@Ferrum Master "does not depend on any hardware capabilities" was purely in the context of being to implement the VK_NV_glsl_shader extension, to compile GLSL straight to GPU ISA-specific code, just like, You know, OpenGL has been doing for years, instead of doing the Vulkan default of first translating to SPIR-V. Whether the resulting code would be better optimized or not, or whether the resulting code would use up the hardware efficiently is of no concern here.
So yes, in that sense, that extension does not depend on any hardware capabilities other than being able to, well, run shader code to begin with.
When it comes to these graphics API specs, the only hardware-related concern is "does the hardware lack something that makes it straight impossible to implement this part of the spec?". e.g. "we want tessellation. Can this hardware do that? Does it have the required logic for it?"
Although, do keep in mind that when it comes to OpenGL, at least, it is perfectly conformant behaviour to instead of using hardware acceleration, perform [whatever] in software. Either full hardware acceleration, mixed hw acceleration with software "emulation" and purely running in software are all fully legit in the eyes of the spec. As long as it is producing correct results, the driver can claim support for a capability / extension, regardless if done on hardware or in software.
Actually, small bits of it are still sometimes done in software. "And You will never notice if it is done right."
Direct3D, on the other hand, AFAIK, quite strictly defines what
has to be done in hardware...
I do see what You did there, though. You took a quote out of context, to use it as a "seed" to make an unrelated point. Don't do that. It's kind of a d*** move. We are all adults here – if You want to make a point, just simply do so. No need for an out-of-context quote to "justify" making the point ;]
P.S. I know there's a predisposition that "software rendering == slow". That is often true, but not always. I have a three different software OpenGL implementations installed that I can use at will if I want to. (I mostly use them for validating stuff). The point is, though: since I have a beefy CPU, I can run some fairly recent and fairly graphics-intensive games purely in software and still get playable framerates. "not too shabby for purely software rendering, eh?"
P.P.S. That's it: I'm out. This has already gone off topic enough and I seem to be writing walls of text, from certain point of view, mostly for naught.
Thus, this is my last reply on this thread. Peace out, bros!
