---
title: Blit passes
framework: metal
role: collectionGroup
role_heading: API Collection
path: metal/blit-passes
---

# Blit passes

Encode a block information transfer pass to adjust and copy data to and from GPU resources, such as buffers and textures.

## Overview

Overview Your app can use a block information transfer (blit) pass to manage data within, and copy data between, buffers, textures, and other Metal resources. Start by creating a blit command encoder by calling an MTLCommandBuffer instance’s makeBlitCommandEncoder() method. Then use the MTLBlitCommandEncoder instance’s methods to encode individual commands of your blit pass. You also have the option to customize a blit pass’s runtime behavior, such as sampling GPU hardware data. To enable these options, configure an MTLBlitPassDescriptor instance and pass it to the command buffer’s makeBlitCommandEncoder(descriptor:) method. For more information about sampling GPU hardware data in a blit pass, see the articles in GPU counters and counter sample buffers, including: Sampling GPU data into counter sample buffers Converting a GPU’s counter data into a readable format

## Topics

### Encoding a blit pass

- [MTLBlitCommandEncoder](metal/mtlblitcommandencoder.md)
- [MTLBlitOption](metal/mtlblitoption.md)

### Configuring a blit command encoder

- [MTLBlitPassDescriptor](metal/mtlblitpassdescriptor.md)
- [MTLBlitPassSampleBufferAttachmentDescriptor](metal/mtlblitpasssamplebufferattachmentdescriptor.md)
- [MTLBlitPassSampleBufferAttachmentDescriptorArray](metal/mtlblitpasssamplebufferattachmentdescriptorarray.md)

## See Also

### Command encoders

- [Render passes](metal/render-passes.md)
- [Compute passes](metal/compute-passes.md)
- [Machine learning passes](metal/machine-learning-passes.md)
- [Indirect command encoding](metal/indirect-command-encoding.md)
- [Ray tracing with acceleration structures](metal/ray-tracing-with-acceleration-structures.md)