Fundamental Shader Concepts - Graphics Shaders - page 39

3

Fundamental Shader
Concepts

Shaders in the Graphics Pipeline

Let's have another look at the graphics pipeline, but let's break it out in a litle
different way than we did in the previous chapter. Let's add into the pipe-
line the ive shaders we are considering in this topic: vertex shaders, tessella-
tion control shaders, tessellation evaluation shaders, geometry shaders, and
fragment shaders. This expanded view of the pipeline is shown in Figure 3.1,
where the positions of the shaders in the pipeline suggest the functions that
each provides. While it is not obvious from the diagram, each shader block is
in an alternate branch of the pipeline; they are optional capabilities that may or
may not be used for any application. You may use any combination of vertex,
tessellation, geometry, or fragment shaders in your program; you do not have
to use any particular combinations, although, in general, if you use any shad-

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