Shaders are a form of programming that can be used to create visual effects in games. This book will teach you the fundamentals of shader development, including mathematics, shading languages, and practical applications. By the end of the book, you will be able to create your own shader effects for your games.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 734 pages
Publication date: 03 October 2022
Publisher: APress

Understanding Shaders

Shaders are often seen as mystical and difficult to develop, even by skilled programmers, artists, and developers from other game design disciplines. This book dispels that idea by building up your shader knowledge in stages, starting with fundamental shader mathematics and how shader development mindset differs from other types of art and programming, and slowly delves into topics such as vertex and fragment shaders, lighting, depth-based effects, texture mapping, and Shader Graph. This book presents each of these topics with a comprehensive breakdown, the required theory, and some practical applications for the techniques learned during each chapter. The HLSL (High Level Shading Language) code and Shader Graphs will be provided for each relevant section, as well as plenty of screenshots. By the end of this book, you will have a good understanding of the shader development pipeline and you will be fully equipped to start making your own aesthetic and performant shader effects for your own games!

What are Shaders?

Shaders are a powerful tool used in computer graphics to manipulate and render visual elements. They are responsible for creating the visual effects, lighting, and textures that make up a game's environment. Shaders are written in a programming language called HLSL (High Level Shading Language), which is designed specifically for rendering graphics.

What are Shaders Used For?

Shaders are used for a wide range of purposes in game development, including:

• Creating visual effects such as particle effects, smoke, and lightning.


• Adding lighting and shadows to a scene.


• Rendering textures and materials.


• Simulating physical phenomena such as water, wind, and cloth.


• Creating animations and motion effects.

Developing Shaders

Developing shaders can be a complex and challenging task, especially for beginners. There are many different aspects to shader development, including mathematics, programming, and visual design. This book will help you understand the fundamentals of shader development and provide you with the skills you need to create your own shader effects.

Stages of Shader Development

Shader development is divided into several stages, each of which focuses on a different aspect of shader development. These stages include:

• Understanding Shader Mathematics.


• Writing Vertex and Fragment Shaders.


• Adding Lighting and Shadows.


• Rendering Textures and Materials.


• Simulating Physical Phenomena.


• Creating Animations and Motion Effects.

Understanding Shader Mathematics

Shader mathematics is the foundation of shader development. It involves understanding concepts such as vectors, matrices, and trigonometry. This stage will help you understand the underlying principles of shader development and provide you with the skills you need to write efficient and effective shaders.

Writing Vertex and Fragment Shaders

Vertex and fragment shaders are the two main components of a shader. Vertex shaders are responsible for defining the shape and position of vertices in a scene, while fragment shaders are responsible for defining the color and texture of each pixel in a scene. This stage will help you understand how to write vertex and fragment shaders and how to modify their behavior with C# scripting.

Adding Lighting and Shadows.

Lighting and shadows are essential components of any game's environment. This stage will help you understand how to add lighting and shadows to a scene and how to modify their behavior with shaders.

Rendering Textures and Materials.

Textures and materials are used to create the visual appearance of objects in a scene. This stage will help you understand how to render textures and materials and how to modify their behavior with shaders.

Simulating Physical Phenomena.

Physical phenomena such as water, wind, and cloth can be simulated using shaders. This stage will help you understand how to simulate physical phenomena and how to modify their behavior with shaders.

Creating Animations and Motion Effects.

Animations and motion effects can be created using shaders. This stage will help you understand how to create animations and motion effects and how to modify their behavior with shaders.

Conclusion

Shader development is a complex and challenging task, but it is an essential skill for any game developer. This book will help you understand the fundamentals of shader development and provide you with the skills you need to create your own shader effects. By the end of this book, you will have a good understanding of the shader development pipeline and you will be fully equipped to start making your own aesthetic and performant shader effects for your own games!

Weight: 1414g
Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781484286517
Edition number: 1st ed.