Introduction

OpenGL Shader Builder is a tool for developing and debugging programs for the graphics processing unit (GPU). It can help you visualize and preview shader objects without the complexity of surrounding code. Using it, you can:

• Get immediate feedback as you enter and modify GPU programs

• Explore the effect of changing texture parameters

• Track down link and compile errors

• Observe the effect of making changes to symbol values

Developers who are writing GPU programs will want to read this document to find out how to use OpenGL Shader Builder. You can use the shader builder with programs written with OpenGL Shading Language or with older-style ARB vertex and fragment programs. OpenGL Shader Builder also supports geometry shaders, a recent addition to the OpenGL specification.

Organization of This Document

This document is organized into the following chapters:

• Getting Started gives an overview of the user interface and the main features of OpenGL Shader Builder.

• Building Shaders provides step-by-step instructions for the most common tasks you can accomplish.