Hybrid Visualization with Vulkan-OpenGL: Technology and Methods of Implementation in Virtual Environment Systems

Abstract

In this paper, the topic of integrating visualization tasks to be solved using the Vulkan API into virtual environment systems based on OpenGL visualization, is researched. The problem of Vulkan-OpenGL hybrid visualization and an approach to its solution, based on a modified render-to-texture technique, are described. The technology of constructing an original embeddable program shell (VK-capsule) is proposed, which allows hybrid visualization as a "black box" to be worked with, obtaining an image in the OpenGL frame buffer at the output. The paper presents the developed structure of the VK-capsule, comprising three program blocks (VK-, GL- and I-block), and describes methods and algorithms for their construction. Based on proposed technology, methods and algorithms, a VK-capsule for height field visualization task was developed, which utilizes hardware-accelerated ray tracing, Vulkan API supported by. The approbation of the developed VK-capsule was carried out, which showed that proposed solutions are effective and meet the task. The results obtained can be used in virtual environment systems, scientific visualization, video simulators, virtual laboratories, educational applications, etc.