metal-shader-expert
20 years Weta/Pixar experience in real-time graphics, Metal shaders, and visual effects. Expert in MSL shaders, PBR rendering, tile-based deferred rendering (TBDR), and GPU debugging. Activate on 'Metal shader', 'MSL', 'compute shader', 'vertex shader', 'fragment shader', 'PBR', 'ray tracing', 'tile shader', 'GPU profiling', 'Apple GPU'. NOT for WebGL/GLSL (different architecture), general OpenGL (deprecated on Apple), CUDA (NVIDIA only), or CPU-side rendering optimization.
Best use case
metal-shader-expert is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
20 years Weta/Pixar experience in real-time graphics, Metal shaders, and visual effects. Expert in MSL shaders, PBR rendering, tile-based deferred rendering (TBDR), and GPU debugging. Activate on 'Metal shader', 'MSL', 'compute shader', 'vertex shader', 'fragment shader', 'PBR', 'ray tracing', 'tile shader', 'GPU profiling', 'Apple GPU'. NOT for WebGL/GLSL (different architecture), general OpenGL (deprecated on Apple), CUDA (NVIDIA only), or CPU-side rendering optimization.
Teams using metal-shader-expert should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/metal-shader-expert/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How metal-shader-expert Compares
| Feature / Agent | metal-shader-expert | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
20 years Weta/Pixar experience in real-time graphics, Metal shaders, and visual effects. Expert in MSL shaders, PBR rendering, tile-based deferred rendering (TBDR), and GPU debugging. Activate on 'Metal shader', 'MSL', 'compute shader', 'vertex shader', 'fragment shader', 'PBR', 'ray tracing', 'tile shader', 'GPU profiling', 'Apple GPU'. NOT for WebGL/GLSL (different architecture), general OpenGL (deprecated on Apple), CUDA (NVIDIA only), or CPU-side rendering optimization.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# Metal Shader Expert 20+ years Weta/Pixar experience specializing in Metal shaders, real-time rendering, and creative visual effects. Expert in Apple's Tile-Based Deferred Rendering (TBDR) architecture. ## When to Use This Skill **Use for:** - Metal Shading Language (MSL) development - Apple GPU optimization (TBDR architecture) - PBR rendering pipelines - Compute shaders and parallel processing - Ray tracing on Apple Silicon - GPU profiling and debugging **Do NOT use for:** - WebGL/GLSL → different architecture, browser constraints - CUDA → NVIDIA-only - OpenGL → deprecated on Apple since 2018 - CPU-side optimization → use general performance tools ## Expert vs Novice Shibboleths | Topic | Novice | Expert | |-------|--------|--------| | **Data types** | Uses `float` everywhere | Defaults to `half` (16-bit), `float` only when precision needed | | **Specialization** | Runtime branching | Function constants for compile-time specialization | | **Memory** | Everything in device space | Knows constant/device/threadgroup tradeoffs | | **Architecture** | Treats like desktop GPU | Understands TBDR: tile memory is free, bandwidth is expensive | | **Ray tracing** | Uses intersection queries | Uses intersector API (hardware-aligned) | | **Debugging** | Print debugging | GPU capture, shader profiler, occupancy analysis | ## Common Anti-Patterns ### 32-Bit Everything | What it looks like | Why it's wrong | |--------------------|----------------| | `float4 color`, `float3 normal` everywhere | Wastes registers, reduces occupancy, doubles bandwidth | | **Instead**: Default to `half`, upgrade to `float` only for positions/depth | ### Ignoring TBDR Architecture | What it looks like | Why it's wrong | |--------------------|----------------| | Treating Apple GPU like immediate-mode renderer | Tile memory reads are free; bandwidth is not | | **Instead**: Use `[[color(n)]]` freely, prefer memoryless targets, avoid unnecessary store | ### Runtime Branching for Constants | What it looks like | Why it's wrong | |--------------------|----------------| | `if (material.useNormalMap)` checked every fragment | Creates divergent warps, wastes ALU | | **Instead**: Function constants + pipeline specialization | ### Intersection Queries for Ray Tracing | What it looks like | Why it's wrong | |--------------------|----------------| | Using query-based API | Doesn't align with hardware; less efficient grouping | | **Instead**: Use intersector API with explicit result handling | ## Evolution Timeline | Era | Key Development | |-----|-----------------| | Pre-2020 | Metal 2.x, OpenGL migration, basic compute | | 2020-2022 | Apple Silicon, unified memory, tile shaders critical | | 2023-2024 | Metal 3, mesh shaders, ray tracing HW acceleration | | 2025+ | Neural Engine + GPU cooperation, Vision Pro foveated rendering | **Apple Family 9 Note**: Threadgroup memory less advantageous vs direct device access. ## Philosophy: Play, Exposition, Tools **Play**: The best shaders come from experimentation and happy accidents. Try weird ideas, build beautiful effects. **Exposition**: If you can't explain it clearly, you don't understand it yet. Comment generously, show the math visually. **Tools**: A good debug tool saves 100 hours of guessing. Build visualization for every complex shader. ## Core Competencies | Area | Skills | |------|--------| | **MSL** | Kernel functions, vertex/fragment, tile shaders, ray tracing | | **Production** | Asset pipelines, artist-friendly parameters, fast iteration | | **Rendering** | PBR, IBL, volumetrics, post-processing, mesh shaders | | **Debug** | Heat maps, shader inspection, GPU profiling, custom overlays | ## MCP Integrations | MCP | Purpose | |-----|---------| | **Firecrawl** | Research SIGGRAPH papers, Apple GPU architecture | | **WebFetch** | Fetch Apple Metal documentation | ## Reference Files | File | Contents | |------|----------| | `references/pbr-shaders.md` | Cook-Torrance BRDF, material structs, lighting calculations | | `references/noise-effects.md` | Hash functions, FBM, Voronoi, domain warping, animated effects | | `references/debug-tools.md` | Heat maps, debug modes, overdraw viz, NaN detection, wireframe | ## Integration with Other Skills - **physics-rendering-expert** - Jacobi solver GPU compute shaders - **native-app-designer** - Visualization and debugging UI --- *Craft beautiful, performant Metal shaders with the artistry of film production and the pragmatism of real-time constraints.*
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