FAQ
  1. What is ReplayDIRECTOR™ ?
  2. How is ReplayDIRECTOR™ different from a video capture?
  3. How does it work?
  4. How will using ReplayDIRECTOR™ affect my performance?
  5. Do I need to change or add to my source code?
  6. How much data does ReplayDIRECTOR™ store when recording?
  7. Will ReplayDIRECTOR™ reproduce multi-player and networked bugs?
  8. Can I debug recordings?
  9. What platforms are supported?
  10. Can I start a new recording while my application is already running?
  11. Can I 'fast forward' or 'skip ahead' to a later point during playback?
  12. Can I evaluate a Trial Version of ReplayDIRECTOR™ using my software?
  13. How much does ReplayDIRECTOR™ cost?

1. What is ReplayDIRECTOR™?

ReplayDIRECTOR™ is a software debugging tool that gives VCR, or TiVo™-like functionality to any software.

As you are running your software, ReplayDIRECTOR™ is transparently recording every line of code that is executed. This results in a perfect recording of your software. If you find a bug, you can simply press play to see it again.



2. How is ReplayDIRECTOR™ different from a video or screen capture?

ReplayDIRECTOR™ is recording your program, not the video or screen output. Every line of code that your program executes will be recorded, and will playback exactly the same.

When you playback a recording, your software is running. This means any bug that occurred during the recording will be reproduced perfectly when you playback.



3. How does it work?

ReplayDIRECTOR™ is a 'binary instrumentation tool'. When installed, it analyzes the compiled binaries of your application and identifies everything that must be recorded in order to create a perfect recording of your software.

Every potential source of non-determinism is captured and recorded for later playback. Although this is an intensive process, it takes under 10 seconds to complete.



4. How will using ReplayDIRECTOR™ affect my performance?

ReplayDIRECTOR™ is a high-performance system that has almost no impact on performance. Replay is designed to be seamless and transparent. This means you can be recording all the time, even during production with software in-the-field with customers.

With 'always-on' recording, if you, or your customer ever finds a bug, you will never have to worry about reproducing it.



5. Do I need to change or add to my source code?

No, ReplayDIRECTOR™ acts on the compiled binaries only and does not require any source code changes. This means you can apply ReplayDIRECTOR™ to 3rd-party DLLs or libraries that you may not have source code for. For example, physics, audio or graphics engines.



6. How much data does ReplayDIRECTOR™ store when recording?

ReplayDIRECTOR™ is extremely efficient and will typically record 1 megabyte of data per minute of play. Even client-server software will record data within this range.

With data this small, you can easily attach recordings to bug reports directly in your bug tracking database, or send them via email.



7. Will ReplayDIRECTOR™ reproduce multi-user and networked bugs?

Yes! Recordings made of online software applications can be Replayed at anytime, even without a network connection.

This means you can record internet applications with many users, then playback that recording perfectly with all of the network data, timings, asynchronous network input and all other non-deterministic events occuring exactly as they were recorded.



8. Can I debug recordings?

Absolutely. When you playback a recording, the software will be running. You can playback recordings from the debugger, or attach  a debugger to a playback already in progress. All of your symbols will be valid in the debugger.

You can set breakpoints, single-step through code, and inspect data. Your software is running just as it did when you recorded it.



9. What platforms are supported?

ReplayDIRECTOR™ is currently available on Windows XP, 2K, Vista and XBOX 360 platforms. 



10. Can I start a new recording while my software is already running?

At the moment, no. ReplayDIRECTOR™ will begin recording at the same point that the application is launched.



11. Can I 'fast forward' or 'skip ahead' to a later point during playback?

Currently, recordings must be played back from the beginning. However, we are actively working on a feature which will allow you to 'skip-ahead' to a later point during playback. No official announcements have been made regarding this feature, so please check back for the latest.



12. Can I evaluate a Trial Version of ReplayDIRECTOR™ using my software?

Yes, absolutely. As you may have noted, our downloadable demo will record and replay a handful of software titles.

If you would like to try ReplayDIRECTOR™ with your software, we do offer evaluation versions of ReplayDIRECTOR™ that will work with your software. In order to provide you with a 21-day evaluation, we require a build of your software with PDB symbols in order run several verifications to confirm that our platform support is capturing all of the required data for your title. No source code is required. Please get in touch with us to arrange your evaluation.



13. How much does ReplayDIRECTOR™ cost?

Please check our pricing information.

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