Graphics command management tool and methods for analyzing performance for command changes before application modification

• US 20080141131A1
• Filed: 03/02/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Cerny, Mark E., Batkin, Boris, Olick, Jonathan J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,448,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3612 by runtime analysis performance monitoring G06F11/3466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45516 Runtime code conversion or optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining

Abstract

Methods, systems, graphical computer interfaces, and computer readable media are disclosed to enable optimizing video frame rendering characteristics for an application. The method includes rendering a video frame and capturing push buffer settings representing the rendering of the video frame. The method also includes modifying an aspect of the push buffer settings while bypassing the application, and re-rendering the frame with the modified aspect. The method further enables comparing the rendering with the re-rendering, and presenting comparison results. Graphical user interfaces are provided to enable the functionality, without having to modify code of the application to appreciate what potential changes to the application can present in terms of performance rendering and processing efficiencies.

Claims

1. A system for conducting performance analysis on a frame of a multi-frame video sequence generated during execution of an application, comprising:

(i) a hardware engine configured to execute the application;

(ii) a library capture module being configured to obtain push buffer data from the hardware engine, the push buffer data being for the frame of the multi-frame video sequence;

(iii) a graphical user interface for presenting an interactive display of contents of the push buffer data, the contents defining a plurality of commands and data associated with each of the plurality of commands, the graphical user interface enabling access to make changes to the contents of the push buffer; and

(iv) a replay module enabling re-execution of the push buffer data with any changes made through the graphical user interface;

wherein the graphical user interface provides a plurality of performance analysis measurements that quantify differences in execution of the push buffer when changes to the push buffer are made.

2. The system for conducting performance analysis as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface provides the access to make changes to the push buffer data without performing changes to the application.

3. The system for conducting performance analysis as recited in claim 1, wherein changes to the push buffer and re-execution of the push buffer with changes simulate performance of the application if modifications to the application had been made.

4. The system for conducting performance analysis as recited in claim 1, wherein the application includes a function call that can be triggered to cause a collection of push buffer data that is transferred to the library capture module.

5. The system for conducting performance analysis as recited in claim 4, wherein the push buffer data is obtained from the transfer in an array of data.

6. The system for conducting performance analysis as recited in claim 5, wherein the library capture module generates a library populated with push buffer data that is obtained from the array of data.

7. The system for conducting performance analysis as recited in claim 6, wherein the library is accessed by the graphical user interface to populate the interactive display of contents of the push buffer data.

8. The system for conducting performance analysis as recited in claim 7, wherein the graphical user interface provides a plurality of menus and windows for representing the plurality of performance analysis measurements, and selected ones of the plurality of menus and windows enabling changes to the content of the push buffer data.

9. The system for conducting performance analysis as recited in claim 3, further comprising,

what-if changes to the push buffer data, the what-if changes defining sets of changes to the push buffer data, the sets of changes being configured to simulate performance of the application if modification to the application had been made, but without changing code of the application.

10. A method for optimizing video frame rendering characteristics for an application, comprising:

rendering a video frame;

capturing push buffer settings representing the rendering of the video frame;

modifying an aspect of the push buffer settings, the modifying bypassing the application;

re-rendering the frame with the modified aspect;

comparing the rendering with the re-rendering; and

presenting comparison results.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the capturing includes:

calling a function embedded in the application to copy the push buffer settings.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the modified aspect is selected from a group consisting of Redundant commands, Render state optimizations, Resource locations, Vertex array structure, Unused vertex array data, Constant vertex array data, Unused vertex program output data, Mesh optimization, Triangle trimming, Depth sorting, Depth-only pass, fragment program register count optimization, alternate texture compressed formats, texture memory grouping, vertex program grouping, render target tiling and depth cull areas, and vertex program optimization.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the method is performed on successive frames.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the method is performed on every n^th frame where n is an integer greater than or equal to two.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the modifying includes selecting a “

what if”

modifier.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising

modifying multiple aspects of the push buffer;

classifying an impact of each individual modified aspect; and

classifying a global impact of modification of the multiple aspects.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the modifying multiple aspects is performed without changing code of the application.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the re-rendering includes committing the modified aspect into the push buffer.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the comparing includes calculating render times for the rendering and the re-rendering.

20. A graphical user interface (GUD for optimizing video frame rendering, comprising:

a display region illustrating contents of a push buffer;

a performance display region illustrating graphical results for rendering a video frame according to the contents of the push buffer; and

a push buffer content modification region enabling modification of the push buffer contents.

21. The GUI of claim 20, wherein the display region illustrating contents of the push buffer are organized according to draw context.

22. The GUI of claim 20, wherein the push buffer modification region enables the modification of the push buffer contents to be profiled against the push buffer contents prior to modification.

23. The GUI of claim 20, further comprising;

a render state view window illustrating each resource referenced by a draw context for rendering the video frame.

24. The GUI of claim 20, further comprising;

a render target window having access to a plurality of sub-windows selected from a group consisting of a render targets preview mode window, a textures window, a vertex array window, an index array window, a vertex programs window, a fragment programs window, and a GPU registers window.

25. The GUI of claim 20, wherein the performance display region illustrates utilization of sub-units of the GPU in an overlapped manner for a draw context.

26. A system for conducting performance analysis on a frame of a multi-frame video sequence generated during execution of an application, comprising:

(i) a hardware engine being in communication with capture triggering hardware logic, the hardware engine being configured to at least partially execute the application;

(ii) a library capture module being configured to obtain push buffer data from the hardware engine in response processing by the capture triggering hardware logic, the push buffer data being for the frame of the multi-frame video sequence;

(iii) a graphical user interface for presenting an interactive display of contents of the push buffer data, the contents defining a plurality of commands and data associated with each of the plurality of commands, the graphical user interface enabling access to make changes to the contents of the push buffer; and

(iv) a replay module enabling re-execution of the push buffer data with any changes made through the graphical user interface;

wherein the graphical user interface provides a plurality of performance analysis measurements that quantify differences in execution of the push buffer when changes to the push buffer are made, and the graphical user interface provides the access to make changes to the push buffer data without performing changes to the application.

27. The system for conducting performance analysis as recited in claim 26, wherein the capture triggering hardware logic is integrated with the hardware engine or interfaced as separate logic with the hardware engine.

28. The system for conducting performance analysis as recited in claim 27, wherein the capture triggering hardware logic is configured to capture contents of the push buffer for one or more of selected frames of the multi-frame video sequence.

29. The system for conducting performance analysis as recited in claim 26, wherein changes to the push buffer and re-execution of the push buffer with changes simulate performance of the application if modifications to the application had been made.