Vulkan 3DGS Python

Run cross-platform Vulkan 3D Gaussian Splatting from Python - Windows/Mac/Linux, any GPU, no NVIDIA dependency.

Vulkan 3DGS running on Windows. NVIDIA 3060 Ti

This package provides Python bindings for 3dgs-vulkan-cpp, a high-performance Vulkan-based 3D Gaussian Splatting renderer that works on any GPU vendor (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Apple Silicon).

Features

• ✅ Cross-platform: Windows, macOS, Linux
• ✅ Any GPU vendor: No CUDA/NVIDIA dependency
• ✅ Easy installation: Single pip command
• ✅ Sample data included: Automatic download of test PLY file
• ✅ Real-time rendering: 25-80 FPS on 2M+ Gaussians
• ✅ Keyframe animation system: Create smooth camera animations with interpolation

Installation

Prerequisites

• Vulkan SDK 1.3+ - Download from https://vulkan.lunarg.com/
• Python 3.8+

Install from Source

git clone --recursive https://github.com/AlejandroAmat/vulkan-3dgs-python.git
cd vulkan-3dgs-python
pip install -e . 

Use as Submodule

If you want to integrate this into your own project:

# Add as submodule
git submodule add https://github.com/AlejandroAmat/vulkan-3dgs-python.git third-party/vulkan-3dgs-python
git submodule update --init --recursive

# Install the submodule
cd third-party/vulkan-3dgs-python
pip install -e .
cd ../..

The installation will:

• Build the Vulkan renderer from C++ source
• Download sample 3DGS data (bonsai.ply) automatically
• Create Python bindings ready to use

Usage

Basic Example

import vulkan_3dgs

# Run with bundled sample data
vulkan_3dgs.run("vulkan_3dgs/data/bonsai.ply")

# Run with custom dimensions  
vulkan_3dgs.run("vulkan_3dgs/data/bonsai.ply", width=1920, height=1080)

# Run with your own PLY file
vulkan_3dgs.run("path/to/your/pointcloud.ply")

Test Script

python scripts/test.py

Controls

• WASD - Move camera
• Q/E - Move up/down
• Right Mouse + Drag / Two-finger drag (trackpad) - Look around
• ImGui interface - Real-time parameter adjustment

PLY File Format

The renderer expects standard 3D Gaussian Splatting PLY files. A sample file is automatically downloaded during installation.

Need more data? Check the 3DGS dataset collection.

Platform Notes

• AMD GPUs: Change SUBGROUP_SIZE to 64 in the radix sort shader if needed

Requirements

• Vulkan 1.3+ compatible GPU and drivers
• Python 3.8+
• CMake (for building from source)

License

MIT

Related Projects

• 3dgs-vulkan-cpp - The underlying C++ renderer
• Original 3D Gaussian Splatting - CUDA-based reference implementation