Guide: launching renderdoc with java gradle project on minecraft "Create" mod example

renderdoc-how-to.md

So you want to launch RenderDoc with Java, huh?

Here is a good resource to check out first

First of all, check what command is run when you in fact launch your app. For me (Create minecraft mod) this command was executed when I run runClient configuration (line breaks, tabs and backslashes added for readability):

Step 1. command for running minecraft with mods - generated by gradle

/home/tooster/.sdkman/candidates/java/14.0.1-open/bin/java
-Dforge.logging.console.level=info
-Dfml.earlyprogresswindow=false
-Dmixin.env.disableRefMap=true
-javaagent:\
	/home/tooster/.local/share/JetBrains/Toolbox/apps/IDEA-U/ch-0/211.7442.40/lib/idea_rt.jar=36385:\
	/home/tooster/.local/share/JetBrains/Toolbox/apps/IDEA-U/ch-0/211.7442.40/bin
-Dfile.encoding=UTF-8
-classpath
  /home/tooster/workspace/ttr/Create/build/classes/java/main:\
	/home/tooster/workspace/ttr/Create/build/resources/main:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/forge_gradle/deobf_dependencies/com/tterrag/registrate/Registrate/MC1.16.5-1.0.4_mapped_snapshot_20200920-mixed-1.16.3/Registrate-MC1.16.5-1.0.4_mapped_snapshot_20200920-mixed-1.16.3.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/forge_gradle/deobf_dependencies/com/jozufozu/flywheel/Flywheel/1.16-0.0.3.20_mapped_snapshot_20200920-mixed-1.16.3/Flywheel-1.16-0.0.3.20_mapped_snapshot_20200920-mixed-1.16.3.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/forge_gradle/deobf_dependencies/com/ferreusveritas/dynamictrees/DynamicTrees-1.16.5/0.10.0-Beta12.1_mapped_snapshot_20200920-mixed-1.16.3/DynamicTrees-1.16.5-0.10.0-Beta12.1_mapped_snapshot_20200920-mixed-1.16.3.jar:\
	/home/tooster/workspace/ttr/Create/build/fg_cache/net/minecraftforge/forge/1.16.5-36.1.32_mapped_snapshot_20200920-mixed-1.16.3/forge-1.16.5-36.1.32_mapped_snapshot_20200920-mixed-1.16.3-recomp.jar:\
	/home/tooster/workspace/ttr/Create/build/fg_cache/net/minecraftforge/forge/1.16.5-36.1.32_mapped_snapshot_20200920-mixed-1.16.3/forge-1.16.5-36.1.32_mapped_snapshot_20200920-mixed-1.16.3-launcher.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/forge_gradle/minecraft_repo/versions/1.16.5/client-extra.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.minecraftforge/mergetool/1.0.9/d1e1ba354a40b5703340b5cb02fdca489cff3646/mergetool-1.0.9-api.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/forge_gradle/maven_downloader/de/oceanlabs/mcp/mcp_snapshot/20200920-mixed-1.16.3/mcp_snapshot-20200920-mixed-1.16.3.zip:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/cpw.mods/modlauncher/8.0.9/bb848f57758808692b9108df61c909c0a961ba81/modlauncher-8.0.9.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.ow2.asm/asm-commons/9.0/5a34a3a9ac44f362f35d1b27932380b0031a3334/asm-commons-9.0.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.ow2.asm/asm-util/9.0/7c059a94ab5eed3347bf954e27fab58e52968848/asm-util-9.0.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.ow2.asm/asm-analysis/9.0/4630afefbb43939c739445dde0af1a5729a0fb4e/asm-analysis-9.0.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.ow2.asm/asm-tree/9.0/9df939f25c556b0c7efe00701d47e77a49837f24/asm-tree-9.0.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.ow2.asm/asm/9.0/af582ff60bc567c42d931500c3fdc20e0141ddf9/asm-9.0.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/cpw.mods/grossjava9hacks/1.3.3/e49222512ea6cabdd8b49761cef1d5a207b1f0d9/grossjava9hacks-1.3.3.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.minecraftforge/accesstransformers/3.0.1/6d23c1b9cb0607fddc38d09730796f68db96f546/accesstransformers-3.0.1.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.antlr/antlr4-runtime/4.9.1/428664f05d2b7f7b7610204b5aa7c1763f62011a/antlr4-runtime-4.9.1.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.minecraftforge/eventbus/4.0.0/260e34800723e4c098c4e247cf2b900535e01b6d/eventbus-4.0.0.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.minecraftforge/forgespi/3.2.0/c6ca4e4e4a0343701407c760e642537b613b543/forgespi-3.2.0.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.minecraftforge/coremods/4.0.6/d6d761379c841e2610abebcbf70ed20b65f728f0/coremods-4.0.6.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.minecraftforge/unsafe/0.2.0/54d7a0a5e8fdb71b973025caa46f341ae5904f39/unsafe-0.2.0.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/com.electronwill.night-config/toml/3.6.3/2b05b4d606c517da4d1a7b6d2b97d751c92887d7/toml-3.6.3.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/com.electronwill.night-config/core/3.6.3/c601bfeaeb2c0abe7aaa901b0bbe6d1beff49281/core-3.6.3.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.jline/jline/3.12.1/de2bd909cb9f8eaa741bd03df4a1bd3f6eb593c7/jline-3.12.1.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.apache.maven/maven-artifact/3.6.3/f8ff8032903882376e8d000c51e3e16d20fc7df7/maven-artifact-3.6.3.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.jodah/typetools/0.8.3/98f84f353457629e81cc6827224871b1a8faa7af/typetools-0.8.3.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.minecrell/terminalconsoleappender/1.2.0/96d02cd3b384ff015a8fef4223bcb4ccf1717c95/terminalconsoleappender-1.2.0.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.apache.logging.log4j/log4j-core/2.11.2/6c2fb3f5b7cd27504726aef1b674b542a0c9cf53/log4j-core-2.11.2.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.apache.logging.log4j/log4j-api/2.11.2/f5e9a2ffca496057d6891a3de65128efc636e26e/log4j-api-2.11.2.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.sf.jopt-simple/jopt-simple/5.0.4/4fdac2fbe92dfad86aa6e9301736f6b4342a3f5c/jopt-simple-5.0.4.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.spongepowered/mixin/0.8.2/1cf212283d26f706fd3074318870bebd14d2a9ed/mixin-0.8.2.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.minecraftforge/nashorn-core-compat/15.1.1.1/1817deb38a5a8811148dca0d23161d92bdbd6184/nashorn-core-compat-15.1.1.1.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/com.mojang/patchy/1.2.3/e3107ca512d704a434076a153a6e1149e3787275/patchy-1.2.3.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/oshi-project/oshi-core/1.1/9ddf7b048a8d701be231c0f4f95fd986198fd2d8/oshi-core-1.1.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.java.dev.jna/jna/4.4.0/cb208278274bf12ebdb56c61bd7407e6f774d65a/jna-4.4.0.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.java.dev.jna/platform/3.4.0/e3f70017be8100d3d6923f50b3d2ee17714e9c13/platform-3.4.0.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/com.ibm.icu/icu4j/66.1/72c7519b6d91f7a1f993bd44a99fe95d67211b27/icu4j-66.1.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/com.mojang/javabridge/1.0.22/6aa6453aa99a52a5cd91749da1af6ab70e082ab3/javabridge-1.0.22.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/io.netty/netty-all/4.1.25.Final/d0626cd3108294d1d58c05859add27b4ef21f83b/netty-all-4.1.25.Final.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/com.google.guava/guava/21.0/3a3d111be1be1b745edfa7d91678a12d7ed38709/guava-21.0.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.apache.commons/commons-lang3/3.8.1/6505a72a097d9270f7a9e7bf42c4238283247755/commons-lang3-3.8.1.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/commons-io/commons-io/2.5/2852e6e05fbb95076fc091f6d1780f1f8fe35e0f/commons-io-2.5.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.apache.httpcomponents/httpclient/4.3.3/18f4247ff4572a074444572cee34647c43e7c9c7/httpclient-4.3.3.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/commons-codec/commons-codec/1.10/4b95f4897fa13f2cd904aee711aeafc0c5295cd8/commons-codec-1.10.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.java.jinput/jinput/2.0.5/39c7796b469a600f72380316f6b1f11db6c2c7c4/jinput-2.0.5.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.java.jutils/jutils/1.0.0/e12fe1fda814bd348c1579329c86943d2cd3c6a6/jutils-1.0.0.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/com.mojang/brigadier/1.0.17/c6b7dc51dd44379cc751b7504816006e9be4b1e6/brigadier-1.0.17.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/com.mojang/datafixerupper/4.0.26/ebd6690f33871ccee9b6132c6480668ee2e35020/datafixerupper-4.0.26.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/com.google.code.gson/gson/2.8.0/c4ba5371a29ac9b2ad6129b1d39ea38750043eff/gson-2.8.0.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/com.mojang/authlib/2.1.28/ad54da276bf59983d02d5ed16fc14541354c71fd/authlib-2.1.28.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.apache.commons/commons-compress/1.8.1/a698750c16740fd5b3871425f4cb3bbaa87f529d/commons-compress-1.8.1.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/commons-logging/commons-logging/1.1.3/f6f66e966c70a83ffbdb6f17a0919eaf7c8aca7f/commons-logging-1.1.3.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.apache.httpcomponents/httpcore/4.3.2/31fbbff1ddbf98f3aa7377c94d33b0447c646b6e/httpcore-4.3.2.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/it.unimi.dsi/fastutil/8.2.1/5ad88f325e424f8dbc2be5459e21ea5cab3864e9/fastutil-8.2.1.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.lwjgl/lwjgl-jemalloc/3.2.2/ee8e57a79300f78294576d87c4a587f8c99402e2/lwjgl-jemalloc-3.2.2.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.lwjgl/lwjgl-openal/3.2.2/2b772a102b0a11ee5f2109a5b136f4dc7c630827/lwjgl-openal-3.2.2.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.lwjgl/lwjgl-opengl/3.2.2/6ac5bb88b44c43ea195a570aab059f63da004cd8/lwjgl-opengl-3.2.2.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.lwjgl/lwjgl-glfw/3.2.2/d3ad4df38e400b8afba1de63f84338809399df5b/lwjgl-glfw-3.2.2.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.lwjgl/lwjgl-stb/3.2.2/3b8e6ebc5851dd3d17e37e5cadce2eff2a429f0f/lwjgl-stb-3.2.2.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.lwjgl/lwjgl-tinyfd/3.2.2/fcbe606c8f8da6f8f9a05e2c540eb1ee8632b0e9/lwjgl-tinyfd-3.2.2.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.lwjgl/lwjgl/3.2.2/8ad6294407e15780b43e84929c40e4c5e997972e/lwjgl-3.2.2.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/com.mojang/text2speech/1.11.3/f378f889797edd7df8d32272c06ca80a1b6b0f58/text2speech-1.11.3.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.codehaus.plexus/plexus-utils/3.2.1/13b015768e0d04849d2794e4c47eb02d01a0de32/plexus-utils-3.2.1.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.jline/jline-reader/3.12.1/4382ab1382c7b6f379377ed5f665dc2f6e1218bc/jline-reader-3.12.1.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.jline/jline-terminal/3.12.1/c777448314e050d980a6b697c140f3bfe9eb7416/jline-terminal-3.12.1.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/forge_gradle/deobf_dependencies/mezz/jei/jei-1.16.5/7.7.0.106_mapped_snapshot_20200920-mixed-1.16.3/jei-1.16.5-7.7.0.106_mapped_snapshot_20200920-mixed-1.16.3.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/cpw.mods/modlauncher/8.0.9/476a62d2a2ebd3573134b8bcd8f0bc21bbdf29ac/modlauncher-8.0.9-api.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/com.google.code.findbugs/jsr305/3.0.2/25ea2e8b0c338a877313bd4672d3fe056ea78f0d/jsr305-3.0.2.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.lwjgl/lwjgl-jemalloc/3.2.2/268c08a150347e04e44ba56e359d62c9b78669df/lwjgl-jemalloc-3.2.2-natives-linux.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.lwjgl/lwjgl-openal/3.2.2/364f9f5c3947393083ab5f37a571f5603aadd0b/lwjgl-openal-3.2.2-natives-linux.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.lwjgl/lwjgl-opengl/3.2.2/338d33387919cb3f4cdba143c2b738a71ccfda60/lwjgl-opengl-3.2.2-natives-linux.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.lwjgl/lwjgl-glfw/3.2.2/957733f26a6661d4883da0335f7ef46d3bbbd7d/lwjgl-glfw-3.2.2-natives-linux.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.lwjgl/lwjgl-stb/3.2.2/172c52e586fecf43f759bc4f70a778c01f6fdcc1/lwjgl-stb-3.2.2-natives-linux.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.lwjgl/lwjgl-tinyfd/3.2.2/39e35b161c130635d9c8918ce04e887a30c5b687/lwjgl-tinyfd-3.2.2-natives-linux.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/org.lwjgl/lwjgl/3.2.2/ae7976827ca2a3741f6b9a843a89bacd637af350/lwjgl-3.2.2-natives-linux.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/com.mojang/text2speech/1.11.3/ac641755a2a841d1fca9e660194f42523ee5cfe0/text2speech-1.11.3-natives-linux.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.java.jinput/jinput-platform/2.0.5/7ff832a6eb9ab6a767f1ade2b548092d0fa64795/jinput-platform-2.0.5-natives-linux.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.java.jinput/jinput-platform/2.0.5/53f9c919f34d2ca9de8c51fc4e1e8282029a9232/jinput-platform-2.0.5-natives-osx.jar:\
	/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/modules-2/files-2.1/net.java.jinput/jinput-platform/2.0.5/385ee093e01f587f30ee1c8a2ee7d408fd732e16/jinput-platform-2.0.5-natives-windows.jar
net.minecraftforge.userdev.LaunchTesting
-mixin.config=create.mixins.json

The most important is the first line - it's running java executable with further arguments. Important thing without which the whole process won't work is setting up environment variables that the task defines. For me it was as seen below (again, for readability split into lines):

Step 2. environment variables - created by gradle

MOD_CLASSES=create%%/home/tooster/workspace/ttr/Create/build/resources/main:create%%/home/tooster/workspace/ttr/Create/build/classes/java/main;\
MCP_MAPPINGS=snapshot_20200920-mixed-1.16.3;\
MCP_VERSION=20210115.111550;\
FORGE_VERSION=36.1.32;\
assetIndex=1.16;\
assetDirectory=/home/tooster/.gradle/caches/forge_gradle/assets;\
nativesDirectory=/home/tooster/workspace/ttr/Create/build/natives;\
FORGE_GROUP=net.minecraftforge;\
target=fmluserdevclient;\
MC_VERSION=1.16.5

Where to find those things?

The command is by default in the Run window in IntelliJ when you unfold the first line. The envirnonment setup can be found when editing the runClient configuration (Environment Variables field).

Step 3. Remote debugging

To make it fully work we also need some way to attach to the process started by renderdoc inside intelliJ if we want to debug (but this will lag like ass, so watch out). For that we create new run configuration from template "Remote JVM Debug". Defaults are OK - we copy generated command line arguments of the task that should look like that:

-agentlib:jdwp=transport=dt_socket,server=y,suspend=n,address=*:5005

And now to Renderdoc:

Step 4. ???

Step 5. Renderdoc - profit

in Launch Application window we set it up as follows:

• Executable Path: <first line of command - only the absolute path to java from step 1>
• Working Directory: <the run/ directory of our mod project, generated by task>
• Command Line Arguments:
  1. First, we paste in the content copied from Remote Debugging configuration, but change suspend=n to suspend=y for renderdoc to wait for debugger to attach.
  2. After this is pasted we paste the rest of command copied in step 1 (so everything excluding first line with path to java)
• Environment Variables: <this is a little tedious due to the dialog with shitty input method, but we have to set up all variables that we got in step 2 - it's pretty intuitive, but each variable has to be set one by one. I didn't put semicolons at the end>
• Capture options - do what you want, I went with defaullt of checked VSync and Fullscreen only.

Now you can launch this configuration. When you launch the app via renderdoc it will wait for debugger to attach, so in intelliJ select your created Remote JVM Debug and launch it. This will take time, but now a process runs in a background that launches you MC instance. logs can be viewed under run/logs/latest.log in your mod - that's how I in fact recognized that it's launching and not just dead :).

Sum Up

It's ofc easy to extrapolate this info to any other java app.

Guide by Tooster aka T3sT3ro.

@funnbot Thank you for your tip! Worked perfectly for me.

Convenience task for my build.gradle.kts:

tasks.register<Exec>("run + RenderDoc") {
    val javaExecTask = tasks.withType<JavaExec>().named("runClient").get()
    val javaHome = javaExecTask.javaLauncher.get().metadata.installationPath.asFile.absolutePath

    commandLine = listOf(
        "C:\\Program Files\\RenderDoc\\renderdoccmd.exe",
        "capture",
        "--opt-hook-children",
        "--wait-for-exit",
        "--working-dir",
        ".",
        "$javaHome/bin/java.exe",
        "-Xmx64m",
        "-Xms64m",
        "-Dorg.gradle.appname=gradlew",
        "-Dorg.gradle.java.home=$javaHome",
        "-classpath",
        "gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar",
        "org.gradle.wrapper.GradleWrapperMain",
        "runClient"
    )
}

For those that have the following error: Error: Could not find or load main class org.gradle.wrapper.GradleWrapperMain
Make sure that the gradle wrapper path is valid

And for those that the game hangs upon joining a world you simply have to wait a few minutes. I don't know why

This is the gradle task I have used for fabric on Architectury Loom 1.7

    register<Exec>("run + RenderDoc") {
        val javaHome = Jvm.current().javaHome

        commandLine = listOf(
            "C:\\Program Files\\RenderDoc\\renderdoccmd.exe",
            "capture",
            "--opt-api-validation", // Remove if you don't want api validation
            "--opt-api-validation-unmute", // Remove if you don't want api validation
            "--opt-hook-children",
            "--wait-for-exit",
            "--working-dir",
            ".",
            "$javaHome/bin/java.exe",
            "-Xmx64m",
            "-Xms64m",
            //"-agentlib:jdwp=transport=dt_socket,server=y,suspend=y,address=*:5005", // Uncomment for remote debug
            "-Dorg.gradle.appname=gradlew",
            "-Dorg.gradle.java.home=$javaHome",
            "-classpath",
            "C:\\Users\\******\\gradle\\wrapper\\gradle-wrapper.jar",
            "org.gradle.wrapper.GradleWrapperMain",
            ":fabric:runClient",
        )
    }

@Edouard127

val javaHome = Jvm.current().javaHome

Much cleaner, ty!