Introduction to Shader Programming with Cg 3.1

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NVIDIA Cg

NVIDIA Cg

In this article I will introduce the reader to shader programming using the Cg shader programming language. I will use OpenGL graphics API to communicate with the Cg shaders. This article does not explain how use OpenGL. If you require an introduction to OpenGL, you can follow my previous article titled Introduction to OpenGL.

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Using OpenGL Vertex Buffer Objects

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Vertex Buffer Object

Vertex Buffer Object


In this article, I will explain how to use the ARB_vertex_buffer_object extension to efficiently render geometry in OpenGL.
If you are not sure how to use extensions in OpenGL, you can refer to my previous article titled OpenGL Extensions. If you have never programmed an OpenGL application before, you can refer to my previous article titled Introduction to OpenGL.

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OpenGL Extensions

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OpenGL Extensions

OpenGL Extensions


In this article I will talk about OpenGL extensions. Every extension is defined by an extension specification. I will explain how to read the extension specification so that you will know how to use the extensions. I will also show how you can check for the existence of extensions and how to initialize extensions in your own source code. I will show how you can use GLEW to query and use extensions with very little extra effort.
I assume the reader is familiar with the C++ programming language. If you want to know how to start programming in OpenGL, refer to my previous article titled Introduction to OpenGL.

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Texturing and Lighting in OpenGL

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Texturing and Lighting

Texturing and Lighting


In this article, I will demonstrate how to apply 2D textures to your 3D models. I will also show how to define lights in your scene that are used to illuminate the objects in your scene.
I assume that the reader has a basic knowledge of C++ and how to create and compile C++ programs. If you have never created an OpenGL program, then I suggest that you read my previous article titled “Introduction to OpenGL” here before continuing with this article.

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Rendering Primitives with OpenGL

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Rendering Primitives

Rendering Primitives


In this article, I will examine multiple methods for rendering primitives in OpenGL. The first method I will look at is using immediate-mode rendering to render simple primitives in 3D. Another method of rending primitives in OpenGL uses vertex arrays. And finally I will also examine the use of display lists to generate a set of render calls that can be executed at another point in time. The reader is expected to have a basic understanding of programming techniques in C++. If you want to know how you can get started with OpenGL, you can refer to my previous article titled [Introduction to OpenGL].

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CUDA Case Study – N-Body Simulation

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CUDA N-Body Simulation

CUDA N-Body Simulation

In this post, I will analyze the CUDA implementation of the N-Body simulation. The implementation that I will be using as a reference for this article is provided with the CUDA GPU Computing SDK 4.0. The source code for this implementation is available in the “C\src\nbody” in the GPU Computing SDK 4.0 base folder.

I assume the reader has a good understanding of the CUDA programming API.

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Introduction to OpenCL

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OpenCL

OpenCL

In this article I will provide a brief introduction to OpenCL. OpenCL is a open standard for general purpose parallel programming across CPUs, GPUs, and other programmable parallel devices. I assume that the reader is familiar with the C/C++ programming languages. I will use Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 to show how you can setup a project that is compiled with the OpenCL API.

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Optimizing CUDA Applications

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NVIDIA Logo

NVIDIA Logo


In this article I will discuss a few of the best practices items as described in the “CUDA C Best Practices Guide”. This guide mentions about 40 best practices over more than 70 pages of documentation. This might be a bit more information than the average casual programmer will care to understand. In this article, I want to focus on what I feel are the most important best practices that will result in a direct performance increase to your CUDA application. If you are not familiar with CUDA yet, you may want to refer to my previous articles titled Introduction to CUDA, CUDA Thread Execution, and CUDA memory.

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OpenGL Interoperability with CUDA

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Postprocess Effect

Postprocess Effect

In this article I will discuss how you can use OpenGL textures and buffers in a CUDA kernel. I will demonstrate a simple post-process effect that can be applied to off-screen textures and then rendered to the screen using a full-screen quad. I will assume the reader has some basic knowledge of C/C++ programming, OpenGL, and CUDA. If you lack OpenGL knowledge, you can refer to my previous article titled Introduction to OpenGL or if you have never done anything with CUDA, you can follow my previous article titled Introduction to CUDA.

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CUDA Memory Model

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CUDA Memory Model

CUDA Memory Model

In this article, I will introduce the different types of memory your CUDA program has access to. I will talk about the pros and cons for using each type of memory and I will also introduce a method to maximize your performance by taking advantage of the different kinds of memory.
I will assume that the reader already knows how to setup a project in Microsoft Visual Studio that takes advantage of the CUDA programming API. If you don’t know how to setup a project in Visual Studio that uses CUDA, I recommend you follow my previous article titled [Introduction to CUDA]
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