Convert timing captures

Some PIX releases change the timing-capture file format to support new features. PIX can convert some older .wpix timing captures to the current timing-capture storage format. PIX can also convert raw .etl timing traces into .wpix timing captures.

Use conversion when PIX prompts you to migrate an older timing capture, or when you captured a raw ETW trace by using the Generate .etl file instead of .wpix file timing capture option.

Convert an older timing capture

When an older timing capture can be migrated, opening the file opens the Convert Trace or Capture dialog with that file in Source File, instead of opening the capture directly. You can also start conversion from the File menu.

1. In PIX, select File > Convert ETL, Timing, or GPU Captures.
2. In the Convert Trace or Capture dialog, enter the older .wpix timing capture in Source File, or browse to it.
3. Choose how to write the migrated capture:
   • Leave Migrate in place selected to update the original file.
   • Clear Migrate in place to write a separate migrated copy in Target File. PIX suggests a .migrate.wpix filename. Migrating to a new file copies the capture first, so it usually takes longer than migrating in place.
4. Select Convert to migrate the file, or select Convert and Open to migrate it and open the migrated capture.

After conversion finishes, the dialog shows the result file. Select Open to open it, or select Convert another file to convert another capture.

Important

Migrate in place modifies the original capture. Clear Migrate in place if you need to keep the original file unchanged.

Supported older timing captures

PIX supports migration only for timing captures whose storage schema is in the migration range supported by the current PIX build. You can migrate timing captures taken with the June 2020 or newer versions of PIX on Windows. Migrating captures taken with earlier versions isn't supported. If the source file is older than that range, the dialog disables conversion and shows Source file is too old to migrate.

If a timing capture was created by a newer PIX build, open it with that newer build instead. Older PIX builds can't migrate captures forward from a schema version they don't understand.

Convert an ETL trace to a timing capture

Raw .etl traces don't contain the processed timing-capture database that PIX uses for analysis. Convert the .etl file to a .wpix file before analyzing it in the Timing Capture views.

1. Open PIX and make sure a local PC connection is available.
2. Select File > Convert ETL, Timing, or GPU Captures.
3. In Source File, enter the .etl file, or browse to it.
4. In Target File, enter the .wpix file to create. PIX suggests a filename by appending .wpix to the ETL path.
5. In Target Process, select the process to use as the title process for the converted timing capture.
6. Select Convert to create the .wpix file, or select Convert and Open to create it and open it.

Use the Filter processes... box when the ETL contains many processes. Select Refresh if PIX has found more processes after the initial list appears. The process list shows Image Name, Process Id, and Start Time (s).

Note

ETL conversion always writes a new .wpix file. The Migrate in place option applies to older .wpix captures, not to .etl traces.

Create a raw ETL timing trace

In the PIX UI, enable Generate .etl file instead of .wpix file in the timing capture options when you need PIX to write the raw ETW trace instead of processing it immediately into a .wpix timing capture.

From pixtool.exe, use take-new-timing-capture with --etl:

pixtool launch C:\Apps\Game.exe --timing take-new-timing-capture C:\Captures\game-timing.etl --duration=5000 --etl

--etl writes the raw ETW trace to the filename you provide. It can't be combined with --circular.