Re: GPU for the Web Working Group Charter Approved; Call for Participation

Hey Kevin,

Building an ecosystem of tools around WebGPU was suggested to be put in the
scope of the CG/WG, but ultimately rejected. Tools around WGSL will be
critical to the success of WebGPU, but they will have to be maintained by
the community. It doesn't mean that you can't rely on them existing! For
<your shading language> -> WGSL translation there's at least two
initiatives that will help:

   - Tint <https://dawn.googlesource.com/tint/>'s SPIR-V to WGSL mode
   that's already mostly working (and found stuff like the missing
   "non-readable" decoration in WGSL)
   - Naga <https://github.com/gfx-rs/naga/>'s SPIR-V and GLSL frontends
   that are in progress (but they don't have a WGSL backend, yet)

We should find a forum to gather and align the ecosystem needs, akin to /
reusing the webgpu-native <https://github.com/webgpu-native> Github org.

Cheers,

Corentin

On Thu, Aug 20, 2020 at 6:06 PM Kevin Rogovin <kevinrogovin@invisionapp.com>
wrote:

> The core issue, from my point of view at this time comes from the shading
> language being very different from the native shading languages. The tools
> and libraries that are needed for porting work to WebGPU are essentially a
> tool chain needed to go from the native shading languages to WebGPU, much
> like the Khronos tool chain for SPIR-V. The second set of tools is the
> libraries to be able to "do WebGPU" on native which there is progress in
> public for this. Having intent is nice, but not nice enough. It is really
> risky from a boss's point of view to green light a project targeting WebGPU
> without stronger guarantees of these tools and libraries. That is the crux.
>
> -Kevin
>
> On Thu, Aug 20, 2020 at 5:30 PM Francois Daoust <fd@w3.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi Kevin,
>>
>> I note that the WG charter lists "Reference implementations of the
>> group's deliverables" as possible deliverables for the group:
>> https://www.w3.org/2020/08/gpuweb-charter.html#wg-other-deliverables
>>
>> The CG charter has similar provisions (targeting raw page for now as
>> HTML rendering seems temporarily broken):
>> https://github.com/gpuweb/admin/blob/main/cg-charter.html#L219
>>
>> Being in the charter is no guarantee that this will actually happen, but
>> would that cover your needs?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Francois.
>>
>>
>> ------ Original message ------
>> From: "Kevin Rogovin" <kevinrogovin@invisionapp.com>
>> To: public-gpu@w3.org
>> Cc: "public-gpu" <public-gpu@w3.org>
>> Date: 20/08/2020 14:59:59
>>
>> >It is a shame that the charter does not include developing a tool chain
>> >or libraries in light of that the shading language is likely going to
>> >be so different than the current shading languages: MetalSL, GLSL,
>> >HLSL, SPIR-V, etc.
>> >
>> >On Thu, Aug 20, 2020 at 1:14 PM xueyuan <xueyuan@w3.org> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>Dear Members of the GPU for the Web Working Group,
>> >>
>> >>I'm relaying the announcement to the Working Group's primary public
>> >>mailing list, to notify the group of its initial charter approval and
>> >>call for participation.
>> >>
>> >>With kind regards,
>> >>Xueyuan Jia, W3C Marketing & Communications
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>-------- Forwarded Message --------
>> >>Subject: GPU for the Web Working Group Charter Approved; Call for
>> >>Participation
>> >>Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2020 18:03:21 +0800
>> >>From: xueyuan <xueyuan@w3.org> <mailto:xueyuan@w3.org>
>> >>To: w3c-ac-members@w3.org
>> >>CC: chairs@w3.org
>> >>
>> >>Dear Advisory Committee Representative,
>> >>Chairs,
>> >>
>> >>The Director is pleased to announce the approval of the GPU for the
>> >>Web Working Group charter:
>> >>https://www.w3.org/2020/08/gpuweb-charter.html
>> >>
>> >>This group is chartered until 31 August 2022.
>> >>
>> >>The mission of the GPU for the Web Working Group is to provide an
>> >>interface between the Web Platform and modern 3D graphics and
>> >>computation capabilities present on native system platforms.
>> >>
>> >>Use the following form to join the group. The form will also instruct
>> >>you how to nominate participants:
>> >>https://www.w3.org/2004/01/pp-impl/125519/join
>> >>
>> >>The Working Group chairs are Dean Jackson (Apple) and Corentin Wallez
>> >>(Google).
>> >>The initial Team Contact is François Daoust with 0.05 FTE.
>> >>
>> >>The group plans to have its first virtual face-to-face meeting by the
>> >>end of the year.
>> >>
>> >>More information about the GPU for the Web Working Group can be found
>> >>on its home page:
>> >>https://www.w3.org/2020/gpu/
>> >>
>> >>[...]
>> >>This announcement follows section 7.1.2 of the W3C Process Document:
>> >>http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Process/#ACReviewAfter
>> >>
>> >>and the Call for Participation follows section 5.2.4 of the W3C
>> >>Process Document:
>> >>http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Process/#cfp
>> >>
>> >>Thank you,
>> >>
>> >>For Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director,
>> >>Wendy Seltzer, Strategy Lead,
>> >>François Daoust, GPU for the Web Working Group Staff Contact;
>> >>Xueyuan Jia, W3C Marketing & Communications
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>