Learning Vulkan

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Setup
3. Examples
   • Hello World c++
   • Triangle
   • Demo ImGui

Introduction

Vulkan is a low-overhead, cross-platform 3D graphics and computing API. It provides high-efficiency, cross-platform access to modern GPUs used in a wide variety of devices from PCs and consoles to mobile phones and embedded platforms.

Setup

Installing Clang/LLVM and Vulkan on Windows

Clang/LLVM Installation

1. Download the installer from the official LLVM website.
2. Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.
3. Add LLVM to your system PATH:
   • Open the Start Menu and search for "Environment Variables".
   • Click on "Edit the system environment variables".
   • In the System Properties window, click on the "Environment Variables" button.
   • In the Environment Variables window, find the "Path" variable in the "System variables" section and click "Edit".
   • Click "New" and add the path to the LLVM bin directory (e.g., C:\Program Files\LLVM\bin).
   • Click "OK" to close all windows.

Vulkan SDK Installation

1. Download the Vulkan SDK from the LunarG Vulkan SDK website.
2. Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.
3. Add Vulkan SDK to your system PATH:
   • Open the Start Menu and search for "Environment Variables".
   • Click on "Edit the system environment variables".
   • In the System Properties window, click on the "Environment Variables" button.
   • In the Environment Variables window, find the "Path" variable in the "System variables" section and click "Edit".
   • Click "New" and add the path to the Vulkan SDK bin directory (e.g., C:\VulkanSDK\<version>\Bin).
   • Click "OK" to close all windows.

Running the Project using CMake

1. Open a terminal (Command Prompt or PowerShell).
2. Navigate to the project directory:
3. Create a build directory and navigate into it:

mkdir build
cd build

4. Run CMake to configure the project:

cmake ..

5. Build the project using CMake:

cmake --build .

6. Run the executable:

./executable/<example_name>.exe