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Descriptors are Hard

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Faith Ekstrand

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Description

Descriptors are Hard is a full-slot talk by Dr Faith Ekstrand of Collabora at XDC 2025 (X.Org Developer's Conference), focused on how modern graphics APIs expose resources to shaders.

The abstract covers resource mapping from API and hardware views across OpenGL, Vulkan, and D3D12, why the shader-to-API boundary remains difficult while compilation is better understood, and recent Vulkan work that tries to ease descriptor and binding pain.

It is aimed at advanced driver, Mesa, and engine programmers who implement or consume descriptor models. Prior Vulkan or OpenGL binding experience is expected.

The Indico page lists a 45-minute in-person Main Track slot with a downloadable PDF of the slides for free.

It is useful as a cross-API systems talk on descriptors from a driver maintainer perspective rather than an application tutorial.