Pixel shader
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A pixel shader (abbreviation PS) is a shader program, normally executed on the graphics processing unit. In OpenGL, it is referred to as the fragment shader.
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[edit] Function
A pixel shader serves to manipulate a pixel color, usually to apply an effect on an image, for example; realism, bump mapping, shadows, and explosion effects. It is a graphics function that calculates effects on a per-pixel basis. Depending on resolution, an excess of 2 million pixels may need to be rendered, lit, shaded, and colored for each frame.
[edit] Programming
Pixel shaders are commonly programmed in the following languages: Assembly, Cg, GLSL, HLSL.
[edit] Compatibility
[edit] Hardware
The following table shows a summary, which graphic cards i.e. which graphic chip together with which DirectX-Version supports which Pixel-Shader-Version. Graphic chips usually are fully downward compatible (3.0 chip supports 2.0, 1.1, etc.).
PS version | DirectX version | 3DLabs | ATI | Intel | Matrox | NVIDIA | S3 Graphics | SiS | XGI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1.0/1.1 | 8.0 | - | - | - | - | GeForce 3 series | - | Xabre-Series | - |
1.2 | 8.0a | Wildcat VP | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1.3 | 8.0a | - | - | - | Parhelia series | GeForce 4 Ti/Go series | - | Mirage 2 | - |
1.4 | 8.1 | - | Radeon R200 (8500-9250) | - | - | - | - | - | Volari V3 series (except V3XT) |
2.0 | 9.0 | Wildcat Realizm | Radeon R300 (9500-9800, X300-X600) | Intel GMA 900 | - | - | DeltaChrome, GammaChrome, Chrome S2x series | Mirage 3, Mirage 3+ | Volari V3XT, Volari V5 series, Volari V8 series, Volari 8300, Volari XP10 |
2.0a | 9.0b | - | - | - | - | GeForce FX series | - | - | - |
2.0b | 9.0b | - | Radeon R420 (X700-X850) | - | - | - | - | - | - |
3.0 | 9.0c | - | Radeon R520 (X1300-X1950) | Intel GMA 950 (3.0 emulated in software), 3000, 3100 | - | GeForce 6 series, GeForce 7 series | - | - | - |
4.0 | 10 | - | Radeon R600 (HD 2400-HD 2900) | Intel GMA X3000, X3100 (beta drivers) | - | GeForce 8 series, GeForce 9 Series | - | Mirage 4 | - |
4.1 | 10.1 | - | Radeon R600 (HD 3xxx) | - | - | - | - | - | - |
(Italics indicate products that are not yet available.)
[edit] See also
- Direct3D
- Geometry shader
- Graphics pipeline
- List of computer games that require Pixel Shaders
- OpenGL
- Vertex shader
[edit] References
- OpenGL Shading Language – Documentation of Shader in OpenGL
- GLSL Tutorial (engl.)
- OpenGL Shading Language examples
- Fundamentals of Pixel Shaders at Gamedev.net