Veldrid

Veldrid is a cross-platform, low-level graphics library for the .NET ecosystem that provides a unified API over multiple graphics backends. By abstracting the underlying graphics APIs, it allows developers to write rendering code once and run it on Vulkan, Direct3D11, Direct3D12, Metal, OpenGL, and OpenGL ES without changing the application code.

The library centers on a compact set of concepts for resources and pipeline state. Core elements include GraphicsDevice, Swapchain, CommandList, Buffer, Texture, Shader, Pipeline, ResourceLayout, and ResourceSet. Veldrid supports both graphics and compute workloads through separate pipeline objects and dispatch functionality. It emphasizes predictable performance and aims to minimize allocations to suit game engines, tools, and demos that require cross-backend compatibility.

Veldrid targets desktop and cross-platform environments, with bindings for .NET languages such as C#. It is designed to be integrated into engines and applications that run on Windows, Linux, and macOS, often in conjunction with external windowing or platform-specific surface creation. It does not implement windowing itself but works with surfaces supplied by host frameworks or libraries.

The project emphasizes portability and simplicity, serving as a translation layer above the native graphics APIs. It is maintained as an open-source project with community contributions and ongoing updates, reflecting its role as a practical option for developers who need backend-agnostic rendering in .NET environments.