A lightweight, cross-platform IDE for writing, debugging, and analyzing shaders with instant preview and plugin support.
SHADERed is a lightweight, cross-platform integrated development environment (IDE) for creating and debugging shaders. It provides tools for writing, testing, and visualizing shader code across various stages (vertex, pixel, geometry, compute) with features like a step-through debugger, frame analyzer, and instant live preview. It solves the problem of shader development being opaque and difficult to debug by offering a dedicated, feature-rich workspace.
Graphics programmers, game developers, shader artists, and anyone working with GLSL, HLSL, or other shader languages who needs a dedicated environment for writing and debugging shader code.
Developers choose SHADERed for its powerful, integrated debugging capabilities—like line-by-line stepping and frame analysis—which are rare in other shader tools. Its cross-platform nature, plugin ecosystem for extensibility, and instant feedback loop provide a unique, productive environment tailored specifically for shader development.
Lightweight, cross-platform & full-featured shader IDE
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Step-through debugger and frame analyzer allow precise bug detection in shaders, including compute and geometry stages, as demonstrated in the GIFs.
Plugin API enables adding support for languages like Rust and C++, and tools like ShaderToy importer, expanding functionality beyond core features.
Real-time compilation and preview window show shader changes immediately, speeding up iteration and learning.
Runs on Windows, Linux, and Web, with easy installation via package managers like Scoop and Flatpak.
Officially unsupported on macOS with incomplete features, making it unreliable for developers on Apple systems.
Flatpak version runs in a sandbox causing some features to malfunction, as acknowledged in the README.
Building from source requires managing multiple dependencies like SDL2 and GLEW, which can be tedious for custom deployments.
Core functionalities like support for non-GLSL languages depend on third-party plugins, which may vary in quality and maintenance.