Pixel shaders are some of the more powerful graphic tools available for XAML programmers, but shader development bears little resemblance to traditional .NET programming. With this hands-on book, you';ll not only discover how to use existing shaders in your Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and Silverlight applications, you';ll also learn how create your own effects with XAML and Microsoft';s HLSL shading language.In the process, you';ll write, compile, and test custom XAML shaders with the Shazzam Shader Editor, a free utility developed by author Walt Ritscher. The book includes XAML and C# sample code, and Shazzam contains all of the sample shaders discussed.Learn how shaders help you extend the GPU';s rendering capabilitiesExplore prevailing shader types, such as color modification, blurring, and spatial transformationGet a quick tour of the shader features, and use pre-built effects on image elements in your applicationExamine the XAML ShaderEffect class to understand how WPF and Silverlight use shadersLearn about the shader-specific tools available in Visual Studio and Expression BlendGet up to speed on HLSL basics and learn how to create a variety of graphics effects