Shaders are small programs that run on graphics hardware to determine final pixel colors in 3D scenes. They allow extensive customization of appearance beyond basic geometry.
Vertex shaders transform positions and pass attributes like normals and texture coordinates to later stages. They handle deformations and skinning for animated models.
Fragment shaders compute per-pixel lighting, texturing, and effects. They sample maps, apply math for specular highlights, and combine multiple inputs for complex surfaces.
Normal mapping simulates fine detail through tangent-space vectors without increasing polygon count. It creates the illusion of bumps and crevices efficiently.
Parallax techniques shift texture coordinates based on view angle to enhance depth perception on flat surfaces.
Physically based rendering approximates real material behavior using metallic, roughness, and base color values. This consistency improves realism across different lighting conditions.
Post-processing shaders apply screen-wide effects such as bloom, depth of field, and color grading after the main render pass.
Compute shaders enable general-purpose calculations on the GPU, supporting particle systems and procedural content generation.
Advancements in shader capabilities continue to expand creative possibilities in PC graphics software.