# RenderDoc — Open-Source Graphics Debugging and Frame Analysis Tool

> A stand-alone graphics debugger for capturing and inspecting GPU frames from Vulkan, D3D, and OpenGL applications.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# RenderDoc — Open-Source Graphics Debugging and Frame Analysis Tool

## Quick Use
```bash
# Download from GitHub releases or package manager
sudo apt install renderdoc   # Debian/Ubuntu
renderdoccmd capture myapp   # CLI capture
```

## Introduction
RenderDoc is a free, open-source graphics debugger for Vulkan, Direct3D 11/12, OpenGL, and OpenGL ES. It captures individual frames from running applications and lets you inspect every draw call, texture, shader, and pipeline state in detail.

## What RenderDoc Does
- Captures GPU frames from any supported graphics API
- Displays the full draw-call timeline with resource state at each step
- Lets you inspect and edit shaders live to test fixes
- Visualizes textures, buffers, and render targets at every pipeline stage
- Supports remote capture from Android devices and remote hosts

## Architecture Overview
RenderDoc injects a capture layer into the target application at launch. This layer intercepts all graphics API calls, serializing them into a portable capture file (.rdc). The desktop UI then replays the capture on the host GPU, reconstructing the full pipeline state for every event.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Prebuilt binaries available for Windows and Linux from GitHub releases
- Build from source with CMake; requires Qt for the GUI and Python for scripting
- Android capture requires the RenderDoc replay server APK sideloaded onto the device
- Remote capture works over TCP between host and target machines
- Python scripting API allows automation of capture analysis workflows

## Key Features
- Pixel history shows every draw that touched a given pixel
- Mesh viewer renders geometry at each draw call stage
- Shader debugger steps through HLSL, GLSL, and SPIR-V line by line
- Performance counters overlay for GPU timing analysis
- Cross-platform capture and replay across Windows, Linux, and Android

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **NVIDIA Nsight** — NVIDIA-only; RenderDoc works on any GPU vendor
- **PIX** — Windows and Xbox only; RenderDoc covers Linux and Android
- **Intel GPA** — Intel-focused; RenderDoc is vendor-agnostic
- **apitrace** — traces OpenGL calls to a log; RenderDoc provides full state inspection
- **Xcode GPU Debugger** — Apple platforms only; RenderDoc targets Vulkan and D3D

## FAQ
**Q: Can I use RenderDoc with Unreal or Unity?**
A: Yes. Both engines support RenderDoc integration for frame capture.

**Q: Does it work on macOS?**
A: macOS support is limited since Apple does not expose Vulkan or D3D APIs natively.

**Q: Can I automate capture analysis?**
A: Yes. RenderDoc exposes a Python scripting API for batch analysis.

**Q: Is there a performance overhead when capturing?**
A: Minimal. The capture layer adds slight overhead only when a frame capture is triggered.

## Sources
- https://github.com/baldurk/renderdoc
- https://renderdoc.org/

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-8ed5f31f
Author: AI Open Source