Unlocking Advanced GPU Debugging with NVIDIA Nsight Visual Studio Edition 2019.1

Summary: NVIDIA Nsight Visual Studio Edition 2019.1 is a powerful tool that brings advanced GPU debugging capabilities to developers. This release includes significant updates such as support for the latest Turing GPUs, Win10 RS5, and enhanced features for graphics and compute debugging. Here, we delve into the key features and improvements of this version, highlighting how it can elevate your GPU development experience.

Graphics Debugging Enhancements

NVIDIA Nsight Visual Studio Edition 2019.1 introduces several critical updates for graphics debugging, making it a more versatile and powerful tool for developers.

Support for Latest Turing GPUs and Win10 RS5

  • Turing GPUs: This version extends support to the latest Turing GPUs, ensuring that developers can leverage the full potential of these advanced graphics processing units in the GPU Frame Debugger, Performance Dashboard, and Range Profiler.
  • Win10 RS5: It includes support for Win10 RS5, offering compatibility with the latest DirectX Ray Tracing interfaces in Frame Debugging and GPU Trace Activities.

Vulkan and OpenGL Interoperability

  • Vulkan + OpenGL Interop: The Graphics Debugger now supports applications using both Vulkan and OpenGL simultaneously, enabling more flexible and efficient debugging workflows.
  • EXT_external_objects and Increased Vulkan Extension Support: The tool includes support for EXT_external_objects and adds support for 15 additional Vulkan extensions, enhancing its compatibility and versatility.

DirectX11 & DirectX12 NVAPI Metacommands and SMP Assist API

  • DirectX12 Titles with DLSS: It enables the analysis of DirectX12 titles utilizing Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), providing insights into this advanced rendering technique.
  • SMP Assist API for VR Titles: The tool supports VRWorks SDK, offering specialized debugging capabilities for VR applications.

Vulkan Meshlets and Acceleration Structure Viewer

  • Vulkan Meshlets: Supported in Frame Debugging, Frame Profiling, and C++ Capture Activities, Vulkan Meshlets (VK_NV_mesh_shader) allow for more detailed and efficient debugging of mesh rendering.
  • Acceleration Structure / Bounding Volume Hierarchy Viewer: This feature supports both DirectX Ray Tracing and NVIDIA’s Vulkan Ray Tracing Extension, providing a comprehensive view of acceleration structures.

Range Profiler and Vulkan Pixel History

  • Range Profiler: The Range Profiler selection now sets the current event to the last event in the selected range, enhancing the transition between profiling and debugging workflows.
  • Vulkan Pixel History: This feature allows developers to inspect pixel/fragment values that impacted the final composition of a pixel within a render target, available in Frame Profiling and Frame Debugging activities.

Compute Debugging and Analysis

NVIDIA Nsight Visual Studio Edition 2019.1 also brings significant updates to compute debugging and analysis, making it a more comprehensive tool for GPU development.

CUDA Toolkit 10.1 Support

  • CUDA 10.1: The tool supports the latest CUDA Toolkit 10.1, ensuring compatibility with the newest CUDA features and improvements.
  • Task Graph Support: It includes support for CUDA 10.1 Task Graphs, enabling more efficient and detailed analysis of task-based workflows.

Child Process Data Collection and NVTX Support

  • Child Process Data Collection: The tool now allows for child process data collection and run comparison, providing a more comprehensive view of application performance.
  • NVTX Support: It includes NVTX support, offering improved profiling and analysis capabilities with detailed reports and CLI improvements.

Profiler Improvements

  • Improved Reports and CLI: The tool features improved reports, including profiling on Volta GPUs with consistent metric names, and enhanced CLI options for better control and flexibility.
  • Source Page Enhancements: The source page supports collapsing multiple source files or functions to show aggregated results, and includes heatmap color scale improvements and invalid metric result highlighting.

Conclusion

NVIDIA Nsight Visual Studio Edition 2019.1 is a significant update that brings advanced GPU debugging capabilities to developers. With its enhanced support for the latest Turing GPUs, Win10 RS5, and improved features for both graphics and compute debugging, it is a powerful tool for anyone working with GPU development. Whether you are debugging complex graphics applications or optimizing compute-intensive tasks, this version of Nsight Visual Studio Edition is designed to help you achieve your goals more efficiently and effectively.