Learn GLSL Shaders from Scratch

About Learn GLSL Shaders from Scratch

In this course we're going to look at

GLSL ( OpenGL Shading Language)

to create

amazing effects

. Maybe you are

a designer who has seen some terrific,

cutting edge

websites using

cool transitions

and wondered how it was done. You may have heard about WebGL and know that you can use some simple

THREE.js

code to do some

remarkable things

.

a developer trying to

visualise some data

in a striking way.

a game developer wanting to add some

custom effects

to your 3d objects surfaces.

GLSL

is how you can use

OpenGL

to display a surface. The code syntax is based on the C language, but fear not, we will assume you have literally no knowledge of this language at all and we will, as the course title states, learn this from scratch. GLSL uses the

GPU

( the Graphics Processing Unit) to handle multiple programs at the same time, so

it is unbelievably fast

. In the course we will be writing code for the browser, because this allows us to focus on GLSL, without needing to worry about installing any additional software. We will be using the

THREE.js WebGL library

and

CodePen

so you can instantly edit the source and see the results, needing nothing other than a browser to experiment. Only a small amount of Javascript is used but this will be explained thoroughly as it comes along. But you can also use what you learn about GLSL in a

C/C++/C#

program or a

Python

program. We will start from really simple examples and progress slowly through each stage of developing a custom shader. You will be able to play with the shader code on CodePen, so you can

experiment with different values

to see the impact it has on the end result. GLSL shaders are split into

vertex shaders

and

fragment shaders

and we will focus initially on the fragment shader, working essentially in a 2d environment. With

dozens of shaders in the course resources

you will learn the language in

gentle stages

. Creating your own shaders means

understanding

the GLSL language and that is the

aim of the course

. You could search for a suitable shader on ShaderToy, ShaderFrog or glslViewer and then try to adapt the code. But without knowing the language you're going to find that difficult to do. To

really be effective

you need to know about the GLSL language, shaping functions, tiling, polar coordinates and lighting calculations. To do this you will need to follow along with the course and complete the

many challenges

suggested. At the end you will then be able to create any shader that you can imagine. As usual there is a

30 day money back guarantee

. So you have nothing to lose.

Let's get shading today

! What students say "I came here interested in making a

custom lighting shader

on an obj model, and

I really found answers

to my questions and more. The two faced aspect of the lessons and the CodePen sketches [are] great.

I thank you

!" "

A great course

! Methodical,

step by step

explanations not only of the GLSL but also of the general theory behind shaders,

usable with any shader system

.

Essential

if you are into computer graphics or generative art. Thank you!" "I've tried to pick up shaders in the past but found it quite difficult. Unlike other resources I've found, this course was the course that finally

helped me get a much better grasp of glsl

. It is

well structured

and very informative. I would

recommend

it to anyone looking to pick up glsl." "This is

exactly what I needed

. I am a web designer/developer with design background and a good a good deal of javascript experience I'm trying to get into 3D visualizations for web. Since GLSL is written in C language it had been a huge barrier. I

totally recommend

this course to anyone having problems to get a

clear understanding of GLSL.

" "So far this course has been

really amazing

. Very few courses on shaders really take the time to

explain the math

behind what's happening in a way that

let's "non-math" folk develop an intuition for it

. Great job!" "I was always intimidated by the idea of GLSL, even though I'm an advanced front-end developer. I've always been terrible at math; and yet

Nik's style of teaching made me understand everything very intuitively

and I'm so comfortable with shaders now. I've bought 60+ courses on Udemy; and I quit most of them after a couple videos. This one has me

hooked on my chair

until I finish everything!

Coding along to this course is fun

and Nik's challenges feel very rewarding to either solve or understand through his

crystal clear explanation

!" "This is a

perfect course

for anyone wanting to learn about GLSL in a

gradual manner

. The instructor makes sure to spend enough time in the basic functions of GLSL, so students can

get a proper understanding

before moving on to the next concept. I had found GLSL a bit daunting in the past because examples would get out of hand very quickly, so

I really appreciate this course's approach.

" "Another

master piece

of Mr. Lever. He is an

incredible instructor

and deep understanding of the math behind computer graphics. A must watch even if you are already an experienced CG programmer." "Everything was

explained very well

& in a understandable manners. Minor details of Math I was not aware of, I learned in this course. Thank you Nicholas Lever!"