RTXGI Quick Start

The fastest way to start learning RTXGI is to clone, build, and run the Test Harness sample application provided alongside the SDK.

Clone the Code and Sample Content

1. Clone the repository (with all submodules)

   git clone --recursive https://github.com/NVIDIAGameWorks/RTXGI.git

2. Install the Vulkan SDK (optional on Windows)

3. Clone the Khronos Sponza GLTF content (optional)

   • Clone https://github.com/KhronosGroup/glTF-Sample-Models to somewhere on your machine (but don't clone it inside of this project).

   • Copy or move the contents of https://github.com/KhronosGroup/glTF-Sample-Models/tree/master/2.0/Sponza/glTF into samples/test-harness/data/gltf/sponza.

   • See the Sponza README for more information.

Configure with CMake

4. Install CMake. The CMake GUI is convenient and easy to use.

5. Open CMake GUI and fill in the path options.

   • On the source code line, fill in the path to where you have cloned this repository on your machine (e.g. C:/rtxgi).

   • On the build binaries line, fill in the path to the repository plus /build (e.g. C:/rtxgi/build).

     

6. Click Configure

   • If using Visual Studio 2017 on Windows, select x64 as the platform for the generator in the dropdown.
   • If using Visual Studio 2019 or later on Windows, the platform is x64 by default.
   • The configuration process downloads and extracts the DirectX12 Agility SDK and DirectX Shader Compiler to the external/agilitysdk and external/dxc directories (respectively).

7. Click Generate

   • The generated Visual Studio project is located in [path-to-repo]/build/RTXGI.sln (e.g. C:/rtxgi/build/RTXGI.sln).

Build and Run

Windows

8. Click Open Project in CMake to open the generated Visual Studio solution.

   • Note: there are separate projects for the D3D12 and Vulkan versions of the SDK and sample application(s). If the Vulkan SDK is not installed, or you disable Vulkan in the CMake options, the -VK projects are not generated.

     

9. Build the solution.

   • Note: if you want to just build the RTXGI SDK, uncheck the RTXGI_BUILD_SAMPLES option in CMake, click Generate, and reload the Visual Studio solution. The RTXGI Samples and Thirdparty folders will be removed.

10. Set the Startup Project to TestHarness-D3D12 (or TestHarness-VK).

11. Run the Test Harness.

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Linux

8. Open Visual Studio Code.

9. Open the folder (File->Open Folder) where you cloned the repository (e.g. C:rtxgi/)

   * The VSCode [CMake Tools Extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode.cmake-tools) is useful if you want to configure, generate, and build all in VSCode.
   
     ![Visual Studio Code](images/vscode.jpg)
   

10. Build the default target.

11. Select Run->Start without Debugging

    • This uses the launch arguments in [path-to-repo]/.vscode/launch.json

Enjoy

The Cornell Box scene is loaded by default and you should see the below result: