godot-shaders Checked

Write Godot 4.7 shaders in the Godot Shading Language: canvas_item shaders for 2D and spatial shaders for 3D, with vertex/fragment functions, uniforms (source_color, hint_range), TIME/UV animation, and screen-reading via hint_screen_texture. Use when authoring .gdshader files, writing fragment/vertex code, making 2D/3D visual effects, or porting 3.x shaders (SCREEN_TEXTURE, hint_color) to 4.x.

Godot Shaders (4.x)

Write canvas_item (2D) and spatial (3D) shaders in the Godot Shading Language, animate

with TIME/UV, expose uniforms, and read the screen. Targets **Godot 4.7**.

Write Godot 4.7 shaders in the Godot Shading Language: canvas_item shaders for 2D and spatial shaders for 3D, with vertex/fragment functions, uniforms (source_color, hint_range), TIME/UV animation, and screen-reading via hint_screen_texture. Use when authoring .gdshader files, writing fragment/vertex code, making 2D/3D visual effects, or porting 3.x shaders (SCREEN_TEXTURE, hint_color) to 4.x.

Godot Shaders (4.x)

Write canvas_item (2D) and spatial (3D) shaders in the Godot Shading Language, animate

with TIME/UV, expose uniforms, and read the screen. Targets **Godot 4.7**.

When to use

• Use when writing .gdshader code or a ShaderMaterial: 2D effects (outline, dissolve,

flash, water), 3D surface shaders (rim light, toon, scrolling UV), or screen-space

post effects.

**When *not* to use:** the cross-engine *concepts* of shading (UVs, vertex/fragment

theory) → shader-programming; particles/VFX nodes → general 3D; non-shader visuals.

Core workflow

1. **Pick the shader type** on the first line: shader_type canvas_item; for 2D

(Sprite2D, TextureRect, anything CanvasItem) or shader_type spatial; for 3D

materials. (particles, sky, fog also exist.)

2. **Attach via a ShaderMaterial.** Create a ShaderMaterial, assign your .gdshader,

and put it on the node's material. Uniforms appear in the Inspector.

3. **Write fragment()** to set the output: COLOR (2D) or ALBEDO/EMISSION/ALPHA

(3D). Optionally vertex() to move geometry and light() for custom lighting.

4. **Expose tunables as uniforms** with hints (source_color, hint_range) so they are

editable and correctly color-managed.

5. **Animate with the built-in TIME** and sample textures with texture(tex, UV).

6. **Set uniforms from code** with material.set_shader_parameter("name", value).

Patterns

### 1. 2D (canvas_item): tint + scrolling UV

shader_type canvas_item;

uniform vec4 tint : source_color = vec4(1.0);     // source_color = sRGB-correct color
uniform float scroll_speed : hint_range(0.0, 2.0) = 0.3;

void fragment() {
    vec2 uv = UV;
    uv.x += TIME * scroll_speed;                  // scroll horizontally over time
    COLOR = texture(TEXTURE, uv) * tint;          // TEXTURE = the node's texture
}

### 2. 2D dissolve using a noise threshold

shader_type canvas_item;

uniform sampler2D noise : repeat_enable;          // a NoiseTexture2D
uniform float amount : hint_range(0.0, 1.0) = 0.0;

void fragment() {
    vec4 tex = texture(TEXTURE, UV);
    float n = texture(noise, UV).r;
    if (n < amount) {
        discard;                                  // cut the pixel away
    }
    COLOR = tex;
}

### 3. 3D (spatial): emissive rim light

shader_type spatial;

uniform vec4 base_color : source_color = vec4(0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 1.0);
uniform vec3 rim_color : source_color = vec3(0.6, 0.8, 1.0);
uniform float rim_power : hint_range(0.5, 8.0) = 3.0;