RenderDoc
{{short description|Open source frame debugger}}
{{Infobox software
| name = RenderDoc
| logo = RenderDoc logo.svg
| developer = Baldur Karlsson
| released = 2014-02-25
| latest release version = 1.36
| operating system = Android, Google Stadia, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows{{cite web | url = https://renderdoc.org | title = RenderDoc | access-date = 2022-10-08}}
| platform = Cross-platform
| license = MIT License
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2024|12|20}}
| repo = {{URL|https://github.com/baldurk/renderdoc|Renderdoc on Github}}
| website = {{URL|https://renderdoc.org}}
}}
RenderDoc is a free and open source frame debugger that can be used to analyze single frames generated by other software programs such as games. RenderDoc can provide in-depth analysis of single frames from any application that uses Vulkan, D3D11, OpenGL & OpenGL ES, or D3D12.{{cite web|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/03/this-is-how-a-single-frame-is-rendered-in-a-modern-3d-engine/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315170344/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/03/this-is-how-a-single-frame-is-rendered-in-a-modern-3d-engine/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 15, 2015|title=This Is How A Single Frame Is Rendered In A Modern 3D Engine|date=15 March 2015|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/picking-apart-a-single-frame-in-doom-1786480772|title=Picking Apart A Single Frame In DOOM|first=Ethan|last=Gach|date=10 September 2016 |publisher=}} RenderDoc also allows the user to manipulate a captured frame to inspect different things such as pipeline stage, commands, texture maps, models, assets, and more.{{Cite web|url=https://learnopengl.com/In-Practice/Debugging|title=LearnOpenGL - Debugging}}{{cite web|url=https://www.techly.com.au/2018/06/25/ai-augmented-reality-footy-dining-table/|title=Watch the footy play out on your dining table thanks to AI and augmented reality|date=25 June 2018|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/JohannesKuhlmann/20171016/307643/Bringing_Galaxy_on_Fire_3_to_Vulkan_Vulkan_on_Android.php|title=Bringing Galaxy on Fire 3 to Vulkan: Vulkan on Android|date=16 October 2017|publisher=}} RenderDoc can also capture assets outside the view of the game's camera.{{cite web|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/KeithOConor/20170705/301035/GPU_Performance_for_Game_Artists.php|title=GPU Performance for Game Artists|date=5 July 2017|publisher=}} RenderDoc supports analyzing frame rendering costs on the graphics processing unit.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/RubenTorresBonet/20200519/363191/Where_Are_You_Spending_Your_GPU_Performance_Budget.php|title = Where Are You Spending Your GPU Performance Budget?|date = 19 May 2020}}
Optimizing GPU programs is about finding bottlenecks. RenderDoc provides information of the calls on the GPU, the number of invocation of each shader, and the number of primitives and fragments generated.{{cite web | url = https://www.cg.tuwien.ac.at/research/publications/2019/Kugler_2019/Kugler_2019-thesis.pdf | title = Profiling and Optimization of Large Biomolecular Scenes }}
Baldur Karlsson started RenderDoc development as a spare-time project out of need for a reliable debugger and was then expanded to support more platforms.{{Cite web |url=http://www.develop-online.net/tools-and-tech/key-release-crytek-s-graphics-debugger-renderdoc/0192032 |title=Key Release: Crytek's graphics debugger RenderDoc | Game Development Tools & Tech | Develop |access-date=2014-04-25 |archive-date=2014-04-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140425085008/http://www.develop-online.net/tools-and-tech/key-release-crytek-s-graphics-debugger-renderdoc/0192032 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.imaginationtech.com/blog/renderdoc-gains-powervr-support/|title=RenderDoc gains PowerVR support|date=9 March 2018}}
In 2014 Crytek announced the source code for RenderDoc is released for free.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/211880/Crytek_is_giving_away_its_new_Renderdoc_graphics_debugger_for_free.php|title = Crytek is giving away its new Renderdoc graphics debugger for free|date = 27 February 2014}}{{Cite journal|url=https://www.mcvuk.com/development-news/crytek-releases-renderdoc-source-code/|title = Crytek releases RenderDoc source code|journal = MCV|date = 8 May 2014}}
At GDC 2018, AMD announced that Radeon GPU Profiler would include support for RenderDoc.{{cite web|url=http://hexus.net/tech/items/graphics/116465-amd-gdc-2018/|title=AMD at GDC 2018|date=21 March 2018|publisher=}} RenderDoc also integrates with well known game engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine.{{Cite web|url=https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/RenderDocIntegration.html|title=Unity - Manual: RenderDoc Integration}}{{Cite web|url=https://docs.unrealengine.com/4.26/en-US/TestingAndOptimization/PerformanceAndProfiling/RenderDoc/|title = RenderDoc}} Oculus maintains its own fork of RenderDoc.{{cite web | url=https://developer.oculus.com/documentation/unity/ts-renderdoc-for-oculus/ | title=Use RenderDoc for Oculus for GPU Profiling: Unity | Oculus Developers }}