Publisher's Synopsis
Are you a developer looking to unlock the full power of your Apple hardware? Have you ever wondered how to write low-level, high-performance code that speaks directly to the GPU? Or maybe you're tired of surface-level tutorials and want something deeper-something designed to make you not just capable, but truly proficient? If so, this is the handbook you've been waiting for.
The Metal Programming Handbook is not your typical overview or watered-down introduction. It's a thorough, real-world manual crafted for developers who want to master Apple's modern graphics and compute framework from the ground up. Whether you're building a game engine, designing a scientific compute kernel, or simply looking to harness every ounce of performance from your graphics hardware, this book will guide you through the entire journey-step-by-step, with clarity and depth.
Written by Steven S. Bells, a seasoned developer and technical educator, this book doesn't just tell you what Metal can do-it shows you how and why it works the way it does. You'll start with a strong foundation in the Metal pipeline, shading language, and platform setup. Then, you'll explore hands-on projects that include 3D rendering, GPGPU compute workflows, custom pipeline configurations, and even building a minimal graphics engine entirely from scratch using Swift and Metal.
Still unsure if this book is for you? Ask yourself:
Do I want to understand Metal's architecture, not just use it?
Am I building performance-critical apps and need fine-tuned GPU control?
Would I benefit from learning how to structure cross-platform renderers across iOS, macOS, and spatial computing environments?
Am I interested in shader development, compute kernels, and procedural graphics?
If you answered "yes" to any of the above, this book is tailored to you.
Inside, you'll find:
Clear explanations of core Metal APIs with practical implementation examples
Full walkthroughs for setting up a complete rendering pipeline
Techniques for advanced shader authoring, memory management, and compute kernels
Real-world debugging strategies and performance profiling methods
A deep dive into building your own reusable rendering engine in Swift
Detailed chapters on custom effects, volumetrics, ray marching, and procedural content
Whether you're a graphics programmer, an AR developer, or an engineer looking to get closer to the hardware, Metal Programming Handbook gives you the tools to make Metal not just usable-but second nature.
You don't need to guess your way through Metal anymore. You need a handbook that feels like a conversation with a mentor-clear, complete, and brutally practical. This is that book.
So, are you ready to write code that really moves pixels and crunches numbers at full throttle? Let's get started.
