How to start learning hlsl

[Fred]

Hi,
I just downloaded this software hoping it could help me to learn coding with hlsl... but so far the lack of documentation ( for this software) prevented me to do anything.

Anybody knows a good reference website that could teach me how to write hlsl FROM SCRATCH ?

and how can I not use the nodes but use the text editor only? So far I'm either completly retar-ded or I'm missing something but I've been unable to plug the effect with the renderTarget

[Lukas]

You don't use the nodes to create the shader, you use it to create the pipeline that pipes data into your hand-written shader that resides in an effect node. So ShaderTool doesn't actually help with shader writing, it helps with providing a flexible and editable node-powered pipeline that allow you to write shaders without also having to have written an engine.

I would suggest opening up one of the examples, the ModelRendering example is a very, VERY basic shader that you can use as a starting point. Using this starting point you can learnin about HLSL, after learning enough you will be able to write a shader from scratch if that's what you want to be able to do.

[FarNiche]

I had the same questions myself. So...
http://www.farniche.com/research/research_pp_shader_language.html
I put together a page on my site, because I'm very forgetful, and entrepreneurialistic.
Hope, this helps,
A good Professor once told me, “You will wallow in complexity.”
https://farniche.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/
The start of my blog, eh, a little self promo, that's the way it is.

[Fred]

Thanks silverfish, that was pretty much what I needed. I struggled first while testing the script, I didn't knew I had to resave the script to see my changes :)
but now I know where to start... I'm mostly googling command line to understand how they works and what they really mean (ie: worldViewProjection :))

[Lukas]

Sounds like you're on your way! :)
Good luck!

[cdx]

There is also a very good book about shader rpogramming (it is outdated but still a very good starting point) from nVidia: http://http.developer.nvidia.com/CgTutorial/cg_tutorial_chapter01.html
It covers CG but this is similar to HLSL so you would not expect any troubles when writing their shaders.

Good luck and have fun :)