Retired Document
Important: The information in this document is deprecated in Xcode 6. For Xcode 6 and later, read Instruments User Guide.
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.
See Also
You may want to consult these documents as you develop shaders for the GPU:
OpenGL Shading Language (PDF) provides an overview of shaders and a complete reference to the language.
OpenGL Shading Language (GLSl) Quick Reference Guide (PDF) is a two-page list of symbols that includes cross-references to the full specification.
The following OpenGL specifications define the extensions that support GPU programs:
GL_EXT_geometry_shader4 is for generating primitives.
GL_ARB_fragment_program is for processing fragments.
GL_ARB_vertex_program is for processing vertices.
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