Pixel shader Totally Explained

Everything about Pixel Shader totally explained

A pixel shader (abbreviation PS) is a shader program, normally executed on the graphics processing unit. In OpenGL, it's referred to as the fragment shader.

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.

Programming

Pixel shaders are commonly programmed in the following languages: Assembly, Cg, GLSL, HLSL.

Compatibility

Hardware

The following table shows a summary, which graphic cards for example 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.)

Further Information

Get more info on 'Pixel Shader'.

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