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# MTLVertexDescriptor

An instance that describes how to organize and map data to a vertex function.

```
class MTLVertexDescriptor
```

## Overview

An [`MTLVertexDescriptor`](/documentation/Metal/MTLVertexDescriptor) instance is used to configure how vertex data stored in memory is mapped to attributes in a vertex shader.

A pipeline state is the state of the graphics rendering pipeline, including shaders, blending, multisampling, and visibility testing. For every pipeline state, there can be only one [`MTLVertexDescriptor`](/documentation/Metal/MTLVertexDescriptor) instance. When you configure an [`MTLRenderPipelineDescriptor`](/documentation/Metal/MTLRenderPipelineDescriptor) instance to create this pipeline state, you use an [`MTLVertexDescriptor`](/documentation/Metal/MTLVertexDescriptor) instance to establish the vertex layout for the function associated with the pipeline. Create and configure an [`MTLVertexDescriptor`](/documentation/Metal/MTLVertexDescriptor) instance, then use this instance to set the [`vertexDescriptor`](/documentation/Metal/MTLRenderPipelineDescriptor/vertexDescriptor) property of the [`MTLRenderPipelineDescriptor`](/documentation/Metal/MTLRenderPipelineDescriptor) instance.

## Topics

### Creating a new vertex descriptor

[`vertexDescriptor`](/documentation/Metal/MTLVertexDescriptor/vertexDescriptor)

Creates and returns a new vertex descriptor.

### Setting default values

[`reset()`](/documentation/Metal/MTLVertexDescriptor/reset())

Resets the default state for the vertex descriptor.

### Accessing the vertex buffer layouts and vertex attributes

[`attributes`](/documentation/Metal/MTLVertexDescriptor/attributes)

An array of state data that describes how vertex attribute data is stored in memory and is mapped to arguments for a vertex shader function.

[`layouts`](/documentation/Metal/MTLVertexDescriptor/layouts)

An array of state data that describes how data are fetched by a vertex shader function when rendering primitives.


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