← COURSE LIBRARY
Shader Code · 50 min
Profiling a Frame Like a Technical Artist
IntermediateNeeds: GPU execution modelNeeds: Texture budgets
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You will be able to
- Separate CPU-bound from GPU-bound frames before optimising anything.
- Read a GPU capture to find the most expensive pass.
- Communicate findings to a team in terms of budget, not vibes.
The concept
Optimisation without measurement is guessing. The first question is always whether the frame is CPU-bound (draw calls, animation, gameplay) or GPU-bound, and if GPU-bound, whether it is vertex, pixel, bandwidth or fill limited. RenderDoc, PIX, Nsight and the engine's own profiler each answer part of that. The technical artist's contribution is translating a capture into an art-side decision.
In your engine
`stat unit` separates game/draw/GPU; `ProfileGPU` gives the per-pass breakdown; Unreal Insights for CPU detail.
Practice (4)
Concept check
stat unit shows Game 4ms, Draw 14ms, GPU 6ms. What is the bottleneck?
Predict the result
Frame cost drops sharply when you lower resolution but not when you simplify meshes. The frame is:
Concept check
Overdraw visualisation is bright red across a foliage field. First art-side action?
Find the bug
A capture shows one 6ms pass named 'Translucency'. Which detail would you check first?
Knowledge check
01Before optimising you should first determine:
02Resolution scaling changes cost most on frames that are:
03Draw thread cost is reduced mainly by:
04A good optimisation report includes:
Build challenge
Capture one frame from any scene you have access to. Produce a one-page breakdown: bound-by verdict with evidence, the three most expensive passes with ms, and two art-side actions ranked by expected saving.
SELF-CHECK RUBRIC