Introduction
============

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Welcome to RenderDoc - a graphics debugger currently available for Vulkan, D3D11, D3D12, and OpenGL development on windows.

This document serves primarily as reference guide, introductory document and explanation of which features are available in RenderDoc and how to best use them.

The latest information and discussion is always available on the `GitHub wiki <https://github.com/baldurk/renderdoc/wiki>`_.

License
-------

RenderDoc is released under the MIT license, so there are no restrictions on your use of it either commercial or non-commercial. This includes the source release available on `GitHub <https://github.com/baldurk/renderdoc>`_.

Details of the licenses of third party software used in RenderDoc are included in the LICENSE file in the RenderDoc directory as well as in the :doc:`credits_acknowledgements`.

How to browse this documentation
--------------------------------

If you just want to dive straight in and learn how to get started using RenderDoc consider looking at the :doc:`getting_started/quick_start` section which gives a simple introduction on how to get started. Afterwards there are reference pages on each of the windows available in RenderDoc which can be referred to as you use the program, or skimmed to get a feel for the functionality available.


Those of you familiar with other graphics debuggers will likely find much of RenderDoc recognisable, you might want to check out the :doc:`getting_started/faq`, :doc:`getting_started/features`, :doc:`getting_started/tips_tricks` or browse the :doc:`how/index` sections which detail how some common tasks are accomplished.

Regardless of your experience or patience for documentation it's recommended that you read the :doc:`getting_started/gotchas_known_issues` as this details known bugs and current limitations of the program.

Important notes
---------------

* RenderDoc is not yet bug free! It is pretty stable but you will still likely encounter bugs depending on your use case. I am *always* happy to spend time to fix them and I can work with you even if you cannot share any details about your project. Get in touch (see below) and I will actively fix your bug!
* On the other side of the coin, please do give feedback when RenderDoc works for you and request features that would make your life easier or improve your workflow.
* There are a few common issues you might run into, so if you have any problems check the :doc:`getting_started/faq`, or the `GitHub issues list <https://github.com/baldurk/renderdoc/issues>`_ to see if it's been reported.

Documentation and Tutorials
---------------------------

Aside from the documentation that you are reading, I have recorded some `YouTube video tutorials <http://www.youtube.com/user/baldurkarlsson/>`_ showing the use of some basic features and an introduction/overview.

There is also a great presentation by `@Icetigris <https://twitter.com/Icetigris>`_ which goes into some details of how RenderDoc can be used in real world situations: `Slides are available here <https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LQUMIld4SGoQVthnhT1scoA3k4Sg0as14G4NeSiSgFU/>`_

Contact info, Feedback, Bug reports
-----------------------------------

If you want to get in touch with any feature requests, suggestions, comments etc then feel free to contact me: `Contact me <mailto:baldurk@baldurk.org?subject=RenderDoc%20feedback>`_.

Bug reports can be submitted directly via email, or also on the `GitHub issues list <https://github.com/baldurk/renderdoc/issues>`_ where you can also find the full source code.

The `Builds page <https://renderdoc.org/builds>`_ always has the latest stable build downloads, as well as builds made from the source code each night for the bleeding edge. Stable releases update every month or so and are the typical releases to stick to for the most reliable experience.

See Also
--------

* `RenderDoc Homepage <https://renderdoc.org/>`_
* `Builds page <https://renderdoc.org/builds>`_
