Ask HN: What are the best books on modern computer graphics?
I would not advise anyone to try to get into computer graphics directly with the Vulkan or DX12 APIs. Start with DX11, modern OpenGL and/or WebGL, and work through your computer graphics theory (and a lot of practice) using those. Geometry, illumination, shaders, tools and GPU computation will take a lot of time to master. When you decide you want to go into low level APIs, if you are comfortable with Apple systems, Metal will likely be easier than Vulkan/DX12.<p>A lot of the theory from classic books is still valid, so even a copy of Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice will look fine on your desk. "Real Time Rendering" by Moller/Haines and "Physically Based Rendering" by Pharr are excellent. "Game Engine Architecture" by Gregory and "Mathematics for 3D Game Programming and Computer Graphics" by Lengyel will probably prove very useful and relevant to you as well.<p>Online resources, the free <a href="https://learnopengl.com/" rel="nofollow">https://learnopengl.com/</a> and the $10 <a href="http://graphicscodex.com/" rel="nofollow">http://graphicscodex.com/</a> are both fantastic. Make sure to read <a href="https://fgiesen.wordpress.com/2011/07/09/a-trip-through-the-graphics-pipeline-2011-index/" rel="nofollow">https://fgiesen.wordpress.com/2011/07/09/a-trip-through-the-...</a>, and also study the techniques used for the craziest entries in <a href="https://www.shadertoy.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.shadertoy.com/</a><p>And then, lots and lots of papers and presentations from the past 5 or 10 years of Game Developers Cconference and Siggraph.