vkCreateMicromapEXT(3)

# vkCreateMicromapEXT(3) Manual Page

## Name

vkCreateMicromapEXT - Create a new micromap object

## C Specification

To create a micromap, call:

    // Provided by VK_EXT_opacity_micromap
    VkResult vkCreateMicromapEXT(
        VkDevice                                    device,
        const VkMicromapCreateInfoEXT*              pCreateInfo,
        const VkAllocationCallbacks*                pAllocator,
        VkMicromapEXT*                              pMicromap);

## Parameters

- `device` is the logical device that creates the micromap structure object.

- `pCreateInfo` is a pointer to a VkMicromapCreateInfoEXT structure containing parameters affecting creation of the micromap.

- `pAllocator` controls host memory allocation as described in the Memory Allocation chapter.

- `pMicromap` is a pointer to a VkMicromapEXT handle in which the resulting micromap object is returned.

## Description

Similar to other objects in Vulkan, the micromap creation merely creates an object with a specific “shape”. The type and quantity of geometry that can be built into a micromap is determined by the parameters of VkMicromapCreateInfoEXT.

The micromap data is stored in the object referred to by `VkMicromapCreateInfoEXT`::`buffer`. Once memory has been bound to that buffer, it must be populated by micromap build or micromap copy commands such as vkCmdBuildMicromapsEXT, vkBuildMicromapsEXT, vkCmdCopyMicromapEXT, and vkCopyMicromapEXT.

Note | The expected usage for a trace capture/replay tool is that it will serialize and later deserialize the micromap data using micromap copy commands. During capture the tool will set VkCopyMicromapToMemoryInfoEXT::`mode` to VK_COPY_MICROMAP_MODE_SERIALIZE_EXT, and during replay the tool will set VkCopyMemoryToMicromapInfoEXT::`mode` to VK_COPY_MICROMAP_MODE_DESERIALIZE_EXT.

Valid Usage

- VUID-vkCreateMicromapEXT-micromap-11615
  The `VkPhysicalDeviceOpacityMicromapFeaturesEXT`::`micromap` feature must be enabled

Valid Usage (Implicit)

- VUID-vkCreateMicromapEXT-device-parameter
  `device` must be a valid VkDevice handle

- VUID-vkCreateMicromapEXT-pCreateInfo-parameter
  `pCreateInfo` must be a valid pointer to a valid VkMicromapCreateInfoEXT structure

- VUID-vkCreateMicromapEXT-pAllocator-parameter
  If `pAllocator` is not `NULL`, `pAllocator` must be a valid pointer to a valid VkAllocationCallbacks structure

- VUID-vkCreateMicromapEXT-pMicromap-parameter
  `pMicromap` must be a valid pointer to a VkMicromapEXT handle

- VUID-vkCreateMicromapEXT-device-queuecount
  The device must have been created with at least `1` queue

Return Codes

On success, this command returns

  - VK_SUCCESS

On failure, this command returns

  - VK_ERROR_INVALID_OPAQUE_CAPTURE_ADDRESS_KHR

  - VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_HOST_MEMORY

  - VK_ERROR_UNKNOWN

  - VK_ERROR_VALIDATION_FAILED

## See Also

VK_EXT_opacity_micromap, VkAllocationCallbacks, VkDevice, VkMicromapCreateInfoEXT, VkMicromapEXT

## 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