C Specification

The VkWriteDescriptorSet structure is defined as:

// Provided by VK_VERSION_1_0
typedef struct VkWriteDescriptorSet {
    VkStructureType                  sType;
    const void*                      pNext;
    VkDescriptorSet                  dstSet;
    uint32_t                         dstBinding;
    uint32_t                         dstArrayElement;
    uint32_t                         descriptorCount;
    VkDescriptorType                 descriptorType;
    const VkDescriptorImageInfo*     pImageInfo;
    const VkDescriptorBufferInfo*    pBufferInfo;
    const VkBufferView*              pTexelBufferView;
} VkWriteDescriptorSet;

Members

  • sType is the type of this structure.

  • pNext is NULL or a pointer to a structure extending this structure.

  • dstSet is the destination descriptor set to update.

  • dstBinding is the descriptor binding within that set.

  • dstArrayElement is the starting element in that array. If the descriptor binding identified by dstSet and dstBinding has a descriptor type of VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INLINE_UNIFORM_BLOCK_EXT then dstArrayElement specifies the starting byte offset within the binding.

  • descriptorCount is the number of descriptors to update (the number of elements in pImageInfo, pBufferInfo, or pTexelBufferView , or a value matching the dataSize member of a VkWriteDescriptorSetInlineUniformBlockEXT structure in the pNext chain , or a value matching the accelerationStructureCount of a VkWriteDescriptorSetAccelerationStructureKHR structure in the pNext chain ). If the descriptor binding identified by dstSet and dstBinding has a descriptor type of VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INLINE_UNIFORM_BLOCK_EXT then descriptorCount specifies the number of bytes to update.

  • descriptorType is a VkDescriptorType specifying the type of each descriptor in pImageInfo, pBufferInfo, or pTexelBufferView, as described below. It must be the same type as that specified in VkDescriptorSetLayoutBinding for dstSet at dstBinding. The type of the descriptor also controls which array the descriptors are taken from.

  • pImageInfo is a pointer to an array of VkDescriptorImageInfo structures or is ignored, as described below.

  • pBufferInfo is a pointer to an array of VkDescriptorBufferInfo structures or is ignored, as described below.

  • pTexelBufferView is a pointer to an array of VkBufferView handles as described in the Buffer Views section or is ignored, as described below.

Description

Only one of pImageInfo, pBufferInfo, or pTexelBufferView members is used according to the descriptor type specified in the descriptorType member of the containing VkWriteDescriptorSet structure, or none of them in case descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INLINE_UNIFORM_BLOCK_EXT, in which case the source data for the descriptor writes is taken from the VkWriteDescriptorSetInlineUniformBlockEXT structure included in the pNext chain of VkWriteDescriptorSet, or if descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_ACCELERATION_STRUCTURE_KHR, in which case the source data for the descriptor writes is taken from the VkWriteDescriptorSetAccelerationStructureKHR structure in the pNext chain of VkWriteDescriptorSet, as specified below.

If the nullDescriptor feature is enabled, the buffer, imageView, or bufferView can be VK_NULL_HANDLE. Loads from a null descriptor return zero values and stores and atomics to a null descriptor are discarded.

If the dstBinding has fewer than descriptorCount array elements remaining starting from dstArrayElement, then the remainder will be used to update the subsequent binding - dstBinding+1 starting at array element zero. If a binding has a descriptorCount of zero, it is skipped. This behavior applies recursively, with the update affecting consecutive bindings as needed to update all descriptorCount descriptors.

Note

The same behavior applies to bindings with a descriptor type of VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INLINE_UNIFORM_BLOCK_EXT where descriptorCount specifies the number of bytes to update while dstArrayElement specifies the starting byte offset, thus in this case if the dstBinding has a smaller byte size than the sum of dstArrayElement and descriptorCount, then the remainder will be used to update the subsequent binding - dstBinding+1 starting at offset zero. This falls out as a special case of the above rule.
Valid Usage

  • dstBinding must be less than or equal to the maximum value of binding of all VkDescriptorSetLayoutBinding structures specified when dstSet’s descriptor set layout was created

  • dstBinding must be a binding with a non-zero descriptorCount

  • All consecutive bindings updated via a single VkWriteDescriptorSet structure, except those with a descriptorCount of zero, must have identical descriptorType and stageFlags

  • All consecutive bindings updated via a single VkWriteDescriptorSet structure, except those with a descriptorCount of zero, must all either use immutable samplers or must all not use immutable samplers

  • descriptorType must match the type of dstBinding within dstSet

  • dstSet must be a valid VkDescriptorSet handle

  • The sum of dstArrayElement and descriptorCount must be less than or equal to the number of array elements in the descriptor set binding specified by dstBinding, and all applicable consecutive bindings, as described by https://www.khronos.org/registry/vulkan/specs/1.2-extensions/html/vkspec.html#descriptorsets-updates-consecutive

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INLINE_UNIFORM_BLOCK_EXT, dstArrayElement must be an integer multiple of 4

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INLINE_UNIFORM_BLOCK_EXT, descriptorCount must be an integer multiple of 4

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLER, VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER, VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLED_IMAGE, VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_IMAGE, or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT, pImageInfo must be a valid pointer to an array of descriptorCount valid VkDescriptorImageInfo structures

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_TEXEL_BUFFER or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_TEXEL_BUFFER, each element of pTexelBufferView must be either a valid VkBufferView handle or VK_NULL_HANDLE

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_TEXEL_BUFFER or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_TEXEL_BUFFER and the nullDescriptor feature is not enabled, each element of pTexelBufferView must not be VK_NULL_HANDLE

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER, VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER, VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER_DYNAMIC, or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER_DYNAMIC, pBufferInfo must be a valid pointer to an array of descriptorCount valid VkDescriptorBufferInfo structures

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLER or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER, and dstSet was not allocated with a layout that included immutable samplers for dstBinding with descriptorType, the sampler member of each element of pImageInfo must be a valid VkSampler object

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER, VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLED_IMAGE, VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_IMAGE, or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT, the imageView member of each element of pImageInfo must be either a valid VkImageView handle or VK_NULL_HANDLE

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER, VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLED_IMAGE, VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_IMAGE, or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT and the nullDescriptor feature is not enabled, the imageView member of each element of pImageInfo must not be VK_NULL_HANDLE

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INLINE_UNIFORM_BLOCK_EXT, the pNext chain must include a VkWriteDescriptorSetInlineUniformBlockEXT structure whose dataSize member equals descriptorCount

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_ACCELERATION_STRUCTURE_KHR, the pNext chain must include a VkWriteDescriptorSetAccelerationStructureKHR structure whose accelerationStructureCount member equals descriptorCount

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLED_IMAGE, then the imageView member of each pImageInfo element must have been created without a VkSamplerYcbcrConversionInfo structure in its pNext chain

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER, and if any element of pImageInfo has a imageView member that was created with a VkSamplerYcbcrConversionInfo structure in its pNext chain, then dstSet must have been allocated with a layout that included immutable samplers for dstBinding, and the corresponding immutable sampler must have been created with an identically defined VkSamplerYcbcrConversionInfo object

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER, and dstSet was allocated with a layout that included immutable samplers for dstBinding, then the imageView member of each element of pImageInfo which corresponds to an immutable sampler that enables sampler Y′CBCR conversion must have been created with a VkSamplerYcbcrConversionInfo structure in its pNext chain with an identically defined VkSamplerYcbcrConversionInfo to the corresponding immutable sampler

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_IMAGE, for each descriptor that will be accessed via load or store operations the imageLayout member for corresponding elements of pImageInfo must be VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_GENERAL

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER_DYNAMIC, the offset member of each element of pBufferInfo must be a multiple of VkPhysicalDeviceLimits::minUniformBufferOffsetAlignment

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER_DYNAMIC, the offset member of each element of pBufferInfo must be a multiple of VkPhysicalDeviceLimits::minStorageBufferOffsetAlignment

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER, VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER_DYNAMIC, VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER, or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER_DYNAMIC, and the buffer member of any element of pBufferInfo is the handle of a non-sparse buffer, then that buffer must be bound completely and contiguously to a single VkDeviceMemory object

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER_DYNAMIC, the buffer member of each element of pBufferInfo must have been created with VK_BUFFER_USAGE_UNIFORM_BUFFER_BIT set

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER_DYNAMIC, the buffer member of each element of pBufferInfo must have been created with VK_BUFFER_USAGE_STORAGE_BUFFER_BIT set

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_BUFFER_DYNAMIC, the range member of each element of pBufferInfo, or the effective range if range is VK_WHOLE_SIZE, must be less than or equal to VkPhysicalDeviceLimits::maxUniformBufferRange

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_BUFFER_DYNAMIC, the range member of each element of pBufferInfo, or the effective range if range is VK_WHOLE_SIZE, must be less than or equal to VkPhysicalDeviceLimits::maxStorageBufferRange

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_UNIFORM_TEXEL_BUFFER, the VkBuffer that each element of pTexelBufferView was created from must have been created with VK_BUFFER_USAGE_UNIFORM_TEXEL_BUFFER_BIT set

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_TEXEL_BUFFER, the VkBuffer that each element of pTexelBufferView was created from must have been created with VK_BUFFER_USAGE_STORAGE_TEXEL_BUFFER_BIT set

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_IMAGE or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT, the imageView member of each element of pImageInfo must have been created with the identity swizzle

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLED_IMAGE or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER, the imageView member of each element of pImageInfo must have been created with VK_IMAGE_USAGE_SAMPLED_BIT set

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLED_IMAGE or VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER, the imageLayout member of each element of pImageInfo must be a member of the list given in Sampled Image or Combined Image Sampler, corresponding to its type

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT, the imageView member of each element of pImageInfo must have been created with VK_IMAGE_USAGE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT_BIT set

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_STORAGE_IMAGE, the imageView member of each element of pImageInfo must have been created with VK_IMAGE_USAGE_STORAGE_BIT set

  • All consecutive bindings updated via a single VkWriteDescriptorSet structure, except those with a descriptorCount of zero, must have identical VkDescriptorBindingFlagBits

  • If descriptorType is VK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPE_SAMPLER, then dstSet must not have been allocated with a layout that included immutable samplers for dstBinding

Valid Usage (Implicit)

  • sType must be VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_WRITE_DESCRIPTOR_SET

  • Each pNext member of any structure (including this one) in the pNext chain must be either NULL or a pointer to a valid instance of VkWriteDescriptorSetAccelerationStructureKHR or VkWriteDescriptorSetInlineUniformBlockEXT

  • The sType value of each struct in the pNext chain must be unique

  • descriptorType must be a valid VkDescriptorType value

  • descriptorCount must be greater than 0

  • Both of dstSet, and the elements of pTexelBufferView that are valid handles of non-ignored parameters must have been created, allocated, or retrieved from the same VkDevice

See Also

VkBufferView, VkDescriptorBufferInfo, VkDescriptorImageInfo, VkDescriptorSet, VkDescriptorType, VkStructureType, vkCmdPushDescriptorSetKHR, vkUpdateDescriptorSets

Document Notes

For more information, see the Vulkan Specification

This page is extracted from the Vulkan Specification. Fixes and changes should be made to the Specification, not directly.

Copyright

Copyright (c) 2014-2020 The Khronos Group Inc.

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0