Anara Rubric: Shaders Performance
Pillar Overview
The high-speed artistic expression of the vision. This rubric measures the project's ability to manipulate pixels and vertices through optimized, high-performance GPU code.
Analytical Performance Matrix
| Criterion | Weight | SLOP (0-2) | FUNCTIONAL (3-5) | PROFESSIONAL (6-8) | ELITE (Visionary) (9-10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math Efficiency | 35% | Expensive math (pow, sqrt, atan) in every fragment pixel; redundant loads. |
Basic shader logic; some math moved to constant uniforms. | Optimized math; matrix-heavy calculations moved to the vertex() function. |
Symmetrically balanced shader logic; zero-latency fragment path; use of Look-Up Tables. |
| Uniform Management | 25% | Setting individual uniforms every frame via slow set_shader_parameter strings. |
Use of ShaderMaterial with unique parameters, but lacks systemic control. |
Global Shader Parameters (Uniform Busses) for environment-wide synchronization. | Dynamic 'Material Instances' driven by a central, thread-safe VFX manager. |
| Compilation Safety | 20% | "Shader Stutter" on first instance; no pre-caching; monolithic shader files. | Basic use of sub-scenes to 'warm' shaders, but inconsistent. | Formal Shader Pre-caching manifest; optimized shader compilation in background. | Zero-stutter runtime; multi-threaded shader preparation; adaptive quality fallback. |
| Compute Leverage | 20% | Ignoring Compute Shaders for heavy data tasks; overworking the fragment loop. | Basic use of GPGPU for simple textures, but unmanaged pipeline. | Proficient use of RenderingDevice for non-visual data processing (Pathfinding/Logic). |
Masterful use of the GPU as a co-processor; offloading 30%+ of main logic to Compute. |
Visionary Diagnostic Hooks
- Is your shader a burden on the pixel, or a light on the soul?
- When the GPU reads your code, does it find a clear path or a maze of stalls?
- Does the vision change with the speed of thought or the drag of the machine?
🌟 Visionary's Final Decree
To reach Elite status, your shaders must be 'Surgical'. Every pixel's cost must be calculated. Implement 'Shader Pre-caching' to eliminate runtime compilation stutters. A visionary shader doesn't just look good; it runs so fast that its complexity remains an invisible miracle.
<!-- GDSkills research links (agents) Official docs: - https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/tutorials/performance/gpu_optimization.html - https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/tutorials/3d/using_multi_mesh_instance.html - https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/classes/class_performance.html Related skills: - https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd-agentic-skills/blob/main/skills/godot-performance-optimization/SKILL.md — domain remediation for this Anara rubric - https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd-agentic-skills/blob/main/skills/godot-auditor/SKILL.md — compliance citations alongside Visionary scores Parent skill: https://github.com/thedivergentai/gd-agentic-skills/blob/main/skills/godot-analyst/SKILL.md -->