Real-Time Shader Programming
An indispensable reference for the game developer, graphics programmer, game artist, or visualization programmer, to create countless real-time 3D effects.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Real-Time Shader Programming
Chapter 1: Introduction
OVERVIEW
This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as I live it is my privilege my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I love. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me; it is a sort of splendid torch which I've got a hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.
-- George Bernard ShawShader: A custom shading and lighting procedure that allows the motivated artist or programmer to specify the rendering of a vertex or pixel.
"Shader" comes from Pixar's RenderMan, which is a program that takes an entire description of a scene, from camera positions through object geometry, to a final rendering. RenderMan was introduced in 1989, but it wasn't really until the 1995 release of the movie Toy Story that the general public was introduced to the power of RenderMan. About this same time, there was a revolution taking place on the graphics boards of PCs; the boards were evolving...
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