Metal Namespace

The Metal namespace provides GPU-accelerated 3D rendering and data-parallel computation.

Classes

MTLArgument	Encapsulates a single parameter to a Metal function.
MTLArgumentDescriptor	An description of an argument inside an argument buffer.
MTLArgumentEncoder_Extensions	Extension methods for the IMTLArgumentEncoder protocol.
MTLArrayType	Encapsulates the details of an array argument to a Metal function.
MTLAttribute
MTLAttributeDescriptor
MTLAttributeDescriptorArray
MTLBlitCommandEncoder_Extensions	Extension methods to the IMTLBlitCommandEncoder interface to support all the methods from the IMTLBlitCommandEncoder protocol.
MTLBuffer_Extensions	Extension methods to the IMTLBuffer interface to support all the methods from the IMTLBuffer protocol.
MTLBufferLayoutDescriptor
MTLBufferLayoutDescriptorArray
MTLCaptureManager	Manages GPU captures for apps launched from Xcode.
MTLCaptureScope	Protocol for custom capture scope boundary for debugging from Xcode.
MTLCommandBuffer_Extensions	Extension methods to the IMTLCommandBuffer interface to support all the methods from the IMTLCommandBuffer protocol.
MTLCommandBufferErrorExtensions	Extension methods for the Metal.MTLCommandBufferError enumeration.
MTLCompileOptions	Configures the compilation of a Metal shader library.
MTLComputeCommandEncoder_Extensions	Extension methods to the IMTLComputeCommandEncoder interface to support all the methods from the IMTLComputeCommandEncoder protocol.
MTLComputePipelineDescriptor	Describes the compute state used during a compute operation pass. (See also IMTLComputePipelineState.)
MTLComputePipelineReflection	Encapsulates the details of the arguments of the compute function used to create an IMTLComputePipelineState object.
MTLComputePipelineState_Extensions	Extension methods to the IMTLComputePipelineState interface to support all the methods from the IMTLComputePipelineState protocol.
MTLDepthStencilDescriptor	Configures a depth stencil test operation.
MTLDevice	Represents a single GPU.
MTLDevice_Extensions	Extension methods to the IMTLDevice interface to support all the methods from the MTLDevice protocol.
MTLDrawable	Interface definition for objects that can receive rendering commands.
MTLDrawable_Extensions	Extension methods to the IMTLDrawable interface to support all the methods from the MTLDrawable protocol.
MTLFunction_Extensions	Extension methods to the IMTLFunction interface to support all the methods from the IMTLFunction protocol.
MTLFunctionConstant
MTLFunctionConstantValues
MTLHeap_Extensions	Extension methods to the IMTLHeap interface to support all the methods from the IMTLHeap protocol.
MTLHeapDescriptor
MTLIndirectCommandBufferDescriptor
MTLLibrary_Extensions	Extension methods to the IMTLLibrary interface to support all the methods from the IMTLLibrary protocol.
MTLLibraryErrorExtensions	Extension methods for the Metal.MTLLibraryError enumeration.
MTLParallelRenderCommandEncoder_Extensions	Extension methods to the IMTLParallelRenderCommandEncoder interface to support all the methods from the IMTLParallelRenderCommandEncoder protocol.
MTLPipelineBufferDescriptor	Contains a mutability description for a buffer.
MTLPipelineBufferDescriptorArray	An array of buffer mutability descriptors.
MTLPointerType
MTLRenderCommandEncoder_Extensions	Extension methods to the IMTLRenderCommandEncoder interface to support all the methods from the IMTLRenderCommandEncoder protocol.
MTLRenderPassAttachmentDescriptor	Configures a render target of a framebuffer.
MTLRenderPassColorAttachmentDescriptor	A MTLRenderPassAttachmentDescriptor that holds the clear color for the rendering pass.
MTLRenderPassColorAttachmentDescriptorArray	Holds an array of MTLRenderPassColorAttachmentDescriptor objects.
MTLRenderPassDepthAttachmentDescriptor	A MTLRenderPassAttachmentDescriptor that holds the clear depth for a rendering pass.
MTLRenderPassDescriptor	Defines the rendering target for pixels generated by a rendering pass.
MTLRenderPassStencilAttachmentDescriptor	A MTLRenderPassAttachmentDescriptor that holds the clear stencil for a rendering pass.
MTLRenderPipelineColorAttachmentDescriptor	Configures a color attachment associated with a rendering pipeline.
MTLRenderPipelineColorAttachmentDescriptorArray	An array of MTLRenderPipelineColorAttachmentDescriptor objects.
MTLRenderPipelineDescriptor	Configures a rendering pipeline with rasterization properties, visibility, blending, and shader functions.
MTLRenderPipelineErrorExtensions	Extension methods for the Metal.MTLRenderPipelineError enumeration.
MTLRenderPipelineReflection	The arguments (see MTLArgument) of a vertex or fragment function within a IMTLRenderPipelineState.
MTLRenderPipelineState_Extensions	Extension methods to the IMTLRenderPipelineState interface to support all the methods from the IMTLRenderPipelineState protocol.
MTLResource_Extensions	Extension methods to the IMTLResource interface to support all the methods from the IMTLResource protocol.
MTLSamplerDescriptor	Configures a sampler (see IMTLSamplerState).
MTLSharedEventHandle
MTLSharedEventListener
MTLStageInputOutputDescriptor
MTLStencilDescriptor	Configures a stencil test operation.
MTLStructMember	Describes a single field within a MTLStructType struct.
MTLStructType	Defines a type representing a struct, which can be passed as an argument to Metal functions.
MTLTexture_Extensions	Extension methods to the IMTLTexture interface to support all the methods from the IMTLTexture protocol.
MTLTextureDescriptor	Configuration for IMTLTexture objects.
MTLTextureReferenceType
MTLTileRenderPipelineColorAttachmentDescriptor
MTLTileRenderPipelineColorAttachmentDescriptorArray
MTLTileRenderPipelineDescriptor
MTLType
MTLVertexAttribute	An attribute for per-vertex input to a vertex shader function.
MTLVertexAttributeDescriptor	An attribute for per-vertex input for a vertex shader function.
MTLVertexAttributeDescriptorArray	Holds an array of MTLVertexAttributeDescriptor objects.
MTLVertexBufferLayoutDescriptor	Configures how vertex and attribute data are fetched by a vertex shader function.
MTLVertexBufferLayoutDescriptorArray	Holds an array of MTLVertexBufferLayoutDescriptor objects.
MTLVertexDescriptor	Maps vertex data in memory to attributes in a vertex shader.
MTLVertexFormatExtensions	Extensions methods for MTLVertexFormat.

Structs

MTLClearColor	An RGBA color representing a clear pixel.
MTLClearValue	Struct that contains values that are used to clear various buffers and stencils.
MTLDispatchThreadgroupsIndirectArguments	Represents the number of threadgroups in each grid dimension for indirectly dispatched threadgroups.
MTLDrawIndexedPrimitivesIndirectArguments	Represents the data layout needed to draw indexed primitives.
MTLDrawPatchIndirectArguments
MTLDrawPrimitivesIndirectArguments	Represents the data layout needed to draw primitives.
MTLOrigin	The location of a pixel in an image or texture.
MTLQuadTessellationFactorsHalf
MTLRegion	A rectangle of pixels in an image or texture.
MTLSamplePosition	A sample position.
MTLScissorRect	The retangle used for the scissor fragment test.
MTLSize	The dimensions of a grid, image, texture, or threadgroup.
MTLSizeAndAlign
MTLStageInRegionIndirectArguments
MTLTriangleTessellationFactorsHalf
MTLViewport	Defines the clipping viewport.

Interfaces

IMTLArgumentEncoder	Encodes data into argument buffers.
IMTLBlitCommandEncoder	Protocol for writing data into frame buffers.
IMTLBuffer	System protocol for raw data that is accessible in strides.
IMTLCaptureScope	Custom capture scope boundary for debugging from Xcode.
IMTLCommandBuffer	Protocol for commands that are run on a GPU
IMTLCommandEncoder	System protocol for enqueuing and writing commands into a buffer.
IMTLCommandQueue	System protocol for objects that can queue command buffers for running on a GPU.
IMTLComputeCommandEncoder	Protocol for encoding and running parallel commands on a GPU.
IMTLComputePipelineState	System protocol that represents a compiled compute program.
IMTLDepthStencilState	System protocol for describing how the depth stencil should interact with the depth buffer during rendering.
IMTLDevice	System protocol for interacting with a single graphics device.
IMTLDrawable	Interface representing the required methods (if any) of the protocol MTLDrawable.
IMTLEvent
IMTLFence
IMTLFunction	System protocol for shader functions that are suitable for use on a GPU in a shader or compute function.
IMTLHeap
IMTLIndirectCommandBuffer
IMTLIndirectRenderCommand
IMTLLibrary	System protocol for libraries of shaders.
IMTLParallelRenderCommandEncoder	System protocol for breaking a single rendering pass into parallel command sets.
IMTLRenderCommandEncoder	System protocol for encoding render commands and state into a buffer.
IMTLRenderPipelineState	System protocol for encoding the state of a rendering pipeline.
IMTLResource	System protocol for for allocated segments of GPU memory.
IMTLSamplerState	System protocol the way that shaders or compute kernels will sample textures.
IMTLSharedEvent
IMTLTexture	System protocol for image data that is used by vertex shaders, fragment shaders, and compute kernels.

Enums

MTLArgumentAccess	Function access restrictions of argument data in the shader code.
MTLArgumentBuffersTier	Enumerates argument buffer tiers.
MTLArgumentType	The resource type of an argument of a function.
MTLAttributeFormat	Enumerates formats for function attributes.
MTLBarrierScope
MTLBlendFactor	Argument values for use with MTLBlendOperation.
MTLBlendOperation	How the source and destination values are combined.
MTLBlitOption	Enumerates blitting options.
MTLColorWriteMask	Permits or restricts writing to specific color channels.
MTLCommandBufferError	Enumeration of error codes describing why a command buffer has failed.
MTLCommandBufferStatus	The state of the command-buffer state-machine. Enqueued->Committed->Scheduled->Completed.
MTLCompareFunction	Holds a comparison test. When the comparison test passes, the incoming fragment is compared to the stored data at the specified location.
MTLCpuCacheMode	Enumerates what cache mode is used for CPU mapping of a resource.
MTLCullMode	Enumerates modes for culling and which types of primitives are culled.
MTLDataType	The data type of a function argument, as used in the shader language code.
MTLDepthClipMode	Enumerates values that indicate whether to clip or clamp depth values.
MTLDispatchType
MTLFeatureSet	Enumerates the hardware feature sets that are available on a device.
MTLFunctionType	The type of a Metal function.
MTLIndexType	The index type for an index buffer.
MTLIndirectCommandType
MTLLanguageVersion	Enumerates Metal shader programming language versions.
MTLLibraryError	Enumerates errors possible in the creation of an MTLLibrary or MTLFunction object.
MTLLoadAction	An action performed at the start of a rendering pass.
MTLMultisampleDepthResolveFilter	Enumerates MSAA dept resolve filter operations.
MTLMultisampleStencilResolveFilter
MTLMutability	Enumerates buffer mutability descriptions.
MTLPatchType
MTLPipelineOption	Options relating to argument information in the creation of a pipeline.
MTLPixelFormat	The format used by pixels, including color, depth, compression technigue, and data type for components.
MTLPrimitiveTopologyClass
MTLPrimitiveType	Enumerates the primitive geometry used for drawing commands.
MTLPurgeableState	The purgeable state of the resource.
MTLReadWriteTextureTier
MTLRenderPipelineError	Enumerates errors possible in the creation of a MTLRenderPipelineState.
MTLRenderStages
MTLResourceOptions	Holds options used by buffer and texture objects.
MTLResourceUsage	Enumerates resource usage patterns.
MTLSamplerAddressMode	The wrapping mode. Used when a fetch falls outside the bounds of a texture.
MTLSamplerBorderColor
MTLSamplerMinMagFilter	Options for calculating the pixel value returned within a mipmap level.
MTLSamplerMipFilter	Options for calculating the pixel value returned with multiple mipmap levels.
MTLStencilOperation	What to do if a stencil value passes or fails a comparison test.
MTLStepFunction
MTLStorageMode	Enumerates CPU cache modes for resource mapping.
MTLStoreAction	The action to be performed at the end of a rendering pass.
MTLStoreActionOptions	Enumerates store action options.
MTLTessellationControlPointIndexType
MTLTessellationFactorFormat
MTLTessellationFactorStepFunction
MTLTessellationPartitionMode
MTLTextureType	The dimensionality of each texture and how multiple images are arranged.
MTLTextureUsage	Enumerates the ways in which a IMTLTexture may be used.
MTLTriangleFillMode	How to rasterize triangle and triangle-strip primitives.
MTLVertexFormat	Enumerates vertex data formats (type and number).
MTLVertexStepFunction	The frequency at which the vertex shader function should fetch attribute data.
MTLVisibilityResultMode	Enumerates values that control how and whether to monitor samples that pass depth and stencil tests.
MTLWinding	Vertex winding rule for front-facing primitives.

Delegates

MTLDeallocator	Completion handler for deallocating a buffer.
MTLNewComputePipelineStateWithReflectionCompletionHandler
MTLNewRenderPipelineStateWithReflectionCompletionHandler
MTLSharedEventNotificationBlock

Remarks

The Metal framework, introduced in iOS 8, provides low-level control of Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) accelerated rendering and data-parallel computation (GPGPU).

The Metal framework provides low-level access to the A7 GPU. Metal provides precompiled shaders, state objects, and explicit command scheduling. Its facilities can be used for either 3D rendering or General-Purpose GPU computation.