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Mastering ImGui & Vulkan: Step-by-Step Example

Cynthia Jul 13, 2026

Discovering the intersection of ImGui and Vulkan can seem daunting, but fear not! Today, we're going to demystify this powerful pair and create an engaging ImGui Vulkan example. ImGui, a immediate mode GUI library, is well-known for its simplicity and flexibility. Vulkan, a modern graphics API, offers high-performance, low-overhead 3D graphics. Together, they can create stunning, interactive visualizations. Let's dive in!

an illustration of a volcano with lava rising from it
an illustration of a volcano with lava rising from it

Before we start, ensure you have the necessary prerequisites. You'll need the ImGui Vulkan implementation from this GitHub repository, along with Vulkan SDK and an understanding of basic C++. Ready? Let's get started!

an image of the volcano with all its main parts labeled in this diagram, as well as other things
an image of the volcano with all its main parts labeled in this diagram, as well as other things

Setting Up ImGui Vulkan

First, we need to set up ImGui with Vulkan. The provided repository has already done the heavy lifting for us. Head to the examples directory and open the main.cpp file in your favorite text editor.

an image of a volcano with lava and rocks around it on a white background illustration
an image of a volcano with lava and rocks around it on a white background illustration

Our next step is to link the necessary libraries. In your project's link step, ensure you're linking against both the ImGui Vulkan library (e.g., -limguivulkan) and the Vulkan library (e.g., -lvulkan). The exact linkage depends on your build system, so consult the Vulkan SDK documentation for more details.

Initializing ImGui Vulkan

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ImGui Vulkan initialisation begins with creating an instance and a surface using Vulkan. This involves akin to a render pass. Once created, we can create our ImGui Vulkan context.

Here's a simplified example: ```cpp VkInstance instance; VkSurfaceKHR surface; create_instance(instance); create_surface(instance, "window_title", surface); ```

Creating the Vulkan Context

Volcano Game Background Illustration Design
Volcano Game Background Illustration Design

Now that we have our Vulkan instance and surface, we can create the ImGui Vulkan context. This context manages the resources ImGui uses for rendering, such as font atlases and command buffers.

Here's how to create an ImGui Vulkan context: ```cpp ImGui::CreateContext(); ImGui:: StyleColorsDark(); ImGuiStyle* style = &ImGui::GetStyle(); ImGuiVulkan::Context ctx" //... Rest of the code... ```

Using ImGui Vulkan for UI Rendering

an image of the inside of a volcano with all its features labelled in red and white
an image of the inside of a volcano with all its features labelled in red and white

ImGui provides a powerful, intuitive way of creating user interfaces. To use it with Vulkan, we first prepare our frame and then show our UI.

Here's a simple example of setting up a frame and showing an ImGui window: ```cpp int main() { //... Initialization code... while (!glfwWindowShouldClose(window)) { ImGui_ImplVulkan_NewFrame(); ImGui::NewFrame(); ImGui::Begin("Hello ImGui Vulkan!"); ImGui::Button("Button"); ImGui::End(); ImGui::Render(); ctx.render(&info, DearImGuiUserData::framebuffer", dearImgui::cmdBuffer,”) vkDeviceWaitIdle(context.device); } return 0; } ```

an image of the inside of a volcano with its layers labeled in english and spanish
an image of the inside of a volcano with its layers labeled in english and spanish
an image of the inside of a volcano
an image of the inside of a volcano
the water cycle is depicted in this graphic
the water cycle is depicted in this graphic
an illustration of a volcano erupting lava into the sky
an illustration of a volcano erupting lava into the sky
an image of a volcano made out of paper with the words make your own volcano
an image of a volcano made out of paper with the words make your own volcano
lava flowing down the side of a mountain with rocks on either side and dark clouds in the background
lava flowing down the side of a mountain with rocks on either side and dark clouds in the background
a large cloud with lightning coming out of it's center and lights in the distance
a large cloud with lightning coming out of it's center and lights in the distance
diferencia_entre_magma_y_lava_3635_orig.jpg (1200×800)
diferencia_entre_magma_y_lava_3635_orig.jpg (1200×800)

Customising Styles with ImGui

ImGui offers a wide range of customization options. You can change colors, fonts, and even styles to tailor the look and feel of your UI. Here's how to change the ImGui style: ```cpp ImGuiStyle& style = ImGui::GetStyle(); style.FrameRounding = 5.0f; style.WindowRounding = 5.0f; //... Rest of the style customisation... ```

ImGui's flexibility makes it a great choice for creating UIs in Vulkan applications. Whether you're building a simple game or a complex simulation, ImGui Vulkan can streamline your development process.

And that's a wrap! You've now created an engaging ImGui Vulkan example and learned how to manage ImGui Vulkan contexts, create user interfaces, and customise styles. The-world of Vulkan graphics and ImGui UIs is your oyster. Happy coding!