Generate Vulkan header files for each shader

AI-generated Key Takeaways

• This guide provides instructions on generating Vulkan C++ header files from shader files for use in your application.

• You will need to download and install the Khronos Group Glslang tool to convert shader files into header files.

• The process involves locating your shader files and using the glslangValidator tool with specific commands to generate the corresponding header files.

• The generated header files, distortion_frag.spv.h and distortion_vert.spv.h, will contain the Vulkan-compatible code derived from your shaders.

This guide shows you how to generate the Vulkan C++ headers for each host OS from the shader files.

Generate C++ headers from the shader files

1. Download the Khronos Group Glslang Tool: Candidate of July 26, 2020 on your local machine.

2. Unzip it.

3. Check its version:

   • Windows

     bin\glslangValidator --version

   • macOS

     ./bin/glslangValidator --version

   • Linux

     ./bin/glslangValidator --version

4. In the Cardboard repository, locate the sdk/rendering/android/shaders folder and save its path.

5. Generate the Vulkan header files in C++:

   • Windows

     bin\glslangValidator -V --vn distortion_frag %SHADERS_FOLDER_PATH%\distortion.frag -o distortion_frag.spv.h
     bin\glslangValidator -V --vn distortion_vert %SHADERS_FOLDER_PATH%\distortion.vert -o distortion_vert.spv.h

   • macOS

     ./bin/glslangValidator -V --vn distortion_frag $SHADERS_FOLDER_PATH/distortion.frag -o distortion_frag.spv.h
     
     ./bin/glslangValidator -V --vn distortion_vert $SHADERS_FOLDER_PATH/distortion.vert -o distortion_vert.spv.h
     

   • Linux

     ./bin/glslangValidator -V --vn distortion_frag $SHADERS_FOLDER_PATH/distortion.frag -o distortion_frag.spv.h
     
     ./bin/glslangValidator -V --vn distortion_vert $SHADERS_FOLDER_PATH/distortion.vert -o distortion_vert.spv.h
     

You should now have distortion_frag.spv.h and distortion_vert.spv.h.