| <div align="center"> |
| |
| # Vello |
| |
| **An experimental GPU compute-centric 2D renderer** |
| |
| [](https://xi.zulipchat.com/#narrow/stream/197075-gpu) |
| [](https://deps.rs/repo/github/linebender/vello) |
| [](#license) |
| [](https://crates.io/crates/wgpu) |
| <!-- [](https://crates.io/crates/vello) --> |
| <!-- [](https://docs.rs/vello) --> |
| <!-- [](https://github.com/linebender/vello/actions) --> |
| |
| </div> |
| |
| Vello is a 2d graphics rendering engine, using [`wgpu`]. |
| It efficiently draws large 2d scenes with interactive or near-interactive performance. |
| |
| <!-- Impressive picture here --> |
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| It is used as the rendering backend for [Xilem], a UI toolkit. |
| |
| Quickstart to run an example program: |
| ```shell |
| cargo run -p with_winit |
| ``` |
| |
| ## Integrations |
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| ### SVG |
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| This repository also includes [`vello_svg`](./integrations/vello_svg/), which supports converting |
| a [`usvg`](https://crates.io/crates/usvg) `Tree` into a Vello scene. |
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| This is currently incomplete; see its crate level documentation for more information. |
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| This is used in the [winit](#winit) example for the SVG rendering. |
| |
| ## Examples |
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| Our examples are provided in separate packages in the [`examples`](examples) folder. |
| This allows them to have independent dependencies and faster builds. |
| Examples must be selected using the `--package` (or `-p`) Cargo flag. |
| |
| ### Winit |
| |
| Our [winit] example ([examples/with_winit](examples/with_winit)) demonstrates rendering to a [winit] window. |
| By default, this renders [GhostScript Tiger] all SVG files in [examples/assets/downloads](examples/assets/downloads) directory (using [`vello_svg`](#svg)). |
| A custom list of SVG file paths (and directories to render all SVG files from) can be provided as arguments instead. |
| It also includes a collection of test scenes showing the capabilities of `vello`, which can be shown with `--test-scenes`. |
| |
| ```shell |
| cargo run -p with_winit |
| ``` |
| |
| Some default test scenes can be downloaded from Wikimedia Commons using the `download` subcommand. |
| This also supports downloading from user-provided URLS. |
| |
| ```shell |
| cargo run -p with_winit -- download |
| ``` |
| |
| <!-- ### Headless --> |
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| ### Bevy |
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| The [Bevy] example ([examples/with_bevy](examples/with_bevy)) demonstrates using Vello within a [Bevy] application. |
| This currently draws to a [`wgpu`] `Texture` using `vello`, then uses that texture as the faces of a cube. |
| |
| ```shell |
| cargo run -p with_bevy |
| ``` |
| |
| ## Platforms |
| |
| We aim to target all environments which can support WebGPU with the [default limits](https://www.w3.org/TR/webgpu/#limits). |
| We defer to [`wgpu`] for this support. |
| Other platforms are more tricky, and may require special building/running procedures. |
| |
| ### Web |
| |
| Because Vello relies heavily on compute shaders, we rely on the emerging WebGPU standard to run on the web. |
| Until browser support becomes widespread, it will probably be necessary to use development browser versions (e.g. Chrome Canary) and explicitly enable WebGPU. |
| |
| The following command builds and runs a web version of the [winit demo](#winit). |
| This uses [`cargo-run-wasm`](https://github.com/rukai/cargo-run-wasm) to build the example for web, and host a local server for it |
| |
| ```shell |
| # Make sure the Rust toolchain supports the wasm32 target |
| rustup target add wasm32-unknown-unknown |
| |
| # The binary name must also be explicitly provided as it differs from the package name |
| cargo run_wasm -p with_winit --bin with_winit_bin |
| ``` |
| |
| > **Warning** |
| > The web is not currently a primary target for vello, and WebGPU implementations are incomplete, so you might run into issues running this example. |
| |
| ### Android |
| |
| The [`with_winit`](#winit) example supports running on Android, using [cargo apk](https://crates.io/crates/cargo-apk). |
| |
| ``` |
| cargo apk run -p with_winit |
| ``` |
| |
| > **Note** |
| > cargo apk doesn't support running in release mode without configuration. |
| > See [their crates page docs](https://crates.io/crates/cargo-apk) (around `package.metadata.android.signing.<profile>`). |
| > |
| > See also [cargo-apk#16](https://github.com/rust-mobile/cargo-apk/issues/16). |
| > To run in release mode, you must add the following to `examples/with_winit/Cargo.toml` (changing `$HOME` to your home directory): |
| |
| ``` |
| [package.metadata.android.signing.release] |
| path = "$HOME/.android/debug.keystore" |
| keystore_password = "android" |
| ``` |
| |
| ## Community |
| |
| [](https://xi.zulipchat.com/#narrow/stream/197075-gpu) |
| |
| Discussion of Vello development happens in the [Xi Zulip](https://xi.zulipchat.com/), specifically the [#gpu stream](https://xi.zulipchat.com/#narrow/stream/197075-gpu). All public content can be read without logging in |
| |
| ## Shader templating |
| |
| We implement a limited, simple preprocessor for our shaders, as wgsl has insufficient code-sharing for our needs. |
| |
| This implements only classes of statements. |
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| 1. `import`, which imports from `shader/shared` |
| 2. `ifdef`, `ifndef`, `else` and `endif`, as standard. |
| These must be at the start of their lines. |
| Note that there is no support for creating definitions in-shader, these are only specified externally (in `src/shaders.rs`). |
| Note also that this definitions cannot currently be used in-code (`import`s may be used instead) |
| |
| This format is compatible with [`wgsl-analyzer`], which we recommend using. |
| If you run into any issues, please report them on Zulip ([#gpu > wgsl-analyzer issues](https://xi.zulipchat.com/#narrow/stream/197075-gpu/topic/wgsl-analyzer.20issues)), and/or on the [`wgsl-analyzer`] issue tracker. |
| Note that new imports must currently be added to `.vscode/settings.json` for this support to work correctly. |
| `wgsl-analyzer` only supports imports in very few syntactic locations, so we limit their use to these places. |
| |
| ## GPU abstraction |
| |
| Our rendering code does not directly interact with `wgpu`. |
| Instead, we generate a `Recording`, a simple value type, then an `Engine` plays that recording to the actual GPU. |
| The only currently implemented `Engine` uses `wgpu`. |
| |
| The idea is that this can abstract easily over multiple GPU back-ends, without either the render logic needing to be polymorphic or having dynamic dispatch at the GPU abstraction. |
| The goal is to be more agile. |
| |
| ## Goals |
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| The major goal of Vello is to provide a high quality GPU accelerated renderer suitable for a range of 2D graphics applications, including rendering for GUI applications, creative tools, and scientific visualization. |
| The [roadmap for 2023](doc/roadmap_2023.md) explains the goals and plans for the next few months of development |
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| Vello emerges from being a research project, which attempts to answer these hypotheses: |
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| - To what extent is a compute-centered approach better than rasterization ([Direct2D])? |
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| - To what extent do "advanced" GPU features (subgroups, descriptor arrays, device-scoped barriers) help? |
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| - Can we improve quality and extend the imaging model in useful ways? |
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| Another goal of the overall project is to explain how the renderer is built, and to advance the state of building applications on GPU compute shaders more generally. |
| Much of the progress on Vello is documented in blog entries. |
| See [doc/blogs.md](doc/blogs.md) for pointers to those. |
| |
| ## History |
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| Vello was previously known as `piet-gpu`. |
| This prior incarnation used a custom cross-API hardware abstraction layer, called `piet-gpu-hal`, instead of [`wgpu`]. |
| |
| An archive of this version can be found in the branches [`custom-hal-archive-with-shaders`] and [`custom-hal-archive`]. |
| This succeeded the previous prototype, [piet-metal], and included work adapted from [piet-dx12]. |
| |
| The decision to lay down `piet-gpu-hal` in favor of WebGPU is discussed in detail in the blog post [Requiem for piet-gpu-hal]. |
| |
| A [vision](doc/vision.md) document dated December 2020 explained the longer-term goals of the project, and how we might get there. |
| Many of these items are out-of-date or completed, but it still may provide some useful background. |
| |
| ## Related projects |
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| Vello takes inspiration from many other rendering projects, including: |
| |
| * [Pathfinder](https://github.com/servo/pathfinder) |
| * [Spinel](https://fuchsia.googlesource.com/fuchsia/+/refs/heads/master/src/graphics/lib/compute/spinel/) |
| * [Forma](https://github.com/google/forma) |
| * [Massively Parallel Vector Graphics](https://w3.impa.br/~diego/projects/GanEtAl14/) |
| * [Random-access rendering of general vector graphics](https://hhoppe.com/proj/ravg/) |
| |
| ## License |
| |
| Licensed under either of |
| |
| - Apache License, Version 2.0 |
| ([LICENSE-APACHE](LICENSE-APACHE) or <http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0>) |
| - MIT license |
| ([LICENSE-MIT](LICENSE-MIT) or <http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT>) |
| |
| at your option. |
| |
| In addition, all files in the [`shader`](shader) directory and subdirectories thereof are alternatively |
| licensed under the Unlicense ([shader/UNLICENSE](shader/UNLICENSE) or <http://unlicense.org/>). |
| For clarity, these files are also licensed under either of the above licenses. |
| The intent is for this research to be used in as broad a context as possible. |
| |
| The files in subdirectories of the [`examples/assets`](examples/assets) directory are licensed solely under |
| their respective licenses, available in the `LICENSE` file in their directories. |
| |
| ## Contribution |
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| Contributions are welcome by pull request. The [Rust code of conduct] applies. |
| |
| Unless you explicitly state otherwise, any contribution intentionally submitted |
| for inclusion in the work by you, as defined in the Apache-2.0 license, shall be |
| licensed as above, without any additional terms or conditions. |
| |
| [piet-metal]: https://github.com/linebender/piet-metal |
| [direct2d]: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/direct2d/direct2d-portal |
| [`wgpu`]: https://wgpu.rs/ |
| [Xilem]: https://github.com/linebender/xilem/ |
| [rust code of conduct]: https://www.rust-lang.org/policies/code-of-conduct |
| [`custom-hal-archive-with-shaders`]: https://github.com/linebender/piet-gpu/tree/custom-hal-archive-with-shaders |
| [`custom-hal-archive`]: https://github.com/linebender/piet-gpu/tree/custom-hal-archive |
| [piet-dx12]: https://github.com/bzm3r/piet-dx12 |
| [GhostScript tiger]: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ghostscript_Tiger.svg |
| [winit]: https://github.com/rust-windowing/winit |
| [Bevy]: https://bevyengine.org/ |
| [`wgsl-analyzer`]: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=wgsl-analyzer.wgsl-analyzer |
| [Requiem for piet-gpu-hal]: https://raphlinus.github.io/rust/gpu/2023/01/07/requiem-piet-gpu-hal.html |