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# Crafter.Graphics
Vulkan-based graphics library built around C++20 modules and the bindless
`VK_EXT_descriptor_heap` extension. Provides window management, ray
tracing, and a compute-shader-driven UI on a single, opinionated stack.
Vulkan + WebGPU graphics library built around C++20 modules and
bindless heaps. Provides window management, ray tracing, and a
compute-shader-driven UI on a single, opinionated stack. Native
builds use Vulkan with `VK_EXT_descriptor_heap`; `wasm32-*` builds
target the browser via WebGPU and a DOM window backend.
## Backends
Backends are chosen at build time by the target triple:
| Target | Window | Renderer | Shaders |
|---------------------|------------------------|---------------------|---------|
| native Linux | Wayland | Vulkan (heap-bound) | GLSL → SPIR-V |
| native Windows | Win32 | Vulkan (heap-bound) | GLSL → SPIR-V |
| `wasm32-*` (any) | DOM (canvas + JS env) | WebGPU | WGSL (loaded at runtime) |
The two backends share the same C++ surface for the high-level pieces
(`UIRenderer`, `Mesh`, `RenderingElement3D`, `RTPass`, item structs,
`FontAtlas`, `Image2D`, `ComputeShader`). Backend-typed pieces
(`*Vulkan` vs `*WebGPU`) live behind `#ifdef CRAFTER_GRAPHICS_WINDOW_DOM`.
Vulkan ray tracing is hardware (`VK_KHR_ray_tracing_pipeline`); WebGPU
ray tracing is a library-built software path (BVH + traceRay in a
compute pipeline composed from user-supplied WGSL stages).
## What's in here
- **Window** — Wayland and Win32 backends, swapchain ring, frame pacing,
input events. Pick a backend at build time via the target triple.
- **Device** — single-Vulkan-instance bring-up. The library targets
`VK_EXT_descriptor_heap` exclusively; pipelines are created with
- **Window** — Wayland, Win32, and DOM backends, swapchain ring / canvas
framing, input events. Pick a backend at build time via the target
triple. The DOM backend routes every dynamic symbol through
[additional/dom-env.js](additional/dom-env.js) and
[additional/dom-webgpu.js](additional/dom-webgpu.js).
- **Device** *(Vulkan only)* — single-instance bring-up targeting
`VK_EXT_descriptor_heap`; pipelines are created with
`VK_PIPELINE_CREATE_2_DESCRIPTOR_HEAP_BIT_EXT` so there are no
descriptor-set layouts and push constants travel via
`vkCmdPushDataEXT`.
- **DescriptorHeapVulkan** — bindless slot allocator. `AllocateImageSlots`
/ `AllocateBufferSlots` / `AllocateSamplerSlots`, with byte-offset
helpers for direct descriptor writes.
- **VulkanBuffer\<T, Mapped\>** — typed buffer with optional host mapping
and a `FlushDevice` that issues the right host-write barrier.
- **ImageVulkan\<Pixel\>** — image + staging buffer, mip-chain support,
one-shot uploads via a command buffer.
- **PipelineRTVulkan / ShaderBindingTableVulkan / RTPass** — ray-tracing
pipeline, SBT, and a `RenderPass` that dispatches it.
- **ComputeShader** — the Tier 1 wrapper used by the UI system. Loads a
`.spv`, builds a heap-bound compute pipeline, dispatches with
`vkCmdPushDataEXT`. Use it directly for any custom compute.
- **UI** — three-tier UI system; see below.
- **DescriptorHeapVulkan / DescriptorHeapWebGPU** — bindless slot
allocators. Vulkan side allocates image/buffer/sampler slots in a
`VK_EXT_descriptor_heap`; WebGPU side resolves slots to JS-side
handle-table cookies that the dispatch bridge binds per pass.
- **VulkanBuffer\<T, Mapped\> / WebGPUBuffer\<T\>** — typed buffer.
Vulkan variant has optional host mapping and a `FlushDevice` that
issues the right host-write barrier; WebGPU variant goes through
`queue.writeBuffer` over the JS bridge.
- **ImageVulkan\<Pixel\> / Image2D\<Pixel\> / Image2DArray\<Pixel\>**
image + staging buffer with mip-chain support on Vulkan; on WebGPU,
`rgba8unorm` 2D / 2D-array textures created and written via the
bridge. Atlas (`r8unorm`, sub-region writes) is a separate path.
- **PipelineRTVulkan / PipelineRTWebGPU / ShaderBindingTableVulkan /
ShaderBindingTableWebGPU / RTPass** — ray-tracing pipelines. Vulkan
uses native RT pipelines + SBTs; WebGPU composes one compute
pipeline by stitching the traversal library, a generated hit-group
switch, and the user's raygen / closesthit / miss / anyhit WGSL.
- **ComputeShader / WebGPUComputeShader** — Tier 1 wrapper used by the
UI system. Vulkan loads a `.spv` and dispatches with
`vkCmdPushDataEXT`; WebGPU loads a user-supplied `.wgsl` blob at
runtime via `wgpuLoadCustomShader`. Use it directly for any custom
compute.
- **UI** — three-tier UI system; see below. The standard shaders ship
as four `.spv` blobs on native and four WGSL strings baked into the
WebGPU dispatcher.
- **FontAtlas** — single-channel SDF atlas (1024×1024, 32pt base,
shelf-packed, lazy `Ensure` per codepoint, dirty-flush via `Update`).
Backend-agnostic.
- **Mesh / RenderingElement3D / Animation** — BLAS/TLAS construction
and 3D scene plumbing for the ray-tracing path.
and 3D scene plumbing. Vulkan calls `vkCmdBuildAccelerationStructures`;
WebGPU registers BLAS data (verts, idx, BVH nodes, primRemap, optional
per-vertex attribs) into global mesh heaps and builds the TLAS in a
library compute pass.
- **Clipboard / Input / Gamepad / Router / Dom** — input plumbing.
Gamepad uses libudev+libevdev on Linux and WGI on Windows; the DOM
backend exposes the host page DOM (`Dom::HtmlElement`) and a router
for hash-routed wasm apps.
## UI system (three tiers)
@ -78,27 +121,47 @@ The repository is built with `crafter-build` (a project-config based
build system; the project description lives in `project.cpp`):
```bash
crafter-build # build the library
crafter-build # native: Wayland on Linux, Win32 on Windows
crafter-build --target=wasm32-wasip1 # browser: DOM window + WebGPU renderer
crafter-build -r # build and run (in an example directory)
```
The build picks the window backend automatically: Wayland on Linux,
Win32 on Windows / mingw. Cross-compile via the standard `--target=...`
flag.
The build picks the window + renderer pair automatically from the
target triple: any `wasm32-*` triple flips to DOM + WebGPU (no Vulkan
loader linked), everything else stays on the native Vulkan path. Each
example with both backends ships GLSL *and* WGSL copies of its shaders
side-by-side (e.g. [raygen.glsl](examples/Sponza/raygen.glsl) +
[raygen.wgsl](examples/Sponza/raygen.wgsl)); `project.cpp` selects the
right set per target.
## Examples
See [examples/](examples/). Quick map:
- [HelloWindow](examples/HelloWindow/) — minimal window, no rendering.
- [VulkanTriangle](examples/VulkanTriangle/) — ray-traced triangle, the
smallest test of the bindless + ray-tracing path.
- [HelloWindow](examples/HelloWindow/) — minimal native window, no rendering.
- [HelloDom](examples/HelloDom/) — wasm-only smoke test of the DOM
partition: page-level events, `HtmlElement::CreateInBody`, and
`Router::PushState`-driven SPA navigation. No GPU work.
- [VulkanTriangle](examples/VulkanTriangle/) — ray-traced triangle on
both Vulkan and WebGPU. The smallest test of the bindless + RT path
on each backend.
- [Sponza](examples/Sponza/) — ray-traced Sponza atrium on both
backends. Exercises `.cmesh` / `.ctex` decompression (GPU
`VK_EXT_memory_decompression` on Vulkan, CPU on WebGPU) and a
textured closest-hit. See [its README](examples/Sponza/README.md)
for asset provenance.
- [HelloUI](examples/HelloUI/) — UI smoke test using all three tiers
(background quad, slider, progress bar, button with text label,
cursor-tracking circle).
- [CustomShader](examples/CustomShader/) — Tier 1 demo: a user-authored
compute shader inverting RGB under a list of item-circles, dispatched
alongside the standard `drawQuads`. The "could attempt #2 do this?" test.
alongside the standard `drawQuads`. Shipped as both
[`.comp.glsl`](examples/CustomShader/inverse-circle.comp.glsl) and
[`.comp.wgsl`](examples/CustomShader/inverse-circle.comp.wgsl).
- [Decompression](examples/Decompression/) — `Crafter::Compression`
CPU round-trip smoke test (used by the WebGPU asset path).
- [InputSystem](examples/InputSystem/) — keyboard / mouse / gamepad
event surface check.
## License