Merge branch 'master' into d3dretrace

[apitrace] / README.markdown

diff --git a/README.markdown b/README.markdown
index 535653d177929fb3d65b451f21c5c8e45519e5bc..168a6ea19469c44b6618511450b3e6c1b623bcf9 100644 (file)
--- a/README.markdown
+++ b/README.markdown
@@ -12,6 +12,16 @@ About **apitrace**
 * visualize and edit trace files.
 
 
+Obtaining **apitrace**
+======================
+
+To obtain apitrace either [download the latest
+binaries](https://github.com/apitrace/apitrace/downloads) for your platform if
+available, or follow the instructions in INSTALL.markdown to build it yourself.
+On 64bits Linux and Windows platforms you'll need apitrace binaries that match
+the architecture (32bits or 64bits) of the application being traced.
+
+
 Basic usage
 ===========
 
@@ -23,6 +33,14 @@ and it will generate a trace named `application.trace` in the current
 directory.  You can specify the written trace filename by passing the
 `--output` command line option.
 
+Problems while tracing (e.g, if the application uses calls/parameters
+unsupported by apitrace) will be reported via stderr output on Unices.  On
+Windows you'll need to run
+[DebugView](http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896647) to view
+these messages.
+
+Follow the "Tracing manually" instructions below if you cannot obtain a trace.
+
 View the trace with
 
     apitrace dump application.trace
@@ -34,10 +52,18 @@ Replay an OpenGL trace with
 Pass the `-sb` option to use a single buffered visual.  Pass `--help` to
 glretrace for more options.
 
+
+Basic GUI usage
+===============
+
 Start the GUI as
 
     qapitrace application.trace
 
+You can also tell the GUI to go directly to a specific call
+
+    qapitrace application.trace 12345
+
 
 Advanced command line usage
 ===========================
@@ -76,6 +102,14 @@ Tracing manually
 
 ### Linux ###
 
+On 64 bits systems, you'll need to determine ether the application is 64 bits
+or 32 bits.  This can be done by doing
+
+    file /path/to/application
+
+But beware of wrapper shell scripts -- what matters is the architecture of the
+main process.
+
 Run the application you want to trace as
 
      LD_PRELOAD=/path/to/apitrace/wrappers/glxtrace.so /path/to/application
@@ -120,9 +154,24 @@ page for more details about these environment flags.
 
 ### Windows ###
 
-Copy `opengl32.dll`, `d3d8.dll`, or `d3d9.dll` from the wrappers directory
-to the directory with the application you want to trace.  Then run the
-application.
+When tracing third-party applications, you can identify the target
+application's main executable, either by:
+
+* right clicking on the application's icon in the _Start Menu_, choose
+  _Properties_, and see the _Target_ field;
+
+* or by starting the application, run Windows Task Manager (taskmgr.exe), right
+  click on the application name in the _Applications_ tab, choose _Go To Process_,
+  note the highlighted _Image Name_, and search it on `C:\Program Files` or
+  `C:\Program Files (x86)`.
+
+On 64 bits Windows, you'll need to determine ether the application is a 64 bits
+or 32 bits. 32 bits applications will have a `*32` suffix in the _Image Name_
+column of the _Processes_ tab of _Windows Task Manager_ window.
+
+Copy the appropriate `opengl32.dll`, `d3d8.dll`, or `d3d9.dll` from the
+wrappers directory to the directory with the application you want to trace.
+Then run the application as usual.
 
 You can specify the written trace filename by setting the `TRACE_FILE`
 environment variable before running.
@@ -227,13 +276,11 @@ These are the steps to create a regression test-suite around **apitrace**:
 
 * obtain a trace
 
-* obtain reference snapshots, by doing:
+* obtain reference snapshots, by doing on a reference system:
 
-        mkdir /path/to/snapshots/
+        mkdir /path/to/reference/snapshots/
         glretrace -s /path/to/reference/snapshots/ application.trace
 
-  on reference system.
-
 * prune the snapshots which are not interesting
 
 * to do a regression test, do:
@@ -242,8 +289,8 @@ These are the steps to create a regression test-suite around **apitrace**:
 
   Alternatively, for a HTML summary, use `apitrace diff-images`:
 
-        glretrace -s /path/to/current/snapshots/ application.trace
-        apitrace diff-images --output summary.html /path/to/reference/snapshots/ /path/to/current/snapshots/
+        glretrace -s /path/to/test/snapshots/ application.trace
+        apitrace diff-images --output summary.html /path/to/reference/snapshots/ /path/to/test/snapshots/
 
 
 Automated git-bisection
@@ -352,8 +399,12 @@ Closed-source:
 
   * [D3DSpy](http://doc.51windows.net/Directx9_SDK/?url=/directx9_sdk/graphics/programmingguide/TutorialsAndSamplesAndToolsAndTips/Tools/D3DSpy.htm): the predecessor of PIX
 
+* [NVIDIA PerfKit](http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-perfkit)
+
 * [AMD GPU PerfStudio](http://developer.amd.com/gpu/PerfStudio/pages/APITraceWindow.aspx)
 
+* [Intel Graphics Performance Analyzers](http://www.intel.com/software/gpa/)
+
 
 OpenGL
 ------
@@ -366,9 +417,11 @@ Open-source:
 
 * [tracy](https://gitorious.org/tracy): OpenGL ES and OpenVG trace, retrace, and state inspection
 
+* [WebGL-Inspector](http://benvanik.github.com/WebGL-Inspector/)
+
 Closed-source:
 
-* [gDEBugger](http://www.gremedy.com/products.php)
+* [gDEBugger](http://www.gremedy.com/products.php) and [AMD gDEBugger](http://developer.amd.com/tools/gDEBugger/Pages/default.aspx)
 
 * [glslDevil](http://cumbia.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/glsldevil/index.html)