Derivative Shader Jun 2026

If you give me the , I can:

(non-photorealistic rendering) — using gradients for stylized strokes, hatching, etc. derivative shader

Derivatives can be used to detect discontinuities in depth or normals across screen space. This is frequently used for "post-process" style outlines or toon shading outlines, often cheaper than a second geometry pass. If you give me the , I can:

Derivative shaders are not without faults. They introduce a specific class of bugs that are notoriously difficult to debug. If you give me the

Because derivative calculations are hardcoded into the GPU hardware (often utilizing specialized differential units), the instruction cost is negligible. In many scenarios, utilizing derivatives is faster than alternatives.