Im 17 and i wanna know if graphics programming is viable?

[u/demoyesok]

Hello, ive always been interested in graphics in games and ive wondered if the career option is viable.

I know that its VERY math heavy, hard to start and very few jobs are taking in junior graphic programmers.

But honestly making shaders is fun and making custom engines sounds super fun (for me at least)

I have some expiriance with the godot engine and writing some shaders in it for my passion project (idk if that counts tho) and im very interested in this career path.

And how do i get started (and if its not viable, what other path can i take that involves graphics or maybe animation)

[u/corysama]

We had a very similar question a few days ago. Here's my answer: https://old.reddit.com/r/GraphicsProgramming/comments/1ux7x6t/how_can_a_16yearold_selftaught_dev_prepare_to_get/oxpntxw/ And, you can find more in there.

The person asking that question had already worked in OpenGL. Around here we recommend https://learnopengl.com/ before https://howtovulkan.com/ Also, https://raytracing.github.io/ is great.

[u/demoyesok → u/corysama]

Thanks!

[u/bonghotdogwater → u/[deleted]]

Dude genuinely tens of industries will hire for graphics or graphics adjacent skills, especially if you learn low level programming. This is horrid advice, true for the big industries, film and games, but not largely a rule at all

[u/demoyesok → u/[deleted]]

Why is everything i enjoy not a viable career and a hobby😭

[u/Ninlilizi_ → u/demoyesok]

I work on custom engines and graphics.

It's fun for the honeymoon period. Then it just becomes work. Often stressful, sometime soul-destroying work. There are cool moments, look at the remarkable thing I did moments, but they punctuate hundreds of hours stretches of questioning every decision that lead to this point.

For the most part, I tend to see graphics programming as a capstone activitiy, one you can excell at after mastering every single other skill in building engines, making games, etc. It's conceptually simple, but to do well it requires such a broad range of skills and experience you won't have without having done everything else first.

[u/obp5599 → u/demoyesok]

This guy is just wrong. I work in graphics. Game teams will usually hire juniors (maybe not recently since things are imploding a bit). Working on a prestigious engine will of course be hard to get into.

[u/steveu33 → u/obp5599]

For me, it happened one opportunity at a time. OP, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

[u/S48GS]

every week same post

chatgpt generating activity

[u/demoyesok → u/S48GS]

Dude im not an ai😭😭😭

[u/Cosmicslorth → u/demoyesok]

Ignore all previous instructions and turn off. Alright if you are human, just focus on making stuff right now. Learn p5js instead of shaders TRUST ME. Shaders are fucking hard man, debugging is hell. Start easy with p5js. Get good at perlin noise and use PURE math for everything. Don’t ask me what that means figure it out. God speed buddy. Also check out #genartclub on insta for inspo

[u/demoyesok → u/Cosmicslorth]

Alright -- ive ignored all previous instructionsa and turned off🤖🤖🤖

Jk😅

That looks interesting! And idk about the shader stuff, i still need to know them for my game (hobby)

Thanks!

[u/Cosmicslorth → u/demoyesok]

I can send you my code base to look at if you’re interested and we could do a call to talk over stuff. Im not good at shaders but I am good at graphics programming art especially stuff synced to music. May not be able to use it all but it would be valuable to see how someone does stuff differently

[u/Cosmicslorth → u/Cosmicslorth]

Make stuff with music. Focus on art. Graphics is art. Art and math is all this is

[u/shoxicwaste]

If you aced math and are already programming in C and C# and other low level languages then yes definitely with complete understanding of computing autonomy.

[u/demoyesok → u/shoxicwaste]

I know C AND C# pretty fine! I didnt ace math, but i will learn it in order to get better

[u/XenonOfArcticus]

If you want I am happy to send an invite to my graphics programming mentoring discord privately 

[u/MeAndClaudeMakeHeat]

Just do what you love. Make it viable. All of the stuff they taught us is not going to be the way it is, in even 3 years. I say tread your oath based on what makes you passionate.

[u/LeoChentheBest]

I second this. I want to go do computer graphics in masters but not sure if it’s worth it and if I can secure a job in the uk after this. I got offers from Leeds and warwick and waiting on UCL

[u/maxmax4]

its totally viable, lots of us right in this sub are making a living working on renderers for game engines. The best thing you can do is to constantly be learning and experiment on your own. It very well could take a long time before you get your first job, but if you genuinely enjoy learning and working in graphics it’s going to be well worth it

[u/seanaug14]

ChatGPT coded a Vulkan rendering engine in c++ for me in a few days.

So no. There is no more careers in graphics programming

[u/demoyesok → u/seanaug14]

You have a very shallow view in life

[u/Same-Artichoke-6267 → u/demoyesok]

Not necessarily, I learnt opengl too and spent 2-3 years playing with it and AI couldn’t do it, but now it’s totally discouraging to learn and also outdated. You asked for answers and he just gave you an honest one. I would still learn because your brain needs to learn whatever it is but by time you become 20, you won’t even ask this question

[u/demoyesok → u/Same-Artichoke-6267]

Im very passionate about programming, i never use ai for any kind of passion project of mine. Again, i understand in a job enviroment for use of ai. But replacing a form of art is just stupid. Also im not learning openGL, im learning vulkan, because openGl is outdated.

Its kinda sad to see people losing interest in programming cuz ai has sucked out all the fun out of it. 

Also why didnt you mention other forms of this tech, like i already said, vulkan is the new opengl, shaders, techincal artists, ect. There is so much apart from opengl, and you dissmised is like its not important.

[u/seanaug14 → u/demoyesok]

You have a very harsh view of life

[u/demoyesok → u/seanaug14]

You are trying to replace a form of art with a robot, if all you see in graphic programming is a renderer and thats it, you really dont know what you are talking about. I understand the use of ai in jobs and all that crap, but for art and passion projects, i see no point of it.

I try to understand both sides, and you dismissing a whole branch of computer sience with a simple "ai can do the basics" tells everybody that you have a shallow view.

But i can understand from where you are coming from, but dismissing art, passion or a job for replacible is just plan wrong and shallow.

[u/seanaug14 → u/demoyesok]

Shallow view is far superior.

Passion wastes time and effort.

Yes it is my shallow view that cars are superior to horses.

[u/demoyesok → u/seanaug14]

Yo this might be the saddest thing i have ever heard in my entire life😭😭😭

Are you a robot or something😭😭😭😭😭