Introduction One of the topics we’ve handily avoided so far in our exploration of Metal is rendering of materials that are not opaque. In this post, we’ll explore a couple of related techniques for achieving transparency and translucency: alpha testing and alpha blending. The sample scene for this post is a desert containing many palm […]
Translucency and Transparency in Metal Read More »
In this article we will learn about mipmapping, an important technique for rendering textured objects at a distance. We will find out why mipmapping is important, how it complements regular texture filtering, and how to use the blit command encoder to generate mipmaps efficiently on the GPU.
Mipmapping and the Blit Command Encoder Read More »
In this post, we’ll talk about some of the more advanced features of texturing in Metal. We’ll apply a cube map to a skybox to simulate a detailed environment surrounding the scene. We’ll also introduce a technique called cubic environment mapping to simulate reflection and refraction, to further enhance the realism of our virtual world.
Cubic Environment Mapping in Metal: Reflection and Refraction Read More »
In this post, we will start exploring the world of image processing with the Metal shading language. We will create a framework capable of representing chains of image filters, then write a pair of image filters that will allow us to adjust the saturation and blur of an image. The end result will be an
Fundamentals of Image Processing in Metal Read More »
This post is an introduction to topics in compute (or data-parallel) programming. It is designed to be read before its companion article, Fundamentals of Image Processing. In this article, we will cover the basics of setting up the compute pipeline and executing kernel functions on large sets of data in parallel. The companion article covers
Introduction to Compute Programming in Metal Read More »
One of the changes made to the Metal API in the iOS 8 GM was the addition of the supportsFeatureSet: method to the MTLDevice protocol. The purpose of this method is to differentiate between devices powered by the A7 and A8 processor, because these chips offer different capabilities to Metal.
Feature Sets and Capabilities Read More »
In our inaugural post of the series, we got a glimpse of many of the essential moving parts of the Metal framework: devices, textures, command buffers, and command queues. Although that post was long, it couldn’t possibly cover all these things in detail. This post will add a little more depth to the discussion of
Up and Running with Metal, Part 2: Drawing Triangles Read More »
This post covers the bare minimum needed to clear the screen to a solid color in Metal. Even this simple operation requires many of the concepts exposed by the Metal framework. The next few posts in the Up and Running series will build on what we discuss here and take us through the basics of
Up and Running with Metal, Part 1: Clearing the Screen Read More »