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Rendering and graphics technologies in modern slots
1. readability of symbols and winnings, 2. stable 60 FPS without overheating, 3. easy bundle and fast start, 4. "wow effects" without compromise with the honesty of the outcome (everything visual is on top of the already calculated result).
Below is a system guide for technology, pipeline and metrics.
1) Render stack: what it consists of
2D/WebGL/Canvas — PixiJS, Phaser, in-house движки (HTML5/WebView).
2. 5D/3D - Unity (WebGL/mobile), PlayCanvas, Three. js.
WebGPU (appears) - growth in shaders/post-process and memory control.
Audio/Timeline - WebAudio/Unity Audio + Animation Timeline (GSAP/Spine/Unity Timeline).
Assets - sprite atlases, SDF/MSDF fonts, Spine/DragonBones, video/web codecs, compression textures.
Tools - Spector. js/DevTools/Unity Profiler, atlas packers, ASTC/ETC2/BCn compressors.
2) Graphical models: 2D, 2. 5D and moderate 3D
Pure 2D: flat drums, UI on layers, filters and masks. Fast and predictable.
2. 5D: perspective reels, parallax, tilt/round, 3D features over 2D UI Best wow/performance ratio.
Full 3D: bonus/intro scenes, wheels of luck, "camera around." Requires discipline: LOD, material limitations, simplified laytinґ.
Recommendation: in the slot, the key readability is on 2D/UI layers; 3D - for intro and rare setpises.
3) Shaders and post-effects (safe and economical)
Typical shader units:- Glow/Outline for symbols/winnings (SDF/blur to render target).
- Color Grading/HSV Shift for thematic phases (day/night, bonus).
- Distortion/Heatwave on the background so as not to interfere with the text.
- Additive particles for fireworks (cheap on blending).
- Masks/Stencils for "window" on drums, saving overdraw.
Post-process reasonable level: Bloom with downsample chain, Vignette, Chromatic aberration (minimal). On mobile - disable/simplify by LOD.
4) Animations: Timelines, backs and "sense of gain"
Timeline: state machine 'Idle → Spin → Stop → Count → Celebrate', animations - determined by time, the result is already known.
Skeleton animation (Spine/DragonBones): mascot heroes/symbols, economical in memory, easy to change clips.
Tweening (GSAP/Animator): numerical animations of the interface and win counters (easeOutExpo for "sense of growth").
Synchronization with audio: key moments (drum stop/combo) - through markers in the timeline, and not according to frame logic.
Motion-accessibility: "less motion" mode, turning off necks/parallax.
5) Textures, atlases and compression
Sprite atlases: large atlases (2048-4096) to reduce texture switches; grouping by blending.
Compression:- ASTC (iOS/modern Android), ETC2 (Android), BCn (desktop/WebGL2), fallback WEBP/PNG.
- Save mip levels for 3D and large backgrounds (reduces shimmering).
- Premultiplied alpha channel: correct mixing and fewer halos.
- MSDF/SDF fonts: clear headings/numbers with outline/glow without huge textures.
6) Particles (GPU-friendly)
Billboards with an atlas + GPU instancing (in 3D) or butching (in 2D).
Additive/Alpha-blend by layer; limit the duration of the emitters.
Thin dosage: particles "suggest" victory, but do not overlap the symbols.
Pooling objects so as not to produce GC spikes.
7) Scene composition and drawing order
Слои: Back → Reels → Symbols → FX → UI → Overlay.
First opaque, then translucent.
Masks/stensils on the drums - so that the background is not rendered "under" transparent areas.
Clear Z-order, disabling depth in 2D so that there are no unnecessary tests.
8) Pipeline assets and loading
Atlas generation (TexturePacker/Spine Export), automatic cutting, hash names ('icon. ab12. png`).
Delayed loading of bonus scenes and heavy FX (lazy).
Font formatting (MSDF), exporting animation curves.
CDN & cache basting: immutable assets, short TTL at the manifest.
WebCodecs/WebAssembly for accelerated decoding, OffscreenCanvas for rendering outside of main thread (where available).
9) Performance: goals and measurements
Goals: 60 FPS on reference devices; First Playable <5-10 s web/< 10 s mobile; stable temperature.
Key SLIs:- Draw calls (more butching, fewer texture switches).
- Overdraw (heatmap - avoid transparent "sheets").
- GPU time/CPU time frame (render and logic timing separately).
- Memory/VRAM (spikes, leaks).
- Bundle size and p95 asset load.
- Stutters/GC (quantity and duration).
Tools: Spector. js, Chrome DevTools/Performance, Safari Web Inspector, Xcode/Android GPU Inspector, Unity Profiler/Frame Debugger.
10) Optimizations that "make the weather"
Butching: grouped by materials/atlases/blending; in Pixi - 'ParticleContainer '/' Geometry' patterns.
LOD: turn off heavy shaders/particles on weak devices; alternative atlases of lower resolution.
Pixel snap and integer positions - fewer blurs when scrolling drums.
Reduced transparency: replace large alpha dies with flattened meshes/masks.
We cache the target render (RTT) for repeating effects.
Shorten fonts: one MSDF set with dynamic styles instead of a dozen PNG fonts.
Post-process at half resolution (quarter/half res) + bilateral upscale.
Counter animations: frame clamps (no more than N updates per second).
Reasonable physics: no "heavy" simulations - only pre-prepared curves.
11) Color, gamma and readability
sRGB/linear render: correct colors and blending.
UI contrast: winning numbers - high contrast and shadows/outline.
Color-blind friendly: avoid critical combinations (red/green without dopcoding form).
Branded color grading - carefully, do not kill the readability of characters.
12) Synchronization of graphics with gameplay and audio
The spin/bonus outcome is calculated before animation; graphics only reproduce the script.
Crescendo points (drum stop, mega-win) - timeline marks; sound and vibration are tied to them.
Duration budget: drum stops <1. 2–1. 6 s, counting winnings - fast and with the possibility of "skip."
13) Graphics quality testing
Visual snapshots (regression): symbols, fonts, positioning.
Device matrix: budget Android (Mali/Adreno), old iPhone/iPad, desktops.
overdraw heat maps and GPU profiles.
Usability for readability: 3-5 respondents, different diagonals/brightness, glare conditions.
Accessibility: "less movement," large CTAs, high contrast mode.
14) Mini recipes (ready-made templates)
A. Drum with pseudo-3D
Flat character ribbon + window mask.
Background with easy parallax (two textures, different speeds).
Shader "rounds" edges and light shadow inside the window.
Switching animation states by timeline, not by RNG logic.
B. "big win" effect
Scale-bounce header (0. 9 → 1. 1 → 1. 0, easeOutElastic).
Additive particles of fireworks 0. 8–1. 2 p.
Glow SDF text + soft bloom at half resolution.
The Skip button is always available.
C. "Cheap" cascade rhythm
One composite sound with markers; graphics only "winks."
Counter X grows in steps, character outline - through MSDF outline.
Post effects are disabled by LOD on weak devices.
15) Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them
Huge transparent sprites → wild overdraw. Solution: cut "in shape "/masks/RTT.
Too many fonts/styles → VRAM blasts. Solution: one MSDF pack, styles in shader.
Videophones without compression/pause → frame drops/heating. Solution: short cycles, low bitrate, stop when folding.
Random GC during win count. Solution: object pools, prewarm emitters.
Timing by frames instead of time → out of sync. Solution: bind to 'deltaTime '/timeline.
Too bright bloom → "soap." Solution: downsample chain + intensity limit.
Heavy post-effects on everyone. Solution: LOD/flags by device.
16) Graphic Release Checklist
Performance
- 60 FPS on references; peak frame
- Draw calls in the corridor; satin/material butching
- Overdraw not "red" on reels and UI
- Memory/VRAM on budget, no leaks
Assets
- Hash, Compression Atlases: ASTC/ETC2/BCn + fallback
- SDF/MSDF fonts, one set per project
- LOD versions of effects/background scenes
Animations/Timeline
- All key events - by marker, skip available
- Synchronized with audio/vibration
- Motion-reduced mode is activated
Tests
- Visual snapshots are green
- GPU/CPU profiles on the device matrix
- Load scenes (multi-win, multi-particle)
Distribution
- CDN warmed up, cache basting working
- Lazy-loading bonuses and heavy FX
- Bundle in limit, First Playable in target
Graphics in slots are a balance of aesthetics and engineering: shaders and effects for emotion, butching and compression for speed, timelines for controlled drama, accessibility for all players. Teams win when they design a data-driven visual, measure everything from draw calls to overdraw, keep bundles light and give the player "wow" without losing FPS and readability. This is how modern slots are born: beautiful, fast and honest.