Course Overview

What this HLSL course covers, how to use it, prerequisites.

A self-contained, hands-on course covering the High-Level Shader Language (HLSL) for Direct3D 11, Direct3D 12, Vulkan (via SPIR-V), Unity, and Unreal Engine: the GPU pipeline, shader models from DirectX 9 to Shader Model 6.x, the DXC and FXC compilers, semantics, data types, constant buffers and packing rules, resources, registers and root signatures, intrinsics, vertex and pixel shading, lighting, normal mapping, shadows, post-processing, geometry/hull/domain/compute shaders, wave intrinsics, mesh and amplification shaders, DirectX Raytracing, bindless resources, work graphs, HLSL 2021 language features, cross-compilation, reflection, debugging with PIX and RenderDoc, performance, shader permutations, and complete projects. Every chapter has runnable examples and exercises.

Course Map

Part I — Foundations Introduction to Shaders & HLSL History & Shader Models The Direct3D Pipeline Tools & Environment Setup Your First Shaders (D3D11 & D3D12)

Compiling HLSL: DXC, FXC, Profiles & Preprocessor Vectors, Matrices & Swizzling Semantics & System Values Operators & Expressions Control Flow, Attributes & Functions

Part II — Core HLSL: Language, Resources & Techniques Structs, Constant Buffers & Packing Rules Resources: Textures, Samplers & Buffers Registers, Spaces & Root Signatures Vertex Shaders & Transformations Pixel Shaders, Output Merger & Blending Texture Sampling in Depth Lighting: Lambert, Phong & Blinn–Phong Normal Mapping & Environment Mapping Color Spaces, Gamma & HDR Tone Mapping Instancing & Skinning Part III — Advanced HLSL Tessellation: Hull & Domain Shaders UAVs, Atomics & Append/Consume Buffers Physically Based Rendering & IBL Wave Intrinsics (SM 6.0+) Mesh & Amplification Shaders

DirectX Raytracing (DXR) & Inline Ray Tracing Bindless & Dynamic Resources (SM 6.6)

Work Graphs & Newer Shader Model Features HLSL 2021 Language Features HLSL for Vulkan (SPIR-V) Cross-Compilation & Shader Reflection Compilation Flags & Debugging

Shader Architecture: Variants, Permutations & the Effects Framework

Part IV — Ecosystem, Projects & Real-World HLSL HLSL in Engines: Unity & Unreal Best Practices & Common Pitfalls

Appendices: Cheat Sheet, Keywords, Intrinsics, Versions, Resources, Study Plan