I built a custom DX11 engine that lets you layer 70+ real-time shaders over your entire Windows desktop (Zero input lag, no game hooking)

Hey everyone,

I’ve been developing a real-time post-processing engine called Shade Elements, and it is finally live. It essentially transforms your entire Windows operating system, applications, and games into a living canvas.

The main goal was to build something insanely powerful but completely non-invasive. Instead of injecting into game files (which triggers aggressive anti-cheat software), Shade Elements uses a custom C++ DirectX 11 engine to operate entirely as a screen-space overlay. It hooks the display compositor directly, meaning you get zero input lag and zero ban risks.

Here is what the engine can do:

70+ Stackable Shaders: You aren't limited to one effect. You can stack a CRT curvature filter over a VHS tape glitch, add realistic Phosphor Burn-in, or drop an ASCII visualizer over your favorite game.
Window-Aware Technology: The engine actively reads your Z-order. You can use the Bokeh Depth of Field shader to automatically track your active foreground window, keeping it razor-sharp while blurring out your messy desktop behind it.
Temporal Memory: The pipeline utilizes history buffers, allowing for buttery-smooth Motion Blur or the ability to "Save State" a snapshot of your screen mid-render and composite it back into the pipeline later.
Live Customization: Every shader has real-time sliders (Intensity, Radius, Speed, etc.) that parse dynamically. Plus, global hotkeys let you kill the overlay instantly without tabbing out.

I would love for you to try it out and tear it apart. I’ve set it up so the first 100 downloads are completely free!

You can check it out and grab a copy here:https://compaces.itch.io/shade-elements

Let me know what you think of the tech, or if you have any requests for new shaders to add to the vault!

https://redd.it/1ua583u
@r_cpp