VK_EXT_fragment_density_map(3)

# VK_EXT_fragment_density_map(3) Manual Page

## Name

VK_EXT_fragment_density_map - device extension

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## Registered Extension Number

219

## Revision

3

## Ratification Status

Ratified

## Extension and Version Dependencies

VK_KHR_get_physical_device_properties2
or
Vulkan Version 1.1

## API Interactions

- Interacts with VK_VERSION_1_3

- Interacts with VK_KHR_dynamic_rendering

- Interacts with VK_KHR_format_feature_flags2

## SPIR-V Dependencies

- SPV_EXT_fragment_invocation_density

## Contact

- Matthew Netsch [GitHub]mnetsch

## Other Extension Metadata

Last Modified Date

  2025-05-20

Interactions and External Dependencies

  - This extension provides API support for `GL_EXT_fragment_invocation_density`

Contributors

  - Matthew Netsch, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

  - Robert VanReenen, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

  - Jonathan Wicks, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

  - Tate Hornbeck, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

  - Sam Holmes, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

  - Jeff Leger, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

  - Jan-Harald Fredriksen, ARM

  - Jeff Bolz, NVIDIA

  - Pat Brown, NVIDIA

  - Daniel Rakos, AMD

  - Piers Daniell, NVIDIA

## Description

This extension allows an application to specify areas of the render target where the fragment shader may be invoked fewer times. These fragments are broadcasted out to multiple pixels to cover the render target.

The primary use of this extension is to reduce workloads in areas where lower quality may not be perceived such as the distorted edges of a lens or the periphery of a user’s gaze.

## New Structures

- Extending VkPhysicalDeviceFeatures2, VkDeviceCreateInfo:

  - VkPhysicalDeviceFragmentDensityMapFeaturesEXT

- Extending VkPhysicalDeviceProperties2:

  - VkPhysicalDeviceFragmentDensityMapPropertiesEXT

- Extending VkRenderPassCreateInfo, VkRenderPassCreateInfo2:

  - VkRenderPassFragmentDensityMapCreateInfoEXT

If Vulkan Version 1.3 or VK_KHR_dynamic_rendering is supported:

- Extending VkRenderingInfo:

  - VkRenderingFragmentDensityMapAttachmentInfoEXT

## New Enum Constants

- `VK_EXT_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_EXTENSION_NAME`

- `VK_EXT_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_SPEC_VERSION`

- Extending VkAccessFlagBits:

  - VK_ACCESS_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_READ_BIT_EXT

- Extending VkFormatFeatureFlagBits:

  - VK_FORMAT_FEATURE_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_BIT_EXT

- Extending VkImageCreateFlagBits:

  - VK_IMAGE_CREATE_SUBSAMPLED_BIT_EXT

- Extending VkImageLayout:

  - VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_OPTIMAL_EXT

- Extending VkImageUsageFlagBits:

  - VK_IMAGE_USAGE_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_BIT_EXT

- Extending VkImageViewCreateFlagBits:

  - VK_IMAGE_VIEW_CREATE_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_DYNAMIC_BIT_EXT

- Extending VkPipelineStageFlagBits:

  - VK_PIPELINE_STAGE_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_PROCESS_BIT_EXT

- Extending VkSamplerCreateFlagBits:

  - VK_SAMPLER_CREATE_SUBSAMPLED_BIT_EXT

  - VK_SAMPLER_CREATE_SUBSAMPLED_COARSE_RECONSTRUCTION_BIT_EXT

- Extending VkStructureType:

  - VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_FEATURES_EXT

  - VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_PROPERTIES_EXT

  - VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_RENDER_PASS_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_CREATE_INFO_EXT

If VK_KHR_format_feature_flags2 or Vulkan Version 1.3 is supported:

- Extending VkFormatFeatureFlagBits2:

  - VK_FORMAT_FEATURE_2_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_BIT_EXT

If Vulkan Version 1.3 or VK_KHR_dynamic_rendering is supported:

- Extending VkPipelineCreateFlagBits:

  - VK_PIPELINE_CREATE_RENDERING_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_ATTACHMENT_BIT_EXT

  - VK_PIPELINE_RASTERIZATION_STATE_CREATE_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_ATTACHMENT_BIT_EXT

- Extending VkStructureType:

  - VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_RENDERING_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_ATTACHMENT_INFO_EXT

## New or Modified Built-In Variables

- `FragInvocationCountEXT`

- `FragSizeEXT`

## New SPIR-V Capabilities

- `FragmentDensityEXT`

## Examples

### Fragment Density Map

An image can be bound as a fragment density map attachment to a render pass. This image contains normalized (x, y) float component fragment density values for regions of the framebuffer that will be used in rasterization for every subpass. A float component ranges from (0.0, 1.0] where 1.0 means full density along that axis. Implementations use these values as hints to optimize rendering in areas of low density. Subpass color and depth attachments can be created as subsampled, which can help to further optimize rendering in areas of low density.

The density map image can be modified by the application until calling `vkCmdBeginRenderPass` for the render pass that uses the image. If VK_IMAGE_VIEW_CREATE_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_DYNAMIC_BIT_EXT is used, then the application can modify the image until the device reads it during VK_PIPELINE_STAGE_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_PROCESS_BIT_EXT.

    // Create fragment density map
    VkImageCreateInfo imageCreateInfo =
    {
       .sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_IMAGE_CREATE_INFO,
       .pNext = nullptr,
       .flags = 0,
       .imageType = VK_IMAGE_TYPE_2D,    // Must be 2D
       .format = VK_FORMAT_R8G8_UNORM,   // Must have VK_FORMAT_FEATURE_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_BIT_EXT
       .extend = {64, 64, 1},
       .mipLevels = 1,
       .arrayLayers = 2,                 // 1 for each multiview view
       .samples = VK_SAMPLE_COUNT_1_BIT, // Must be 1x MSAA
       .tiling = tiling,
       .usage = VK_IMAGE_USAGE_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_BIT_EXT,
       // ...
    };

    vkCreateImage(device, &imageCreateInfo, nullptr, &fdmImage);

    VkImageViewCreateInfo viewCreateInfo =
    {
       .sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_IMAGE_VIEW_CREATE_INFO,
       .pNext = nullptr,
       .flags = 0,                      // VkImageViewCreateFlags
       .image = fdmImage,
       .viewType = VK_IMAGE_VIEW_TYPE_2D_ARRAY,
       .format = VK_FORMAT_R8G8_UNORM,
       .components = { 0 },             // VK_COMPONENT_SWIZZLE_IDENTITY
       .subresourceRange = {
            .aspectMask = VK_IMAGE_ASPECT_COLOR_BIT,
            .baseMipLevel = 0,
            .levelCount = 1,
            .baseArrayLayer = 0,
            .layerCount = 2,
       }
    };

    vkCreateImageView(device, &viewCreateInfo, nullptr, &fdmImageView);

    // Add fdmImage to render pass

    VkAttachmentReference fragmentDensityMapAttachmentReference =
    {
       fdmAttachmentIdx,
       VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_OPTIMAL_EXT,
    };

    VkRenderPassFragmentDensityMapCreateInfoEXT fdmAttachmentCreateInfo =
    {
       VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_RENDER_PASS_FRAGMENT_DENSITY_MAP_CREATE_INFO_EXT,
       // ...
       fragmentDensityMapAttachmentReference,
    };

    VkRenderPassCreateInfo2 renderPassCreateInfo =
    {
       VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_RENDER_PASS_CREATE_INFO_2,
       &fdmAttachmentCreateInfo,
       // ...
    };

    vkCreateRenderPass2(device, &renderPassCreateInfo, nullptr, &renderPass);

    // Add fdmImage to framebuffer
    // Color and depth attachments can be created with
    // VK_IMAGE_CREATE_SUBSAMPLED_BIT_EXT
    VkFramebufferCreateInfo framebufferCreateInfo =
    {
       .sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_FRAME_BUFFER_CREATE_INFO,
       // ...
       .renderPass = renderPass,
       // ...
       .pAttachments = pAttachments, // Includes fdmImageView at fdmAttachmentIdx
       .width = 1024,
       .height = 1024,
       .layers = 1
    };

    vkCreateFramebuffer(device, &framebufferCreateInfo, nullptr, &framebuffer);

    // Start recording render pass in command buffer

    VkRenderPassBeginInfo renderPassBeginInfo =
    {
       .sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_RENDER_PASS_BEGIN_INFO,
       // ...
       .renderPass = renderPass,
       .framebuffer = framebuffer,
       // ...
    };

    // Can no longer modify the fdmImage's contents after this call
    vkCmdBeginRenderPass2(commandBuffer, &renderPassBeginInfo, pSubpassBeginInfo);

## Version History

- Revision 1, 2018-09-25 (Matthew Netsch)

  - Initial version

- Revision 2, 2021-09-30 (Jon Leech)

  - Add interaction with `VK_KHR_format_feature_flags2` to `vk.xml`

- Revision 3, 2025-05-20 (Matthew Netsch)

  - Fixes fragmentDensityTexelSize calculation equation

## See Also

No cross-references are available

## Document Notes

For more information, see the Vulkan Specification.

This page is a generated document. Fixes and changes should be made to the generator scripts, not directly.

## Copyright

Copyright 2014-2026 The Khronos Group Inc.

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0