How do I package a metal renderer?

To package a Metal renderer, you can follow the guidance provided in the session "Port advanced games to Apple platforms" from WWDC 2024. Here are the key steps and tools mentioned:

1. Set Up Your Project:

   • Ensure your project is set up correctly to use Metal. This includes configuring your shaders and resource layouts.

2. Use Metal Shader Converter:

   • The Metal Shader Converter is a tool that helps you convert shaders from other platforms to Metal. It supports all shader stages, including advanced ones like ray tracing and mesh shaders.
   • You can invoke the Metal Shader Converter from the command line or by linking against its dynamic library on both Windows and macOS. This tool helps in compiling shaders and deploying them across macOS and iOS.

3. Implement MetalFX:

   • MetalFX can be used to improve the performance of your game by scaling a lower resolution image up to the target output resolution. This is done in less time than rendering at the output resolution directly.
   • You need to create a temporal scaler object and specify textures for color, depth, motion, and upscale output.

4. Debug and Profile:

   • Use tools like Metal System Trace and Instruments to measure and analyze your game's overall impact on the system.
   • The Metal Shader Converter now carries debug information from the source HLSL, allowing you to use Metal tools to debug and profile your converted shaders.

For a practical example of how to port your advanced renderer using Metal, you can refer to the gameporting example project and the video "Bring your game to Mac part three render with Metal."

For more detailed steps and examples, you can check out the session Port advanced games to Apple platforms (09:29).

Relevant Sessions

1. Port advanced games to Apple platforms
2. Render Metal with passthrough in visionOS
3. Bring your iOS or iPadOS game to visionOS

These sessions provide comprehensive guidance on using Metal for rendering and packaging your game for Apple platforms.