An Introduction to Neural Shading

Neural shading offers a new paradigm for real-time graphics, replacing hand-crafted algorithms with compact neural networks that can be trained to reproduce complex appearance. In this three-hour course, we introduce the core principles behind neural shading and guide attendees from foundational theory to practical implementation. We begin with an accessible overview of optimization and network training, then demonstrate how a small MLP can learn and reproduce texture data, highlighting the key.