storageBarrier
In a compute shader, creates a synchronization point for threads within a workgroup when reading from and writing to a Storage Buffer. It ensures that all memory write operations before the barrier are completed before any thread can proceed, thus preventing data inconsistency due to race conditions.
Core Advantages
Guarantees data consistency among threads in a workgroup by forcing synchronization, making it possible to implement complex, multi-stage parallel algorithms that depend on the results of a previous stage (e.g., iterative simulations, parallel reductions).
Common Uses
Iterative particle physics simulation
Parallel image processing (e.g., Gaussian blur)
Parallel reduction algorithms
How to adjust
This node has no tunable parameters; its effect is entirely determined by its position in the code. It should be placed precisely 'before' a read operation that depends on the results of a preceding write to ensure data synchronization. Omitting it or placing it unnecessarily can lead to algorithm failure or minor performance degradation.
Code Examples
1// Step 1: Write data to the buffer
2dataBuffer.element(id).assign(id);
3
4// Step 2: Insert a barrier to synchronize
5// Ensures all writes in the workgroup are complete
6storageBarrier();
7
8// Step 3: Safely read data written by other threads
9const neighborValue = dataBuffer.element(neighborId);