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NVIDIA Vulkan Ray Tracing Tutorials (v2.0)

Vulkan Ray Tracing Tutorial

Convert a modern Vulkan 1.4 rasterization application into a fully functional ray tracer through 8 progressive, compilable phases. Learn acceleration structures, the shader binding table, ray tracing pipelines, and physically-based shading by following along step by step.

Start the Progressive Tutorial → Browse the 18+ samples

Before (rasterization) After (ray tracing)
Phase 0 Phase 8

Built on the VK_KHR_acceleration_structure, VK_KHR_ray_tracing_pipeline, and VK_KHR_ray_query extensions.

Looking for the original version?

Check out the legacy Vulkan ray tracing tutorial (pre-v2.0).

Other Resources

  • Setup

    Build prerequisites, repository layout, and how to create a working copy.

    Setup guide →

  • Concepts

    Plain-language explanations of acceleration structures, the SBT, and rendering acronyms (BRDF, BSDF, NEE, MIS).

    Read the concepts →

  • Samples

    18+ focused samples covering reflections, motion blur, ray queries, callable shaders, and more.

    Browse samples →

  • Reference Implementation

    A production-quality Vulkan path tracer with full glTF 2.0 support to study after the tutorial.

    vk_gltf_renderer →

Quick Start

Prerequisites

  • nvpro_core2: Vulkan helper classes and utilities
  • Vulkan 1.4+ SDK with Volk headers selected during installation
  • A GPU and driver supporting Vulkan ray tracing
  • CMake 3.18+

Build

git clone https://github.com/nvpro-samples/nvpro_core2.git
git clone https://github.com/nvpro-samples/vk_raytracing_tutorial_KHR.git

cmake -B build -S vk_raytracing_tutorial_KHR
cmake --build build -j 8

Compiled binaries land in the _bin directory.

What You Will Learn

  • Progressive Conversion: Transform 01_foundation (raster-based) into 02_basic (ray tracing) through 8 carefully designed phases.
  • Compilable Checkpoints: Each phase results in a working, testable application.
  • Industry Implementation: Acceleration structures, shader binding tables, and ray tracing pipelines as used in real engines.
  • Modern Vulkan 1.4: Shader objects, push descriptors, dynamic rendering, and the latest ray tracing extensions.
  • Cross-Platform Shaders: Slang shaders compiled across hardware and platforms.
  • vk_gltf_renderer — A complete, production-ready Vulkan ray/path tracer with full glTF 2.0 support, IBL, denoising, and post-processing. Excellent reference for studying a finished implementation.
  • vk_mini_samples — A wide collection of focused Vulkan samples beyond ray tracing: compute, mesh shading, debugging, and modern Vulkan features.

Repository

Source: github.com/nvpro-samples/vk_raytracing_tutorial_KHR

Author: Martin-Karl Lefrançois, NVIDIA