vkBeginCommandBuffer(3)

# vkBeginCommandBuffer(3) Manual Page

## Name

vkBeginCommandBuffer - Start recording a command buffer

## C Specification

To begin recording a command buffer, call:

    // Provided by VK_VERSION_1_0
    VkResult vkBeginCommandBuffer(
        VkCommandBuffer                             commandBuffer,
        const VkCommandBufferBeginInfo*             pBeginInfo);

## Parameters

- `commandBuffer` is the handle of the command buffer which is to be put in the recording state.

- `pBeginInfo` is a pointer to a VkCommandBufferBeginInfo structure defining additional information about how the command buffer begins recording.

## Description

Valid Usage

- VUID-vkBeginCommandBuffer-commandBuffer-00049
  `commandBuffer` must not be in the recording or pending state

- VUID-vkBeginCommandBuffer-commandBuffer-00050
  If `commandBuffer` was allocated from a VkCommandPool which did not have the VK_COMMAND_POOL_CREATE_RESET_COMMAND_BUFFER_BIT flag set, `commandBuffer` must be in the initial state

- VUID-vkBeginCommandBuffer-commandBuffer-00051
  If `commandBuffer` is a secondary command buffer, the `pInheritanceInfo` member of `pBeginInfo` must be a valid `VkCommandBufferInheritanceInfo` structure

- VUID-vkBeginCommandBuffer-commandBuffer-00052
  If `commandBuffer` is a secondary command buffer and either the `occlusionQueryEnable` member of the `pInheritanceInfo` member of `pBeginInfo` is VK_FALSE, or the `occlusionQueryPrecise` feature is not enabled, then `pBeginInfo->pInheritanceInfo->queryFlags` must not contain VK_QUERY_CONTROL_PRECISE_BIT

- VUID-vkBeginCommandBuffer-commandBuffer-02840
  If `commandBuffer` is a primary command buffer, then `pBeginInfo->flags` must not set both the VK_COMMAND_BUFFER_USAGE_ONE_TIME_SUBMIT_BIT and the VK_COMMAND_BUFFER_USAGE_SIMULTANEOUS_USE_BIT flags

Valid Usage (Implicit)

- VUID-vkBeginCommandBuffer-commandBuffer-parameter
  `commandBuffer` must be a valid VkCommandBuffer handle

- VUID-vkBeginCommandBuffer-pBeginInfo-parameter
  `pBeginInfo` must be a valid pointer to a valid VkCommandBufferBeginInfo structure

Host Synchronization

- Host access to `commandBuffer` must be externally synchronized

- Host access to the `VkCommandPool` that `commandBuffer` was allocated from must be externally synchronized

Return Codes

On success, this command returns

  - VK_SUCCESS

On failure, this command returns

  - VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_DEVICE_MEMORY

  - VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_HOST_MEMORY

  - VK_ERROR_UNKNOWN

  - VK_ERROR_VALIDATION_FAILED

## See Also

VK_VERSION_1_0, VkCommandBuffer, VkCommandBufferBeginInfo

## Document Notes

For more information, see the Vulkan Specification.

This page is extracted from the Vulkan Specification. Fixes and changes should be made to the Specification, not directly.

## Copyright

Copyright 2014-2026 The Khronos Group Inc.

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0