# Resource creation Load assets with input/output queues and make various resource instances, such as buffers, textures, acceleration structures, and memory heaps. ## Topics ### Working with resource heaps [`func makeHeap(descriptor: MTLHeapDescriptor) -> (any MTLHeap)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeHeap(descriptor:)) Creates a new GPU heap instance. [`func heapBufferSizeAndAlign(length: Int, options: MTLResourceOptions) -> MTLSizeAndAlign`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/heapBufferSizeAndAlign(length:options:)) Returns the size and alignment, in bytes, of a buffer if you create it from a heap. [`func heapTextureSizeAndAlign(descriptor: MTLTextureDescriptor) -> MTLSizeAndAlign`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/heapTextureSizeAndAlign(descriptor:)) Returns the size and alignment, in bytes, of a texture if you create it from a heap. [`func heapAccelerationStructureSizeAndAlign(size: Int) -> MTLSizeAndAlign`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/heapAccelerationStructureSizeAndAlign(size:)) Returns the size and alignment, in bytes, of an acceleration structure if you create it from a heap. [`func heapAccelerationStructureSizeAndAlign(descriptor: MTLAccelerationStructureDescriptor) -> MTLSizeAndAlign`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/heapAccelerationStructureSizeAndAlign(descriptor:)) Returns the size and alignment, in bytes, of an acceleration structure if you create it from a heap with a descriptor. [`struct MTLSizeAndAlign`](/documentation/Metal/MTLSizeAndAlign) The size and alignment of a resource, in bytes. ### Creating buffers [`var maxBufferLength: Int`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/maxBufferLength) The largest amount of memory, in bytes, that a GPU device can allocate to a buffer instance. [`func makeBuffer(length: Int, options: MTLResourceOptions) -> (any MTLBuffer)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeBuffer(length:options:)) Creates a buffer the method clears with zero values. [`func makeBuffer(bytes: UnsafeRawPointer, length: Int, options: MTLResourceOptions) -> (any MTLBuffer)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeBuffer(bytes:length:options:)) Allocates a new buffer of a given length and initializes its contents by copying existing data into it. [`func makeBuffer(bytesNoCopy: UnsafeMutableRawPointer, length: Int, options: MTLResourceOptions, deallocator: ((UnsafeMutableRawPointer, Int) -> Void)?) -> (any MTLBuffer)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeBuffer(bytesNoCopy:length:options:deallocator:)) Creates a buffer that wraps an existing contiguous memory allocation. ### Creating textures [`func makeTexture(descriptor: MTLTextureDescriptor) -> (any MTLTexture)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeTexture(descriptor:)) Creates a new texture instance. [`func makeTexture(descriptor: MTLTextureDescriptor, iosurface: IOSurfaceRef, plane: Int) -> (any MTLTexture)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeTexture(descriptor:iosurface:plane:)) Creates a texture instance that uses I/O surface to store its underlying data. [`func makeSharedTexture(descriptor: MTLTextureDescriptor) -> (any MTLTexture)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeSharedTexture(descriptor:)) Creates a texture that you can share across process boundaries. [`func makeSharedTexture(handle: MTLSharedTextureHandle) -> (any MTLTexture)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeSharedTexture(handle:)) Creates a texture that references a shared texture. [`func minimumLinearTextureAlignment(for: MTLPixelFormat) -> Int`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/minimumLinearTextureAlignment(for:)) Returns the minimum alignment the GPU device requires to create a linear texture from a buffer. [`func minimumTextureBufferAlignment(for: MTLPixelFormat) -> Int`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/minimumTextureBufferAlignment(for:)) Returns the minimum alignment the GPU device requires to create a texture buffer from a buffer. ### Creating samplers [`func supportsTextureSampleCount(Int) -> Bool`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/supportsTextureSampleCount(_:)) Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the GPU can sample a texture with a specific number of sample points. [`func makeSamplerState(descriptor: MTLSamplerDescriptor) -> (any MTLSamplerState)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeSamplerState(descriptor:)) Creates a sampler state instance. [`func getDefaultSamplePositions(sampleCount: Int) -> [MTLSamplePosition]`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/getDefaultSamplePositions(sampleCount:)) Returns the default sample locations based on the number of samples. [`- (void) getDefaultSamplePositions:(MTLSamplePosition *) positions count:(NSUInteger) count;`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/getDefaultSamplePositions:count:) Retrieves the default sample positions for a specific sample count. ### Working with sparse textures [`func sparseTileSize(textureType: MTLTextureType, pixelFormat: MTLPixelFormat, sampleCount: Int, sparsePageSize: MTLSparsePageSize) -> MTLSize`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/sparseTileSize(textureType:pixelFormat:sampleCount:sparsePageSize:)) Returns the dimensions of a sparse tile for a texture that has a specific sparse page size. [`func sparseTileSize(with: MTLTextureType, pixelFormat: MTLPixelFormat, sampleCount: Int) -> MTLSize`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/sparseTileSize(with:pixelFormat:sampleCount:)) Returns the dimensions of a sparse tile for a texture. [`func sparseTileSizeInBytes(sparsePageSize: MTLSparsePageSize) -> Int`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/sparseTileSizeInBytes(sparsePageSize:)) Returns the size, in bytes, of a sparse tile the GPU device creates with a specific page size. [`var sparseTileSizeInBytes: Int`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/sparseTileSizeInBytes) Returns the size, in bytes, of a sparse tile the GPU device creates using a default page size. [`func convertSparsePixelRegions(UnsafePointer, toTileRegions: UnsafeMutablePointer, withTileSize: MTLSize, alignmentMode: MTLSparseTextureRegionAlignmentMode, numRegions: Int)`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/convertSparsePixelRegions(_:toTileRegions:withTileSize:alignmentMode:numRegions:)) Converts a list of sparse pixel regions to tile regions. [`func convertSparseTileRegions(UnsafePointer, toPixelRegions: UnsafeMutablePointer, withTileSize: MTLSize, numRegions: Int)`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/convertSparseTileRegions(_:toPixelRegions:withTileSize:numRegions:)) Converts a list of sparse tile regions to pixel regions. [`enum MTLSparsePageSize`](/documentation/Metal/MTLSparsePageSize) The page size options, in kilobytes, for sparse textures. [`enum MTLSparseTextureRegionAlignmentMode`](/documentation/Metal/MTLSparseTextureRegionAlignmentMode) Options used when converting between a pixel-based region within a texture to a tile-based region. ### Creating acceleration structures for ray tracing [`func makeAccelerationStructure(descriptor: MTLAccelerationStructureDescriptor) -> (any MTLAccelerationStructure)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeAccelerationStructure(descriptor:)) Creates a new ray-tracing acceleration structure from a descriptor. [`func makeAccelerationStructure(size: Int) -> (any MTLAccelerationStructure)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeAccelerationStructure(size:)) Creates a new acceleration structure with a specific size. [`func accelerationStructureSizes(descriptor: MTLAccelerationStructureDescriptor) -> MTLAccelerationStructureSizes`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/accelerationStructureSizes(descriptor:)) Returns the buffer sizes the GPU device needs to build, refit, and store an acceleration structure. [`struct MTLAccelerationStructureSizes`](/documentation/Metal/MTLAccelerationStructureSizes) The expected sizes for a ray-tracing acceleration structure. ### Creating argument buffer encoders [`var argumentBuffersSupport: MTLArgumentBuffersTier`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/argumentBuffersSupport) Returns the GPU device’s support tier for argument buffers. [`var maxArgumentBufferSamplerCount: Int`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/maxArgumentBufferSamplerCount) The maximum number of unique argument buffer samplers per app. [`func makeArgumentEncoder(arguments: [MTLArgumentDescriptor]) -> (any MTLArgumentEncoder)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeArgumentEncoder(arguments:)) Creates a new argument encoder for an array of arguments. [`func makeArgumentEncoder(bufferBinding: any MTLBufferBinding) -> any MTLArgumentEncoder`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeArgumentEncoder(bufferBinding:)) Creates a new argument encoder for a buffer binding. ### Creating fences and events [`func makeFence() -> (any MTLFence)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeFence()) Creates a new memory fence instance. [`func makeEvent() -> (any MTLEvent)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeEvent()) Creates a new event instance that you can use to synchronize commands and resources within the same GPU device. [`func makeSharedEvent() -> (any MTLSharedEvent)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeSharedEvent()) Creates a new shared event instance that you can use to synchronize commands and resources across different GPU devices. [`func makeSharedEvent(handle: MTLSharedEventHandle) -> (any MTLSharedEvent)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeSharedEvent(handle:)) Recreates a shared event from a handle. ### Creating rasterization rate maps [`func supportsRasterizationRateMap(layerCount: Int) -> Bool`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/supportsRasterizationRateMap(layerCount:)) Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the GPU can create a rasterization rate map with a specific number of layers. [`func makeRasterizationRateMap(descriptor: MTLRasterizationRateMapDescriptor) -> (any MTLRasterizationRateMap)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeRasterizationRateMap(descriptor:)) Creates a rasterization rate map instance. --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. 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