Vulkan layers are a unique mechanism that supports expanding the Vulkan API in ways other graphics APIs do not allow. The Vulkan loader provides functionality required for Vulkan layers to be loaded dynamically, providing the ability to add and remove functionality at runtime. A primary example of this is only enabling validation when a developer is implementing and/or testing their Vulkan application. For production, the developer simply does not enable the Vulkan Validation layer so that the end-user is not hindered by the expense of validation during normal execution.
What’s really unique about the Vulkan loader and layer design is that it is publicly available, which allows any developer to create functionality that can be used by any Vulkan application on any user’s system. But this design is a two-edged sword because not every layer behaves correctly in all situations, causing issues that are hard to diagnose and debug. Enhancements to the Vulkan Loader enable easier debugging of layers that are causing issues.
This white paper explains how to diagnose Vulkan Layer issues.
Click here to view the white paper.
