Devillers, HugoKurtenacker, MatthiasMembarth, RichardLemme, StefanKenzel, MichaelYazici, ÖmercanSlusallek, PhilippKnoll, AaronPeters, Christoph2025-06-202025-06-202025978-3-03868-291-22079-8687https://doi.org/10.2312/hpg.20251167https://diglib.eg.org/handle/10.2312/hpg20251167Graphics APIs have traditionally relied on shading languages, however, these languages have a number of fundamental defects and limitations. By contrast, GPU compute platforms offer powerful, feature-rich languages suitable for heterogeneous compute. We propose reframing shading languages as embedded domain-specific languages, layered on top of a more general language like C++, doing away with traditional limitations on pointers, functions, and recursion, to the benefit of programmability. This represents a significant compilation challenge because the limitations of shaders are reflected in their lower-level representations. We present the Vcc compiler, which allows conventional C and C++ code to run as Vulkan shaders. Our compiler is complemented by a simple shading library and exposes GPU particulars as intrinsics and annotations. We evaluate the performance of our compiler using a selection of benchmarks, including a real-time path tracer, achieving competitive performance compared to their native CUDA counterparts.Attribution 4.0 International LicenseCCS Concepts: Software and its engineering → Compilers; Computing methodologies → Rendering; Ray tracingSoftware and its engineering → CompilersComputing methodologies → RenderingRay tracing10.2312/hpg.2025116710 pages