# The Graphics Codex

> Scholarly reference for 3D computer graphics equations, concepts, and notation. (iPhone/iPad app by Morgan McGuire.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-graphics-codex/id494971103 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Morgan McGuire](https://appshunter.io/developer/494971106)
- Category: Education, Reference
- Price: $9.99
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 18 App Store ratings · 12 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 8.0 · 116 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2012-01-20
- Data updated: 2026-06-10
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-graphics-codex/id494971103/reviews.md

## What is The Graphics Codex?

This app is a scholarly reference of equations, concepts, and notation employed in 3D computer graphics, supplemented by long-form chapters of lecture notes. It is designed for students, researchers, and industry practitioners.

I am Dr. Morgan McGuire, a computer graphics scientist and game developer.

I'm a Distinguished Research Scientist at NVIDIA and an adjunct professor at the University of Waterloo (in Mathematics) and McGill University (in Electrical and Computer Engineering). I was previously a full professor of Computer Science at Williams College and have taught computer graphics, film, and game design for fifteen years.

I served as the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Computer Graphics Techniques and coauthored the Computer Graphics: Principles & Practice 3rd Edition and Creating Games: Mechanics, Technology, and Content textbooks.  I received a Ph.D. and a M.S. from Brown University and a M.Eng. and a B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

I've contributed to the video game series for Skylanders, Roblox, Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, Titan Quest, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, NVIDIA GPUs and software products, and the Unity game engine. I've worked on non-game 3D software and hardware for products ranging from robot drones to the E-ink display in the Amazon Kindle.

I wrote this app and website and respond to all e-mails personally. Follow my development blog and see other projects at http://casual-effects.com on the web and @CasualEffects on Twitter.

## Key features

- Equations and concepts reference
- In-depth lecture notes
- 3D computer graphics notation
- Scholarly content
- Designed for students and professionals

## Recent user reviews (10 of 12)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-graphics-codex/id494971103/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Great resource even in 2023

*2023-02-18*

Most reviews are 10 years old, but I want to state that the app is updated and works on 2021 IPad. The material presented is very clear and organized.

### 5/5 — Rigorous, clear, systematic

*2017-06-13, version 2.13*

If you are new to computer graphics and want a solid grounding, or simply want handy material you can refer to offline, this is a great app. 

Perfect to take with you on an offline vacation!

Yes, it's not free. But it is clear and correct. It's price is a small price to pay to understand things well.

### 5/5 — Awesome programming resource

*2016-03-07, version 2.9*

It's so hard to know if the information you find on the web is accurate. This is a wonderful searchable resource without the worry.

### 5/5 — Excellent material and presentation

*2013-12-13, version 2.3*

With each update, this is rapidly becoming one of the best graphics reference and introduction textbooks on the market. Very highly recommended.

### 5/5 — Total victory against traditional graphics textbook

*2012-12-07, version 1.7*

We used this as one of the two textbooks for our computer graphics class at Williams College. The other textbook is a traditional paper one, serving as a supplement.

I would say that this app totally beats the traditional textbook because 
- the contents are very to the point and clear
- graphics is more about visual communication. Great pictures/graphs and variations on styles and colors help a lot in reading and understanding
- mobility. It will be great to have easy access to some reference to the graphics all the time, yet the more comprehensive the book is, the heavier it will be for carrying. This app stays in my iPhone and adds no weight for carrying it!
- knowledge network. All knowledge points and linked and clickable, impossible on a traditional textbook. 
- price. Single digit vs 3-digit that you can easily find at bookstore
Enough said. All graphics educators should consider using it and recommending others to use it.

### 5/5 — Amazing

*2012-11-05, version 1.6*

This app is absolutely incredible. It is by far the best reference on the subject of graphics I have ever seen. I have also used it just to look up some really basic math topics like trig properties. Best of all, it gets updated each month with new material. Absolutely worth the $10 if you are into computer graphics, video game programming, or need a reference for your math/computer classes.

### 5/5 — Clean and Approachable

*2012-09-05, version 1.5*

Super app! Obviously, super cool to have such a thin textbook and easy to navigate. The layout is great - very clean, allowing the information to be very approachable.

### 5/5 — Exactly what I needed

*2012-07-29, version 1.4*

I do research in computer graphics and have found this app to be an invaluable resource. Whenever I've forgotten a piece of radiometry or need a refresher on basically anything to do with graphics, I can find exactly what I need with very clear explanations using this app. 

It also seems to be update relatively often with more content, which is great. 

I saw some negative comments with regards to some functionality, like scrolling; the last few updates seem to have fixed these issues completely.

### 4/5 — Much improved

*2012-03-29, version 1.3*

This update brings a lot of performance improvements that make it much easier to use

### 2/5 — Broken app

*2012-03-12, version 1.2*

Scrolling is broken on the index which makes browsing complicated. Good information if you can get the app to scroll to it.

## Frequently asked questions about The Graphics Codex

### What is The Graphics Codex?

The Graphics Codex is a scholarly reference app containing equations, concepts, and notation used in 3D computer graphics, along with detailed lecture notes. It is designed for individuals studying or working in the field.

### Who created The Graphics Codex?

The Graphics Codex was written by Dr. Morgan McGuire, a computer graphics scientist, game developer, and adjunct professor. He has extensive experience in academia and the game industry.

### What kind of content is in The Graphics Codex?

The app provides a scholarly reference for 3D computer graphics, including mathematical equations, fundamental concepts, and specialized notation. It also features long-form lecture notes for deeper understanding.

### Is The Graphics Codex suitable for beginners?

While the app is designed for students, researchers, and industry practitioners, its scholarly nature suggests it is best suited for those with some foundational knowledge in computer graphics or related technical fields.

### What devices does The Graphics Codex support?

The Graphics Codex is available on iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Apple Watch devices. This broad compatibility allows users to access the reference across multiple Apple platforms.

### How often is The Graphics Codex updated?

The latest version of The Graphics Codex is 2.16, and it was last updated on September 19, 2019. Users can expect a stable reference tool with content from that period.

### What is the price of The Graphics Codex?

The Graphics Codex is a paid application, priced at $9.99. This one-time purchase grants access to all the scholarly content within the app.

### Does The Graphics Codex offer certifications or track progress?

The Graphics Codex functions as a reference tool and does not offer certifications or specific progress tracking features. Its primary purpose is to provide educational content and technical information.

## Version history (last 1 release)

### 2.16 — 2019-09-19

Path Tracing chapter introducing this fundamental algorithm.
Array filter for efficient in-order removal during iteration.
Array fast remove for efficient random-access removal.
Fisher-Yates shuffle for randomizing an array.
Uniformly distributed random integers.
Added scalar C++ HSV-RGB conversion.
Added GLSL and JavaScript code to Cross product.
Added some simple examples of scattering functions to The Rendering Equation chapter.
Moved the Version Control chapter after the The Rendering Equation chapter.
Added syntax highlighting for more C++ types.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*