luma.gl/docs/modules/api/README.md

Overview

The @luma.gl/api module provides an abstract API for writing application code that works with both WebGPU and WebGL.

The @luma.gl/api module cannot be used on its own: it relies on being backed up by another module that implements the API. luma.gl provides adapters (implementations of the abstract API) through the @luma.gl/webgl and @luma.gl/webgpu modules.

A WebGPU-style API

From a high level, the luma.gl API is similar to the WebGPU API in a number of ways:

• the application must first obtain a "device" and then uses methods on this device to create GPU resource classes such as buffers, textures, shaders and pipelines.
• the API uses string constants and parameter option names that mirror those in the WebGPU API.

The similarities are intentional. The idea is to let knowledge of the WebGPU API carry over to the luma.gl API and vice versa, rather than asking developers to learn another set of arbitrary abstractions.

While it has similarities to WebGPU, the luma.gl API is streamlined to be less cumbersome to use and also has to make the necessary allowances to still support WebGL.

Installing adapters

The @luma.gl/api module is not usable on its own. A device adapter module must be imported (it self registers on import).

import {luma} from '@luma.gl/api';
import '@luma.gl/webgpu';

const device = await luma.createDevice({type: 'webgpu', canvas: ...});

It is possible to register more than one device adapter to create an application that can work in both WebGL and WebGPU environments.

import {luma} from '@luma.gl/api';
import '@luma.gl/webgpu';
import '@luma.gl/webgl';

const webgpuDevice = luma.createDevice({type: 'best-available', canvas: ...});