Improve texture filtering by doing it in gamma space

crates/egui-wgpu/src/egui.wgsl

@@ -97,9 +97,8 @@ fn vs_main(
 
 @fragment
 fn fs_main_linear_framebuffer(in: VertexOutput) -> @location(0) vec4<f32> {
-    // We always have an sRGB aware texture at the moment.
-    let tex_linear = textureSample(r_tex_color, r_tex_sampler, in.tex_coord);
-    let tex_gamma = gamma_from_linear_rgba(tex_linear);
+    // We expect "normal" textures that are NOT sRGB-aware.
+    let tex_gamma = textureSample(r_tex_color, r_tex_sampler, in.tex_coord);
     var out_color_gamma = in.color * tex_gamma;
     // Dither the float color down to eight bits to reduce banding.
     // This step is optional for egui backends.
@@ -115,9 +114,8 @@ fn fs_main_linear_framebuffer(in: VertexOutput) -> @location(0) vec4<f32> {
 
 @fragment
 fn fs_main_gamma_framebuffer(in: VertexOutput) -> @location(0) vec4<f32> {
-    // We always have an sRGB aware texture at the moment.
-    let tex_linear = textureSample(r_tex_color, r_tex_sampler, in.tex_coord);
-    let tex_gamma = gamma_from_linear_rgba(tex_linear);
+    // We expect "normal" textures that are NOT sRGB-aware.
+    let tex_gamma = textureSample(r_tex_color, r_tex_sampler, in.tex_coord);
     var out_color_gamma = in.color * tex_gamma;
     // Dither the float color down to eight bits to reduce banding.
     // This step is optional for egui backends.

crates/egui-wgpu/src/renderer.rs

@@ -629,9 +629,9 @@ impl Renderer {
                     mip_level_count: 1,
                     sample_count: 1,
                     dimension: wgpu::TextureDimension::D2,
-                    format: wgpu::TextureFormat::Rgba8UnormSrgb, // Minspec for wgpu WebGL emulation is WebGL2, so this should always be supported.
+                    format: wgpu::TextureFormat::Rgba8Unorm,
                     usage: wgpu::TextureUsages::TEXTURE_BINDING | wgpu::TextureUsages::COPY_DST,
-                    view_formats: &[wgpu::TextureFormat::Rgba8UnormSrgb],
+                    view_formats: &[wgpu::TextureFormat::Rgba8Unorm],
                 })
             };
             let origin = wgpu::Origin3d::ZERO;
@@ -690,7 +690,7 @@ impl Renderer {
     ///
     /// This enables the application to reference the texture inside an image ui element.
     /// This effectively enables off-screen rendering inside the egui UI. Texture must have
-    /// the texture format [`wgpu::TextureFormat::Rgba8UnormSrgb`].
+    /// the texture format [`wgpu::TextureFormat::Rgba8Unorm`].
     pub fn register_native_texture(
         &mut self,
         device: &wgpu::Device,
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ impl Renderer {
     /// This allows applications to specify individual minification/magnification filters as well as
     /// custom mipmap and tiling options.
     ///
-    /// The texture must have the format [`wgpu::TextureFormat::Rgba8UnormSrgb`].
+    /// The texture must have the format [`wgpu::TextureFormat::Rgba8Unorm`].
     /// Any compare function supplied in the [`wgpu::SamplerDescriptor`] will be ignored.
     #[expect(clippy::needless_pass_by_value)] // false positive
     pub fn register_native_texture_with_sampler_options(

crates/egui/src/lib.rs

@@ -161,12 +161,10 @@
 //!
 //! * egui uses premultiplied alpha, so make sure your blending function is `(ONE, ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA)`.
 //! * Make sure your texture sampler is clamped (`GL_CLAMP_TO_EDGE`).
-//! * egui prefers linear color spaces for all blending so:
-//!   * Use an sRGBA-aware texture if available (e.g. `GL_SRGB8_ALPHA8`).
-//!     * Otherwise: remember to decode gamma in the fragment shader.
-//!   * Decode the gamma of the incoming vertex colors in your vertex shader.
-//!   * Turn on sRGBA/linear framebuffer if available (`GL_FRAMEBUFFER_SRGB`).
-//!     * Otherwise: gamma-encode the colors before you write them again.
+//! * egui prefers gamma color spaces for all blending so:
+//!   * Do NOT use an sRGBA-aware texture (NOT `GL_SRGB8_ALPHA8`).
+//!   * Multiply texture and vertex colors in gamma space
+//!   * Turn OFF sRGBA/gamma framebuffer (NO `GL_FRAMEBUFFER_SRGB`).
 //!
 //!
 //! # Understanding immediate mode

crates/egui_demo_lib/src/rendering_test.rs

@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ impl ColorTest {
         ui.separator();
 
         // TODO(emilk): test color multiplication (image tint),
-        // to make sure vertex and texture color multiplication is done in linear space.
+        // to make sure vertex and texture color multiplication is done in gamma space.
 
         ui.label("Gamma interpolation:");
         self.show_gradients(ui, WHITE, (RED, GREEN), Interpolation::Gamma);
@@ -191,8 +191,8 @@ impl ColorTest {
 
         ui.separator();
 
-        ui.label("Linear interpolation (texture sampling):");
-        self.show_gradients(ui, WHITE, (RED, GREEN), Interpolation::Linear);
+        ui.label("Texture interpolation (texture sampling) should be in gamma space:");
+        self.show_gradients(ui, WHITE, (RED, GREEN), Interpolation::Gamma);
     }
 
     fn show_gradients(
@@ -245,11 +245,10 @@ impl ColorTest {
             let g = Gradient::endpoints(left, right);
 
             match interpolation {
-                Interpolation::Linear => {
-                    // texture sampler is sRGBA aware, and should therefore be linear
-                    self.tex_gradient(ui, "Texture of width 2 (test texture sampler)", bg_fill, &g);
-                }
+                Interpolation::Linear => {}
                 Interpolation::Gamma => {
+                    self.tex_gradient(ui, "Texture of width 2 (test texture sampler)", bg_fill, &g);
+
                     // vertex shader uses gamma
                     self.vertex_gradient(
                         ui,
@@ -330,7 +329,10 @@ fn vertex_gradient(ui: &mut Ui, bg_fill: Color32, gradient: &Gradient) -> Respon
 
 #[derive(Clone, Copy)]
 enum Interpolation {
+    /// egui used to want Linear interpolation for some things, but now we're always in gamma space.
+    #[expect(unused)]
     Linear,
+
     Gamma,
 }
 

crates/egui_glow/src/painter.rs

@@ -172,12 +172,7 @@ impl Painter {
 
         let supported_extensions = gl.supported_extensions();
         log::trace!("OpenGL extensions: {supported_extensions:?}");
-        let srgb_textures = shader_version == ShaderVersion::Es300 // WebGL2 always support sRGB
-            || supported_extensions.iter().any(|extension| {
-                // EXT_sRGB, GL_ARB_framebuffer_sRGB, GL_EXT_sRGB, GL_EXT_texture_sRGB_decode, …
-                extension.contains("sRGB")
-            });
-        log::debug!("SRGB texture Support: {:?}", srgb_textures);
+        let srgb_textures = false; // egui wants normal sRGB-unaware textures
 
         let supports_srgb_framebuffer = !cfg!(target_arch = "wasm32")
             && supported_extensions.iter().any(|extension| {
@@ -202,11 +197,10 @@ impl Painter {
                 &gl,
                 glow::FRAGMENT_SHADER,
                 &format!(
-                    "{}\n#define NEW_SHADER_INTERFACE {}\n#define DITHERING {}\n#define SRGB_TEXTURES {}\n{}\n{}",
+                    "{}\n#define NEW_SHADER_INTERFACE {}\n#define DITHERING {}\n{}\n{}",
                     shader_version_declaration,
                     shader_version.is_new_shader_interface() as i32,
                     dithering as i32,
-                    srgb_textures as i32,
                     shader_prefix,
                     FRAG_SRC
                 ),

crates/egui_glow/src/shader/fragment.glsl

@@ -43,25 +43,8 @@ vec3 dither_interleaved(vec3 rgb, float levels) {
     return rgb + noise / (levels - 1.0);
 }
 
-// 0-1 sRGB gamma  from  0-1 linear
-vec3 srgb_gamma_from_linear(vec3 rgb) {
-    bvec3 cutoff = lessThan(rgb, vec3(0.0031308));
-    vec3 lower = rgb * vec3(12.92);
-    vec3 higher = vec3(1.055) * pow(rgb, vec3(1.0 / 2.4)) - vec3(0.055);
-    return mix(higher, lower, vec3(cutoff));
-}
-
-// 0-1 sRGBA gamma  from  0-1 linear
-vec4 srgba_gamma_from_linear(vec4 rgba) {
-    return vec4(srgb_gamma_from_linear(rgba.rgb), rgba.a);
-}
-
 void main() {
-#if SRGB_TEXTURES
-    vec4 texture_in_gamma = srgba_gamma_from_linear(texture2D(u_sampler, v_tc));
-#else
     vec4 texture_in_gamma = texture2D(u_sampler, v_tc);
-#endif
 
     // We multiply the colors in gamma space, because that's the only way to get text to look right.
     vec4 frag_color_gamma = v_rgba_in_gamma * texture_in_gamma;