Rafx is a multi-backend renderer that optionally integrates with the

[distill][rafx-distill] asset pipeline. Rafx is divided into three tiers of

functionality:

`rafx-api` provides a custom GPU API abstraction layer that currently supports

vulkan and metal. ([API in rust psuedocode][rafx-api-design])

`rafx-framework` builds on the API layer using ideas found in modern shipping

AAA titles. Rendering is pipelined in a separate thread in three phases, using

jobs to extract data from the main thread, process the data on the render

thread, and write the draw calls to command buffers.

[[Tatarchuk 2015][rafx-gdc-2015]] A render graph ensures correct

synchronization. [[O'Donnell 2017][rafx-gdc-2017]] The framework also provides

a material abstraction and shader pipeline.

`rafx-assets` adds integration with the [distill][rafx-distill] asset pipeline.

This ensures that when an asset like a mesh is loaded, other related assets

like textures/material/vertex data are loaded. By integrating with distill,

rafx provides advanced features like streaming live asset updates to remote

devices.

More information about rafx:

- [Github][rafx-github]

- [Documentation][rafx-documentation]

- [Why Rafx?][why-rafx] (includes similarities/differences with other rust

and non-rust alternatives)

[rafx-github]: https://github.com/aclysma/rafx

[rafx-documentation]: https://github.com/aclysma/rafx/blob/master/docs/index.md

[why-rafx]: https://github.com/aclysma/rafx/blob/master/docs/why_rafx.md

[rafx-api-design]: https://github.com/aclysma/rafx/blob/master/docs/api/api_design_in_rust_psuedocode.rs

[rafx-api-triangle-example]: https://github.com/aclysma/rafx/blob/master/rafx/examples/api_triangle/api_triangle.rs

[rafx-gdc-2015]: http://advances.realtimerendering.com/destiny/gdc_2015/Tatarchuk_GDC_2015__Destiny_Renderer_web.pdf

[rafx-gdc-2017]: https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1024612/FrameGraph-Extensible-Rendering-Architecture-in

[rafx-distill]: https://github.com/amethyst/distill

`basis-universal` provides bindings for [Binomial LLC][binomial-llc]'s

[Basis Universal texture codec][basis-universal-upstream].

Basis Universal is a state-of-the art

[supercompressed][basis-universal-supercompression] texture codec that

was recently [open-sourced][basis-universal-open-sourced] by Binomial in

partnership with Google. It was

[contributed][basis-universal-contributed-kronos] to the Khronos glTF

3D Transmission Open Standard.

The library has two primary uses:

- Compresses and encode textures "offline" to a custom format

- Transcoding: Unpack the custom format directly to GPU-friendly compressed

formats. The final format can be chosen at game runtime to be compatible

with available GPU hardware.

Basis universal format can also store mipmapped textures and cubemaps,

neither of which is possible with "normal" file formats. Mipmaps can be

generated by the library during compression.

Compression is very slow (around 7-10s for a 2k texture) but transcoding is

relatively fast (around 5-40ms for a 2k texture depending on quality). Memory

savings at runtime are generally >= 75% (depending on the transcode format

and quality)

[binomial-llc]: http://www.binomial.info

[basis-universal-rs]: https://github.com/aclysma/basis-universal-rs

[basis-universal-upstream]: https://github.com/BinomialLLC/basis_universal

[basis-universal-supercompression]: http://gamma.cs.unc.edu/GST/gst.pdf

[basis-universal-open-sourced]: https://opensource.googleblog.com/2019/05/google-and-binomial-partner-to-open.html

[basis-universal-contributed-kronos]: https://www.khronos.org/blog/google-and-binomial-contribute-basis-universal-texture-format-to-khronos-gltf-3d-transmission-open-standard