From cb7c01754fd787e60003f50ff6a7b6dd983a222e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Krishna Ayyalasomayajula Date: Sat, 30 May 2026 20:49:19 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] docs: add matrix math prerequisite note to What's Next --- docs/01-rainbow-triangle.md | 15 +++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 15 insertions(+) diff --git a/docs/01-rainbow-triangle.md b/docs/01-rainbow-triangle.md index e5eba7e..2b5fbcf 100644 --- a/docs/01-rainbow-triangle.md +++ b/docs/01-rainbow-triangle.md @@ -1371,4 +1371,19 @@ With the render loop and pipeline foundation in place, the next steps are: - **Compute shaders and GPU compute pipelines** — general-purpose GPU computation outside the graphics pipeline +> **Prerequisite note — matrix math:** Every topic above ultimately depends on +> matrix mathematics. Transforms (model, view, and projection matrices) move +> geometry from local object space through world space, camera space, and +> finally into clip space. In this tutorial, all vertex positions are hardcoded +> NDC coordinates so we can focus on the rendering pipeline itself. Real +> applications compute these coordinates via matrix multiplication: a +> transformation matrix is uploaded to the GPU as a uniform, and the vertex +> shader multiplies each vertex by that matrix before outputting +> `clip_position`. If linear algebra is unfamiliar, study it before diving +> into the next tutorials. Recommended resources: [Learn +> OpenGL's linear algebra section](https://learnopengl.com/Getting-started/Coordinate-Systems) +> for a graphics-oriented treatment, and +> [3Blue1Brown's Essence of Linear Algebra](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZHQObOWTQDPD3MizzM2xVFitgF8hE_ab) +> for an intuitive visual foundation. + Keep [concepts/GLOSSARY.md](concepts/GLOSSARY.md) handy as you move forward.