What is Shadertoy and how can it be used for creating shaders?

Shadertoy is a web-based tool and community platform designed for creating, sharing, and exploring shaders, particularly fragment shaders. Fragment shaders, also known as pixel shaders, are programs that determine the color of individual pixels in computer graphics. Shadertoy provides a real-time coding environment where users can write and test shaders, as well as view and interact with shaders created by others.

Here is how you can use Shadertoy for creating shaders:

1. Visit the Shadertoy website (https://www.shadertoy.com/) and create an account if you want to save and share your shaders.
2. Click on the "New Shader" button to open a new shader editing window.
3. Write your custom shader code using GLSL (OpenGL Shading Language) syntax. You can experiment with various effects, textures, and animations.
4. Use the built-in editor to debug and refine your shader code. Shadertoy provides a live preview of the shader output for immediate feedback.
5. Save your shader to your account or share it with the community. You can also explore and remix shaders created by other users.

Shadertoy is a valuable resource for both beginners and experienced graphics programmers to unleash their creativity and explore the artistic possibilities of shader programming.

Learn more:

1. Shadertoy - Home
2. GLSL Programming/Blender/Shadertoy/Examples - Wikibooks
3. Shadertoy - User-Created Shader Example