Since the last shader plugged into the engine, I decided to find a convenient tool to create them. I decided to test several programs: Typhoon ShaderDesigner 1.5.9.4, Nvidia FX Composer 2.5 and AMD RenderMonkey 1.82. The main features that I wanted to have such a program are: support for GLSL, of course, speed, simple but having a lot of possibilities (changing the mesh, adding variables, material management, etc.), prompting syntax.
So let's start the first program that is Typhoon ShaderDesigner version 1.5.9.4. It was my first program for creating shaders of which have met with. With all three, the program boasts the lightest installer, which "weighs" only 10mb. Unfortunately, this involves some disadvantages but for the moment. The program fires up as soon after the start appears to us at first glance a simple and intuitive GUI. Unfortunately, as is going into it is found that the addition of uniforms, whether the texture is no longer such an intuitive and even quite 'wild'. All windows are docked, of course, but a change in their organizations is extremely coarse, and this after the change and re-activating the program, arrangement is referred to as the standard. Actual writing of code and modifikacja materials is very cool. Prompting editor has syntax that works to put it mildly weird, live your life, sometimes works and sometimes not. As the meshes we have a few ready-made objects, and we can add your own but, unfortunately, in their own format (*. gsd) for a total dyskwalfikuje this option. A major drawback of this application is that it is no longer just developed. To sum up: straight, coarse, to write quickly on something simple but fun imho more interesting not so much.
Another application I tested was a Nvidia FX Composer. This is the heaviest application of all three (weight instalki 230mb), which also shows the speed of launching applications. On my already slightly leciwym fire equipment can be a good few seconds which is not cool. As they wait longer for a few seconds appears to us the whole application, you can easily see that we are dealing with something more serious than ShaderDesigner GUI is quite strong and powerful at the same time as intuitive. You also have the dock windows but their configuration is much easier and more accurate, no problem We put the system to suit your needs. At first glance the extension list assetów (lights, meshes, textures, etc), advanced materials and textures editors. Let's go to the most important thing is the code editor. Syntax coloring and numbering of lines of code is almost identical to what we have in Visual Studio, which is nice and clear. Prompting editor has syntax and, unlike ShaderDesignera works very well. However, despite the many advantages of the program is a big minus that it dyskwalfikuję in my case: the lack of standard support GLSL. Therefore, I decided to try another program:
AMD RenderMonkey. I must admit that fimi Nvidia more than ATI's site and having not a good experience with ATI graphics cards, and behind which is also not very fond of, I thought that their soft is a lot worse than the FX Composer. But appearances can be confused and so was the case. Weight instalki is in the middle of the rest of the programs - 99MB, which is to "swallow". The downside is that you must have an account (free) for AMD to be able to download the program (in addition do not know why but I ściągało their servers on average, only 30kb / s). The program fires up as quickly as ShaderDesigner. Graphical user interface GUI reminds me of the Visual Studio 6.0, which is predictable but useful. Here we also have dockable windows, which we have any possibility to change the location and size of the gui. At first glance, we have little option but fortunately it's only an illusion. The simple and intuitive way, we can add textures, models (here we can add any mesh in popular formats, such as: 3ds, obj), variables, etc. Unfortunately some may complain to the code editor. The first thing is syntax. Key words are nicely colored, just like in Visual Studio to color the sea, but not that solid such as gl_Position colored in pink is a little too far ... the worst I could not find the option to change the color color, and we must live with the pink color . Prompting syntax is unfortunately not the best. General prompting I could not run, while prompting stores sites does have some missing me some numbering of lines of code, and also I could not find the options to include these.
In conclusion I chose RenderMonkey. First, good GLSL support, works fairly quickly (as opposed to FX Composer), is simple and yet has a much needed option. Has a well developed adding textures and changing. This program made the biggest impression on me and I will be using it.
PS I urge all coders to participate in the Code SCENE.PL Compo. I also try to take part and I'm sure the praise of his production. Details: http://www.scene.pl/
