/pixijs-custom-rendering

name: pixijs-custom-rendering
description: "Use this skill when writing custom shaders, uniforms, filters, batchers, or low-level draw code in PixiJS v8. Covers Shader.from({gl, gpu, resources}), GlProgram/GpuProgram, UniformGroup with typed uniforms (f32, vec2, mat4x4), UBO mode, textures as resources, TextureView for depth sampling, 3D and array textures (depth, arrayLayerCount, sampler3D, texture_3d), WebGPU storage textures (storage: true), WGSL override constants, custom bind group layouts (gpuLayout), partial buffer updates (Buffer.update), Geometry.vertexCount/indexCount, TexturePool scratch textures, State winding and culling (clockwiseFrontFace, cullMode), WebGPU render bundles, custom Filter via Filter.from, GLSL ES 3.0 conventions (finalColor), uBackTexture sampling, pixi.js/unsafe-eval for strict CSP, custom Batcher and InstructionPipe.destroyInstructionSet via extensions. Triggers on: Shader, GLSL, WGSL, uniform, custom shader, blendRequired, ShaderOverrides, bind group layout, depth texture, 3D texture, sampler3D, texture_3d, storage texture, getSize, indexCount, TexturePool, getOptimalTexture, destroyInstructionSet, beginBundle, executeBundle, RenderBundle."
license: MIT

Custom shaders bind GLSL and WGSL programs to scene objects via `Shader.from({ gl, gpu, resources })`. Uniforms live in typed `UniformGroup`s, textures are passed as separate resources, and the same shader can target both WebGL and WebGPU.

Quick Start

const uniforms = new UniformGroup({
  uTime: { value: 0, type: "f32" },
});

const shader = Shader.from({
  gl: { vertex: vertexSrc, fragment: fragmentSrc },
  resources: { uniforms },
});

const geometry = new MeshGeometry({
  positions: new Float32Array([0, 0, 100, 0, 100, 100, 0, 100]),
  uvs: new Float32Array([0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1]),
  indices: new Uint32Array([0, 1, 2, 0, 2, 3]),
});

const mesh = new Mesh({ geometry, shader });
app.stage.addChild(mesh);

app.ticker.add(() => {
  shader.resources.uniforms.uniforms.uTime = performance.now() / 1000;
});

**Related skills:** `pixijs-filters` (built-in filters), `pixijs-scene-mesh` (custom geometry), `pixijs-performance` (batch optimization), `pixijs-migration-v8` (shader API migration from v7).

Core Patterns

Dual-renderer shader (WebGL + WebGPU)

import { Shader, GlProgram, GpuProgram, UniformGroup } from "pixi.js";

const glVertex = `...`; // GLSL vertex (write `#version 300 es` yourself if you want WebGL2/GLSL ES 3.0)
const glFragment = `...`; // GLSL fragment
const wgslSource = `...`; // WGSL combined

const shader = Shader.from({
  gl: { vertex: glVertex, fragment: glFragment },
  gpu: {
    // entryPoint names are arbitrary; they must match the @vertex / @fragment
    // function names in your WGSL source. PixiJS ships examples using
    // 'mainVert' / 'mainFrag' but `main` is equally valid.
    vertex: { entryPoint: "mainVert", source: wgslSource },
    fragment: { entryPoint: "mainFrag", source: wgslSource },
  },
  resources: {
    myUniforms: new UniformGroup({
      uColor: { value: new Float32Array([1, 0, 0, 1]), type: "vec4<f32>" },
      uMatrix: { value: new Float32Array(16), type: "mat4x4<f32>" },
    }),
  },
});

If only `gl` is provided, the shader works with WebGL only. If only `gpu` is provided, it works with WebGPU only. The `compatibleRenderers` bitmask is set automatically.

`GlProgram` does **not** auto-inject `#version 300 es`. If you write `#version 300 es` yourself, PixiJS preserves it and treats the shader as GLSL ES 3.0; otherwise it injects WebGL1 compat macros (`#define in varying`, `#define texture texture2D`) and runs the shader as WebGL1-style GLSL. `GlProgram` always injects a default precision (`highp` vertex, `mediump` fragment) and the program name. It also declares `highp` for sampler types GLSL ES 3.0 gives no default (`usampler2D`, `isampler2D`, `sampler2DArray`, `sampler3D`, and others), so you don't need a precision line for them; one you write yourself is kept. `sampler2D` and `samplerCube` keep their `lowp` default. For GLSL ES 3.0, use `in`/`out` instead of `attribute`/`varying`, `texture()` instead of `texture2D()`, and an `out vec4` instead of `gl_FragColor`.

Textures as resources

Textures are resources, not uniforms. Pass the texture's `source` and `style` separately:

import { Shader, UniformGroup, Texture, Assets } from "pixi.js";

const texture = await Assets.load("myImage.png");

const shader = Shader.from({
  gl: { vertex: vertSrc, fragment: fragSrc },
  resources: {
    uTexture: texture.source,
    uSampler: texture.source.style,
    myUniforms: new UniformGroup({
      uAlpha: { value: 1.0, type: "f32" },
    }),
  },
});

// Swap texture at runtime
shader.resources.uTexture = otherTexture.source;

Resources are a flat key-value map. The key must match the uniform/binding name in the shader source.

Resources can also be plain objects (auto-wrapped into `UniformGroup`):

const shader = Shader.from({
  gl: { vertex: vertSrc, fragment: fragSrc },
  resources: {
    myUniforms: {
      uTime: { value: 0, type: "f32" },
    },
  },
});

UBO mode (Uniform Buffer Objects)

UBO mode packs uniforms into a single GPU buffer. Required for WebGPU; optional (WebGL2+) for WebGL.

import { UniformGroup } from "pixi.js";

const ubo = new UniformGroup(
  {
    uProjection: { value: new Float32Array(16), type: "mat4x4<f32>" },
    uAlpha: { value: 1.0, type: "f32" },
  },
  { ubo: true, isStatic: true },
);

// Must call update() manually when isStatic is true
ubo.uniforms.uAlpha = 0.5;
ubo.update();

UBO rules:

• Only `f32` and `i32` based types are supported (no `u32`). Matrices are float-only.
• Samplers/textures cannot go in a UBO.
• The UniformGroup name in resources must exactly match the UBO block name in the shader.
• Structure and order must exactly match the shader layout.
• UBO sync uses `new Function` under the hood. In strict-CSP environments (no `unsafe-eval`), import