diff --git a/include/SDL3/SDL_gpu.h b/include/SDL3/SDL_gpu.h index 70b7def89a..858b0ef318 100644 --- a/include/SDL3/SDL_gpu.h +++ b/include/SDL3/SDL_gpu.h @@ -206,8 +206,10 @@ * underlying graphics API. While it's possible that we have done something * inefficiently, it's very unlikely especially if you are relatively * inexperienced with GPU rendering. Please see the performance tips above and - * make sure you are following them. Additionally, tools like RenderDoc can be - * very helpful for diagnosing incorrect behavior and performance issues. + * make sure you are following them. Additionally, tools like + * [RenderDoc](https://renderdoc.org/) + * can be very helpful for diagnosing incorrect behavior and performance + * issues. * * ## System Requirements * @@ -333,6 +335,39 @@ * unreferenced data in a bound resource without cycling, but overwriting a * section of data that has already been referenced will produce unexpected * results. + * + * ## Debugging + * + * At some point of your GPU journey, you will probably encounter issues that + * are not traceable with regular debugger - for example, your code compiles + * but you get an empty screen, or your shader fails in runtime. + * + * For debugging such cases, there are tools that allow visually inspecting + * the whole GPU frame, every drawcall, every bound resource, memory buffers, + * etc. They are the following, per platform: + * + * * For Windows/Linux, use + * [RenderDoc](https://renderdoc.org/) + * * For MacOS (Metal), use Xcode built-in debugger (Open XCode, go to Debug > + * Debug Executable..., select your application, set "GPU Frame Capture" to + * "Metal" in scheme "Options" window, run your app, and click the small + * Metal icon on the bottom to capture a frame) + * + * Aside from that, you may want to enable additional debug layers to receive + * more detailed error messages, based on your GPU backend: + * + * * For D3D12, the debug layer is an optional feature that can be installed + * via "Windows Settings -> System -> Optional features" and adding the + * "Graphics Tools" optional feature. + * * For Vulkan, you will need to install Vulkan SDK on Windows, and on Linux, + * you usually have some sort of `vulkan-validation-layers` system package + * that should be installed. + * * For Metal, it should be enough just to run the application from XCode to + * receive detailed errors or warnings in the output. + * + * Don't hesitate to use tools as RenderDoc when encountering runtime issues + * or unexpected output on screen, quick GPU frame inspection can usually help + * you fix the majority of such problems. */ #ifndef SDL_gpu_h_