# vkCmdExecuteCommands(3) Manual Page

## Name

vkCmdExecuteCommands - Execute a secondary command buffer from a primary command buffer

## C Specification

A secondary command buffer must not be directly submitted to a queue. Instead, secondary command buffers are recorded to execute as part of a primary command buffer with the command:

    void vkCmdExecuteCommands(
        VkCommandBuffer                             commandBuffer,
        uint32_t                                    commandBufferCount,
        const VkCommandBuffer*                      pCommandBuffers);

## Parameters

- `commandBuffer` is a handle to a primary command buffer that the secondary command buffers are executed in.

- `commandBufferCount` is the length of the `pCommandBuffers` array.

- `pCommandBuffers` is a pointer to an array of `commandBufferCount` secondary command buffer handles, which are recorded to execute in the primary command buffer in the order they are listed in the array.

## Description

If any element of `pCommandBuffers` was not recorded with the `VK_COMMAND_BUFFER_USAGE_SIMULTANEOUS_USE_BIT` flag, and it was recorded into any other primary command buffer which is currently in the executable or recording state, that primary command buffer becomes invalid.

Valid Usage

- Each element of `pCommandBuffers` must have been allocated with a `level` of `VK_COMMAND_BUFFER_LEVEL_SECONDARY`

- Each element of `pCommandBuffers` must be in the pending or executable state

- If any element of `pCommandBuffers` was not recorded with the `VK_COMMAND_BUFFER_USAGE_SIMULTANEOUS_USE_BIT` flag, it must not be in the pending state

- If any element of `pCommandBuffers` was not recorded with the `VK_COMMAND_BUFFER_USAGE_SIMULTANEOUS_USE_BIT` flag, it must not have already been recorded to `commandBuffer`

- If any element of `pCommandBuffers` was not recorded with the `VK_COMMAND_BUFFER_USAGE_SIMULTANEOUS_USE_BIT` flag, it must not appear more than once in `pCommandBuffers`

- Each element of `pCommandBuffers` must have been allocated from a `VkCommandPool` that was created for the same queue family as the `VkCommandPool` from which `commandBuffer` was allocated

- If `vkCmdExecuteCommands` is being called within a render pass instance, that render pass instance must have been begun with the `contents` parameter of `vkCmdBeginRenderPass` set to `VK_SUBPASS_CONTENTS_SECONDARY_COMMAND_BUFFERS`

- If `vkCmdExecuteCommands` is being called within a render pass instance, each element of `pCommandBuffers` must have been recorded with the `VK_COMMAND_BUFFER_USAGE_RENDER_PASS_CONTINUE_BIT`

- If `vkCmdExecuteCommands` is being called within a render pass instance, each element of `pCommandBuffers` must have been recorded with `VkCommandBufferInheritanceInfo`::`subpass` set to the index of the subpass which the given command buffer will be executed in

- If `vkCmdExecuteCommands` is being called within a render pass instance, the render passes specified in the `pBeginInfo->pInheritanceInfo->renderPass` members of the vkBeginCommandBuffer commands used to begin recording each element of `pCommandBuffers` must be compatible with the current render pass

- If `vkCmdExecuteCommands` is being called within a render pass instance, and any element of `pCommandBuffers` was recorded with VkCommandBufferInheritanceInfo::`framebuffer` not equal to VK_NULL_HANDLE, that `VkFramebuffer` must match the `VkFramebuffer` used in the current render pass instance

- If `vkCmdExecuteCommands` is being called within a render pass instance that included VkRenderPassTransformBeginInfoQCOM in the `pNext` chain of VkRenderPassBeginInfo, then each element of `pCommandBuffers` must have been recorded with VkCommandBufferInheritanceRenderPassTransformInfoQCOM in the `pNext` chain of VkCommandBufferBeginInfo

- If `vkCmdExecuteCommands` is being called within a render pass instance that included VkRenderPassTransformBeginInfoQCOM in the `pNext` chain of VkRenderPassBeginInfo, then each element of `pCommandBuffers` must have been recorded with VkCommandBufferInheritanceRenderPassTransformInfoQCOM::`transform` identical to VkRenderPassTransformBeginInfoQCOM::`transform`

- If `vkCmdExecuteCommands` is being called within a render pass instance that included VkRenderPassTransformBeginInfoQCOM in the `pNext` chain of VkRenderPassBeginInfo, then each element of `pCommandBuffers` must have been recorded with VkCommandBufferInheritanceRenderPassTransformInfoQCOM::`renderArea` identical to VkRenderPassBeginInfo::`renderArea`

- If `vkCmdExecuteCommands` is not being called within a render pass instance, each element of `pCommandBuffers` must not have been recorded with the `VK_COMMAND_BUFFER_USAGE_RENDER_PASS_CONTINUE_BIT`

- If the inherited queries feature is not enabled, `commandBuffer` must not have any queries active

- If `commandBuffer` has a `VK_QUERY_TYPE_OCCLUSION` query active, then each element of `pCommandBuffers` must have been recorded with `VkCommandBufferInheritanceInfo`::`occlusionQueryEnable` set to `VK_TRUE`

- If `commandBuffer` has a `VK_QUERY_TYPE_OCCLUSION` query active, then each element of `pCommandBuffers` must have been recorded with `VkCommandBufferInheritanceInfo`::`queryFlags` having all bits set that are set for the query

- If `commandBuffer` has a `VK_QUERY_TYPE_PIPELINE_STATISTICS` query active, then each element of `pCommandBuffers` must have been recorded with `VkCommandBufferInheritanceInfo`::`pipelineStatistics` having all bits set that are set in the `VkQueryPool` the query uses

- Each element of `pCommandBuffers` must not begin any query types that are active in `commandBuffer`

- If `commandBuffer` is a protected command buffer, then each element of `pCommandBuffers` must be a protected command buffer

- If `commandBuffer` is an unprotected command buffer, then each element of `pCommandBuffers` must be an unprotected command buffer

- This command must not be recorded when transform feedback is active

Valid Usage (Implicit)

- `commandBuffer` must be a valid VkCommandBuffer handle

- `pCommandBuffers` must be a valid pointer to an array of `commandBufferCount` valid VkCommandBuffer handles

- `commandBuffer` must be in the recording state

- The `VkCommandPool` that `commandBuffer` was allocated from must support transfer, graphics, or compute operations

- `commandBuffer` must be a primary `VkCommandBuffer`

- `commandBufferCount` must be greater than `0`

- Both of `commandBuffer`, and the elements of `pCommandBuffers` must have been created, allocated, or retrieved from the same VkDevice

Host Synchronization

- Host access to `commandBuffer` must be externally synchronized

- Host access to the `VkCommandPool` that `commandBuffer` was allocated from must be externally synchronized

Command Properties

Command Buffer Levels | Render Pass Scope | Supported Queue Types | Pipeline Type
--- | --- | --- | ---
Primary | Both | Transfer Graphics Compute |

## See Also

VkCommandBuffer

## 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 (c) 2014-2020 Khronos Group. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.