Can PhysX Visual Debugger be used with PhysX 5 + Running SnippetOmniPVD throws exception

[itamar-dw]

I have 2 questions which might be related so I am putting both in a single message:

1. I understand that the OmniPVD can be used, but if I don't have Omniverse installed, can I use the visual debugger from here https://developer.nvidia.com/physx-visual-debugger? Can I refer to its manual or is it outdated with PhysX 5?
2. I am trying to run the SnippetOmniPVD snippet, I thought maybe the output file can be loaded with the PhysX Visual Debugger mentioned above. However, code fails with exception, the reason being that gOmniPVD variable in SnippetOmniPVD.cpp

   PhysX/physx/snippets/snippetomnipvd/SnippetOmniPvd.cpp

   Line 86 in 4d33492

   gOmniPvd = PxCreateOmniPvd(*gFoundation);

   gets a null value and the method initPhysicsWithOmniPvd returns without creating gPhysics. Any idea what goes wrong?

[itamar-dw]

Ok, I figured it out, turns out the CMake flag to create the PVDRuntime project was False by default. I switched it to True and built the project, and now there is no exception and I get the output PVD file.

However, I still want to know how can I use the visual debugger (either from file or by streaming), if I don't have the Omniverse installed.

[pdherasciec]

To answer about running OmniPVD (the visual inspection part) without Omniverse; for the forseeable future Omniverse will have to be installed to debug OVD files.

[pdherasciec]

Hello, is it possible that the SnippetOmniPVD was run in Release mode? PhysX is made not to ship with OmniPVD output in Release as OmniPVD incurs some overhead/book keeping and Release is supposed to be as lean and fast as possible.

[pdherasciec]

Actually would you please say which xml file it is you edited like that?

[itamar-dw]

Oh that's curious, that's not supposed to be the case, will have to look into that. Is it Linux or Windows?

Windows with Visual Studio 2022

Actually would you please say which xml file it is you edited like that?

Sorry, you are right. I based my build on this commit for supporting VS 2022, and for some reason it omits the cmake switch for building PVD runtime. I forgot I used an external xml (not from the PhysX repo)...
NVIDIAGameWorks/PhysX@0018048

[pdherasciec]

Good so everything is in order. I was afraid the xml files got somehow mangled in our public release. Thanks for following up!

[MattiaMontanari]

@itamar-dw , did you manage to use PVD with PhysX? Did you have to install and use the newer OVD to profile?

[itamar-dw]

@itamar-dw , did you manage to use PVD with PhysX? Did you have to install and use the newer OVD to profile?

No, I wasn't. I don't have a GPU with the RTX feature that is needed for Omniverse, which is needed for PVD (I tried but apps kept crashing).