Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Shade - Pro Shader Editor VS The Book of Shaders

Compare Shade - Pro Shader Editor VS The Book of Shaders and see what are their differences

Shade - Pro Shader Editor logo Shade - Pro Shader Editor

Create shaders on iPad or iPhone with a full-featured node based interface.

The Book of Shaders logo The Book of Shaders

Extensive guide through fragment shaders with live coding examples
  • Shade - Pro Shader Editor Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-05-22
  • The Book of Shaders Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-05

Shade - Pro Shader Editor features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Shade - Pro Shader Editor offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, making it accessible for both beginners and experienced users in shader development.
  • Comprehensive Shader Library
    The editor comes with an extensive library of pre-built shader templates and examples, which can accelerate the learning process and assist in rapid development.
  • Real-Time Preview
    Shade allows users to see real-time previews of their shaders, providing immediate feedback and visualization of changes, which is crucial for iterative design and debugging.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    It provides cross-platform support which ensures compatibility and ease of use across different operating systems, increasing its versatility.

Possible disadvantages of Shade - Pro Shader Editor

  • Limited Advanced Features
    While suitable for most projects, advanced users may find the tool lacking some cutting-edge features or customization options that are required for highly specialized shader work.
  • Performance Overheads
    Creating complex shaders can sometimes lead to performance issues or slowdowns within the editor, especially on less powerful hardware.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Users
    Despite its user-friendly nature, experienced users may face a learning curve when transitioning from other shader development tools due to differences in workflow and feature sets.
  • Dependency on External Tools
    Some users might find a need to rely on additional software or plugins to fully realize their shader projects, which could complicate the workflow.

The Book of Shaders features and specs

  • Comprehensive Introduction
    The Book of Shaders provides a thorough introduction to the fundamentals of shader programming, making it accessible for beginners.
  • Interactive Examples
    It includes interactive examples that allow readers to experiment with code snippets in real-time, enhancing the learning experience through hands-on practice.
  • Clear Explanations
    The book offers clear and concise explanations of complex concepts, helping readers to grasp tricky topics more easily.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source resource, it is freely available to anyone interested, promoting wider accessibility and learning opportunities.
  • Gradual Progression
    The content is structured to gradually increase in complexity, enabling learners to build their knowledge step-by-step.

Possible disadvantages of The Book of Shaders

  • Advanced Topics
    It may not cover some advanced topics in-depth, which could require readers to seek additional resources for more complex shader programming concepts.
  • Online Format Limitations
    As an online resource, it may not be as convenient for some users who prefer physical books or offline materials for study.
  • Limited Context
    The book focuses specifically on GLSL shaders and may not provide broader context or applications in different graphics programming environments.
  • Assumes Basic Graphics Knowledge
    Some sections might assume a basic understanding of graphics programming, which could be challenging for absolute beginners without any prior exposure.

Analysis of The Book of Shaders

Overall verdict

  • Yes, The Book of Shaders is highly regarded as a valuable resource for learning about shaders.

Why this product is good

  • The Book of Shaders is praised for its clear and concise explanations, making complex topics accessible for beginners. It provides interactive examples and exercises that help reinforce concepts and encourage experimentation. This structured approach facilitates both learning the fundamentals and exploring advanced shader techniques. Moreover, its online format allows for regular updates and community-contributed content.

Recommended for

    This resource is ideal for graphics programmers, game developers, digital artists, and anyone interested in real-time rendering and shader programming. Beginners and intermediate learners will find it particularly beneficial due to its approachable format and interactive elements.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Shade - Pro Shader Editor and The Book of Shaders)
VJ
26 26%
74% 74
3D
21 21%
79% 79
Interactive Exhibits
26 26%
74% 74
Prototyping Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, The Book of Shaders seems to be a lot more popular than Shade - Pro Shader Editor. While we know about 147 links to The Book of Shaders, we've tracked only 1 mention of Shade - Pro Shader Editor. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Shade - Pro Shader Editor mentions (1)

The Book of Shaders mentions (147)

  • Code golfing a tiny demo using maths and a pinch of insanity
    If anyone is interested in learning more about this kind of coding https://thebookofshaders.com/ is a fantastic intro. - Source: Hacker News / 5 days ago
  • WebGL Water
    I like https://thebookofshaders.com/ . Itโ€™s unfinished and I donโ€™t think itโ€™s been updated in years, but whatโ€™s there is pretty good. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Shadertoys Ported to Rust GPU
    FYI apparently the www.* link doesn't actually have the menu for some reason? It's just the world graphic and a blank menu bar. You need to visit http://thebookofshaders.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Dissecting "Tiny Clouds" shadertoy (2017)
    Yes, but you can learn it! 1. Get inspired, get motivated. Shaders like these are breathtaking: https://www.shadertoy.com/view/l3cfW4 2. Watch "Learn to paint with mathematics" to see a simple shader being built gradually: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ifChJ0nJfM 3. Work through https://thebookofshaders.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Tiny Glade 'built' its way to >600k sold in a month
    The Book of Shaders (https://thebookofshaders.com/) perhaps? It's about shaders rather than geometry but it felt like a good introduction to generating things with programmatically. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Shade - Pro Shader Editor and The Book of Shaders, you can also consider the following products

Shadertoy - Build shaders, share them, and learn from the best community.

SHADERed - Lightweight, full-featured desktop tool for creating and testing HLSL and GLSL shaders

GLSL Sandbox - An online GSGL Shader Gallery and live development tool.

Shdr - Shdr is an online ESSL (GLSL) shader editor, viewer and validator powered by WebGL.

KodeLife - Real-time GPU shader editor, live-code performance tool and graphics prototyping sketchpad.

Shader Editor - Android app to create GLSL shaders and use them as live wallpaper