MSL: Add a workaround for broken `level()` arguments.

Some Metal devices have a bug with depth array textures using comparison
with explicit LoD, where the LoD given will be biased by some amount.
For these devices, we can use a gradient instead, which does not exhibit
this problem. As with the fragment demote workaround, this is only
expected to be needed until the bug is fixed in Metal.

CMakeLists.txt

@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ if (SPIRV_CROSS_STATIC)
 endif()
 
 set(spirv-cross-abi-major 0)
-set(spirv-cross-abi-minor 54)
+set(spirv-cross-abi-minor 55)
 set(spirv-cross-abi-patch 0)
 
 if (SPIRV_CROSS_SHARED)

main.cpp

@@ -675,6 +675,7 @@ struct CLIArguments
 	bool msl_force_sample_rate_shading = false;
 	bool msl_manual_helper_invocation_updates = true;
 	bool msl_check_discarded_frag_stores = false;
+	bool msl_sample_dref_lod_array_as_grad = false;
 	const char *msl_combined_sampler_suffix = nullptr;
 	bool glsl_emit_push_constant_as_ubo = false;
 	bool glsl_emit_ubo_as_plain_uniforms = false;
@@ -947,6 +948,10 @@ static void print_help_msl()
 	                "\t\tSome Metal devices have a bug where stores to resources from a fragment shader\n"
 	                "\t\tcontinue to execute, even when the fragment is discarded. These checks\n"
 	                "\t\tprevent these stores from executing.\n"
+	                "\t[--msl-sample-dref-lod-array-as-grad]:\n\t\tUse a gradient instead of a level argument.\n"
+	                "\t\tSome Metal devices have a bug where the level() argument to\n"
+	                "\t\tdepth2d_array<T>::sample_compare() in a fragment shader is biased by some\n"
+	                "\t\tunknown amount. This prevents the bias from being added.\n"
 	                "\t[--msl-combined-sampler-suffix <suffix>]:\n\t\tUses a custom suffix for combined samplers.\n");
 	// clang-format on
 }
@@ -1221,6 +1226,7 @@ static string compile_iteration(const CLIArguments &args, std::vector<uint32_t>
 		msl_opts.force_sample_rate_shading = args.msl_force_sample_rate_shading;
 		msl_opts.manual_helper_invocation_updates = args.msl_manual_helper_invocation_updates;
 		msl_opts.check_discarded_frag_stores = args.msl_check_discarded_frag_stores;
+		msl_opts.sample_dref_lod_array_as_grad = args.msl_sample_dref_lod_array_as_grad;
 		msl_opts.ios_support_base_vertex_instance = true;
 		msl_comp->set_msl_options(msl_opts);
 		for (auto &v : args.msl_discrete_descriptor_sets)
@@ -1774,6 +1780,8 @@ static int main_inner(int argc, char *argv[])
 	cbs.add("--msl-no-manual-helper-invocation-updates",
 	        [&args](CLIParser &) { args.msl_manual_helper_invocation_updates = false; });
 	cbs.add("--msl-check-discarded-frag-stores", [&args](CLIParser &) { args.msl_check_discarded_frag_stores = true; });
+	cbs.add("--msl-sample-dref-lod-array-as-grad",
+	        [&args](CLIParser &) { args.msl_sample_dref_lod_array_as_grad = true; });
 	cbs.add("--msl-combined-sampler-suffix", [&args](CLIParser &parser) {
 		args.msl_combined_sampler_suffix = parser.next_string();
 	});

reference/opt/shaders-msl/frag/depth-array-texture-lod.lod-as-grad.1d-as-2d.msl23.frag

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#include <metal_stdlib>
+#include <simd/simd.h>
+
+using namespace metal;
+
+struct main0_out
+{
+    float4 o_color [[color(0)]];
+};
+
+struct main0_in
+{
+    float3 v_texCoord [[user(locn0)]];
+    float v_lodBias [[user(locn1)]];
+};
+
+fragment main0_out main0(main0_in in [[stage_in]], depth2d_array<float> u_sampler [[texture(0)]], sampler u_samplerSmplr [[sampler(0)]])
+{
+    main0_out out = {};
+    out.o_color = float4(u_sampler.sample_compare(u_samplerSmplr, float2(in.v_texCoord.x, 0.5), uint(rint(in.v_texCoord.y)), in.v_texCoord.z, gradient2d(exp2(in.v_lodBias - 0.5) / float2(u_sampler.get_width(), 1.0), exp2(in.v_lodBias - 0.5) / float2(u_sampler.get_width(), 1.0))), 0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
+    return out;
+}
+

reference/shaders-msl/frag/depth-array-texture-lod.lod-as-grad.1d-as-2d.msl23.frag

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#include <metal_stdlib>
+#include <simd/simd.h>
+
+using namespace metal;
+
+struct buf0
+{
+    float4 u_scale;
+};
+
+struct buf1
+{
+    float4 u_bias;
+};
+
+struct main0_out
+{
+    float4 o_color [[color(0)]];
+};
+
+struct main0_in
+{
+    float3 v_texCoord [[user(locn0)]];
+    float v_lodBias [[user(locn1)]];
+};
+
+fragment main0_out main0(main0_in in [[stage_in]], depth2d_array<float> u_sampler [[texture(0)]], sampler u_samplerSmplr [[sampler(0)]])
+{
+    main0_out out = {};
+    out.o_color = float4(u_sampler.sample_compare(u_samplerSmplr, float2(in.v_texCoord.x, 0.5), uint(rint(in.v_texCoord.y)), in.v_texCoord.z, gradient2d(exp2(in.v_lodBias - 0.5) / float2(u_sampler.get_width(), 1.0), exp2(in.v_lodBias - 0.5) / float2(u_sampler.get_width(), 1.0))), 0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
+    return out;
+}
+

shaders-msl/frag/depth-array-texture-lod.lod-as-grad.1d-as-2d.msl23.frag

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#version 450 core
+layout(location = 0) out mediump vec4 o_color;
+layout(location = 0) in highp vec3 v_texCoord;
+layout(location = 1) in highp float v_lodBias;
+layout(set = 0, binding = 0) uniform highp sampler1DArrayShadow u_sampler;
+layout(set = 0, binding = 1) uniform buf0 { highp vec4 u_scale; };
+layout(set = 0, binding = 2) uniform buf1 { highp vec4 u_bias; };
+
+void main()
+{
+	o_color = vec4(textureLod(u_sampler, v_texCoord, v_lodBias), 0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
+}

spirv_cross_c.cpp

@@ -738,6 +738,10 @@ spvc_result spvc_compiler_options_set_uint(spvc_compiler_options options, spvc_c
 	case SPVC_COMPILER_OPTION_MSL_ARGUMENT_BUFFERS_TIER:
 		options->msl.argument_buffers_tier = static_cast<CompilerMSL::Options::ArgumentBuffersTier>(value);
 		break;
+
+	case SPVC_COMPILER_OPTION_MSL_SAMPLE_DREF_LOD_ARRAY_AS_GRAD:
+		options->msl.sample_dref_lod_array_as_grad = value != 0;
+		break;
 #endif
 
 	default:

spirv_cross_c.h

@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ extern "C" {
 /* Bumped if ABI or API breaks backwards compatibility. */
 #define SPVC_C_API_VERSION_MAJOR 0
 /* Bumped if APIs or enumerations are added in a backwards compatible way. */
-#define SPVC_C_API_VERSION_MINOR 54
+#define SPVC_C_API_VERSION_MINOR 55
 /* Bumped if internal implementation details change. */
 #define SPVC_C_API_VERSION_PATCH 0
 
@@ -724,6 +724,7 @@ typedef enum spvc_compiler_option
 	SPVC_COMPILER_OPTION_GLSL_ENABLE_ROW_MAJOR_LOAD_WORKAROUND = 83 | SPVC_COMPILER_OPTION_GLSL_BIT,
 
 	SPVC_COMPILER_OPTION_MSL_ARGUMENT_BUFFERS_TIER = 84 | SPVC_COMPILER_OPTION_MSL_BIT,
+	SPVC_COMPILER_OPTION_MSL_SAMPLE_DREF_LOD_ARRAY_AS_GRAD = 85 | SPVC_COMPILER_OPTION_MSL_BIT,
 
 	SPVC_COMPILER_OPTION_INT_MAX = 0x7fffffff
 } spvc_compiler_option;

spirv_msl.cpp

@@ -10823,7 +10823,8 @@ string CompilerMSL::to_function_args(const TextureFunctionArguments &args, bool
 			// We will detect a compile-time constant 0 value for gradient and promote that to level(0) on MSL.
 			bool constant_zero_x = !grad_x || expression_is_constant_null(grad_x);
 			bool constant_zero_y = !grad_y || expression_is_constant_null(grad_y);
-			if (constant_zero_x && constant_zero_y)
+			if (constant_zero_x && constant_zero_y &&
+			    (!imgtype.image.arrayed || !msl_options.sample_dref_lod_array_as_grad))
 			{
 				lod = 0;
 				grad_x = 0;
@@ -10869,6 +10870,52 @@ string CompilerMSL::to_function_args(const TextureFunctionArguments &args, bool
 		{
 			farg_str += ", " + to_expression(lod);
 		}
+		else if (msl_options.sample_dref_lod_array_as_grad && args.dref && imgtype.image.arrayed)
+		{
+			if (msl_options.is_macos() && !msl_options.supports_msl_version(2, 3))
+				SPIRV_CROSS_THROW("Using non-constant 0.0 gradient() qualifier for sample_compare. This is not "
+				                  "supported on macOS prior to MSL 2.3.");
+			// Some Metal devices have a bug where the LoD is erroneously biased upward
+			// when using a level() argument. Since this doesn't happen as much with gradient2d(),
+			// if we perform the LoD calculation in reverse, we can pass a gradient
+			// instead.
+			// lod = log2(rhoMax/eta) -> exp2(lod) = rhoMax/eta
+			// If we make all of the scale factors the same, eta will be 1 and
+			// exp2(lod) = rho.
+			// rhoX = dP/dx * extent; rhoY = dP/dy * extent
+			// Therefore, dP/dx = dP/dy = exp2(lod)/extent.
+			// (Subtracting 0.5 before exponentiation gives better results.)
+			string grad_opt, extent;
+			switch (imgtype.image.dim)
+			{
+			case Dim1D:
+				grad_opt = "2d";
+				extent = join("float2(", to_expression(img), ".get_width(), 1.0)");
+				break;
+			case Dim2D:
+				grad_opt = "2d";
+				extent = join("float2(", to_expression(img), ".get_width(), ", to_expression(img), ".get_height())");
+				break;
+			case DimCube:
+				if (imgtype.image.arrayed && msl_options.emulate_cube_array)
+				{
+					grad_opt = "2d";
+					extent = join("float2(", to_expression(img), ".get_width())");
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					grad_opt = "cube";
+					extent = join("float3(", to_expression(img), ".get_width())");
+				}
+				break;
+			default:
+				grad_opt = "unsupported_gradient_dimension";
+				extent = "float3(1.0)";
+				break;
+			}
+			farg_str += join(", gradient", grad_opt, "(exp2(", to_expression(lod), " - 0.5) / ", extent, ", exp2(",
+			                 to_expression(lod), " - 0.5) / ", extent, ")");
+		}
 		else
 		{
 			farg_str += ", level(" + to_expression(lod) + ")";

spirv_msl.hpp

@@ -487,6 +487,15 @@ public:
 		// only when the bug is present.
 		bool check_discarded_frag_stores = false;
 
+		// If set, Lod operands to OpImageSample*DrefExplicitLod for 1D and 2D array images
+		// will be implemented using a gradient instead of passing the level operand directly.
+		// Some Metal devices have a bug where the level() argument to depth2d_array<T>::sample_compare()
+		// in a fragment shader is biased by some unknown amount, possibly dependent on the
+		// partial derivatives of the texture coordinates. This is a workaround that is only
+		// expected to be needed until the bug is fixed in Metal; it is provided as an option
+		// so it can be enabled only when the bug is present.
+		bool sample_dref_lod_array_as_grad = false;
+
 		bool is_ios() const
 		{
 			return platform == iOS;

test_shaders.py

@@ -344,6 +344,8 @@ def cross_compile_msl(shader, spirv, opt, iterations, paths):
         msl_args.append('--msl-force-sample-rate-shading')
     if '.discard-checks.' in shader:
         msl_args.append('--msl-check-discarded-frag-stores')
+    if '.lod-as-grad.' in shader:
+        msl_args.append('--msl-sample-dref-lod-array-as-grad')
     if '.decoration-binding.' in shader:
         msl_args.append('--msl-decoration-binding')
     if '.mask-location-0.' in shader: