shaders
GPU lighting code
Shaders are small programs that run on a graphics processing unit to determine how surfaces, lighting, and colors appear in rendered images.
In video games and 3D graphics, shaders calculate everything from realistic water reflections to cel-shaded cartoon effects.
The term comes from their original purpose of computing light and shadow, though modern shaders handle far more: The game's new shaders make the forest look photorealistic.
Shader programming has become essential knowledge for graphics developers and a creative tool for visual artists.
Point where edges converge
- fragmentIncomplete portion of whole
- computeDetermine by calculation
- tessellationGapless plane coverage
- geometryScience of spatial relationships
uniforms · attributes · buffers · samplers · compilation · linking · preprocessing · optimization
Provision of light
- diffuseSpread thinly throughout
- specularMirror-surfaced, image-returning
- ambientOf the surroundings
- PBRBudget American lager brand
shadows · caustics · reflections · refractions · emission · HDR · bloom · volumetric
Graphics rendering specification
- DirectXMicrosoft's multimedia programming interface
- VulkanGermanic term for volcano
- WebGLBrowser-based 3D rendering API
- parallel processingSimultaneous computational operations
GPU · graphics card · driver · binding
Surface reflection coefficient
- roughnessUneven surface quality
- metallicResembling ore-based elements
- glossinessReflective surface quality
- transparencyState of being see-through
opacity · displacement · parallax · decals · tiling · anisotropic
Unwanted auditory disturbance
- proceduralFollowing set steps
- distortionTwisting from original state
- blurLack of sharpness
- vignetteBrief evocative description
grain · dithering · toon · outline · dissolve · hologram · glitch · water
Simulating or demonstrating form
- meshInterlocking open weave
- verticesCorner points of shapes
- polygonsClosed plane figures
- normalsTypical or expected values
tangents · Blender · Maya · Unity · Unreal · Godot · node-based · real-time
Long-distance fluid transport tube
- rasterizationConverting to pixel grid
- ray tracingRendering via light physics
- deferredSet aside until later
- forwardOnward in direction
post-processing · blending · stencil · multipass · instancing · batching · overdraw
vertex
Point where edges converge
- fragmentIncomplete portion of whole
- computeDetermine by calculation
- tessellationGapless plane coverage
geometry · uniforms · attributes · buffers · samplers · compilation · linking · preprocessing · optimization · CG
illumination
Provision of light
PBR · shadows · caustics · reflections · refractions · emission · HDR · bloom · volumetric
OpenGL
Graphics rendering specification
- DirectXMicrosoft's multimedia programming interface
- VulkanGermanic term for volcano
- WebGLBrowser-based 3D rendering API
parallel processing · GPU · graphics card · driver · binding
albedo
Surface reflection coefficient
- roughnessUneven surface quality
- metallicResembling ore-based elements
- glossinessReflective surface quality
transparency · opacity · displacement · parallax · decals · tiling · anisotropic
noise
Unwanted auditory disturbance
- proceduralFollowing set steps
- distortionTwisting from original state
- blurLack of sharpness
vignette · grain · dithering · toon · outline · dissolve · hologram · glitch · water · fire
modeling
Simulating or demonstrating form
normals · tangents · Blender · Maya · Unity · Unreal · Godot · node-based · real-time · baking
pipeline
Long-distance fluid transport tube
- rasterizationConverting to pixel grid
- ray tracingRendering via light physics
- deferredSet aside until later
forward · post-processing · blending · stencil · multipass · instancing · batching · overdraw
- graphicsvector, shapes, 3D graphics, raster, symbols
- game developmentgame engine, game design, game engines, game designer, rendering
- computer graphicsanimations, 3D modeling, digital art, sprites, textures
- 3D graphicsray tracing, textures, vertices, rendering, texture mapping
- 3D software3D modeling, animation, rendering, modeling, meshes
- GPU computingGPU, graphics card, parallel processing, video card, VRAM
- pale shadeFaint, light color
- thrown shadeExpressed subtle contempt
- threw shadeCriticized indirectly, in slang
- lamp shadeDecorative light diffuser
- shades of gray
- throwing shadeSubtle public disparagement
shade, shaded, shades, sunshade, lampshade, eyeshade, shader