rafx and basis-universal (#501)

* rafx and basis-universal

* Fix lints

* Fix lints

* Add a link to distill

* trailing space

* Reduce character count

Co-authored-by: Joe Clay <[email protected]>

Author: aclysma

content/posts/newsletter-019/index.md

@@ -186,6 +186,82 @@ this in action!
 
 ## Library & Tooling Updates
 
+### [Rafx][rafx-github]
+
+![Screenshot from Rafx Rendering Framework](rafx-screenshot.png)
+
+Rafx is a multi-backend renderer that optionally integrates with the
+[distill][rafx-distill] asset pipeline. Rafx is divided into three tiers of
+functionality:
+
+`rafx-api` provides a custom GPU API abstraction layer that currently supports
+vulkan and metal. ([API in rust psuedocode][rafx-api-design])
+
+`rafx-framework` builds on the API layer using ideas found in modern shipping
+AAA titles. Rendering is pipelined in a separate thread in three phases, using
+jobs to extract data from the main thread, process the data on the render
+thread, and write the draw calls to command buffers.
+[[Tatarchuk 2015][rafx-gdc-2015]] A render graph ensures correct
+synchronization. [[O'Donnell 2017][rafx-gdc-2017]] The framework also provides
+a material abstraction and shader pipeline.
+
+`rafx-assets` adds integration with the [distill][rafx-distill] asset pipeline.
+This ensures that when an asset like a mesh is loaded, other related assets
+like textures/material/vertex data are loaded. By integrating with distill,
+rafx provides advanced features like streaming live asset updates to remote
+devices.
+
+More information about rafx:
+
+- [Github][rafx-github]
+- [Documentation][rafx-documentation]
+- [Why Rafx?][why-rafx] (includes similarities/differences with other rust
+  and non-rust alternatives)
+
+[rafx-github]: https://github.com/aclysma/rafx
+[rafx-documentation]: https://github.com/aclysma/rafx/blob/master/docs/index.md
+[why-rafx]: https://github.com/aclysma/rafx/blob/master/docs/why_rafx.md
+[rafx-api-design]: https://github.com/aclysma/rafx/blob/master/docs/api/api_design_in_rust_psuedocode.rs
+[rafx-api-triangle-example]: https://github.com/aclysma/rafx/blob/master/rafx/examples/api_triangle/api_triangle.rs
+[rafx-gdc-2015]: http://advances.realtimerendering.com/destiny/gdc_2015/Tatarchuk_GDC_2015__Destiny_Renderer_web.pdf
+[rafx-gdc-2017]: https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1024612/FrameGraph-Extensible-Rendering-Architecture-in
+[rafx-distill]: https://github.com/amethyst/distill
+
+### [basis-universal-rs]
+
+`basis-universal` provides bindings for [Binomial LLC][binomial-llc]'s
+[Basis Universal texture codec][basis-universal-upstream].
+
+Basis Universal is a state-of-the art
+[supercompressed][basis-universal-supercompression] texture codec that
+was recently [open-sourced][basis-universal-open-sourced] by Binomial in
+partnership with Google. It was
+[contributed][basis-universal-contributed-kronos] to the Khronos glTF
+3D Transmission Open Standard.
+
+The library has two primary uses:
+
+- Compresses and encode textures "offline" to a custom format
+- Transcoding: Unpack the custom format directly to GPU-friendly compressed
+  formats. The final format can be chosen at game runtime to be compatible
+  with available GPU hardware.
+
+Basis universal format can also store mipmapped textures and cubemaps,
+neither of which is possible with "normal" file formats. Mipmaps can be
+generated by the library during compression.
+
+Compression is very slow (around 7-10s for a 2k texture) but transcoding is
+relatively fast (around 5-40ms for a 2k texture depending on quality). Memory
+savings at runtime are generally >= 75% (depending on the transcode format
+and quality)
+
+[binomial-llc]: http://www.binomial.info
+[basis-universal-rs]: https://github.com/aclysma/basis-universal-rs
+[basis-universal-upstream]: https://github.com/BinomialLLC/basis_universal
+[basis-universal-supercompression]: http://gamma.cs.unc.edu/GST/gst.pdf
+[basis-universal-open-sourced]: https://opensource.googleblog.com/2019/05/google-and-binomial-partner-to-open.html
+[basis-universal-contributed-kronos]: https://www.khronos.org/blog/google-and-binomial-contribute-basis-universal-texture-format-to-khronos-gltf-3d-transmission-open-standard
+
 ### [egui]
 
 ![The plot thickens](egui-plot.gif)