Chapter 6 - Physics and Shader Programs

Abstract

A brief introduction to programmable graphics hardware is presented here, the programs called shader programs . The ability to program graphics cards was driven by a need for producing more sophisticated visual effects than what previousgeneration hardware and drivers have allowed. Shader programming examples that illustrate interesting effects are becoming fairly easy to find on the Internet. Although these are usually visual in nature, creative graphics programmers and researchers have produced surprisingly interesting physical effects using shader programs. This chapter discusses the two major categories of shader programs, vertex shaders and pixel shaders . A few applications are also included to illustrate how you can obtain some physical effects through shaders. The applications include deformation by random vertex displacement, skin-and-bones animation, rippling ocean waves, refraction, Fresnel reflection, and iridescence, the last three illustrating optical effects.