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Okej hello I need help.
I need to install Dark GDK on a new computer
and it is failing.
I used the http://www.thegamecreators.com/?m=view_product&id=2128&page=downloadand that gave me visual 2010.
I have vista so I got the problem mentioned in the guide.
I had to unclock the secret vista administrator account
and it still didnt' work.
I tried to uninstall and reinstall the Dark DGK several times.

I tried to run GDK's sample and tutorial projects
I got the following errors from debugging
it couldn't find the Dark GDK header
and
1>------ Build started: Project: 3D Objects, Configuration: Debug Win32 ------
1>cl : Command line error D8016: '/ZI' and '/O2' command-line options are incompatible


Problems and infos are;
No GDK wizards appears when I click new project.
VC Directiories has been deprecated so I couldn't
use the manual installing by typing in the include and libs etc.
Visual 2010 can convert.
Debugging fails.
There are no wizard folder in visual 2010.
This is Vista.
This is Visual 2010.

Which version of Dark GDK have you installed? The October 2010 update is the first version which contains libraries for Visual Studio 2010, but I have seen it mentioned on the forum that it "does not work" - whatever that means. In any case it does not have an installer, so you need to install the basic version first and then overwrite the files with the new libraries, and if the installation of the basic version fails, then it's a problem. Another problem is that the link on the download page now leads to Visual Studio 2010 instead of 2008 since Microsoft updated the link.

There are two ways to solve your troubles:

1. Download and install Visual Studio 2008 which is surely compatible with Dark GDK. On the Microsoft page where the link takes you to, click "downloads", then "Visual Studio 2008 Express".

2. Use N3wton's recompiled Dark GDK libraries. He made quite an effort to make the libraries compatible not only with VS 2010 but also with a later version of DirectX, and he also made installation guides.

http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=176637&b=22

For the missing wizards problem: Dark GDK installer cannot copy the wizards to the right place if your Windows is not English. For manual correction see the "installation and wizards" thread, 3rd page:

http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=118371&b=22&msg=1793748#m1793748

P.S. for the "VC directories deprecated": I don't have experience yet with VS 2010 but I heard that in that version, include and library directories have to be set project by project instead of globally. So you can still set the include directories in the project properties.

I noticed when trying the optimisations the /ZI and /O2. After playing with the settings and getting it working. All the /O options can be used but he debug information settings /Z don't use. These are found on [configuration settings] / [C/C++] / [general] / [debug information]. Set it to disabled.

I saved myself a wapping 150k out of a 2.5Mg exe file...

I try to follow that advice.
I found Project > [Project Name] Properties > C/C++/ general /Debug Information Fromat.
it was set to "program database and edit /Z1".I have no idea what I am doing. I set it to inherit from parent or project default.
I click OK and the option is set to Program Database /Zi.
I got no idea what this is.

I try to run debug and get a new error:





This is an appealing option but I am not if to copy and paste libraries or use some installer?.
I rather use visual 2010 if possible becouse it has benefits.

Yes, I know I downloaded using the link yesterday.




Using the link I downloaded with I was linked to these versions of Dark GDK and Visual. I don't know which.
I downloaded it yesterday. I dont know what version of the GDK.
Is the new version a path or separate item or included in the GDK from the link?

Perhaps the Visual Link is updated all the time to new versions
but the Dark GDK link only link to old version?

I will try to download the new files.
I hope from more advice.

I have a theory. Is it possible that Dark GDK now should work on my visual 2010 but that I haven't installed the headers and libraries correctly?
My language is not english so the wizard perhaps couldnt install it?

Can I copy-past Dark GDK include files into the Visual 2010 Include map?

Attempting to follow http://samoatesgames.com/downloads/TGC/SetupInstructions.txt:
resulted in:

I have done as you suggested but it has failed in different ways.

I downloaded and installed the wizard for dark GDK 2010
somewhat successfully becouse the wizard now appears under new projects.
The wizard created project fails debugging
however the previous erros are fixed hence replaced with new errors.
The wizard created project have a linker error, cannot open darkgdk.lib.
I found and looked at darkgdk.lib, it exist in 3 versions in the Dark GDK\Lib folder.
In Dark GDK\Lib there are 3 folders for 2009, 2010 and 2010Debug.
I cannot open any of those darkgdk.libs with my computer.
I actually I cannot manually open any libs files in Dark GDK\Libs.
Computer gives me a message of "these files are used by the OS
and the system can take damage if you try to change them".
I don't know if I am supposed to be able or not.

I tried manually installing the include and library files
before and after to compare.
Manually created projects fails to open "darkGDK.h."
Both "DarkGDK.h" and <DarkGDK.h> fails with the same error.

I have tried with and without the Z1 options.
I have tried to convert a existing sample project.

If you receive error messages that the header or lib files are not found ("cannot open"), it surely means that your paths are not set correctly. If you are still trying with VS 2010, I can't help you much because I don't know that version. However, there should still be options to set "additional include directories" for C++ and "additional library directories" for the linker, in the project options. At least that's what those options are called in the VS2008 version. Set those to the directories where the header and the lib files are located.

EDIT: Regarding versions, just to get it straight for you: on the TGC download page you can find links to the base version of Dark GDK which has an installer and was released years ago. That installer installs the help and example files and the bonus media files, and it tries to also install the wizards and the paths in Visual Studio which it does not always manage to do, but that part you can do manually as well. Then there are two links to a 2008 upgrade and a 2010 upgrade. There were two other upgrades in between, 7.3 and 7.4 which are not linked on the download page but can be found in threads on the forum. (The 2010 upgrade also has a thread on the forum which is still stickied on top.)

None of the upgrades have as complete installer as the base version (which means they don't have the help, examples and media, only the libraries). You just download the libraries and either overwrite a previous version or unpack to a new directory. However, some upgrades may be incomplete (like 2010 needs files from earlier versions) or further patched (like 7.4 needs two downloads to work correctly).

In my humble opinion, using either 7.3 or 7.4 with VS 2008 is the most stable option (but as I said I haven't tried any 2010 version yet).

The only official upgrade which contains libraries for VS 2010 is the last one, the 2010 upgrade. Since it only contains libraries, you need to manually set the paths in Visual Studio. The reason why I recommended Newton's library set instead is because he made installation instructions as well and I supposed it will give you more guidance.