Programming and Controlling GPUs

Abstract

In this chapter, we are going to give a short review of the techniques necessary to control what the GPU pipeline does, accompanied by simple programming examples. A reader deeply familiar with HLSL programming may wish to skip this introduction, and continue reading at Section 3.3.1, where we discuss how global illumination algorithms can make use of GPU programmability. However, this chapter defines concepts which serve as a foundation for more complex techniques, and reviewing the programming patterns introduced here greatly helps understanding later code examples in the book. On the other hand, the chapter is not meant to be a complete programming reference: you will also need to consult API specifications and detailed reference guides on Direct3D or HLSL programming if you engage in implementing GPUGI techniques yourself.