- Qt 5.15
- Qt Quick
- C++ Classes
- QSGRendererInterface
- Qt 5.15.18 Reference Documentation

# QSGRendererInterface Class

An interface providing access to some of the graphics API specific internals of the scenegraph. More...

Header: | #include <QSGRendererInterface>
qmake: | QT += quick
Since: | Qt 5.8

This class was introduced in Qt 5.8.

- List of all members, including inherited members

## Public Types

enum | GraphicsApi { Unknown, Software, OpenGL, Direct3D12, OpenVG, …, NullRhi }
enum | Resource { DeviceResource, CommandQueueResource, CommandListResource, PainterResource, RhiResource, …, RenderPassResource }
enum | ShaderCompilationType { RuntimeCompilation, OfflineCompilation }
flags | ShaderCompilationTypes
enum | ShaderSourceType { ShaderSourceString, ShaderSourceFile, ShaderByteCode }
flags | ShaderSourceTypes
enum | ShaderType { UnknownShadingLanguage, GLSL, HLSL, RhiShader }

## Public Functions

virtual void * | getResource(QQuickWindow *window, Resource resource) const
virtual void * | getResource(QQuickWindow *window, const char *resource) const
virtual GraphicsApi | graphicsApi() const = 0
virtual ShaderCompilationTypes | shaderCompilationType() const = 0
virtual ShaderSourceTypes | shaderSourceType() const = 0
virtual ShaderType | shaderType() const = 0

## Static Public Members

bool | isApiRhiBased(GraphicsApi api)

## Detailed Description

Renderer interfaces allow accessing graphics API specific functionality in the scenegraph. Such internals are not typically exposed. However, when integrating custom rendering via QSGRenderNode for example, it may become necessary to query certain values, for instance the graphics device (e.g. the Direct3D or Vulkan device) that is used by the scenegraph.

QSGRendererInterface's functions have varying availability. API and language queries, such as, graphicsApi() or shaderType() are always available, meaning it is sufficient to construct a QQuickWindow or QQuickView, and the graphics API or shading language in use can be queried right after via QQuickWindow::rendererInterface(). This guarantees that utilities like the GraphicsInfo QML type are able to report the correct values as early as possible, without having conditional property values - depending on for instance shaderType() - evaluate to unexpected values.

Engine-specific accessors, like getResource(), are however available only after the scenegraph is initialized. Additionally, there may be backend-specific limitations on when such functions can be called. The only way that is guaranteed to succeed is calling them when the rendering of a node (i.e. the preparation of the command list for the next frame) is active. In practice this typically means QSGRenderNode::render().

## Member Type Documentation

### enum QSGRendererInterface::GraphicsApi

Constant | Value | Description
--- | --- | ---
`QSGRendererInterface::Unknown` | `0` | An unknown graphics API is in use
`QSGRendererInterface::Software` | `1` | The Qt Quick 2D Renderer is in use
`QSGRendererInterface::OpenGL` | `2` | OpenGL ES 2.0 or higher
`QSGRendererInterface::Direct3D12` | `3` | Direct3D 12
`QSGRendererInterface::OpenVG` | `4` | OpenVG via EGL
`QSGRendererInterface::OpenGLRhi` | `5` | OpenGL ES 2.0 or higher via a graphics abstraction layer. This value was introduced in Qt 5.14.
`QSGRendererInterface::Direct3D11Rhi` | `6` | Direct3D 11 via a graphics abstraction layer. This value was introduced in Qt 5.14.
`QSGRendererInterface::VulkanRhi` | `7` | Vulkan 1.0 via a graphics abstraction layer. This value was introduced in Qt 5.14.
`QSGRendererInterface::MetalRhi` | `8` | Metal via a graphics abstraction layer. This value was introduced in Qt 5.14.
`QSGRendererInterface::NullRhi` | `9` | Null (no output) via a graphics abstraction layer. This value was introduced in Qt 5.14.

### enum QSGRendererInterface::Resource

Constant | Value | Description
--- | --- | ---

`QSGRendererInterface::DeviceResource`

`0`

The resource is a pointer to the graphics device, when applicable. For example, a `VkDevice *`, `MTLDevice *` or `ID3D11Device *`. Note that with Vulkan the returned value is a pointer to the VkDevice, not the handle itself. This is because Vulkan handles may not be pointers, and may use a different size from the architecture's pointer size so merely casting to/from `void *` is wrong.

`QSGRendererInterface::CommandQueueResource` | `1` | The resource is a pointer to the graphics command queue used by the scenegraph, when applicable. For example, a `VkQueue *` or `MTLCommandQueue *`. Note that with Vulkan the returned value is a pointer to the VkQueue, not the handle itself.

`QSGRendererInterface::CommandListResource`

`2`

The resource is a pointer to the command list or buffer used by the scenegraph, when applicable. For example, a `VkCommandBuffer *` or `MTLCommandBuffer *`. This object has limited validity, and is only valid while the scene graph is preparing the next frame. Note that with Vulkan the returned value is a pointer to the VkCommandBuffer, not the handle itself.

`QSGRendererInterface::PainterResource` | `3` | The resource is a pointer to the active QPainter used by the scenegraph, when running with the software backend.
`QSGRendererInterface::RhiResource` | `4` | The resource is a pointer to the QRhi instance used by the scenegraph, when applicable. This value was introduced in Qt 5.14.
`QSGRendererInterface::PhysicalDeviceResource` | `5` | The resource is a pointer to the pysical device object used by the scenegraph, when applicable. For example, a `VkPhysicalDevice *`. Note that with Vulkan the returned value is a pointer to the VkPhysicalDevice, not the handle itself. This value was introduced in Qt 5.14.
`QSGRendererInterface::OpenGLContextResource` | `6` | The resource is a pointer to the QOpenGLContext used by the scenegraph (on the render thread), when applicable. This value was introduced in Qt 5.14.
`QSGRendererInterface::DeviceContextResource` | `7` | The resource is a pointer to the device context used by the scenegraph, when applicable. For example, a `ID3D11DeviceContext *`. This value was introduced in Qt 5.14.
`QSGRendererInterface::CommandEncoderResource` | `8` | The resource is a pointer to the currently active render command encoder object used by the scenegraph, when applicable. For example, a `MTLRenderCommandEncoder *`. This object has limited validity, and is only valid while the scene graph is recording a render pass for the next frame. This value was introduced in Qt 5.14.
`QSGRendererInterface::VulkanInstanceResource` | `9` | The resource is a pointer to the QVulkanInstance used by the scenegraph, when applicable. This value was introduced in Qt 5.14.
`QSGRendererInterface::RenderPassResource` | `10` | The resource is a pointer to the render pass used by the scenegraph, describing the color and depth/stecil attachments and how they are used. For example, a `VkRenderPass *`. This value was introduced in Qt 5.14.

### enum QSGRendererInterface::ShaderCompilationType
flags QSGRendererInterface::ShaderCompilationTypes

Constant | Value | Description
--- | --- | ---
`QSGRendererInterface::RuntimeCompilation` | `0x01` | Runtime compilation of shader source code is supported
`QSGRendererInterface::OfflineCompilation` | `0x02` | Pre-compiled bytecode supported

The ShaderCompilationTypes type is a typedef for QFlags<ShaderCompilationType>. It stores an OR combination of ShaderCompilationType values.

### enum QSGRendererInterface::ShaderSourceType
flags QSGRendererInterface::ShaderSourceTypes

Constant | Value | Description
--- | --- | ---
`QSGRendererInterface::ShaderSourceString` | `0x01` | Shader source can be provided as a string in the corresponding properties of ShaderEffect
`QSGRendererInterface::ShaderSourceFile` | `0x02` | Local or resource files containing shader source code are supported
`QSGRendererInterface::ShaderByteCode` | `0x04` | Local or resource files containing shader bytecode are supported

The ShaderSourceTypes type is a typedef for QFlags<ShaderSourceType>. It stores an OR combination of ShaderSourceType values.

### enum QSGRendererInterface::ShaderType

Constant | Value | Description
--- | --- | ---
`QSGRendererInterface::UnknownShadingLanguage` | `0` | Not yet known due to no window and scenegraph associated
`QSGRendererInterface::GLSL` | `1` | GLSL or GLSL ES
`QSGRendererInterface::HLSL` | `2` | HLSL
`QSGRendererInterface::RhiShader` | `3` | Consumes QShader instances containing shader variants for multiple target languages and intermediate formats. This value was introduced in Qt 5.14.

## Member Function Documentation

### `[virtual]` void *QSGRendererInterface::getResource(QQuickWindow *window, Resource resource) const

Queries a graphics resource in window. Returns null when the resource in question is not supported or not available.

When successful, the returned pointer is either a direct pointer to an interface (and can be cast, for example, to `ID3D12Device *`) or a pointer to an opaque handle that needs to be dereferenced first (for example, `VkDevice dev = *static_cast<VkDevice *>(result)`). The latter is necessary since such handles may have sizes different from a pointer.

Note: The ownership of the returned pointer is never transferred to the caller.

Note: This function must only be called on the render thread.

### `[virtual]` void *QSGRendererInterface::getResource(QQuickWindow *window, const char *resource) const

Queries a graphics resource. resource is a backend-specific key. This allows supporting any future resources that are not listed in the Resource enum.

Note: The ownership of the returned pointer is never transferred to the caller.

Note: This function must only be called on the render thread.

### `[pure virtual]` GraphicsApi QSGRendererInterface::graphicsApi() const

Returns the graphics API that is in use by the Qt Quick scenegraph.

Note: This function can be called on any thread.

### `[static]` bool QSGRendererInterface::isApiRhiBased(GraphicsApi api)

Returns true if api is based on a graphics abstraction layer (QRhi) instead of directly calling the native graphics API.

Note: This function can be called on any thread.

This function was introduced in Qt 5.14.

### `[pure virtual]` ShaderCompilationTypes QSGRendererInterface::shaderCompilationType() const

Returns a bitmask of the shader compilation approaches supported by the Qt Quick backend the application is using.

Note: This function can be called on any thread.

See also QtQuick::GraphicsInfo.

### `[pure virtual]` ShaderSourceTypes QSGRendererInterface::shaderSourceType() const

Returns a bitmask of the supported ways of providing shader sources in ShaderEffect items.

Note: This function can be called on any thread.

See also QtQuick::GraphicsInfo.

### `[pure virtual]` ShaderType QSGRendererInterface::shaderType() const

Returns the shading language supported by the Qt Quick backend the application is using.

Note: This function can be called on any thread.

See also QtQuick::GraphicsInfo.