Nsight Graphics 2021.2

Feature Enhancements:

We've introduced a new analysis feature to help you better understand the metrics collected in GPU Trace. This analysis uses markers to correlate detailed explanations and suggestions that you can use to improve your graphics application's performance. This works for ray tracing and we recommend using Advanced Mode metrics to get the most benefit.

Enhanced windowing experience that allows more powerful window docking and pinning

You can now have non-embedded, floating windows that are dockable to each other. This lets you have multiple groups of windows and is especially useful on multi-monitor systems.
Windows can also be pinned to the edges of another window to automatically collapse and expand when hovered.

This view will show a detailed tree view of the full parameters list for the currently scrubbed event, allowing you to see all parameters easily.
This offers a full and complete breakdown of even the most complex API calls, especially given the search capabilities of the view.

Improvements:

We've added an Advanced Learning section to the Nsight Graphics User Guide that offers a more in-depth look at the critical tools features that will help you profile and ultimately, optimize your application.
Added an option to control the font choice and sizing of the Nsight Graphics Host UI.
Added an 'Events' pane to the shader profiler to allow you to identify the events in which a particular profiled shader is used

This allows you to see the details of resource bindings, API state, and draw/dispatch configuration that impacts your shader performance.
This view replaced the 'Sample Summary' pane.

Added a warning when an application is missing shader debug info that includes a link to describe how to add the missing information.
In previous Nsight Graphics versions, shader debug info paths were required to be specified before a report was collected in order to have high-level shader language correlation. Now, users may associate shader debug info with their shaders after a report is generated by right-clicking on a specified shader and using a file browser to select the associated debug info (pdb) file.

Changed the default implementation of the 'Acceleration Structure Geometry Tracking' mode to 'Deep Geometry Copy'

This leads to better reliability and reduced errors for RTX applications that update or delete geometry buffers that were used to construct acceleration structures.

Improved GPU Trace timeline rendering for high zoom factors such that when you zoom in enough, you can see individual samples instead of a continuous graph.
Added a 'Tags' column to the 'Events View' to highlight special characteristics of functions that are not fully described by the call itself.

For example, compute shaders that use TraceRayInline ray-tracing capabilities will be tagged with 'TraceRayInline'.

Added controls to switch between render targets or wireframe modes on the Target HUD in frame debugging activities.

Additional Changes:

With Nsight Graphics 2021.2, we are deprecating support for the Ubuntu 16.04 Linux distribution. See this page for a list of supported and tested distributions.
As of Nsight Graphics 2021.1, the Fedora Linux distribution no longer has testing support. While it may work, we recommend that you use the tool with an officially supported distribution.

Known Issues:

With drivers R460.56 and newer, NVLINK counters can no longer be collected in the Frame Profiler. All other counters are unaffected.

For more details and known issues, please see the full release notes!

For an overview of Nsight™ Graphics and access to resources, please visit the main Nsight™ Graphics page.

NVIDIA® Nsight™ Graphics 2021.2 is available for download under the NVIDIA Registered Developer Program.