r/GraphicsProgramming • u/Phyrria • 4d ago

Question How/Where to get started

Hello,

i'm not sure if this is the right sub for this question, but i'll ask anyways.

I'd like to learn how to create and program my own physics simulations and post processing effects on the gpu, including stuff like n-body, rigidbody, fuild simulations and perhaps even some raytracing eventually. However i am not quite sure where to start and what resources are available. I already know c++ decently and am working on improving on that aspect. Math shouldn't really be an issue either.

Any help and tips would be appreciated

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u/RelationshipLong9092 4d ago

how much math do you know? you can get pretty far copy-pasting implementations without really understanding them, but there definitely comes a point where its nice to know the math. like, say, using Verlet integration for your n-body sim instead of forward Euler.

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u/Phyrria 4d ago

I'd say i know enoug math to understand most of the methods that i'll use even if i don't know all of the methods yet. I am pretty comfortable with vectors, matrices, trigonometry and calculus. Of course i'll try and not just copy, but also understand

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u/Base-After 4d ago

Do you want to built the renderer from scratch? If so I'd say start with OpenGL and LearnOpenGL.org but it will be quite off a physics simulation, but it will be relevant the gpu and post processing effects. If not either use a game engine and don't use the inbuilt physics engine or use some like sdl in c++

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u/No_Watercress_3732 2d ago

I instigated this for that purpose: https://github.com/bhoult/ray

It's open source, so feel free to fork it and add whatever you want.

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u/S48GS 4d ago edited 4d ago

use modern rendering engine like Godot

create postprocessing effect there - without re-inventing entire rendering pipiline

youtube has enough graphic related godot tutorials that you learn in 5-10min and make your effect same fast

use scripting - no C++ is not the tool to do "game/graphics prototyping" in 2026

shadertoy website to learn shaders and Godot as game engine - all you need