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QuaternionEngine/docs/IBL.md

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Image-Based Lighting (IBL)
Overview
- IBL assets (environment maps + BRDF LUT + SH coefficients) are managed by `IBLManager` (`src/core/assets/ibl_manager.{h,cpp}`) and exposed to passes via `EngineContext::ibl`.
- Shaders share a common include, `shaders/ibl_common.glsl`, which defines the IBL bindings for descriptor set 3 and helper functions used by deferred, forward, and background passes.
- The engine currently supports:
- Specular environment from an equirectangular 2D texture with prefiltered mips (`sampler2D iblSpec2D`).
- Diffuse irradiance from 2nd-order SH (9 coefficients baked on the CPU).
- A 2D BRDF integration LUT used for the split-sum approximation.
- An optional separate background environment texture (`sampler2D iblBackground2D`); when not provided, the system falls back to using the specular environment for background rendering.
Data Flow
- Init:
- `VulkanEngine::init_vulkan()` creates an `IBLManager`, calls `init(context)`, and publishes it via `EngineContext::ibl`.
- The engine optionally loads default IBL assets (`IBLPaths` in `src/core/engine.cpp`), typically a BRDF LUT plus a specular environment `.ktx2`.
- Loading (IBLManager):
- `IBLManager::load(const IBLPaths&)` (synchronous, mostly used in tools/tests):
- Specular:
- Tries `ktxutil::load_ktx2_cubemap` first. If successful, uploads via `ResourceManager::create_image_compressed_layers` with `VK_IMAGE_CREATE_CUBE_COMPATIBLE_BIT`.
- If cubemap loading fails, falls back to 2D `.ktx2` via `ktxutil::load_ktx2_2d` and `create_image_compressed`. The image is treated as equirectangular with prefiltered mips.
- When the specular `.ktx2` is HDR (`R16G16B16A16_SFLOAT` or `R32G32B32A32_SFLOAT`) and 2:1 aspect, `IBLManager` computes 9 SH coefficients on the CPU:
- Integrates the environment over the sphere using real SH basis functions (L2) with solid-angle weighting.
- Applies Lambert band scaling (A0 = pi, A1 = 2pi/3, A2 = pi/4).
- Uploads the result as `vec4 sh[9]` in a uniform buffer (`_shBuffer`).
- Diffuse:
- If `IBLPaths::diffuseCube` is provided and valid, loads it as a cubemap via `load_ktx2_cubemap` + `create_image_compressed_layers`.
- Current shaders only use the SH buffer for diffuse; the diffuse cubemap is reserved for future variants.
- Background:
- If `IBLPaths::background2D` is provided and valid, loads it as a 2D equirectangular `.ktx2` via `load_ktx2_2d` + `create_image_compressed`.
- This allows using a separate, potentially higher-resolution or unfiltered environment for the sky background while using a prefiltered version for specular IBL.
- BRDF LUT:
- Loaded as 2D `.ktx2` via `ktxutil::load_ktx2_2d` and uploaded with `create_image_compressed`.
- Fallbacks:
- If `diffuseCube` is missing but a specular env exists, `_diff` is aliased to `_spec`.
- If `background2D` is missing but a specular env exists, `_background` is aliased to `_spec`.
- `IBLManager::unload()` releases GPU images, the SH buffer, and the descriptor set layout.
- Descriptor layout:
- `IBLManager::ensureLayout()` builds a descriptor set layout (set=3) with:
- binding 0: `COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER` - specular environment (2D equirect).
- binding 1: `COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER` - BRDF LUT 2D.
- binding 2: `UNIFORM_BUFFER` - SH coefficients (`vec4 sh[9]`).
- binding 3: `COMBINED_IMAGE_SAMPLER` - background environment (2D equirect, optional).
- Passes request this layout from `EngineContext::ibl` and plug it into their pipeline set layouts:
- Background: `vk_renderpass_background.cpp` (set 3 used for env background).
- Lighting: `vk_renderpass_lighting.cpp` (deferred lighting pass, set 3).
- Transparent: `vk_renderpass_transparent.cpp` (forward/transparent materials, set 3).
Asynchronous Loading
- Overview:
- `IBLManager` provides an asynchronous loading path via `load_async()` + `pump_async()` to avoid blocking the main/game loop during IBL environment switches or initial loading.
- Heavy CPU work (KTX2 file I/O, decompression, SH coefficient baking) runs on a dedicated worker thread.
- GPU resource creation (image uploads, buffer allocation) is deferred to the main thread via `pump_async()`.
- API:
- `bool load_async(const IBLPaths &paths)`:
- Queues an asynchronous IBL load job.
- Returns `false` if the job could not be queued (e.g., context not initialized).
- If called while a previous job is still pending, the new request supersedes the old one (the old result is discarded when ready).
- `struct AsyncResult { bool completed; bool success; }`:
- `completed`: `true` when an async job finished since the last `pump_async()` call.
- `success`: `true` when the finished job successfully produced new GPU IBL resources.
- `AsyncResult pump_async()`:
- Must be called on the main thread, typically once per frame after the previous frame's GPU work is idle.
- If a completed async job is pending:
- Destroys old IBL images and SH buffer via `destroy_images_and_sh()`.
- Creates new GPU images with `create_image_compressed(_layers)` and uploads the SH buffer.
- Returns `AsyncResult` indicating whether a job completed and its success status.
- Internal Architecture:
- `IBLManager::init()` spawns a persistent worker thread that waits on a condition variable.
- When `load_async()` is called:
- The request paths and a unique job ID are stored in `AsyncStateData`.
- The worker thread is signaled via condition variable.
- Any previous pending result is invalidated (superseded by the new job ID).
- Worker thread execution:
- Calls `prepare_ibl_cpu()` to load KTX2 files and bake SH coefficients.
- Stores the prepared data (`PreparedIBLData`) in `AsyncStateData`.
- Marks the result as ready with the corresponding job ID.
- If the job ID no longer matches (superseded), the result is discarded.
- Main thread integration (`pump_async()`):
- Checks if a result is ready.
- If ready, calls `commit_prepared()` to create GPU resources from the prepared CPU data.
- Clears the ready flag and returns the result status.
- Thread Safety:
- All shared state in `AsyncStateData` is protected by a mutex.
- The worker thread only reads request data and writes result data.
- The main thread only reads result data and writes request data.
- GPU resource creation is strictly on the main thread.
- Usage Example:
```cpp
// Queue async IBL load (non-blocking)
iblManager->load_async(IBLPaths{
.specularCube = "assets/ibl/studio_spec.ktx2",
.brdfLut2D = "assets/ibl/brdf_lut.ktx2",
.background2D = "assets/ibl/studio_bg.ktx2"
});
// In main loop, after waiting for previous frame:
auto result = iblManager->pump_async();
if (result.completed) {
if (result.success) {
// New IBL environment is now active
} else {
// Loading failed, handle error (e.g., keep previous IBL)
}
}
```
- Benefits:
- No frame stalls when loading large HDR environment maps.
- Seamless IBL volume transitions (e.g., entering a building with different lighting).
- SH baking (CPU-intensive) happens off the main thread.
- Cleanup:
- `IBLManager::unload()` shuts down the async worker thread (joins) and releases all GPU resources.
- The destructor also calls `shutdown_async()` to ensure clean termination.
Shader Side (`shaders/ibl_common.glsl`)
- Bindings:
- `layout(set=3, binding=0) uniform sampler2D iblSpec2D;`
- `layout(set=3, binding=1) uniform sampler2D iblBRDF;`
- `layout(std140, set=3, binding=2) uniform IBL_SH { vec4 sh[9]; } iblSH;`
- `layout(set=3, binding=3) uniform sampler2D iblBackground2D;`
- Helpers:
- `vec3 sh_eval_irradiance(vec3 n)`:
- Evaluates the 9 SH basis functions (L2) at direction `n` using the same real SH basis as the CPU bake.
- Multiplies each basis value by the corresponding `iblSH.sh[i].rgb` coefficient and sums the result.
- Coefficients are already convolved with the Lambert kernel on the CPU; the function returns diffuse irradiance directly.
- `vec2 dir_to_equirect(vec3 d)`:
- Normalizes `d`, computes `(phi, theta)` and returns equirectangular UV in `[0,1]^2`.
- Used consistently by background, deferred, and forward pipelines.
- `float ibl_lod_from_roughness(float roughness, float levels)`:
- Computes the mip LOD for specular IBL using `roughness^2 * (levels - 1)`.
- This biases mid-roughness reflections towards blurrier mips and avoids overly sharp reflections.
Usage in Passes
- Deferred lighting (`shaders/deferred_lighting.frag` and `shaders/deferred_lighting_nort.frag`):
- Include:
- `#include "input_structures.glsl"`
- `#include "ibl_common.glsl"`
- IBL contribution (per pixel):
- Specular:
- `vec3 R = reflect(-V, N);`
- `float levels = float(textureQueryLevels(iblSpec2D));`
- `float lod = ibl_lod_from_roughness(roughness, levels);`
- `vec2 uv = dir_to_equirect(R);`
- `vec3 prefiltered = textureLod(iblSpec2D, uv, lod).rgb;`
- `vec2 brdf = texture(iblBRDF, vec2(max(dot(N,V),0.0), roughness)).rg;`
- `vec3 specIBL = prefiltered * (F0 * brdf.x + brdf.y);`
- Diffuse:
- `vec3 diffIBL = (1.0 - metallic) * albedo * sh_eval_irradiance(N);`
- Combined:
- `color += diffIBL + specIBL;`
- Forward/transparent (`shaders/mesh.frag`):
- Same include and IBL logic as deferred, applied after direct lighting.
- Uses the same `ibl_lod_from_roughness` helper for LOD selection.
- Background (`shaders/background_env.frag`):
- Includes `ibl_common.glsl` and uses `dir_to_equirect(worldDir)` + `textureLod(iblBackground2D, uv, 0.0)` to render the environment at LOD 0.
- When a dedicated background texture is provided via `IBLPaths::background2D`, the background pass renders from `iblBackground2D` which may differ from `iblSpec2D`.
Authoring IBL Assets
- Specular environment:
- Preferred: prefiltered HDR cubemap in `.ktx2` (BC6H or `R16G16B16A16_SFLOAT`) with multiple mips.
- Alternative: prefiltered equirectangular 2D `.ktx2` with width = 2 x height and full mip chain.
- Make sure the mip chain is generated with a GGX importance sampling tool so the BRDF LUT + mip chain match.
- BRDF LUT:
- A standard 2D preintegrated GGX LUT (RG), usually stored as `R8G8_UNORM` or BC5.
- The LUT is sampled with `(NoV, roughness)` coordinates.
- Diffuse:
- The engine currently uses SH coefficients baked from the specular equirectangular map. If you provide a separate diffuse cubemap, the CPU SH bake still uses the specular HDR; you can adjust this in `IBLManager` if you want SH to come from a different source.
- Background:
- Optional: equirectangular 2D `.ktx2` used exclusively for the sky background pass.
- Useful when you want a sharper or unfiltered environment for the visible sky while using a prefiltered version for specular reflections.
- If not provided, the system falls back to using `specularCube` for background rendering.
Implementation Notes
- CPU SH bake:
- Implemented in `IBLManager::load` using libktx to access raw HDR pixel data from `.ktx2`.
- Uses a simple nested loop over pixels with solid-angle weighting and the same SH basis as `sh_eval_irradiance`.
- Fallbacks:
- Lighting and transparent passes create small fallback textures so that the IBL descriptor set is always valid, even when no IBL assets are loaded.
- Background pass builds a 1x1x6 black cube as a fallback env.
- When `background2D` is not provided, `IBLManager::background()` returns the same image as `specular()`.