Name

    ARB_draw_indirect

Name Strings

    GL_ARB_draw_indirect

Contact

    Jeff Bolz, NVIDIA Corporation (jbolz 'at' nvidia.com)
    Pat Brown, NVIDIA Corporation (pbrown 'at' nvidia.com)

Contributors

    Barthold Lichtenbelt, NVIDIA
    Bill Licea-Kane, AMD
    Bruce Merry, ARM
    Graham Sellers, AMD
    Greg Roth, NVIDIA
    Nick Haemel, AMD
    Pierre Boudier, AMD
    Piers Daniell, NVIDIA

Notice

    Copyright (c) 2010-2013 The Khronos Group Inc. Copyright terms at
        http://www.khronos.org/registry/speccopyright.html

Specification Update Policy

    Khronos-approved extension specifications are updated in response to
    issues and bugs prioritized by the Khronos OpenGL Working Group. For
    extensions which have been promoted to a core Specification, fixes will
    first appear in the latest version of that core Specification, and will
    eventually be backported to the extension document. This policy is
    described in more detail at
        https://www.khronos.org/registry/OpenGL/docs/update_policy.php

Status

    Complete. Approved by the ARB at the 2010/01/22 F2F meeting.
    Approved by the Khronos Board of Promoters on March 10, 2010.

Version

    Last Modified Date:         09/17/2012
    Revision:                   7

Number

    ARB Extension #87

Dependencies

    OpenGL 3.1 is required.

    This extension is written against the OpenGL 3.2 specification with 
    the Compatibility Profile.

    This extension interacts with NV_vertex_buffer_unified_memory.

    This extension interacts with ARB_instanced_arrays.

    This extension interacts with ARB_compatibility.

Overview

    This extension provides a mechanism for supplying the arguments to a 
    DrawArraysInstanced or DrawElementsInstancedBaseVertex from buffer object
    memory. This is not particularly useful for applications where the CPU 
    knows the values of the arguments beforehand, but is helpful when the 
    values will be generated on the GPU through any mechanism that can write
    to a buffer object including image stores, atomic counters, or compute
    interop. This allows the GPU to consume these arguments without a round-
    trip to the CPU or the expensive synchronization that would involve. This
    is similar to the DrawTransformFeedbackEXT command from 
    EXT_transform_feedback2, but offers much more flexibility in both 
    generating the arguments and in the type of Draws that can be accomplished.

IP Status

    No known IP claims.

New Procedures and Functions

    void DrawArraysIndirect(enum mode, const void *indirect);
    void DrawElementsIndirect(enum mode, enum type, const void *indirect);

New Tokens

    Accepted by the <target> parameters of BindBuffer, BufferData,
    BufferSubData, MapBuffer, UnmapBuffer, GetBufferSubData,
    GetBufferPointerv, MapBufferRange, FlushMappedBufferRange,
    GetBufferParameteriv, and CopyBufferSubData:

        DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER                            0x8F3F

    Accepted by the <value> parameter of GetIntegerv, GetBooleanv, GetFloatv,
    and GetDoublev:

        DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER_BINDING                    0x8F43

Additions to Chapter 2 of the OpenGL 3.2 Specification (OpenGL Operation)

    Add to Section 2.8.1 p. 40 (Drawing Commands)

    The command

        DrawArraysIndirect(enum mode, const void *indirect);

    behaves as follows:

        typedef struct {
          GLuint count;
          GLuint primCount;
          GLuint first;
          GLuint reservedMustBeZero;
        } DrawArraysIndirectCommand;

        if (mode is invalid) {
            generate appropriate error
        } else {
            DrawArraysIndirectCommand *cmd = (DrawArraysIndirectCommand *)indirect;
            DrawArraysInstanced(mode, cmd->first, cmd->count, cmd->primCount);
        }

    As with regular DrawArraysInstanced commands, the vertex attributes 
    may be sourced from client arrays or vertex buffer objects (if buffers 
    are bound). Unlike regular DrawArraysInstanced commands, the <first>
    argument is unsigned and cannot cause an error. The results are undefined
    if <reservedMustBeZero> is non-zero and may not result in program
    termination.

    The command

        DrawElementsIndirect(enum mode, enum type, const void *indirect);

    behaves as follows:

        typedef struct {
          GLuint count;
          GLuint primCount;
          GLuint firstIndex;
          GLint  baseVertex;
          GLuint reservedMustBeZero;
        } DrawElementsIndirectCommand;

        if (mode or type is invalid, or no index buffer) {
            generate appropriate error
        } else {
            DrawElementsIndirectCommand *cmd = (DrawElementsIndirectCommand *)indirect;

            DrawElementsInstancedBaseVertex(mode, cmd->count, type,
                cmd->firstIndex * size-of-type, cmd->primCount, cmd->baseVertex);
        }

    As with regular DrawElementsInstancedBaseVertex commands, the vertex 
    attributes may be sourced from client arrays or vertex buffer objects 
    (if objects are bound). Unlike regular DrawElementsInstancedBaseVertex 
    commands, the indices may not come from a client array and must come from 
    an index buffer. If no element array buffer is bound, an INVALID_OPERATION 
    error is generated. The results are undefined if <reservedMustBeZero> is
    non-zero and may not result in program termination.

    All elements of DrawArraysIndirectCommand and 
    DrawElementsIndirectCommand are 32bit values, and both structures are
    tightly packed.

    Add to Section 2.9 (Buffer Objects)

    Add to Table 2.7 (p. 48):

    Target name                 Purpose                 Described in sections(s)
    -----------------------     ----------              -------------------------
    DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER        Indirect draw commands  2.9.9

    Add a new Section 2.9.9 (Indirect Commands in Buffer Objects)

    Arguments to DrawArraysIndirect and DrawElementsIndirect commands 
    may be stored in buffer objects.

    Initially zero is bound to DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER. In the
    compatibility profile, this indicates that DrawArraysIndirect and
    DrawElementsIndirect are to source their arguments directly from the 
    pointer passed as their <indirect> parameters. In the core profile,
    an INVALID_OPERATION error is generated if zero is bound to
    DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER and DrawArraysIndirect or DrawElementsIndirect
    is called.

    A buffer object is bound to DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER by calling 
    BindBuffer with <target> set to DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER, and <buffer>
    set to the name of the buffer object. If no corresponding buffer 
    object exists, one is initialized as defined in section 2.9.

    While a non-zero buffer object name is bound to DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER,
    DrawArraysIndirect and DrawElementsIndirect source their arguments
    from that buffer object, using their <indirect> parameters as offsets
    into the buffer object in the same fashion as described in section 2.9.3.
    An INVALID_OPERATION error is generated if the commands source data
    beyond the end of the buffer object or if <indirect> is not word aligned.

Additions to Chapter 3 of the OpenGL 3.2 Specification (Rasterization)

    None.

Additions to Chapter 4 of the OpenGL 3.2 Specification (Per-Fragment
Operations and the Frame Buffer)

    None.

Additions to Chapter 5 of the OpenGL 3.2 Specification (Special Functions)

    None.

Additions to Chapter 6 of the OpenGL 3.2 Specification (State and
State Requests)

    None.

Additions to Appendix A of the OpenGL 3.2 Specification (Invariance)

    None.

Additions to the AGL/GLX/WGL Specifications

    None.

GLX Protocol

    TBD.

Errors

    INVALID_ENUM is generated by DrawArraysIndirect/DrawElementsIndirect
    if <mode> is not a valid begin mode.

    INVALID_ENUM is generated by DrawElementsIndirect if <type> is not 
    one of UNSIGNED_BYTE, UNSIGNED_SHORT, or UNSIGNED_INT.

    INVALID_OPERATION is generated by DrawElementsIndirect if no buffer 
    is bound to ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER.

    INVALID_OPERATION is generated by DrawArraysIndirect and
    DrawElementsIndirect if zero is bound to DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER and if
    the OpenGL context implements the core profile.

    INVALID_OPERATION is generated by DrawArraysIndirect and
    DrawElementsIndirect if commands source data beyond the end of a buffer
    object or if <indirect> is not word aligned.

New State

    Update Table 6.11, p. 405 (Vertex Array Data not in Vertex Array objects)

    Get Value                           Type    Get Command         Initial Value   Sec     Attribute
    ---------                           ----    -----------         -------------   ---     ---------
    DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER_BINDING         Z+     GetIntegerv               0         2.9     none

New Implementation Dependent State

    None.

Dependencies on NV_vertex_buffer_unified_memory

    If NV_vertex_buffer_unified_memory is supported, the following additional
    edits are required:
        
    Accepted by the <cap> parameter of GetBufferParameterui64vNV:

        DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER.

    Accepted by the <cap> parameter of DisableClientState, 
    EnableClientState, IsEnabled:

        DRAW_INDIRECT_UNIFIED_NV                        0x8F40

    Accepted by the <pname> parameter of BufferAddressRangeNV 
    and the <value> parameter of GetIntegerui64vNV: 

        DRAW_INDIRECT_ADDRESS_NV                        0x8F41

    Accepted by the <value> parameter of GetIntegerv:

        DRAW_INDIRECT_LENGTH_NV                         0x8F42

    In Section 2.8.1, mention that vertex attributes and indices may be 
    sourced from GPU addresses if VERTEX_ATTRIB_ARRAY_UNIFIED_NV/
    ELEMENT_ARRAY_UNIFIED_NV are enabled.

    Add to Section 2.9:

    While DRAW_INDIRECT_UNIFIED_NV is enabled, DrawArraysIndirect and 
    DrawElementsIndirect, source their arguments from the address 
    specified by the command BufferAddressRange where <pname> is 
    DRAW_INDIRECT_ADDRESS_NV and <index> is zero, added to the <indirect> 
    parameter. If the commands source data beyond and including (<address>
    + <length>), an INVALID_OPERATION error will be generated. If the draw
    indirect address range does not belong to a buffer object that is 
    resident at the time of the Draw, undefined results, possibly 
    including program termination, may occur.

    INVALID_OPERATION is generated by DrawElementsIndirect if no buffer 
    is bound to ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER and DRAW_INDIRECT_UNIFIED_NV is 
    disabled.

    INVALID_OPERATION is generated by DrawArraysIndirect and 
    DrawElementsIndirect if DRAW_INDIRECT_UNIFIED_NV is enabled and
    commands source data beyond and including (address + length).

    Update Table 6.11:

    Get Value                           Type    Get Command         Initial Value   Sec     Attribute
    ---------                           ----    -----------         -------------   ---     ---------
    DRAW_INDIRECT_UNIFIED_NV             B      IsEnabled               FALSE       2.9     none
    DRAW_INDIRECT_ADDRESS_NV            Z64+    GetIntegerui64vNV         0         2.9     none
    DRAW_INDIRECT_LENGTH_NV              Z+     GetIntegerv               0         2.9     none

Dependencies on NV_vertex_buffer_unified_memory and ARB_compatibility

    If the context version is greater than 3.0 and does not include 
    ARB_compatibility functionality, then EnableClientState and 
    DisableClientState have been deprecated and removed. This extension
    adds back those commands if NV_vertex_buffer_unified_memory is supported, 
    but only requires that they accept the DRAW_INDIRECT_UNIFIED_NV token.

Dependencies on ARB_compatibility

    When the ARB_compatibility extension is not supported, client arrays
    cannot be used to source vertex attribute data.

Dependencies on ARB_instanced_arrays

    This extension does not require ARB_instanced_arrays, but reserves 
    space in the Command structures such that a future extension could
    add a "firstInstance" member which would initialize the instance 
    counter used for computing which vertex attrib array element to use.
    Note that ARB_instanced_arrays does not currently support 
    "firstInstance", it only has a frequency divider.

Issues

    (1) What is this good for? 
    
    RESOLVED: Compute interoperability. Recirculating results written via
    image stores or atomic counters.

    (2) Should we allow indirect draws from client memory?  Should we have a 
    buffer object binding for this?

    RESOLVED: YES. Although, using client vertex arrays would somewhat defeat 
    the purpose of this extension. Note that this issue only applies to 
    implementations supporting the ARB_compatibility extension. 

    One non-obvious restriction is that DrawElementsIndirect doesn't accept
    an <indices> parameter, so an index buffer is required.    

    (3) How do we specify the index size for DrawElements calls?

    RESOLVED: Passed into the command, not pulled out of the struct.

    (4) For DrawElements calls, in what unit are the offsets into the index
    buffer.

    RESOLVED: In indices, not in bytes.

    (5) Should the new state be part of the VAO?

    RESOLVED: No. 

    (6) Should gl.h/glext.h provide structure definitions?

    RESOLVED. No. It is not possible to define the structures in such a way
    that all compilers would pack them correctly.

Revision History

    Rev.    Date    Author    Changes
    ----  --------  --------  ------------------------------------------------
     7   09/17/2012 Jon Leech Remove BindBufferRange/Base from commands for
                              which DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER is a valid target
                              (Bug 7794).

     6   03/07/2012 Jon Leech Add missing error when no indirect buffer is
                              bound and the indirect draw commands are
                              called (Bug 7211).

     5   12/07/2009 pdaniell  Remove ARB suffix from new tokens for core spec.

     4   10/29/2009 pdaniell  Convert to ARB.

     3   10/21/2009 pdaniell  Minor edits based on Bruce's feedback. Added
                              full list of Get* calls for new
                              DRAW_INDIRECT_BUFFER_BINDING_EXT token.
                              Specified behavior when reservedMustBeZero is
                              non-zero. Added INVALID_VALUE error when
                              <indirect> is not a multiple of GLuint.

     2              jbolz     Internal revisions.

     1              pbrown    Internal revisions.