vkCmdBeginRenderPass(3)

# vkCmdBeginRenderPass(3) Manual Page

## Name

vkCmdBeginRenderPass - Begin a new render pass

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## C Specification

To begin a render pass instance, call:

Warning | This functionality is superseded by vkCmdBeginRenderPass2. See Legacy Functionality for more information.

    // Provided by VK_VERSION_1_0
    void vkCmdBeginRenderPass(
        VkCommandBuffer                             commandBuffer,
        const VkRenderPassBeginInfo*                pRenderPassBegin,
        VkSubpassContents                           contents);

## Parameters

- `commandBuffer` is the command buffer in which to record the command.

- `pRenderPassBegin` is a pointer to a VkRenderPassBeginInfo structure specifying the render pass to begin an instance of, and the framebuffer the instance uses.

- `contents` is a VkSubpassContents value specifying how the commands in the first subpass will be provided.

## Description

After beginning a render pass instance, the command buffer is ready to record the commands for the first subpass of that render pass.

Valid Usage

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-00895
  If any of the `initialLayout` or `finalLayout` member of the `VkAttachmentDescription` structures or the `layout` member of the `VkAttachmentReference` structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the `renderPass` member of `pRenderPassBegin` is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_COLOR_ATTACHMENT_OPTIMAL then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the `framebuffer` member of `pRenderPassBegin` must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_COLOR_ATTACHMENT_BIT usage flag set

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-01758
  If any of the `initialLayout` or `finalLayout` member of the `VkAttachmentDescription` structures or the `layout` member of the `VkAttachmentReference` structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the `renderPass` member of `pRenderPassBegin` is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_READ_ONLY_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_OPTIMAL, VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_ATTACHMENT_STENCIL_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL, VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_OPTIMAL, or VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_STENCIL_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the `framebuffer` member of `pRenderPassBegin` must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_DEPTH_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_BIT usage flag set

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-02842
  If any of the `initialLayout` or `finalLayout` member of the `VkAttachmentDescription` structures or the `layout` member of the `VkAttachmentReference` structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the `renderPass` member of `pRenderPassBegin` is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_ATTACHMENT_OPTIMAL, or VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL, VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_OPTIMAL, or VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_STENCIL_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the `framebuffer` member of `pRenderPassBegin` must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_DEPTH_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_BIT usage flag set

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-stencilInitialLayout-02843
  If any of the `stencilInitialLayout` or `stencilFinalLayout` member of the `VkAttachmentDescriptionStencilLayout` structures or the `stencilLayout` member of the `VkAttachmentReferenceStencilLayout` structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the `renderPass` member of `pRenderPassBegin` is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_OPTIMAL, or VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_STENCIL_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the `framebuffer` member of `pRenderPassBegin` must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_DEPTH_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_BIT usage flag set

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-00897
  If any of the `initialLayout` or `finalLayout` member of the `VkAttachmentDescription` structures or the `layout` member of the `VkAttachmentReference` structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the `renderPass` member of `pRenderPassBegin` is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_SHADER_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the `framebuffer` member of `pRenderPassBegin` must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_SAMPLED_BIT or VK_IMAGE_USAGE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT_BIT usage flags set

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-00898
  If any of the `initialLayout` or `finalLayout` member of the `VkAttachmentDescription` structures or the `layout` member of the `VkAttachmentReference` structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the `renderPass` member of `pRenderPassBegin` is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_TRANSFER_SRC_OPTIMAL then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the `framebuffer` member of `pRenderPassBegin` must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_TRANSFER_SRC_BIT usage flag set

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-00899
  If any of the `initialLayout` or `finalLayout` member of the `VkAttachmentDescription` structures or the `layout` member of the `VkAttachmentReference` structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the `renderPass` member of `pRenderPassBegin` is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_TRANSFER_DST_OPTIMAL then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the `framebuffer` member of `pRenderPassBegin` must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_TRANSFER_DST_BIT usage flag set

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-00900
  If the `initialLayout` member of any of the `VkAttachmentDescription` structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the `renderPass` member of `pRenderPassBegin` is not VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_UNDEFINED, then each such `initialLayout` must be equal to the current layout of the corresponding attachment image subresource of the framebuffer specified in the `framebuffer` member of `pRenderPassBegin`

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-srcStageMask-06451
  The `srcStageMask` members of any element of the `pDependencies` member of VkRenderPassCreateInfo used to create `renderPass` must be supported by the capabilities of the queue family identified by the `queueFamilyIndex` member of the VkCommandPoolCreateInfo used to create the command pool which `commandBuffer` was allocated from

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-dstStageMask-06452
  The `dstStageMask` members of any element of the `pDependencies` member of VkRenderPassCreateInfo used to create `renderPass` must be supported by the capabilities of the queue family identified by the `queueFamilyIndex` member of the VkCommandPoolCreateInfo used to create the command pool which `commandBuffer` was allocated from

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-framebuffer-02532
  For any attachment in `framebuffer` that is used by `renderPass` and is bound to memory locations that are also bound to another attachment used by `renderPass`, and if at least one of those uses causes either attachment to be written to, both attachments must have had the VK_ATTACHMENT_DESCRIPTION_MAY_ALIAS_BIT set

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-framebuffer-09045
  If any attachments specified in `framebuffer` are used by `renderPass` and are bound to overlapping memory locations, there must be only one that is used as a color attachment, depth/stencil, or resolve attachment in any subpass

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-07000
  If any of the `initialLayout` or `finalLayout` member of the `VkAttachmentDescription` structures or the `layout` member of the `VkAttachmentReference` structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the `renderPass` member of `pRenderPassBegin` is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_ATTACHMENT_FEEDBACK_LOOP_OPTIMAL_EXT then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the `framebuffer` member of `pRenderPassBegin` must have been created with either the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_COLOR_ATTACHMENT_BIT or VK_IMAGE_USAGE_DEPTH_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_BIT usage flags set, and either the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT_BIT or VK_IMAGE_USAGE_SAMPLED_BIT usage flags set

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-07001
  If any of the `initialLayout` or `finalLayout` member of the `VkAttachmentDescription` structures or the `layout` member of the `VkAttachmentReference` structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the `renderPass` member of `pRenderPassBegin` is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_ATTACHMENT_FEEDBACK_LOOP_OPTIMAL_EXT then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the `framebuffer` member of `pRenderPassBegin` must have been created with the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_ATTACHMENT_FEEDBACK_LOOP_BIT_EXT usage flag set

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-initialLayout-09537
  If any of the `initialLayout` or `finalLayout` member of the `VkAttachmentDescription` structures or the `layout` member of the `VkAttachmentReference` structures specified when creating the render pass specified in the `renderPass` member of `pRenderPassBegin` is VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_RENDERING_LOCAL_READ then the corresponding attachment image view of the framebuffer specified in the `framebuffer` member of `pRenderPassBegin` must have been created with either the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_STORAGE_BIT usage flag set, or both the VK_IMAGE_USAGE_INPUT_ATTACHMENT_BIT and either of VK_IMAGE_USAGE_COLOR_ATTACHMENT_BIT or VK_IMAGE_USAGE_DEPTH_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_BIT usage flags set

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-contents-09640
  If `contents` is VK_SUBPASS_CONTENTS_INLINE_AND_SECONDARY_COMMAND_BUFFERS_KHR, then at least one of the following features must be enabled:

  - `maintenance7`

  - `nestedCommandBuffer`

Valid Usage (Implicit)

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-commandBuffer-parameter
  `commandBuffer` must be a valid VkCommandBuffer handle

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-pRenderPassBegin-parameter
  `pRenderPassBegin` must be a valid pointer to a valid VkRenderPassBeginInfo structure

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-contents-parameter
  `contents` must be a valid VkSubpassContents value

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-commandBuffer-recording
  `commandBuffer` must be in the recording state

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-commandBuffer-cmdpool
  The `VkCommandPool` that `commandBuffer` was allocated from must support VK_QUEUE_GRAPHICS_BIT operations

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-renderpass
  This command must only be called outside of a render pass instance

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-suspended
  This command must not be called between suspended render pass instances

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-videocoding
  This command must only be called outside of a video coding scope

- VUID-vkCmdBeginRenderPass-bufferlevel
  `commandBuffer` must be a primary `VkCommandBuffer`

Host Synchronization

- Host access to `commandBuffer` must be externally synchronized

- Host access to the `VkCommandPool` that `commandBuffer` was allocated from must be externally synchronized

Command Properties

Command Buffer Levels | Render Pass Scope | Video Coding Scope | Supported Queue Types | Command Type
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Primary | Outside | Outside | VK_QUEUE_GRAPHICS_BIT | Action State Synchronization

Conditional Rendering

vkCmdBeginRenderPass is not affected by conditional rendering

## See Also

VK_VERSION_1_0, VkCommandBuffer, VkRenderPassBeginInfo, VkSubpassContents

## Document Notes

For more information, see the Vulkan Specification.

This page is extracted from the Vulkan Specification. Fixes and changes should be made to the Specification, not directly.

## Copyright

Copyright 2014-2026 The Khronos Group Inc.

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0