VkPipelineLayoutCreateInfo

VkPipelineLayout is a Vulkan object that represents the set of all descriptor sets that can be bound to a pipeline at the time of a draw call. It defines the layout of resources that the shader stages of a graphics or compute pipeline will access. This includes uniform buffers, sampled images, storage buffers, and other resource types accessed via descriptor sets.

When creating a VkPipelineLayout, developers specify an array of VkDescriptorSetLayout objects. Each VkDescriptorSetLayout in this array corresponds to a descriptor set that can be bound to the pipeline. The order and binding points within these descriptor set layouts are crucial for correctly associating shader resource declarations with the actual resources provided at runtime.

The VkPipelineLayout object is immutable once created. It is used during the creation of a VkPipeline object. By associating a VkPipelineLayout with a pipeline, Vulkan ensures that the pipeline is aware of the expected resource bindings. This allows for efficient validation and resource management during rendering.

When issuing draw or dispatch commands, the application binds descriptor sets to specific binding points. These binding points are defined by the VkDescriptorSetLayouts that were used to create the VkPipelineLayout associated with the active pipeline. The VkPipelineLayout acts as a contract between the shader and the application, specifying what resources are expected and how they should be accessed.