C Specification

To begin a render pass instance, call:

Warning
 This functionality is superseded by Vulkan Version 1.2. See Legacy Functionality for more information. 
// Provided by VK_VERSION_1_0
void vkCmdBeginRenderPass(
    VkCommandBuffer                             commandBuffer,
    const VkRenderPassBeginInfo*                pRenderPassBegin,
    VkSubpassContents                           contents);

Parameters

  • commandBuffer is the command buffer in which to record the command.

  • pRenderPassBegin is a pointer to a VkRenderPassBeginInfo structure specifying the render pass to begin an instance of, and the framebuffer the instance uses.

  • contents is a VkSubpassContents value specifying how the commands in the first subpass will be provided.

Description

After beginning a render pass instance, the command buffer is ready to record the commands for the first subpass of that render pass.

Valid Usage

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-00895
    If any of the initialLayout or finalLayout member of the VkAttachmentDescription structures or the layout member of the VkAttachmentReference structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the renderPass member of pRenderPassBegin is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_COLOR_ATTACHMENT_OPTIMAL then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the framebuffer member of pRenderPassBegin must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_COLOR_ATTACHMENT_BIT usage flag set

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-01758
    If any of the initialLayout or finalLayout member of the VkAttachmentDescription structures or the layout member of the VkAttachmentReference structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the renderPass member of pRenderPassBegin is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_READ_ONLY_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_OPTIMAL, VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_ATTACHMENT_STENCIL_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL, VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_OPTIMAL, or VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_STENCIL_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the framebuffer member of pRenderPassBegin must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_DEPTH_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_BIT usage flag set

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-02842
    If any of the initialLayout or finalLayout member of the VkAttachmentDescription structures or the layout member of the VkAttachmentReference structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the renderPass member of pRenderPassBegin is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_ATTACHMENT_OPTIMAL, or VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL, VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_OPTIMAL, or VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_STENCIL_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the framebuffer member of pRenderPassBegin must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_DEPTH_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_BIT usage flag set

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-stencilInitialLayout-02843
    If any of the stencilInitialLayout or stencilFinalLayout member of the VkAttachmentDescriptionStencilLayout structures or the stencilLayout member of the VkAttachmentReferenceStencilLayout structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the renderPass member of pRenderPassBegin is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_OPTIMAL, or VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_STENCIL_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the framebuffer member of pRenderPassBegin must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_DEPTH_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_BIT usage flag set

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-00897
    If any of the initialLayout or finalLayout member of the VkAttachmentDescription structures or the layout member of the VkAttachmentReference structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the renderPass member of pRenderPassBegin is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_SHADER_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the framebuffer member of pRenderPassBegin must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_SAMPLED_BIT or VK_IMAGE_USAGE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT_BIT usage flags set

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-00898
    If any of the initialLayout or finalLayout member of the VkAttachmentDescription structures or the layout member of the VkAttachmentReference structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the renderPass member of pRenderPassBegin is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_TRANSFER_SRC_OPTIMAL then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the framebuffer member of pRenderPassBegin must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_TRANSFER_SRC_BIT usage flag set

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-00899
    If any of the initialLayout or finalLayout member of the VkAttachmentDescription structures or the layout member of the VkAttachmentReference structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the renderPass member of pRenderPassBegin is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_TRANSFER_DST_OPTIMAL then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the framebuffer member of pRenderPassBegin must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_TRANSFER_DST_BIT usage flag set

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-00900
    If the initialLayout member of any of the VkAttachmentDescription structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the renderPass member of pRenderPassBegin is not VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_UNDEFINED, then each such initialLayout must be equal to the current layout of the corresponding attachment image subresource of the framebuffer specified in the framebuffer member of pRenderPassBegin

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-srcStageMask-06451
    The srcStageMask members of any element of the pDependencies member of VkRenderPassCreateInfo used to create renderPass must be supported by the capabilities of the queue family identified by the queueFamilyIndex member of the VkCommandPoolCreateInfo used to create the command pool which commandBuffer was allocated from

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-dstStageMask-06452
    The dstStageMask members of any element of the pDependencies member of VkRenderPassCreateInfo used to create renderPass must be supported by the capabilities of the queue family identified by the queueFamilyIndex member of the VkCommandPoolCreateInfo used to create the command pool which commandBuffer was allocated from

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-framebuffer-02532
    For any attachment in framebuffer that is used by renderPass and is bound to memory locations that are also bound to another attachment used by renderPass, and if at least one of those uses causes either attachment to be written to, both attachments must have had the VK_ATTACHMENT_DESCRIPTION_MAY_ALIAS_BIT set

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-framebuffer-09045
    If any attachments specified in framebuffer are used by renderPass and are bound to overlapping memory locations, there must be only one that is used as a color attachment, depth/stencil, or resolve attachment in any subpass

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-07000
    If any of the initialLayout or finalLayout member of the VkAttachmentDescription structures or the layout member of the VkAttachmentReference structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the renderPass member of pRenderPassBegin is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_ATTACHMENT_FEEDBACK_LOOP_OPTIMAL_EXT then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the framebuffer member of pRenderPassBegin must have been created with either the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_COLOR_ATTACHMENT_BIT or VK_IMAGE_USAGE_DEPTH_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_BIT usage flags set, and either the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT_BIT or VK_IMAGE_USAGE_SAMPLED_BIT usage flags set

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-07001
    If any of the initialLayout or finalLayout member of the VkAttachmentDescription structures or the layout member of the VkAttachmentReference structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the renderPass member of pRenderPassBegin is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_ATTACHMENT_FEEDBACK_LOOP_OPTIMAL_EXT then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the framebuffer member of pRenderPassBegin must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_ATTACHMENT_FEEDBACK_LOOP_BIT_EXT usage flag set

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-09537
    If any of the initialLayout or finalLayout member of the VkAttachmentDescription structures or the layout member of the VkAttachmentReference structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the renderPass member of pRenderPassBegin is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_RENDERING_LOCAL_READ then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the framebuffer member of pRenderPassBegin must have been created with either the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_STORAGE_BIT usage flag set, or both the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT_BIT and either of VK_IMAGE_USAGE_COLOR_ATTACHMENT_BIT or VK_IMAGE_USAGE_DEPTH_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_BIT usage flags set

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-contents-09640
    If contents is VK_SUBPASS_CONTENTS_INLINE_AND_SECONDARY_COMMAND_BUFFERS_KHR, then at least one of the following features must be enabled:

Valid Usage (Implicit)

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-commandBuffer-parameter
    commandBuffer must be a valid VkCommandBuffer handle

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-pRenderPassBegin-parameter
    pRenderPassBegin must be a valid pointer to a valid VkRenderPassBeginInfo structure

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-contents-parameter
    contents must be a valid VkSubpassContents value

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-commandBuffer-recording
    commandBuffer must be in the recording state

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-commandBuffer-cmdpool
    The VkCommandPool that commandBuffer was allocated from must support VK_QUEUE_GRAPHICS_BIT operations

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-renderpass
    This command must only be called outside of a render pass instance

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-suspended
    This command must not be called between suspended render pass instances

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-videocoding
    This command must only be called outside of a video coding scope

  • VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-bufferlevel
    commandBuffer must be a primary VkCommandBuffer

Host Synchronization

  • Host access to commandBuffer must be externally synchronized

  • Host access to the VkCommandPool that commandBuffer was allocated from must be externally synchronized

Command Properties
Command Buffer Levels Render Pass Scope Video Coding Scope Supported Queue Types Command Type

Primary

Outside

Outside

VK_QUEUE_GRAPHICS_BIT

Action
State
Synchronization
Conditional Rendering

vkCmdBeginRenderPass is not affected by conditional rendering

See Also

VK_VERSION_1_0, VkCommandBuffer, VkRenderPassBeginInfo, VkSubpassContents

Document Notes

For more information, see the Vulkan Specification.

This page is extracted from the Vulkan Specification. Fixes and changes should be made to the Specification, not directly.

Copyright

Copyright 2014-2026 The Khronos Group Inc.

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0