Shadron – shader-based procedural graphics editor

Shadron is the ultimate graphics editor for programmers. It gives you the ability to modify or generate images, animations, and more using shader code. Watch the trailer to see all of its features.

Watch the video tutorial to learn how it works

20 example scripts included

Get started quickly with a set of 20 commented examples covering all types of constructs available in Shadron, which you can use as a source of inspiration.

By the way, this 3D view was created with Shadron too.

FAQ

Will there be a Linux version?

It has been found that since version 1.3, Shadron works almost flawlessly using Wine on Linux, so please try this option. Because of this, a native Linux version is currently not a priority.

I don't know anything about programming. Is Shadron useful to me?

Unfortunately, everything you create in Shadron must be defined through code. However, I believe it might be a great tool if you are interested in learning these things. Please watch the video tutorial to see how it works. You should be able to start creating simple scripts in minutes. Alternatively, you may use it just to browse other people's creations and play with them.

Should I buy Shadron here or on Steam?

That's up to you. The advantage of the Steam version is that you get automatic updates, and it might be more comfortable to some, but it requires Steam to run in the background. If that is a problem for you, you should buy the standalone version here instead. For me personally, it is also better if you buy the standalone version, because Steam keeps a significant cut.

If I buy Shadron from this website, will I get a Steam key as well?

Only if you bought it before it was released on Steam. If that is the case, please request it via email.

Can I use a single copy of Shadron on multiple computers?

Yes, as long as it is a reasonable amount.

Can I use Shadron commercially?

Yes, there are no restrictions on that. If you are interested in a company-wide license, please contact me to negotiate the terms.

When I try to run Shadron, it is blocked by Windows SmartScreen, saying it is dangerous.

This means that Windows doesn't recognize the program and therefore it potentially might be malicious, not that it really is. Unfortunately, as an independent developer, there is nothing I can do about this, until more people start using the program. For now, please click on More information and convince the system to run the program anyway, or change SmartScreen settings. All I can do is assure you that Shadron is perfectly safe, as long as you downloaded it from this website.

When I try to run Shadron on macOS, it doesn't let me because it's from an unknown developer.

To resolve this, simply right-click the program and choose "Open", then you will get an option to "Run anyway". Next time, it should run without problems.

How do I create a GIF / video using Shadron?

This is now possible directly using extensions. See Shadron extensions.

Does Shadron support multi-pass rendering?

Yes, extensively. Everything you render has a name, which can be used as a texture sampler in subsequent shaders, and used for post-processing. This can of course be chained into more than two rendering passes. See multipass.shadron in the examples folder.

Minimum system requirements

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 or later / macOS 10.8 or later

/ GPU: Any GPU with OpenGL 3 (or higher) support

A more powerful graphics card may be necessary for some of the more demanding shader calculations. An NVIDIA GPU (series 400 or newer) is recommended for best compatibility.