Abstract shade trees

compiler automatically handles vector basis conversion, normalization, and parameter linkage. Outline bubbles mark underlying features (clockwise from top): parallax mapping, refraction, and refraction. Note that the Fresnel term cross-cuts two features. Abstract. As GPU-powered special effects become more sophisticated, it becomes harder to create and manage effect interaction using the fairly primitive shading languages. This difficulty also introduces a workflow problem: artists design effects but only programmers can implement them, making it impossible for them to work asynchronously. To address these problems we present abstract shade trees and heuristic algorithms that operate over them. The trees allow designers to easily create effects by connecting primitives such as cube mapping and modulation. These primitives publish semantically rich types that encapsulate notions like vector basis and normalization. The algorithms employ these published type