undefined | Better HN

0 pointsgrovesNL1y ago0 comments

I don't think that's accurate. Creating a shading language is obviously a huge effort, but there were already years of effort put into WebGPU as well as implementations/games building on top of the work-in-progress specification before the shading language decision was made (implementations at the time accepted SPIR-V).

0 comments

HexDecOctBin1y ago

The PoC was made in 2016, the work started in 2017, but the first spec draft was released on 18 May 2021. [1] This first draft already contained references to WGSL. There is no reference to SPIR-V.

Why did it take this long to release the first draft? Compare it to SDL_GPU timeline, start to finish in 6 months. Well, because the yak shaving on WGSL had already begun, and was eating up all the time.

[1]: https://www.w3.org/TR/2021/WD-webgpu-20210518/

grovesNLOP1y ago

SPIR-V was never in the specification, but both wgpu and Dawn used SPIR-V in the meantime until a shading language decision was made.

HexDecOctBin1y ago

Sure, but that proves my point. They took so long to decide upon the shading language that implementations had to erect a separate scaffolding just to be able to test things out.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointsgrovesNL1y ago0 comments

0 comments

HexDecOctBin1y ago

The PoC was made in 2016, the work started in 2017, but the first spec draft was released on 18 May 2021. [1] This first draft already contained references to WGSL. There is no reference to SPIR-V.

[1]: https://www.w3.org/TR/2021/WD-webgpu-20210518/

grovesNLOP1y ago

SPIR-V was never in the specification, but both wgpu and Dawn used SPIR-V in the meantime until a shading language decision was made.

HexDecOctBin1y ago

Sure, but that proves my point. They took so long to decide upon the shading language that implementations had to erect a separate scaffolding just to be able to test things out.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse