Shader Workshop

This tool is a local HTTP/WebSocket server monitoring the specified shader fragment directory. It allows live coding fragment shaders with your preferred code editor, and having them rendered in your browser through WebGL2.

Features

• Hot reload
• Live controls for basic uniforms
• #include directive
• Play/Pause/Reset time
• Screenshot
• Resolution and aspect ratio controls
• Lightweight, no web dependencies

Install

pipx install shader-workshop

pip can also be used.

Usage

sw-server /path/to/fragment/shaders

If unspecified, sw-server will use the examples directory.

All the .frag files in that directory will be tracked and accessible through the web interface.

Fragment inputs and outputs

Every fragment gets the following uniforms as input:

• float time: the time in seconds
• vec2 resolution: the canvas resolution in pixels

They must write on the vec4 out_color output to produce a color.

The compatibility is currently set to 300 es.

Live controls

To expose controls to the web UI, declare a uniform in your fragment shader. Optionally, in the comment beside, you can specify the default value and ranges. For example:

uniform float angle; // def:0.7 min:0.6 max:0.9
uniform int steps;   // def:7 min:0 max:10
uniform bool debug;  // def:1
uniform vec3 color;  // def:1,0.5,0

Currently, float, int, bool and vec3 (for colors only) are supported.

Includes

It is possible to include .glsl files using an #include directive: #include name (no quote nor explicit .glsl). Recursive includes (.glsl including .glsl) are supported, as well as including multiple times the same file (through recursion or not). Their changes are also monitored by the file watcher.