Visual Studio 2013 Express RC

Question

Hi Guys,

Does anyone know if the Graphics Diagnostics feature is included in both the Windows and Windows Desktop version of the 2013 express edition or only the Windows version.

Kind Regards,

Nathan

Answer 1

I believe the Graphics Diagnostics feature is in all editions of VS 2013. The CPU profiler is only in Pro or higher and the Express for Windows Store apps version.

Answer 2

Hi Chuck,

I have created a small sample Win32 project called GraphicsDiagnostics test in the desktop release of visual studio express 2013 RC and when I go to the debug menu I would expect to see the graphics diagnostics menu (which is under this menu in the professional and ultimate releases) however it is not their.

I have also tried the short cut (alt + F5) and that does not start anything up.

I find this to be disappointing as I was also under the impression that the graphics diagnostics would be available under all version due to the discontinued development and support of PIX.

It does appear to be under the menu using the windows (metro) express 2013 RC version with a store application.

Isnt this quite strange as most applications that utilise DirectX are not only going to be made for metro (maybe in the future they will but at the moment they wont) as to provide maximum compatibility most of these applications will target Win32 to be backward compatible with windows 7, vista etc.

Obviously its available under professional and ultimate but for most independent game developers, such as myself, this is quite a stretch to afford these versions.

Kind Regards,

Nathan Burrell

Answer 3

Hi Nathan,

Thank you for posting in the MSDN forum.

Graphics Diagnostics are now available for Windows Store apps in Visual Studio Express 2013 RC for Windows (as well as the Professional, Premium, and Ultimate editions).

Reference:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/vstudio/bb386063(v=vs.120).aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/eng/products/compare

Best Regards,

---

Jack Zhai[MSFT]
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Answer 4

Hi Nathan,

Thanks for posting on MSDN forum!

Visual Studio Express for Windows can be used to debug Store apps as well as executables. You can open an exe as a VS solution (File->Open->Project/Solution) to load it, and then you'll be able to Alt-F5 to launch graphics debugger to capture frames from this exe. The experience is similar to what the original PIX for Windows provides.

Hope this helps.

Thanks,

Rong Lu, Visual Studio team

Answer 5

Hi Rong Lu,

I am aware of how to use the debugger, I have used in a professional edition at my workplace.

My question was can it be used to debug a Win32 application not a windows store application in the Express family of products.

Also the link on the Visual Studio Express 2013 page to the Express for Windows (not the Express for Windows Desktop which I already have installed) keeps redirecting to the Express for Windows Preview, is this version not available as a RC yet?

Also can you open a solution that has a Win32 application project in the Express for Windows, as Im under the impression that version is only for windows store applications, and the other version Express for Windows Desktop (which is the one I have installed) is for Win32 applications.

Kind Regards,

Nathan Burrell

Answer 6

Hi Nathan,

Sorry for a delayed response. You can open desktop (Win32) exe in Express for Windows. And then you can use Graphics Diagnostics to debug the exe.

Thanks,

Rong Lu, Visual Studio team