remotion-dev/remotion · critical · Error

Failed to create WebGL shader

Error message

Failed to create WebGL shader

What it means

Thrown by compileShader (packages/effects/src/paper.ts:657) when gl.createShader(type) returns null while compiling PAPER_VS or PAPER_FS. As with the other null GL-object returns, it indicates a lost WebGL2 context or exhausted shader-object budget; the shader source is not the cause at this line.

Source

Thrown at packages/effects/src/paper.ts:657

	vec3 paperTone = mix(backRgb, frontRgb, clamp(res, 0.0, 1.0));
	vec3 texturedRgb = displacedRgb * (0.72 + 0.42 * res);
	texturedRgb = mix(texturedRgb, texturedRgb * paperTone, 0.65);
	texturedRgb -= 0.007 * dropPattern;
	texturedRgb = mix(sourceRgb, texturedRgb, frame);

	vec3 finalRgb = mix(sourceRgb, clamp(texturedRgb, 0.0, 1.0), uAmount);
	fragColor = vec4(finalRgb * sourceAlpha, sourceAlpha);
}
`;

const compileShader = (
	gl: WebGL2RenderingContext,
	type: number,
	source: string,
): WebGLShader => {
	const shader = gl.createShader(type);
	if (!shader) {
		throw new Error('Failed to create WebGL shader');
	}

	gl.shaderSource(shader, source);
	gl.compileShader(shader);
	if (!gl.getShaderParameter(shader, gl.COMPILE_STATUS)) {
		const log = gl.getShaderInfoLog(shader);
		gl.deleteShader(shader);
		throw new Error(`Paper shader compile failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}`);
	}

	return shader;
};

const linkProgram = (
	gl: WebGL2RenderingContext,
	vs: WebGLShader,
	fs: WebGLShader,
): WebGLProgram => {

View on GitHub (pinned to 78fe4bb3fd)

Solutions

1. Render on a GPU host with WebGL enabled in headless Chrome.
2. Handle 'webglcontextlost' and re-run setup after 'webglcontextrestored'.
3. Reduce concurrent WebGL2 effects so the shader budget is not exhausted.

Example fix

// before
const fs = compileShader(gl, gl.FRAGMENT_SHADER, PAPER_FS); // createShader() returned null

// after
if (gl.isContextLost()) {
  throw new Error('WebGL2 context lost before paper setup');
}

function canCompilePaperShader(): boolean {
  try {
    const c = document.createElement('canvas');
    const gl = c.getContext('webgl2');
    if (!gl || gl.isContextLost()) return false;
    const s = gl.createShader(gl.VERTEX_SHADER);
    const ok = !!s;
    if (s) gl.deleteShader(s);
    return ok;
  } catch {
    return false;
  }
}

try {
  scene.push(paper({amount: 1}));
} catch (err) {
  if (/Failed to create WebGL shader/.test(String(err?.message))) {
    // context unhealthy: skip paper and retry after restore
  } else throw err;
}

When it happens

Trigger: setupPaper compiling shaders on a lost context or after too many live shaders; running the paper effect after a context loss that was not handled.

Common situations: GPU process crash mid-render; render host without usable WebGL2; heavy parallel renders exhausting GL objects.

Related errors

• Failed to create WebGL shader
• Paper shader compile failed: ${log ?? '(no log)'}
• Failed to create WebGL program
• Failed to create WebGL texture
• Failed to create WebGL noise texture

AI-assisted analysis of remotion-dev/remotion@78fe4bb3fd (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f955172027890e63. Report an issue: GitHub.