The Cg Tutorial: The Definitive Guide to Programmable Real-Time Graphics

This book introduces the features and benefits of the Cg language and methodically shows how to use it for a variety of applications. The instruction is progressive, starting with simple examples and building up to more advanced techniques. The explanations are beautifully illustrated, including 16 pages of 4-color plates.

You will find that Cg allows students to focus on graphics algorithms rather than just state management and it allows the GPU to be used for more than just graphics. For instance, the GPU could be used for collision detection, chemical simulation, or animation.

And, as an aide for teaching, the application framework that accompanies the book (which is also available online) allows students to run and modify the examples in the book, without any knowledge whatsoever of C/C++, OpenGL, or DirectX. It is a set of standalone applications, one for each example, that works out of the box allowing you to introduce Cg to students earlier in the curriculum.

Table of Contents

Figures and Plates.
Examples.
Tables.
Equations.
Foreword.
Preface.
1. Introduction.
2. The Simplest Programs.
3. Parameters, Textures, and Expressions.
4. Transformations.
5. Lighting.
6. Animation.
7. Environment Mapping Techniques.
8. Bump Mapping.
9. Advanced Topics.
10. Profiles and Performance.
Appendix A. Getting Started with Cg.
Appendix B. The Cg Runtime.
Appendix C. The CgFX File Format.
Appendix D. Cg Keywords.
Appendix E. Cg Standard Library Functions.