Is there a decent Effect file editor plugin for Visual Studio? I'm getting slightly frustrated with constantly copying and pasting from FX Composer.
NShader provides syntax highlighting for HLSL, GLSL and CG.
They also plan to extend it with the following:
- Add syntax parsing and checking (handling braces, compilation errors... etc.). This requires the definition of parser rules under MPLex and integration in the language service.
- Add compilation checking (using fxc...etc.).
- Add basic render preview window
Though, judging by the check-in history, it doesn't look like those items will come any time soon.
The easiest way to get syntax highlighting/editing assistance is to:
Open Up RegEdit.exe
Goto "HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/VisualStudio/10.0_Config/Languages/File Extensions/"
Open up the key ".c", select "(default)" and then right click>Modify then copy the value.
Then make keys for each file extension (include the period) like ".hlsl", ".fx", ".vsh", or ".psh" then select "(default)" and then right click>Modify then paste the value from ".c" and then you will have C/C++ syntax highlighting.
This is what I use, and will keep using until Visual Studio 2011 Comes Out.
Not in the current version of VS. But VS 2011 will have, see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd547188%28v=vs.110%29.aspx#BKMK_GraphicsTools
But I guess that doesn't really help you now :-(
Haven't tried it myself but the GPU based development team at work started using it and rave about it.