WebGPU multiple render passes for 1 canvas

I'm a beginner in WebGPU and want to process an image with multiple processing stages in separate shader modules:

1. Desaturation
2. Edge detection
3. Compression

Step 4 then computes the compressed texture and converts it into ASCII. I've accomplished this in Three.js by running multiple render passes in an EffectComposer, but I'm unsure how to do this in WebGPU. My assumption is that I need to specify an output somewhere, and use that as a binding for the texture.

How do I "link" the resulting textures and throw them into the next shader module? Is this even the right approach? Is it a bad idea to separate shaders based on smaller functionalities?

Here's the code that I'm currently working with:

// SETUP
if (!navigator.gpu) {
    throw new Error('WebGPU not supported on this browser :(');
}
const adapter = await navigator.gpu.requestAdapter();
if (!adapter) {
    throw new Error('No appropriate GPUAdapter found :(')
}
const device = await adapter.requestDevice();

const canvas = document.querySelector('canvas');
const context = canvas.getContext('webgpu');
const canvasFormat = navigator.gpu.getPreferredCanvasFormat();
context.configure({
    device: device,
    format: canvasFormat,
});


// DO STUFF!
// IMAGE -> TEXTURE for the sampler
const url = './someImg.jpg'
async function loadImageBitmap(url) {
    const res = await fetch(url);
    const blob = await res.blob();
    return await createImageBitmap(blob, { colorSpaceConversion: 'none' });
}
const source = await loadImageBitmap(url);
canvas.style.width = source.width + 'px' // adjusts the canvas based on img resolution
canvas.style.height = source.height + 'px'
canvas.width = source.width
canvas.height = source.height

// texture
const texture = device.createTexture({
    label: 'imgTexture',
    format: 'rgba8unorm',
    size: [source.width, source.height],
    usage:
        GPUTextureUsage.TEXTURE_BINDING |
        GPUTextureUsage.COPY_DST |
        GPUTextureUsage.RENDER_ATTACHMENT,
})
device.queue.copyExternalImageToTexture(
    { source, flipY: true },
    { texture },
    { width: source.width, height: source.height },
);

// SHADER #1 (desaturation)
// module
const module = device.createShaderModule({
    label: 'monochrome filter shader module',
    code: monoFilter, // WGSL file
});

// render pipeline
const pipeline = device.createRenderPipeline({
    label: 'monoFilter render pipeline',
    layout: 'auto',
    vertex: {
        module,
        targets: [{ format: canvasFormat }],
    },
    fragment: {
        module,
        targets: [{ format: canvasFormat }],
    }
})

// sampler
const sampler = device.createSampler({
    magFilter: 'linear',
    minFilter: 'linear',
})

// resolution buffer (vec2(x,y) for the shader)
const resolutionArray = new Float32Array([source.width, source.height])
const resolutionBuffer = device.createBuffer({
    label: 'resolution buffer',
    size: resolutionArray.byteLength,
    usage: GPUBufferUsage.STORAGE | GPUBufferUsage.COPY_DST,
})
device.queue.writeBuffer(resolutionBuffer, 0, resolutionArray)

// bindgroup
const bindGroup = device.createBindGroup({
    layout: pipeline.getBindGroupLayout(0),
    entries: [
        { binding: 0, resource: sampler },
        { binding: 1, resource: texture.createView() },
        { binding: 2, resource: { buffer: resolutionBuffer } }
    ]
})

// SHADER #2 (edge detection)
// module, pipeline, bindgroup ...

// CREATE AND DRAW RENDER PASS
function render() {
    const encoder = device.createCommandEncoder({
        label: 'render quad encoder',
    });
    const pass = encoder.beginRenderPass({
        colorAttachments: [{
            view: context.getCurrentTexture().createView(),
            clearValue: [0.2, 0.0, 0.3, 1.0],
            loadOp: 'clear',
            storeOp: 'store',
        }],
    });
    pass.setPipeline(pipeline);
    pass.setBindGroup(0, bindGroup);
    pass.draw(6);
    pass.end();

    // render pass for the next processing step ...

    device.queue.submit([encoder.finish()]);
}

render()

Most of this I learned from a tutorial at https://codelabs.developers.google.com/your-first-webgpu-app#0

For some background, I've accomplished a single-pass render with a WGSL shader with custom bindings for the sampler, texture and other arbitrary array buffers. Other than that, I'm still learning the fundamentals of the API.

It would not be common to use the canvas in step 1. Even in three.js, it doesn't use the canvas until the last step. See the three.js manual

So, create 1 or more intermediate textures depending on your needs.

Referencing the example from the three.js manual

That diagram effectively shows 2 intermediate textures, rtA and rtB.

So, in webgpu, if you copied that setup, you would do something like

// render to rtA
{
 pass = encoder.beingRenderPass({
   colorAttachments[{ view: rtA.createView(), ... }],
   ...
 });
 render scene to `rtA`
 pass.end();
}

// bloom pass to rtB
{
 pass = encoder.beingRenderPass({
   colorAttachments[{ view: rtB.createView(), ... }],
   ...
 });
 pass.setPipeline(bloomPipeline);
 pass.setBindGroup(..., someBindGroupThatReferencesRTA);
 pass.draw(...)
 pass.end();
}

// film pass to rtA
{
 pass = encoder.beingRenderPass({
   colorAttachments[{ view: rtA.createView(), ... }],
   ...
 });
 pass.setPipeline(filmPipeline);
 pass.setBindGroup(..., someBindGroupThatReferencesRTB);
 pass.draw(...)
 pass.end();
}

// copy pass to canvas
{
 pass = encoder.beingRenderPass({
   colorAttachments[{ view: context.getCurrentTexture().createView(), ... }],
   ...
 });
 pass.setPipeline(copyPipeline);
 pass.setBindGroup(..., someBindGroupThatReferencesRTA);
 pass.draw(...)
 pass.end();
}

Whether you have copy pass or render directly to the canvas on the film pass (or whatever your last effect is) is up to you.

As for whether it's a good idea to separate passes, it's easiest and if things run fast enough that's what I'd do. In on optimal system you might try to combine passes but not all passes can be combined as they might require intermediate steps. For example, a bloom pass is commonly done by generating a blurred version of the image with highlights blown out and darker portions made black. The blurred image is then drawn on top of the original image with additive blending. The steps to make the blurred image can not be easily combined with other passes as usually they involve downscaling.

On the other hand, a 2D lut or 3D lut or hue/saturation adjustment or levels adjustment, or a posterize adjustment can all be combined into a single shader. It would be faster to combine them into a single shader but designing a system like three.js that takes random passes specified by the user and then tries to figure out which ones it can combine is, well, it's up to you whether you think it's worth it. Me, I'd start simple and keep them separate and only later decide if I should optimize.

Since you mentioned only 1 tutorial you might find these tutorials helpful.

^{I contributed to the tutorials linked above which S.O. says I'm required to disclose}