Handle alternate outputs than just array of numbers

[robertleeplummerjr]

Looking for interest here.

[Fil]

It would be cool to be able to use images as textures, and send back other images, to use gpu.js as an image transformation tool. My usage is for doing map projections on the fly such as in https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~308989~90078901:Urbano-Monte-World-Map-Reprojection?qvq=q:visionscarto.net;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=0&trs=1
(my current code base is monolithic raw webgl, I'm looking for a framework to transform it into something clean and expandable)

[robertleeplummerjr]

Something that would need to be addressed is to have the ability to either implicitly detect type output or to explicitly define it. I think the implicit method leads to a bunch of gotchas, though I'm not going to rule it out, but we could easily expound upon the explicit method. If we go down the explicit path, likely there'd be an option or perhaps we could change the kernel method for the kernel to output to a type, or to have a type. I think that changing the kernel name would be more ideal because it can be used in other environments, like typescript. Perhaps something like:

const kernel = gpu.createTypeKernel()

This as well helps in simplifying the options, and could even help to make them smaller and more explicit. Imagine:

gpu.createKernel() -> array(s)
gpu.createGraphicalKernel() -> void
gpu.createTextureKernel() -> texture of array(s)
gpu.createImageTextureKernel() -> texture of image
gpu.createImage2DTextureKernel() -> texture of images
gpu.createBoolTextureKernel() -> texture of... booleans?

Internally, we could still use options, if needed. There are a lot of variations, but it may help to segregate different types of functionality and to clarify what we are building.

[robertleeplummerjr]

As far as an option that could assist, perhaps:

gpu.createKernel(function() {}, {
  type: 'float'
});
gpu.createKernel(function() {}, {
  type: 'graphical'
});
gpu.createKernel(function() {}, {
  type: 'image'
});
gpu.createKernel(function() {}, {
  type: 'image2d'
});
gpu.createKernel(function() {}, {
  type: 'bool'
});

[Steve73]

I‘m also looking for the possibility to return vec2 and vec4 values. Even if that only means two 16-bit values or four 8-bit values.

[robertleeplummerjr]

Returning vec2, vec3, and vec4, now work, as well as outputting a graphic texture