Tools & Resources¶
This page provides a curated list of tools and learning resources for topics related to Shaders, Computer Graphics, Mathematics, and Programming, categorized by source type.
Development Tools¶
- Visual Studio Code
Open core, cross-platform code editor with native HLSL syntax highlighting support through extensions. Excellent for shader development and general text editing.
- Zotero
Open source research organization software for managing references, PDFs, and generating bibliographies. Useful for academic research related to ReShade and graphics.
- GitHub
Web-based platform for version control and collaboration, primarily used for hosting source code repositories. Essential for contributing to open-source projects.
- DirectXTex
A library for reading, writing, and processing textures. Primarily for advanced shader developers working with specific texture formats and operations.
- AMD Compressonator
An application for viewing, analyzing, and compressing various texture and 3D model formats. Valuable for advanced shader developers optimizing asset pipelines.
- GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)
Free and open-source raster graphics editor. Useful for creating and modifying textures, icons, and other visual assets required for ReShade presets or documentation.
Courses / Tutorials¶
Computer Graphics¶
- Introduction to Shaders (Unity Learn) [14]Beginner Friendly
A beginner-friendly introduction to shaders specifically for Unity game developers, covering basic concepts and practical examples.
- LearnOpenGL [4]
A comprehensive online tutorial series that teaches you how to use OpenGL. It covers a wide range of topics from basic concepts to advanced rendering techniques.
- Scratchapixel [11]
A website dedicated to teaching computer graphics from first principles, covering topics like rasterization, ray tracing, and global illumination.
- The Book of Shaders [10]Beginner Friendly
An introductory guide to fragment shaders. It’s an excellent resource for beginners to understand the fundamentals of shader programming.
- WebGPU Fundamentals [16]Beginner Friendly
A comprehensive guide to WebGPU, which includes fundamental concepts of shader programming (WGSL) for web-based graphics.
Mathematics¶
Platforms / Tools¶
Computer Graphics¶
- ShaderToy [12]Beginner Friendly
An online platform where users can create and share shaders, offering a visual and interactive way to learn shader programming through examples and experimentation.
Programming¶
- GeeksforGeeks [3]
A popular platform for computer science and programming articles, tutorials, and interview preparations.
Code Repositories¶
Documentation¶
Computer Graphics¶
- DirectX-Specs (Microsoft) [7]
Official documentation and specifications for DirectX, including HLSL. Essential for understanding the intricacies of shader development on DirectX platforms.
- HLSL (Microsoft Learn) [9]
Official documentation for High-Level Shading Language (HLSL) from Microsoft Learn.
- OpenGL ES Shading Language (Khronos Group) [5]
The official reference for GLSL ES, providing detailed specifications for writing shaders for OpenGL ES.
- Vulkan GLSL (Vulkan Docs) [15]
Official documentation for GLSL in Vulkan from Vulkan Docs.