GPU Pro 2

by Wolfgang Engel (Editor)

This book focuses on advanced rendering techniques that run on the DirectX and/or OpenGL run-time with any shader language available. It includes articles on the latest and greatest techniques in real-time rendering, including MLAA, adaptive volumetric shadow maps, light propagation volumes, wrinkle animations, and much more. The book emphasizes techniques for handheld programming to reflect the increased importance of graphics on mobile devices. It covers geometry manipulation, effects in image space, shadows, 3D engine design, GPGPU, and graphics-related tools.

Source code and other materials are available for download on the book's CRC Press web page.

498 pages, Hardcover

First published February 14, 2011

Reviews

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straight up, GPU Pro 2 changed how I think about my commute, and I did not see that coming. Engel, Wolfgang makes the case that the little in-between moments of our day, waiting, walking, riding, are where a lot of real life happens. The chapter on public transit got me looking up from my phone and noticing the old man with the crossword every morning. A few sections drift into feel-good fluff. For readers who like thoughtful, small-scale observations. Skip it if you want hard data and firm conclusions.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not gonna lie, I expected GPU Pro 2 to feel dated, and parts of it do, but the core still holds up. Wolfgang Engel was clearly ahead of the curve, and you can see how many later books borrowed the playbook. Some of the language is rough. Great for readers curious about where it all started, skip if you can't forgive an old book its age.

[Alex Hogan]

Good