Interactive debugging and monitoring of shader programs executing on a graphics processor

Abstract

A development application leverages the programmability of shader execution units in the graphics processing subsystem to make graphics processing subsystem state data accessible to applications executed outside the graphics processing subsystem. The development application modifies shaders to include state output instructions adapted to direct a shader execution unit to copy graphics processing subsystem state data to a location in the computer system that is accessible to applications executed outside of the graphics processing subsystem. Following the execution of the state output instructions, the shader execution unit can be halted or can continue executing the shader. The development application can modify the shader to include state restoration instructions adapted to direct the shader execution unit to set state data of the graphics processing subsystem to previous or new values. The development application can dynamically modify shaders with state output and restoration instructions to update state data of the graphics processing subsystem.