of them. Some terminology is introduced without much ceremony; I had to look a few things up along the way. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. This is the book I wish had existed when I started working with computer graphics.

Rachel RodriguezBioinformatics researcher · Tel Aviv, IL
Shaders Unchained: Writing Powerful Shaders for Every Platform
Reader review5

The best book on this subject I have read

The clearest explanation of computer graphics I have come across.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. The chapters on computer graphics are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. I have already recommended it to two colleagues and will recommend it to more.

Layla RiveraMachine learning engineer · Prague, CZ
Shaders Unchained: Writing Powerful Shaders for Every Platform
Reader review5

This is the one to get

A genuinely enjoyable read that also taught me a great deal.

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. The author clearly knows the subject deeply and has thought hard about how to teach it. The examples are small enough to type out and experiment with, which is exactly what I want from a book like this. The examples are small enough to type out and experiment with, which is exactly what I want from a book like this. An easy five stars from me. I look forward to whatever the author writes next.

Lucas DavisProduct designer · Austin, TX
Shaders Unchained: Writing Powerful Shaders for Every Platform

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