Graphics company Nvidia has announced that it has released updated versions of a number of its developer tools including performance analysis tool PerfHUD, real-time effects creator FX Composer, and its shader optimizer Shader Debugger.
DirectX 9 and 10 performance analysis tool PerfHUD adds new support for games utilizing multiple GPUs using Nvidia SLI technology, new texture visualization and override capabilities, an API call list, dependency views, and more.
Visual effects IDE FX Composer 2.5 features an improved user interface, DirectX 10 Support, ShaderPerf with GeForce 8 and 9 Series support, visual models and styles, and particle systems.
Shader Debugger is a plug-in for FX Composer 2.5 that enables developers to inspect their code while seeing shader variables applied in real time on their geometry, and can be used to debug HLSL, CgFX, and COLLADA FX Cg shaders in both DirectX and OpenGL.
The latter is the first in Nvidia's Professional Developer Tools lineup directed at professional developers who need more industrial-strength capabilities and support.
Said Maxis graphic engineer Alec Miller, “
Spore (pictured) relies on a host of graphical systems that support a complex and evolving universe. Nvidia PerfHUD provides a unique and essential tool for in-game performance analysis. The ability to overlay live GPU timings and state helps us rapidly diagnose, fix, and then verify optimizations. As a result, we can simulate rich worlds alongside interactive gameplay. I highly recommend PerfHUD because it is so simple to integrate and to use.”
