Profile Unity Application

Last modified: 22 March 2024

Supported OSs: Windows, Linux, macOS

Supported Unity versions: Unity 2018.3 and later

tip

You can also profile Mono applications using JetBrains Rider.

  1. Run dotTrace as a standalone application. The dotTrace Home window will open.

  2. Add a run configuration – the configuration that tells dotTrace how to run the profiled application:

    1. Under Choose what you want to profile, New Process Run, click Add run configuration Add run configuration.

    2. In the New Run Configuration wizard, choose Unity and click Next.

    3. Specify application options:

      • Path to the application executable (if it is a self-contained deployment) or to a library file (if it is a framework-dependent deployment).

      • Command-line Arguments for the executable (if required).

      • A full path to the application Working directory (by default, it's the same directory where the executable is located).

      • (Windows only) Set environment variables lets you run the profiled application with specific environment variables. Each variable must be specified on a new line.

    4. Click Save.

  3. Make sure the created run configuration is selected in the New Process Run list.

  4. Under Choose how you want to profile it, specify profiling options:

    • Currently, you can use only the Timeline profiling type. Learn more about profiling types

    • Optionally, if your application creates a number of processes and you want to profile only specific ones, create process filters.

    • Optionally, if you want to profile the native part of your Unity application, you should select the Enable native profiling option in the Advanced Options. This option may be helpful for finding low-level performance issues related to rendering and other Unity engine subsystems.

    • If required, specify other profiling options.

  5. If you want dotTrace to start collecting profiling data right after you start the session, under Run profiling, select Collect profiling data from start.

  6. Click Start. This will start the profiling session.

  7. Go through a particular workflow in your application (if you want to evaluate its performance) or reproduce a particular performance issue. Collect snapshots using the Get Snapshot button in the profiling controller window. Learn more about how to control the profiling session

  8. After you collect the data, either close the profiled application or detach the profiler using the Detach button in the controller window.

  9. Analyze the collected snapshots using dotTrace Viewer.