Version-sensitive. Every API name, SDK gate and browser-support claim below was verified on 2026-09-08 against primary sources. What against, and when, is in _jutsu/VERSIONS.md. If that date is old, re-verify before acting on a version number.

SwiftUI Graphics

Advanced SwiftUI visuals: Metal shaders, visual effects, Liquid Glass, Canvas. Loaded for advanced thesis (shaders, holographic, liquid-glass, distortion). Foundation: ../swiftui-motion/SKILL.md covers the basics. Concise rules here. Deep-dives in references/.

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Decision Tree: Which API?

Need	API
Pixel-level color manipulation	.colorEffect(ShaderLibrary....)
Pixel position / distortion	.distortionEffect(ShaderLibrary....)
Full layer with overlay (mix shader + bg)	.layerEffect(ShaderLibrary....)
View modifier with geometry context	.visualEffect { content, geometry in }
Custom drawing (paths, gradients)	Canvas { context, size in }
iOS 26+ glassmorphism	.glassEffect() / GlassEffectContainer
Performance dump	Canvas with .opaque(true) then export

Default order of escalation: built-in modifiers -> .visualEffect -> Canvas -> Metal shader. Reach for shaders only when the effect is per-pixel and animated.

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Metal Shaders Intro

SwiftUI binds to Metal Shading Language (MSL) via three modifiers shipped in iOS 17: .colorEffect, .distortionEffect, .layerEffect. You author a .metal file in your app target, mark functions with the [[ stitchable ]] attribute, and SwiftUI auto-generates the Swift binding via ShaderLibrary.<functionName>(...). One library per app target. Shaders run on the GPU at native resolution; arguments are passed as .float, .float2, .color, .image from Swift. Availability: iOS 17.0+, iPadOS 17.0+, Mac Catalyst 17.0+, macOS 14.0+, tvOS 17.0+, visionOS 1.0+ - not watchOS. Below those, fall back to gradients, blur, or Canvas.