Visual C++ (Windows) Environment

For compiled plug-ins and shaders, you need to specify where Visual C++ can find the header files to include. For more information, see To specify the location of the header files. In addition to the header files, you also need to specify where to find the following:

• For compiled shaders, you need to specify where to find the .lib files (shader library files) for SOFTIMAGE|XSI. For more information, see To specify the location of the shader library files.

• For compiled operators, you need to specify where to find the .tlb files (type library files) for SOFTIMAGE|XSI. For more information, see To specify the location of the type library files:

| If you are using Compiler COM Support, you also need to enable exception handling. For more information, see To enable exception handling

| To optimize your ability to develop in the Windows environment, use Visual C++ 6, Service Pack 1.

After you have finished setting up the project, you can test your code shell by setting up the hook to XSI and running it. For information, see Connecting to XSI Using COM.

| msdev will always use the settings in tools->options and will ignore your environment settings unless you specify the command line option:
       msdev /useenv

To specify the location of the header files

1. From the Tools menu in Visual C++, choose Options and then click the Directories tab.

2. Make sure Include files appears in the Show directories for drop-down box.

3. Click the new image button . A new row appears below the last entry in the Directories list box.

4. Click the browse button on the right edge of the new row.

The Choose Directory window appears.

5. Find %XSI_SDKHOME% (the installation path for SOFTIMAGE|XSI SDK), click the include directory and then click OK.

The path to the include directory appears in the Directories list box.

6. Click OK to close the Options window and return to the main Visual C++ console.

To specify the location of the shader library files

1. From the Tools menu in Visual C++, choose Options and then click the Directories tab.

2. Make sure Library Files appears in the Show directories for drop-down box.

3. Click the new image button .

A new row appears below the last entry in the Directories list box.

4. Click on the browse button on the right edge of the new row.

The Choose Directory window appears.

5. Find %XSI_SDKHOME% (the installation path for SOFTIMAGE|XSI SDK), double-click the lib directory, click the x86 directory and then click OK.

The path to the x86 directory appears in the Directories list box.

6. Click OK to close the Options window and return to the main Visual C++ console.

| If you copied the siobjectmodel.tli and siobjectmodel.tlh files to the wrong directory, you need to correct these project settings and then delete these files manually.

To specify the location of the type library files

1. From the Tools menu in Visual C++, choose Options and then click the Directories tab.

2. Make sure Executable Files appears in the Show directories for drop-down box.

3. Click the new image button . A new row appears below the last entry in the Directories list box.

4. Click the browse button on the right edge of the new row.

The Choose Directory window appears.

5. Find the %XSI_HOME% directory (the installation path for SOFTIMAGE|XSI), double-click the Application directory, click the bin directory and then click OK.

The path to the include directory appears in the Directories list box.

6. Click OK to close the Options window and return to the main Visual C++ console.

| If you copied the siobjectmodel.tli and siobjectmodel.tlh files to the wrong directory, you need to correct these project settings and then delete these files manually.

To enable exception handling

1. From the Project menu in Visual C++, choose Settings.

The Project Settings window appears.

2. Click the C/C++ tab and choose C++ Language from the Category drop-down box.

3. Make sure the Enable exception handling option is selected and click OK.

The Project Settings window closes.