# VkSemaphore(3) Manual Page

## Name

VkSemaphore - Opaque handle to a semaphore object

Loading… please wait.

## C Specification

Semaphores are a synchronization primitive that can be used to insert a dependency between queue operations or between a queue operation and the host. Binary semaphores have two states - signaled and unsignaled. Timeline semaphores have a strictly increasing 64-bit unsigned integer payload and are signaled with respect to a particular reference value. A semaphore can be signaled after execution of a queue operation is completed, and a queue operation can wait for a semaphore to become signaled before it begins execution. A timeline semaphore can additionally be signaled from the host with the vkSignalSemaphore command and waited on from the host with the vkWaitSemaphores command.

The internal data of a semaphore may include a reference to any resources and pending work associated with signal or unsignal operations performed on that semaphore object, collectively referred to as the semaphore’s payload. Mechanisms to import and export that internal data to and from semaphores are provided below. These mechanisms indirectly enable applications to share semaphore state between two or more semaphores and other synchronization primitives across process and API boundaries.

Semaphores are represented by `VkSemaphore` handles:

    // Provided by VK_VERSION_1_0
    VK_DEFINE_NON_DISPATCHABLE_HANDLE(VkSemaphore)

## See Also

VK_DEFINE_NON_DISPATCHABLE_HANDLE, VK_VERSION_1_0, VkAcquireNextImageInfoKHR, VkBindSparseInfo, VkExportMetalSharedEventInfoEXT, VkImportSemaphoreFdInfoKHR, VkImportSemaphoreWin32HandleInfoKHR, VkImportSemaphoreZirconHandleInfoFUCHSIA, VkLatencySleepInfoNV, VkPresentInfoKHR, VkSemaphoreGetFdInfoKHR, VkSemaphoreGetWin32HandleInfoKHR, VkSemaphoreGetZirconHandleInfoFUCHSIA, VkSemaphoreSignalInfo, VkSemaphoreSubmitInfo, VkSemaphoreWaitInfo, VkSubmitInfo, vkAcquireNextImageKHR, vkCreateSemaphore, vkDestroySemaphore, vkGetSemaphoreCounterValue, vkGetSemaphoreCounterValueKHR

## 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 2014-2024 The Khronos Group Inc.

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0