VkImageCreateInfo

VkImageCreateInfo is a Vulkan structure used to describe the parameters of an image resource before creation with vkCreateImage. It specifies the image’s type, format, dimensions, mip level count, array layer count, tiling, usage, sharing mode, and initial layout. Creating an image does not allocate memory or bind it; memory is bound later with vkBindImageMemory.

Key fields and their purpose include: sType identifies the structure type as VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_IMAGE_CREATE_INFO, pNext is reserved for extension structures, and flags may enable features such as sparse binding or cube compatibility. imageType selects 1D, 2D, or 3D images. format defines the texel format. extent provides width, height, and depth. mipLevels and arrayLayers control mipmap levels and array size. samples selects multisampling. tiling specifies the memory layout (linear or optimal). usage is a bitmask of VkImageUsageFlagBits describing allowed operations (for example, VK_IMAGE_USAGE_SAMPLED_BIT, VK_IMAGE_USAGE_TRANSFER_DST_BIT). sharingMode and the related queueFamilyIndexCount and pQueueFamilyIndices determine how the image is shared across queues. initialLayout indicates the image layout at creation time. The pNext field can be used to attach extension-specific structures.

Usage notes: VkImageCreateInfo is passed to vkCreateImage to obtain a VkImage handle. After creation, memory must be allocated and bound via vkBindImageMemory before the image can be used. The initialLayout is often VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_UNDEFINED, with transitions performed as part of subsequent command buffer operations. The structure is commonly paired with VkImageView creation and memory management workflows for textures and render targets.

Example values for a typical 2D texture include: sType VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_IMAGE_CREATE_INFO, imageType VK_IMAGE_TYPE_2D, format VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM, extent {width, height, 1}, mipLevels 1, arrayLayers 1, samples VK_SAMPLE_COUNT_1_BIT, tiling VK_IMAGE_TILING_OPTIMAL, usage VK_IMAGE_USAGE_SAMPLED_BIT | VK_IMAGE_USAGE_TRANSFER_DST_BIT, sharingMode VK_SHARING_MODE_EXCLUSIVE, initialLayout VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_UNDEFINED. See also vkCreateImage, VkMemoryRequirements, and VkImageView.