Shader
What is it?
A shader is a program that runs on the GPU and determines how pixels or vertices are computed and displayed. Shaders control effects like lighting, shadows, reflections, and materials. There are different types: vertex shaders (move points), fragment/pixel shaders (determine colors), and compute shaders.
Practical example
A water shader combines reflection, refraction, waves, and foam to simulate realistic water. It is computed every frame for dynamic, interactive water.
Test your knowledge
Where does a shader run?