Book Image

GLSL Essentials

By : Jacobo Rodriguez
Book Image

GLSL Essentials

By: Jacobo Rodriguez

Overview of this book

Shader programming has been the largest revolution in graphics programming. OpenGL Shading Language (abbreviated: GLSL or GLslang), is a high-level shading language based on the syntax of the C programming language.With GLSL you can execute code on your GPU (aka graphics card). More sophisticated effects can be achieved with this technique.Therefore, knowing how OpenGL works and how each shader type interacts with each other, as well as how they are integrated into the system, is imperative for graphic programmers. This knowledge is crucial in order to be familiar with the mechanisms for rendering 3D objects. GLSL Essentials is the only book on the market that teaches you about shaders from the very beginning. It shows you how graphics programming has evolved, in order to understand why you need each stage in the Graphics Rendering Pipeline, and how to manage it in a simple but concise way. This book explains how shaders work in a step-by-step manner, with an explanation of how they interact with the application assets at each stage. This book will take you through the graphics pipeline and will describe each section in an interactive and clear way. You will learn how the OpenGL state machine works and all its relevant stages. Vertex shaders, fragment shaders, and geometry shaders will be covered, as well some use cases and an introduction to the math needed for lighting algorithms or transforms. Generic GPU programming (GPGPU) will also be covered. After reading GLSL Essentials you will be ready to generate any rendering effect you need.

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GLSL Essentials
Jacobo Rodriguez
Dec, 2013 | 116 pages
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Table of Contents (13 chapters)
GLSL Essentials
GLSL Essentials
Credits
Credits
About the Author
About the Author
About the Reviewers
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Preface
Free Chapter
1
The Graphics Rendering Pipeline
The Graphics Rendering Pipeline
A brief history of graphics hardware
The Graphics Rendering Pipeline
Types of shaders
GPU, a vectorial and parallel architecture
The shader environment
Summary
2
GLSL Basics
GLSL Basics
The Language
Language basics
Shader input and output variables
Summary
3
Vertex Shaders
Vertex Shaders
Vertex shader inputs
Vertex shader outputs
Drawing a simple geometry sample
Summary
4
Fragment Shaders
Fragment Shaders
Execution model
Inputs and outputs
Examples
Summary
5
Geometry Shaders
Geometry Shaders
Geometry shaders versus vertex shaders
Inputs and outputs
Summary
6
Compute Shaders
Compute Shaders
Execution model
Render to texture example
Raw data computations
Summary
Index
Index

About the Reviewers

Dimitrios Christopoulos studied Computer Engineering and Informatics and holds a Master of Science degree in Virtual Reality and Computer Graphics. He has 16+ years of experience in 3D computer graphics with a strong specialty in C/C++/OpenGL and Linux. Dimi has worked for European Union research projects, Indie game productions, and museums producing games, educational applications, and cultural heritage productions for desktops and virtual reality installations such as Domes, Caves, Reality Centers, and Powerwalls. His research interests include virtual reality, human computer interaction, computer graphics, and games, with numerous publications in relevant conferences and journals. Dimitrios has been an author of the book More OpenGL Programming, Course Technology PTR, and has contributed to OpenGL Programming, Prima Tech, and has been a reviewer for OpenGL Development Cookbook, Packt Publishing.

I would like to thank my wife Giota for being supportive during my late night reviewing sessions.

Toni Ascó González holds a Master's degree in Computer Science specializing in real-time graphics and OpenGL. For the past 16 years, he has been programming graphics applications from virtual reality to video games. He founded a virtual reality company in Barcelona, and dedicated eight years to develop a state-of-the-art, real-time software for architectural visualization. After that experience, he moved to Bravo Game Studios and developed video games for mobile platforms and portable consoles. Currently, he applies his experience in 3D and real-time graphics in the virtual gambling field.

I would like to thank my other half, Chu, for her patience, love, and care. Life would be uninteresting and void without you at my side. Of course, thanks to my mother and my brother for being my foundation and supporting my love for computers since I was nine. 
I would also like to thank all of the mentors and colleagues who have been with me over all these years. Bernat Muñoz, Alex Novell, and Marc Martí from Insideo for all those wonderful years experimenting with new techniques. Also, Alberto García-Baquero, Benjamín de la Fuente, and Miguel Guillén, who have shown me new and amazing ways of doing things, and given me new perspectives on product development. Finally, a special mention to Jacobo Rodriguez Villar; without him, I wouldn't be where I am.

Oscar Ripolles received his degree in Computer Engineering in 2004 and his Ph.D. in 2009 at the Universitat Jaume I in Castellon (Spain). He has also been a researcher at the Université de Limoges (France) and at the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia (Spain). He is currently woking in neuroimaging at Neuroelectrics in Barcelona (Spain). His research interests include multiresolution modeling, geometry optimization, hardware programming, and medical imaging.

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