vkCmdCudaLaunchKernelNV(3)

# vkCmdCudaLaunchKernelNV(3) Manual Page

## Name

vkCmdCudaLaunchKernelNV - Dispatch compute work items

## C Specification

To record a CUDA kernel launch, call:

    // Provided by VK_NV_cuda_kernel_launch
    void vkCmdCudaLaunchKernelNV(
        VkCommandBuffer                             commandBuffer,
        const VkCudaLaunchInfoNV*                   pLaunchInfo);

## Parameters

- `commandBuffer` is the command buffer into which the command will be recorded.

- `pLaunchInfo` is a pointer to a VkCudaLaunchInfoNV structure in which the grid (similar to workgroup) dimension, function handle and related arguments are defined.

## Description

When the command is executed, a global workgroup consisting of `gridDimX` × `gridDimY` × `gridDimZ` local workgroups is assembled.

Valid Usage (Implicit)

- VUID-vkCmdCudaLaunchKernelNV-commandBuffer-parameter
  `commandBuffer` must be a valid VkCommandBuffer handle

- VUID-vkCmdCudaLaunchKernelNV-pLaunchInfo-parameter
  `pLaunchInfo` must be a valid pointer to a valid VkCudaLaunchInfoNV structure

- VUID-vkCmdCudaLaunchKernelNV-commandBuffer-recording
  `commandBuffer` must be in the recording state

- VUID-vkCmdCudaLaunchKernelNV-commandBuffer-cmdpool
  The `VkCommandPool` that `commandBuffer` was allocated from must support VK_QUEUE_COMPUTE_BIT, or VK_QUEUE_GRAPHICS_BIT operations

- VUID-vkCmdCudaLaunchKernelNV-suspended
  This command must not be called between suspended render pass instances

- VUID-vkCmdCudaLaunchKernelNV-videocoding
  This command must only be called outside of a video coding scope

Host Synchronization

- Host access to the `VkCommandPool` that `commandBuffer` was allocated from must be externally synchronized

Command Properties

Command Buffer Levels | Render Pass Scope | Video Coding Scope | Supported Queue Types | Command Type
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Primary Secondary | Both | Outside | VK_QUEUE_COMPUTE_BIT VK_QUEUE_GRAPHICS_BIT | Action

Conditional Rendering

vkCmdCudaLaunchKernelNV is not affected by conditional rendering

## See Also

VK_NV_cuda_kernel_launch, VkCommandBuffer, VkCudaLaunchInfoNV

## Document Notes

For more information, see the Vulkan Specification.

This page is extracted from the Vulkan Specification. Fixes and changes should be made to the Specification, not directly.

## Copyright

Copyright 2014-2026 The Khronos Group Inc.

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0