Khronos Group introduces Slang Initiative with Open Source Compiler Backed by NVIDIA

The Slang Initiative: A Game Changer for Graphics Developers

The tech world is buzzing with excitement as the Khronos Group—a consortium known for its commitment to interoperability standards—unveils the Slang Initiative. This ambitious project aims to elevate the open-source Slang shading language and compiler, building on a solid foundation of 15 years of research and development. With support from nVidia since 2017, Slang has already made waves in production projects across the industry, and now it’s set to become a cornerstone for real-time graphics developers.

So, what’s all the fuss about? Well, Slang is designed to empower developers with features that enhance existing shading languages. Think modular code development, easy deployment across various APIs, and even capabilities for neural computation in graphics shaders. By placing Slang under the collaborative umbrella of Khronos, the initiative is poised to drive its evolution through industry-wide cooperation. Neil Trevett, President of The Khronos Group and NVIDIA’s VP of Developer Ecosystems, puts it succinctly: “Slang is now a significant shading language option for graphics developers everywhere.”

Open Governance: A New Era for Slang

One of the most exciting aspects of the Slang Initiative is its unique governance model. Hosted on GitHub and licensed under Apache 2.0, the Slang open-source project is designed to be responsive and open to developers’ needs. This means that contributors can not only influence language design but also improve the codebase and tackle bugs. It’s a level of engagement that’s rare in the tech world, allowing passionate developers to earn elevated rights within the project—regardless of their affiliation with Khronos.

The Slang working group, consisting of Khronos members, provides crucial support for the project, offering financial, logistical, and marketing assistance while keeping the engineering work agile. This collaborative approach ensures that Slang remains relevant and effective for developers tackling the challenges of modern graphics.

Why Slang Matters to Developers

At its core, Slang is all about addressing the evolving needs of real-time graphics developers, particularly those grappling with large-scale shader codebases. With features like modules, interfaces, and generics, Slang simplifies shader creation and maintenance while slashing compilation times. Imagine no longer having to rewrite shader code for multiple APIs or dealing with cumbersome translation tools—Slang’s compiler supports multiple backend targets, making portable code deployment a breeze.

For instance, Autodesk has integrated Slang into its Aurora path tracing renderer, allowing for a unified Ray Tracing codebase. Similarly, Valve successfully compiled its entire Source 2 HLSL codebase with Slang, needing to modify just ten lines of code. That’s efficiency at its finest!

But it gets even better. Slang’s support for automatic differentiation makes it a prime candidate for integrating neural computation into graphics shaders. Developers can easily make existing rendering codebases differentiable or use Slang as the kernel language in a PyTorch-driven machine learning framework. Just look at the Slang.D Gaussian Splatting Rasterizer, a platform that showcases real-time, differentiable rendering capabilities.

Slang and the Khronos Ecosystem

By establishing Slang as a modern shading language actively shaped by the community, the Khronos standards ecosystem is set to flourish. Slang not only broadens the range of available shading languages but also ensures that developers have timely access to new API functionalities, including the latest Vulkan features. As a “client” language, Slang will also contribute to the evolution of the SPIR-V intermediate representation, enhancing the overall standards-based compiler ecosystem.

Join the Conversation

Curious to learn more? If you’re attending the SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 conference in Tokyo on December 4th, be sure to check out the Birds of a Feather Session titled “Slang and the 3D Shading Language Landscape.” This session will delve into Slang’s role within the 3D shading language landscape, how it complements languages like GLSL and HLSL, and its ability to enable shader portability across various platforms.

The Slang open-source project is also calling for developers to join the fun! Whether you’re interested in contributing to the public Slang GitHub repository or just want to chat with fellow enthusiasts, hop onto the Slang Discord. You can submit pull requests, RFCs, bug reports, and more. For additional details, visit shader-slang.org.

Industry Voices on Slang

The excitement surrounding Slang is palpable across the industry. Francois Beaune from Adobe’s 3D & Immersive division shared his enthusiasm, noting that they’re actively exploring Slang for their unified rasterization and path-tracing renderer. “With its expressive syntax and modern design, Slang offers real promise in streamlining complex shading workflows,” he said.

Henrik Edstrom from Autodesk echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the benefits of reduced code complexity and maintenance overhead. “We welcome Slang’s transition to an open, multi-company governance model under Khronos,” he added, highlighting the potential impact on the shading language ecosystem.

Billy Khan from id Software also weighed in, stating that the global landscape requires an open shading language that fosters innovation without constraints. “Slang builds on the accomplishments of existing languages while offering novel solutions to the challenges we face in modern graphics development,” he remarked.

As Slang gears up for its next chapter in open governance, the future looks bright for this versatile shading language. With contributions from industry leaders and passionate developers alike, Slang is set to make a lasting impact on the graphics landscape. Will you be a part of it?

Background Information

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About Adobe:

Adobe is a software company for its creative software suites, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and Adobe Acrobat. They are widely used by professionals in the design, photography, and publishing industries, and their software plays a crucial role in digital content creation and management.

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About nVidia:

NVIDIA has firmly established itself as a leader in the realm of client computing, continuously pushing the boundaries of innovation in graphics and AI technologies. With a deep commitment to enhancing user experiences, NVIDIA's client computing business focuses on delivering solutions that power everything from gaming and creative workloads to enterprise applications. for its GeForce graphics cards, the company has redefined high-performance gaming, setting industry standards for realistic visuals, fluid frame rates, and immersive experiences. Complementing its gaming expertise, NVIDIA's Quadro and NVIDIA RTX graphics cards cater to professionals in design, content creation, and scientific fields, enabling real-time ray tracing and AI-driven workflows that elevate productivity and creativity to unprecedented heights. By seamlessly integrating graphics, AI, and software, NVIDIA continues to shape the landscape of client computing, fostering innovation and immersive interactions in a rapidly evolving digital world.

  

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About Valve:

Valve Corporation, often referred to as Valve, is a important American video game and software development company. for its titles like Half-Life, Portal, and the digital distribution platform Steam, Valve has played a significant role in shaping the gaming industry. Established in 1996 by former Microsoft employees, Valve has since garnered a reputation for innovation, user-centric design, and fostering a strong modding community.

  

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Technology Explained

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Ray Tracing: Ray tracing is an advanced rendering technique used in computer graphics to simulate the way light interacts with objects in a virtual environment. It traces the path of light rays as they travel through a scene, calculating how they interact with surfaces, materials, and lighting sources. By simulating the complex behaviors of light, ray tracing produces highly realistic and accurate visual effects, including lifelike reflections, shadows, and refractions. This technology enhances the overall visual quality of images and animations by accurately replicating how light behaves in the real world, resulting in a more immersive and visually stunning digital experience.

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