Editing Openai/692b5dfe-c870-8001-8b1b-e406111f0f53 (section)

=== Assistant: Good question. ===
Good question. The playlist you linked — Vulkan Game Engine Tutorial — is a tutorial series (in C++) on using Vulkan (the graphics API) to build a rendering engine. YouTube<ref>{{cite web|title=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8327DO66nu9qYVKLDmdLW_84-yE4auCR|publisher=youtube.com|access-date=2025-11-29}}</ref>

Below — I explain the key concepts and the structure of this series, for tutorials 1 through 7. Use this as a roadmap while you watch, to understand what each stage is trying to teach (which should also help you as you already want to learn CMake etc.).

==== - The series is not about drawing a few shapes — it walks you through building a minimal but real “game engine / rendering engine” in Vulkan. GitHub<ref>{{cite web|title=GitHub|url=https://github.com/stymee/SilkVulkanTutorial|publisher=github.com|access-date=2025-11-29}}</ref> ====
* That means it deals with low-level graphics API details: device setup, swap chain, render passes, framebuffers, synchronization, and eventually rendering geometry, managing shaders, etc. The purpose is to give you a deep grasp of how modern graphics pipelines work — not just high-level abstractions. YouTube<ref>{{cite web|title=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8327DO66nu9qYVKLDmdLW_84-yE4auCR|publisher=youtube.com|access-date=2025-11-29}}</ref>
* Many who learn graphics recommend building this “from scratch” with Vulkan because it forces you to understand how the GPU, memory, command buffers, and pipeline states all interconnect. Reddit<ref>{{cite web|title=Reddit|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/vulkan/comments/1b5zmut/how_to_learn_vulkan/|publisher=reddit.com|access-date=2025-11-29}}</ref>

Given your background (you are comfortable with programming and also plan to learn CMake), this tutorial is well-suited: you’ll get hands-on with building infrastructure from the ground up.

==== Here’s a breakdown of what each early tutorial likely addresses — based on the typical progression of Vulkan tutorials + what is listed in the playlist’s table of contents. YouTube<ref>{{cite web|title=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8327DO66nu9qYVKLDmdLW_84-yE4auCR|publisher=youtube.com|access-date=2025-11-29}}</ref> ====

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Why this progression matters: Vulkan is very explicit and low-level. Unlike high-level APIs where windowing, pipeline, memory management are hidden, Vulkan makes you handle all of them. The early tutorials set up the skeleton; once that’s correct, drawing anything becomes straightforward.

==== Given your interest in programming, learning advanced tools and building from first principles: ====
* This series aligns well: you’ll get to see how a “real-engine backbone” is built.
* Since you also want to learn CMake, once you start coding along, you’ll likely need a build system — you’ll appreciate how project structure, dependencies (Vulkan SDK, libs) come together.
* Because you enjoy technical depth (as with your physics and math interests for contour integrals, pulley problems, etc.), the explicitness of Vulkan will appeal: nothing magical is hidden, you must understand each layer.

Also — many developers recommend reinforcing Vulkan learning with other resources: for example, some in a discussion write that after doing a Vulkan tutorial you should check out resources like LearnOpenGL or the official Khronos Group documentation to understand shader programming and graphics concepts more broadly. Reddit<ref>{{cite web|title=Reddit|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/vulkan/comments/1b5zmut/how_to_learn_vulkan/|publisher=reddit.com|access-date=2025-11-29}}</ref>

==== - The initial code base (especially “hello triangle”) is very verbose — many lines just to set up window, device, pipeline, memory. It can feel daunting. But that’s normal with Vulkan; it’s part of the learning curve. ====
* Understanding linear algebra and graphics math is important (transformations, coordinate systems, camera, projection), if you go beyond simple shapes. People often recommend being comfortable with matrices, vectors, and shaders when venturing further. Reddit<ref>{{cite web|title=Reddit|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/vulkan/comments/1b5zmut/how_to_learn_vulkan/|publisher=reddit.com|access-date=2025-11-29}}</ref>
* Because Vulkan is low-level, attention to detail matters: memory layout, synchronization, resource cleanup — mistakes easily lead to crashes or subtle bugs. Good practice to study each piece thoroughly, and build incrementally.

==== Since you already plan to learn CMake and enjoy rigorous, detail-oriented learning: ====
# Watch tutorial 1–7 carefully, and implement them yourself (don’t just watch — code along).
# Complement with resources like LearnOpenGL (for shader + graphics math) and the official docs / guides for Vulkan.
# Once you complete tutorial 7 and “hello triangle + basic pipeline” — try to extend: draw more geometry, maybe try a simple 3D triangle or basic camera. This will reinforce what you learned.
# Use CMake for project structure — it will help organize code, make it easier to build on, and align with future projects.

If you like — I can pull up a detailed “cheat-sheet / notes summary” for tutorials 1–7 (with key Vulkan API calls, pipeline states, what each struct means, what to watch out for).
Do you want me to build that for you now?