# Work submission Create queues that submit work to the GPU or load assets into GPU resources, and indirect command buffers that group your frequent commands together. ## Topics ### Creating command queues Command queues encode and submit work to the GPU, which include render, compute, and blit passes. [`func makeCommandQueue() -> (any MTLCommandQueue)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeCommandQueue()) Creates a queue you use to submit rendering and computation commands to a GPU. [`func makeCommandQueue(maxCommandBufferCount: Int) -> (any MTLCommandQueue)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeCommandQueue(maxCommandBufferCount:)) Creates a queue you use to submit rendering and computation commands to a GPU that has a fixed number of uncompleted command buffers. ### Creating residency sets A residency set makes a group of resources, such as buffers, textures, and heaps, accessible to a GPU for your command buffers and their shaders. [`func makeResidencySet(descriptor: MTLResidencySetDescriptor) throws -> any MTLResidencySet`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeResidencySet(descriptor:)) Creates a residency set, which can move resources in and out of memory residency. ### Creating I/O command queues Input/Output command queues load assets from the file system into textures, GPU buffers, and traditional CPU buffers. [`func makeIOCommandQueue(descriptor: MTLIOCommandQueueDescriptor) throws -> any MTLIOCommandQueue`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeIOCommandQueue(descriptor:)) Creates an input/output command queue you use to submit commands that load assets from the file system into GPU resources or system memory. ### Creating I/O file handles Input/Output file handles each represent an asset in the file system that an I/O command queue loads into a resource for your app. [`func makeIOFileHandle(url: URL) throws -> any MTLIOFileHandle`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeIOFileHandle(url:)) Creates an input/output file handle instance that represents a file at a URL. [`func makeIOFileHandle(url: URL, compressionMethod: MTLIOCompressionMethod) throws -> any MTLIOFileHandle`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeIOFileHandle(url:compressionMethod:)) Creates an input/output file handle instance that represents a compressed file at a URL. [`func makeIOHandle(url: URL) throws -> any MTLIOFileHandle`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeIOHandle(url:)) Creates an input/output file handle instance that represents a file at a URL. [`func makeIOHandle(url: URL, compressionMethod: MTLIOCompressionMethod) throws -> any MTLIOFileHandle`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeIOHandle(url:compressionMethod:)) Creates an input/output file handle instance that represents a compressed file at a URL. ### Creating indirect command buffers Indirect command buffers (ICBs) store commands that you can reuse throughout your app’s lifetime, instead of encoding the same commands repeatedly. [`func makeIndirectCommandBuffer(descriptor: MTLIndirectCommandBufferDescriptor, maxCommandCount: Int, options: MTLResourceOptions) -> (any MTLIndirectCommandBuffer)?`](/documentation/Metal/MTLDevice/makeIndirectCommandBuffer(descriptor:maxCommandCount:options:)) Creates an indirect command buffer instance. --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)