Upon extraction, the archive follows this hierarchy:
derivativeshadersallversions/
├── v1.0_base/
│ ├── vertex_shader.glsl
│ ├── fragment_shader.glsl
│ └── derivative_utils.hlsl
├── v1.1_screen_space/
│ ├── ss_derivative.comp
│ └── normal_derivative.frag
├── v2.0_procedural/
│ ├── heightmap_derivative.vert
│ ├── terrain_shader.tesc
│ └── readme_v2.txt
├── v2.1_optimized/
│ ├── fast_derivative.glsl
│ └── lod_selector.hlsl
├── v3.0_raytracing/
│ ├── ray_derivative.rgen
│ └── hit_derivative.rint
├── common/
│ ├── derivative_math.glslh
│ └── ddx_ddy_fallbacks.h
├── deprecated/
│ └── legacy_derivative_1.0.cg
└── manifest.json
Since the file ends in .zip, treat it like any compressed folder. However, do not simply double-click and run anything. Follow these best practices:
Based on typical industry naming conventions (common in Unreal Engine dumps, Reshade shader packs, or custom renderers), the archive likely contains the following structure when unzipped: file name derivativeshadersallversionszip
derivativeshadersallversions/
├── DirectX11/
│ ├── derivative_ps.hlsl
│ ├── derivative_vs.hlsl
│ └── derivative_cs.hlsl
├── DirectX12/
│ ├── derivative_ps.hlsl
│ └── derivative_lib.hlsl
├── Vulkan/
│ ├── derivative.frag.spv
│ ├── derivative.vert.spv
│ └── derivatives.glsl
├── OpenGL/
│ ├── derivative_fs.glsl
│ └── derivative_vs.glsl
├── Metal/
│ └── derivative.metal
└── README_derivatives.txt
Each version handles derivatives slightly differently:
The allversions aspect is crucial if you are distributing a plugin or renderer that must run on older GPUs, consoles, or different operating systems. Since the file ends in
Before we dive into code or implementation, let’s parse the name itself. Every part of derivativeshadersallversionszip gives a clue to its purpose.
| Component | Meaning | | :--- | :--- | | derivative | Refers to partial derivatives (ddx/ddy) in shader code—functions that calculate screen-space rates of change. | | shaders | Small programs that run on a GPU (Vertex, Pixel, Compute, Geometry). | | allversions | Suggests the archive contains shader variants for multiple rendering APIs or engine versions (e.g., DirectX 11, DirectX 12, Vulkan, OpenGL 4.6). | | zip | The file is compressed. Must be extracted before use. | Each version handles derivatives slightly differently:
Thus, derivativeshadersallversionszip is a compressed collection of GPU shader programs that specifically leverage derivative instructions (often for texture filtering, mipmapping, or screen-space effects) across multiple runtime environments.
To appreciate this archive, one must understand derivative functions (ddx, ddy, fwidth). These compute how a value changes between neighboring pixels (the partial derivative along X and Y axes).